Thank you for sharing in our joy at our bambino on the way (and that Ali Wong gif!)! So how did I overcome my infertility diagnosis when Western Medicine told me this was impossible? I had to take my own Truce with Food medicine.
If it’s Measurable, it’s Manageable? Science continues to prove that the metrics we’ve been told to track to move the needle on your health and weight goals are wrong. The 10,000 steps a day you were told is a magic number? The result of a marketing campaign to sell pedometers. All that hard work of exercising and eating low-fat cardboard tasting food (Snackwell flashbacks anyone)? Probably counterproductive as research shows that all calories do not impact your body, weight, and mental state equally. For example, the calories from simple carbs will fuel your appetite and burn few calories in digestion while 25% of the same amount of protein calories will be burned in digestion while also controlling your appetite. Need one more reason to feel frustrated by mainstream health advice? The “discipline” and “willpower” that our country deems as the virtues rewarded with thinness aren’t fixed or even developed traits. In fact, feeling unmotivated is in part, an inflammatory metric which is a natural by-product of that low-fat, high carb diet the “experts” told you to suffer through for so many years…
National Narratives Affordable daycare, strong national healthcare, manageable workweeks that further support and encourage cultural norms of celebrating mealtimes (and not ruining these treasured occasions with snacking) may be the real reason French women (men, and children) don’t get fat. And understanding how our national stories and patterns define our health is key to shaping policy for a healthier nation. Caloric consumption and BMI are heavily influenced by our environment and economic status. Structural barriers and stigma can make these problems worse. Even for those with more means, a United States agricultural policy that subsidizes and encourages the high production of grains, starch and corn syrup has led to poor blood sugar control (which increases appetite), super-sizing, and constantly and readily available food. There are glimmers of hope for not looking at obesity as a personal failure as the medical community looks to address the growing childhood obesity epidemic. For treating this more vulnerable and sympathetic population that often has less control and choice over their food choices, the medical community is looking at how to overcome stigma and understand the role of culture and environment in the treatment (where once again, a culture of constant snacking is blamed for obesity). Let’s hope that this approach and philosophy can extend past the age of 18.
Of Freezing Out, Burning Out, and Leaning Out Speaking of structures built by the patriarchy… any woman whose desk is full of scarfs, cardigans and potentially a small space heater (in June) won’t be surprised to hear that like pharmaceuticals and our medical system, office temperatures are designed for male biology and hurt female productivity. Need more reasons to spend less time at the office this summer. Burn out was recognized as an official health diagnosis by the world health organization. And the impact may be even worse for women— who get less recognition and reward for doing and delivering more than their male colleagues. Studies on “leaning in” show commitment to work and logging more hours at the office has a low ROI for women. Conventional wisdom has once again been disproven with studies showing salary and promotion gaps are not due to women working fewer hours or prioritizing other commitments but are largely a function of bias. And making yourself more scarce could actually have career and life benefits.
Are your cravings for ice-cream and fro-yo rising with the temps? As a type-A, I’ve discovered underneath my ice-cream cravings are 1) a need to physically cool-down (I get hot and bothered in the heat) and 2) needing an energy surge to recoup from how the heat drains me.
The more we can “air-condition” ourselves naturally, the less we hear the cool sweet siren.
Check out this magical, dairy-free, whole food based “ice-cream” recipe from the Detoxinista’s fabulous website. With only 2 ingredients, it takes 3 minutes to make and no ice cream maker is required! (Hint: I use a blender and like to add a bit of almond or coconut milk and the riper the banana the sweeter the ice cream).
If conventional metrics like steps and calories don’t move the needle on our goals, what does? In Season 8, Episode 1, I share proven metrics which resulted in radical client results.
Because “the more you put your mind to something, the better the results” isn’t always true. And what should you be putting your mind too? Find out!
Listen to the 4 Willpower Myths podcast
Read the transcript
Is unconscious competing draining us?
Often we overeat, drink or Netflix our nights and weekends away because we’ve been competing all day and week (without realizing it!).
Our noble challenge to get ahead, to the best of our ability and be perfect is often based on what our winning looks like to the outside world, not on metrics that are meaningful to our goals. We try to be really good with our food and still “lose” because the scale doesn’t move. We eat more in frustration or for energy because we are drained from trying to check off all we have to do to get ahead in building our careers.
We’re exploring what is truly satisfying and how to make the pursuit of success more enjoyable (read: sustainable!) so we don’t have to choose between being consistent with our food and self-care and managing the stress in our lives.
This is part of our summer focus in the community of working through the root causes of “falling off-track.”
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Be well,
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