We've all — in some unique form or fashion — expressed a desire to be "healthy." We've looked in the mirror and pinched an inch, grimacing. We've despaired over the tasty mozzarella sticks inexorably distracting us from the main menu. Maybe we've even vowed to go to the gym every day to burn calories for two hours until we resemble the toned gods and goddesses in advertisements. The paranoia doesn’t discriminate by gender or age. So, what's the big deal?
I believe the American public defines "healthy" as a look rather than a state of being, and that’s bad. We are widely misinformed by media and rumors about what constitutes healthy habits—both in eating and mindset about eating. I've watched enough loved ones' lives dissolve as they became enslaved to food—through self-starvation or overeating—that I must debunk cultural myths as often as I can. There should be freedom and enjoyment in our eating lifestyle as we stay within the boundaries of true health. Here's how.
The first and most important thing to understand is what parents and teachers like to tell their kindergarteners: You are special. They’re right! Every person has a unique body type and build, which means that nutritional needs differ accordingly. I recently met with a registered dietician in Norman, Oklahoma, Kimberly Davis, who was the first to explain to me that the “serving size” on food labels is not the recommended portion size for every person on Earth. Food needs, she said, depend on BMI, or body mass index: the measure of a person's weight as it relates to their height. This can be calculated using the online resource from the National Institutes of Health.
The aforementioned nutritionist had worked at the local college campus. I told her how the "perfect" bodies of so many sorority girls are discouraging to women who feel they can never achieve such a figure. She was quick to tell me how dangerous it is for people to idolize a particular body type as the paragon of health, since the natural petite form of one woman may be the body of starvation for another. Yikes.
That brings me to the second point; hopefully it's as exciting to you as it is to me! Eating right does not mean going hungry at any point during the day. Many people skip meals in order to achieve some illusion of balance, or to recompense for a large meal. This is actually counterproductive for both weight maintenance and weight loss. When the body is denied a meal, it makes up for its deprivation by slowing metabolism, or the rate at which the body breaks down food to create energy.
Article comments
1 - Brian aka Guppusmaximus
Nice Article...
Though, I have a few comments.
I do not agree with the BMI (body mass index).This sort of measurement is out of date,not accurate at all and only contradicts your cohesive point of view about looks versus health.
Finally, I agree that exercise is very important but people should be educated about the importance of working out correctly and trying to challenge themselves beyond the basics. A regimen based on cardio alone is insufficient.
2 - Bob Lloyd
I agree that there is a whole food Woo industry trying to make people anxious and scared about their diet. Typically it makes two claims: that our diet is incomplete, i.e. needing supplements, and that there are toxins that need to be removed. Both are untrue claims which spread confusion and worry in order to boost the sale of products.
It is very interesting to compare the nutritional content of a medium sized potato with any chosen dietary supplement. On the subject of detox, it's worth remembering too that whenever people are treated for poisoning, the initial step is the unambiguous identification of the toxin. Yet detox merchants think one size fits all and offer something generic which simply cannot work, even if there were toxins accumulating - which there aren't if you possess a liver.