Environments & Your Machine

Over Spring Break I was pulled back into an environment that reminded me where I stood health-wise before entering college. Everything is meat and starch, meat, meat, meat. In my family, if you don't eat meat, they get confused and have no idea what to make! I do eat fish occasionally but while home I ate fish nearly every day. I noticed a significant change in my energy levels and I even gained a few pounds in one-week's time. I did my best to keep my yoga practice in the mornings but I felt so lacking in energy and once I did wake up I wanted to be out and about. There really is a link between what you eat and how you feel. Your body is a machine and you only get out what you put in. So if you're feeding it processed goods and endless amounts of sugar (soda and sweets), you're not going to get much out. If you feed your machine vegetables, fruits, and proteins, then you're going to have the energy to get through the day and be active.
It's frustrating that not many people think of this-- they just eat and eat and eat instead of considering why they are eating. Treats and delicacies are fine on occasion. Life is too short not to have a slice of cake every now and then, but, if you want a quality life, you need to take care of your machine. Cars recommended to run on premium last longer when they are actually fed premium. Your body is no different.

Let's take a look at an average person. In America, the majority of the population is mostly sedentary; they work in an office, sitting at a computer desk 9 hours out of the day. Soda is common to every restaurant and locale while advertisements for fast food always show meat and starch (iceburg lettuce does not count as a nutritional vegetable, thus cannot be counted as a vegetable in a meal. A single slice of tomato does not count either). When a person comes home, they eat, watch TV, eat, go to bed.
Where does it all start? It starts with your pantry. If you have all the tools you need to a healthy diet (I do NOT mean a fad diet, I mean the actual definition) then you can properly fuel your engine.
The average American's pantry will consist of numerous processed goods: cereals high in sugar and low in actual nutrition, snack bars that give you some of your daily whole grain but are saturated with sweeteners, soda, white rice, instant meals like Pasta-roni and Zataran's, canned corn, etc. Canned corn is just fine but with so many processed goods people are starving themselves of proper nutrition. Plus, it's way cheaper to buy fresh corn- an extensive amount more for less!
[What's wrong with white rice, you ask? There is such little nutrition that it is practically an empty calorie. Try the switch to brown rice. If it doesn't come out right, let me know. I'm pretty good with adjusting the instructions on the back of the brown rice bags.]
If you have it, you'll likely eat it. The best way to create a healthy environment where you can eat healthier and reach your goals is by cleaning out your pantry and only keeping or buying necessities. You'd be surprised how little you actually need in your pantry when you switch cut out processed foods.
If you just can't give up your instant rice or don't want to stop eating cereal, make small changes. For example, serve yourself less of the instant rice and put another serving of vegetables on your plate. If cereal is your attachment, your bane of existence in the morning, read the labels. Go for a cereal with less sugars (and I DON'T mean for you to go for those with aspartame, splenda, or truvia in them!). There's nothing wrong with sugar but you don't want to give your body more than it needs. Another thing to look for with your cereals is whether they are actually whole grain or made with whole grains. I enjoy Kashi cereals every now and then. If you're worried about price, try actually portioning your cereal. Give yourself one serving and add fruit into it or on the side to fill you up.


Here is an example of some healthy, quick, and easy meals to get you through the day:

Breakfast:

     2 boiled eggs
     +
     1/2 cup quick oats
     2/3 to a cup of almond milk
     pinch of salt
     cinnamon
     honey
     1 banana and/or raisins
     (microwave for two minutes then stir. If it's too liquid-y for your taste, let it sit, it may thicken more)

Lunch Sandwich:

     whole wheat bread (I like Nature's Own from the isle, and fresh from Publix/Winn Dixie bakery)
     1-2 thin slices of cheese (something other than american)
     hummus or chicken/turkey leftovers (not too much)
     happy handful of spinach or other nutritional leafy green
     pinch of cayenne pepper (optional, of course. I just love the zing)
     pinch of garlic and/or onion powder (depends on the flavors of your hummus or meat)

Dinner:

     1 clove garlic
     rinse, dry, and chop leafy green (no need to chop spinach if you choose it though)
     olive oil
     pinch of salt
     pinch of cayenne (or black) pepper
     (saute' these together until the leafy green is wilted)
     +
     cubed extra firm tofu (or you can bake some Tilapia; spice it with your choice of seasonings [check the labels to make sure there is no added sugars to the spices] then wrap it in tin foil and bake at 425 for about 23 minutes).

     +

     6-7 carrots, peeled and chopped to small slices

     (steam the carrots and tofu together for about six minutes, add salt)

I honestly think processed foods are one of America's biggest health issues. I challenge you to give up a large majority of your processed foods and replace them with fresh, colorful veggies and fruits. Be adventurous! Discover new produce and learn how to cook them. I recently started eating more leafy greens (and I don't mean in salad!) like kale and mustard greens. Now kale is my new favorite. Give it a try and I know you'll see a difference in how you feel and how you perform throughout your day.

For more statistics/insight on processed food, Jamie Oliver has quite a bit to say on his TED talk.

Saute'd Kale and Garlic with Steamed Carrots