INSANE DIETING GAME
I don’t hold on to the belief that a piece of fruit can upgrade and glorify my stance as a human being or that a candy bar or five can actually demote and crush my character in an instant. Ridiculous? Yes, but it’s a wide spread, much absorbed belief in our crooked and corrupt culture. I see it all the time. Men and women who are praised and nearly worshipped for following their latest rigorous diet flawlessly, at least for a month, or a week. That’s why I think diets are ridiculous and sometimes even humorous, because to me they simply represent limited episodes of temporary cures for a terminal issue… health! Health is a life long journey and not one that can be Alacazamed with a bottle of pills and a bag of salad.
I get a real kick out of all the high protein, low carb diets out there. Call me crazy, but from an angle of logic and reason, it makes absolutely no sense to me that it could be good for my body to eat all the bacon, cheese, butter and steak I could possibly want, but a whole wheat bagel or bowl of oh say Rokit Fuel and yogurt is catagorized as “evil!” Say what? It’s insane to expect to fuel your tank on protein alone and bar the natural intuitive demand for carbohydrates.
I am obviously a Rokit Fuel enthusiast and not just because it’s a rad product but because it boosts my body with adequate carbs, protein and fiber. As a long distance runner, climber, hiker and mountain biker, I am definately down with a product that offers me sustained energy, doesn’t cramp me up or cramp my style. And the more carbs the better when the weather is blingin and the mountains are callin my name!
Other than screamin as I throw myself off a cliff into cold water, I’m not much of a screamer. But I tell ya what, I feel like screamin “insanity” whenever I hear someone say “Do you know how many carbs that has?” I wanna say “Nope I don’t but I intend to use all of em’ to stay alive, how bout you?”
In a book entitled “Intuitive Eating,” by Evelyn Tribole (M.S., R.D.) and Elyse Resch (M.S., R.D.) it talks all about everything I believe in when it comes to takin delight in loving my body enough to do what’s good for it, while throwing out all the vicious delusions of dieting. “If a diet is lacking in carboydrates, the body has to turn to creative fueling mechanisms to supply vital energy to the body. Protein is needed to maintain and build muscles, hormones, enzymes and cells in the body. When carbohydrates and energy are lacking, protein is shifted from its primary role to provide fuel.” It also points out how we are all born with the common sense and intellect to do what our bodies ask.
For example, if you put a full plate of cookies in front of a two year old, sure he’ll be excited to devour the dish of goodies, but he will actually stop eating when his body says “that’s enough.” A thirty two year old on the other hand, might gobble up the whole plate when he’s given the chance, simply because he has been restricting and telling himself “no” for so long that it’s about time to splurge and go on a stuffing spree again, followed by super charged guilt and reaccuring regret. That’s why, for me, I have found that if I can mentally allow myself to eat what I want, when I want, it pretty much extinguishes the “all or nothing” kind of diet mentality that many get sucked into. It’s like holding a dog back while dangling a dripping piece of hot bacon in his face and telling him “Shut up and eat your puppy chow.”
We live in America where we are blessed with an abundance of flavorable and hearty sustenance, yet we alternate between a fat free frenzy of tofu and fig bars to a feast of fast food fried “whatever I can get my hands on.”
My conclusion… It’s a balancing act. But consuming in moderation isn’t a magic trick. It definately takes practice and patience, not just with yourself but with a society who will constantly dish out a bunch of mumbo jumbo about foods that make a person “good” or not. Instead you have to find your own self discovered dignity in honoring your hunger, and self proclaimed pride in exploring the great privelage it is to nourish your body and soul. You can’t substitute wholesome satisfying substance on an empty stomach with a “fix all” pill or a carbonated energy drink. You may be able to cheat yourself with crafty imitations for a season or two but reality is bound to catch up and call you out on yet another diet that has failed you. People don’t fail diets, diets fail people because diets aren’t meant to last a life time and people are. Go figure!
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As you travel the Hunza valley in Pakistan, with it’s magnificent sheer twenty thousand some odd foot, white capped peaks towering over you like a protective father, you may come across a 104 year old Hunzakut man who hikes 6 miles a day. As impressed as you might be, you can’t be anything but inspired as you learn he’s never suffered a day in his life from heart disease, ulcers, high cholestrol, dementia, or high blood pressure and ”cancer” is about as foreign to him as he is to you. Plus he’s probably had less sick days in his life than you have in let’s say the past 5 years. Yes indeed a Hunzakut is a rare breed and it isn’t that they are super natural in some way, but they definately are all natural!
No doubt it takes some physical stamina and determination to keep up with growing all their own goods for these agile pristine masters of their own destiny. Indulging in totally unprocessed, whole, fresh foods and suckin up some of the purest water in the world, there is no spectacular art to their longevity, just a few basic principals for the healthiest dudes on the planet!
But before you start jumping out of your pants at the idea that you’re going to have to eat all raw, organic foods day in and day out and exercise til your jaded, their lifestyle, although refined with virtuous nutrition and resolute activity, is actually much slower paced than ours in a lot of ways. As one Hunzakut put it “We have a good life and we live a long time. Some say it is simple food, but I don’t think so. In short, we have less worries, and worries will kill you.”
Here you won’t find many marathon runners or notably professional business men putting in 80 hour work weeks. The life of a Hunzakut health nut is indeed productive and you definately won’t catch their teenage sons wasting afternoon hours on video games… for one they don’t have the kind of access we do, but they also have a different list of priorities than the average American. Ingrained in the roots of these nearly indestructible humans are eight basics. And the rad part is, you don’t have to live in the high hills of Pakistan to reap the benefits and cream your great grandpa’s health record.
You don’t have to pound your feet into the asphalt with 10-20 mile a day runs or even hit the gym five times a week, but if you wanna follow in the footsteps of your Hunza buddy, you’re life will naturally revolve around some sort of steady action. You might not be able to quit your day job and become a full time farmer, but you can harvest some time to ride your bike to work, take on your own garden, or chase your kids around the playground like you’re eight again! Hunzakuts aren’t hard core athletes or adrenalin junkies. They simply live well and stay earnestly involved in work and play.
2. Know your purpose in life
Studies show that people that have a reason to get up in the morning are happier and live longer… makes sense right? Having some type of meaning and intentional ambition can ease stress, please your immune system and leave you with passionate purpose for why you should keep on keepin on!
You don’t have to meditate your life away, but if you can capture a moment each day to catch your breath and free your mind enough to release anxiety, you’ll be on your way to a more bliss filled state. You may not be able to control your surroundings, but there is much to be mastered inside the mind and heart that many of us don’t slow down enough to realize. The healthiest peeps in the world have got to know a thing or two about how to endure happily until they kick the bucket, and their advice? Slow down, worry less, live longer…. I’ll buy it!
Choose to be satisfied, energized, sustained and empowered but not uncomfortably enthralled in over consumption. It’s no suprise to you that we live in a culture of high paced, self gratifying, over indulging, “quick fixing” solutions. Head ache? Take asprin. Heart ache? Take an anti-depressant. Hungry? Grab the fastest thing you can get your hands on, which is often fast food, and shove down some grub before you can even think about whether you’re full or not. Allow your body to be graced with the goodness food has to offer, not gorged and absorbed by a meal that loses it’s appeal when you can’t possibly muscle down one more bite.
If you were invited to feast with a Huzakut family tonight, you’d most likely be treated with a plate of fresh greens, peas, carrots, freshly picked apricots, a very basic bread made of hand ground grains like buckwheat, millet, barley or wheat and water. For dessert? Well, might as well delight with a bite of fresh cherries and blackberries. Tempting? It sounds pretty awesome to me… only problem is I feel like if all I lived off of was spinach, grains and fruit I’d be constantly hungry. But some “experts” out there somewhere claim that you and I may actually be undernourished even when we are eating plenty of calories because most the foods we eat lack the nutrients our bodies are screaming for. I guess that’s not too hard to believe. And the wickedly cool news is, you can get a substantial measure of the hearty grains Mr. Hundred year old Hunzakut uses as his staple food, by chowing down on a bowl of Rokit Fuel…. it aint’ called fuel for nothin. It will quite literally fuel your life with vigor and vitality if you let it!
6. Healthy Social Network
When I think Social Network, I think of junior high kids texting and face booking til their fingers are cramping up. Well, the real kind of Social Network is found in a tight knit group of amigos who can sit around the fire at night and tell jokes and share their darkest secrets. Having friends, making friends and keeping friends shows significant results when it comes to living a better, more meaningful and well rounded life.
I find it ironic that myspace and facebook fanatics don’t hesitate to invest hours online in a quest to becomming the first person with 50 million “friends,” but when it comes to actually sitting down with one of their “buddies” face to face, their at a total loss for words. So no, social interaction isn’t found in chat rooms or online gaming. Instead, have the guts to talk to someone new… yes, I mean a real live person!
“People who feel their life is part of a larger plan and are guided by their spiritual values have stronger immune systems, lower blood pressure, a lower risk of heart attack and cancer, and heal faster and live longer,” says Harold G. Koenig, M.D., professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Duke University Medical Center.
Sounds like a pretty smart dude to me.
That 104 year old Hunzakut man you met has a story to tell and a family to tell it to. As weird as it might sound, sweet family relationships can give a serious boost of power to your health. Maybe it’s cuz when you have people counting on you to live long you feel more motivated to take care of that body of yours, or because having some bodys who think you’re awesome increases self esteem, confidence and contentment. Or maybe because bonding with other humans under the same roof increases that sense of “everything’s gonna be alright,” resulting in less stress and worry. Personally, being a mom of 2 little boys, I think kids cause and cure my anxiety at the same time if that’s possible. They are there to make me wanna pull my hair out and curl up in the fetal position in a corner, and later that day they are there curing all sorts of troubles with their contagious laugh and generous smiles. Sadly, studies show the average working American parent spends only 19 minutes a day engaged in childcare. This statistic isn’t to trip you up with guilt and add to you’re to do list… just to say, family is hopefully at the top of that list!
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Rokit Fuel Power
Whether you woke up today and decided to strap into your boots and take on a snow capped mountain, hit the dirt on a 10-mile hilly bike ride, or dashed into the office just to punch the clock and wait out the day, you probably put at least some thought into how to jump start your day. But then maybe your health concious self got put on hold while you hit a McDonald’s drive thru, only to find that an hour later those fake tasting eggs and greasy sausage wasn’t sitting too well in the ol’ tank.
Although McDonald’s does have a rep for loading up on calories and grease, it’s not calories that are the enemy… really, I know, crazy! But the way we choose to get our source of energy IS important and does matter.
So let’s rewind and pretend you ditch the drive thru and eat a cup of oh I don’t know, let’s say Rokit Fuel for breakfast… Stud Muffin because you like the name and have a hidden hope it might give you a little exta luck today with the opposite sex.
You check out the contents to discover 18 whole foods, the bulk being whole grains… WHOLE, that’s a powerful word! But just how powerful? Well, according to a really smart chick, Dr. Verena (PhD, MSc), a nationally renowned doctor in Nutritional Sciences, “Whole grains are nutritionally superior to refined grain. Whole grains contain an abundance of beneficial antioxidants, phytochemicals, and essential nutrients, and are protective against various chronic diseases. Whole grains are also well metabolized by the human body when properly prepared.”
So let’s take a look at just what’s behind a few of these amazing grains found in Rokit Fuel’s Stud Muffin….
Rye helps drop those nasty cholesterol and blood pressure levels of yours so next time you’re in the doctor’s office you can show him what’s up. It also slows down somethin called ‘atherosclerosis’, a big word meaning your body is collecting fat build up in your arteries, which hardens and can cause blockage. There’s a load of an awesome phytonutrient (SUPER-nutrient) in rye, that is tough as nails, fighting hard against heart disease and cancer, which I think is a pretty sweet benefit. The fiber in Rye clings to toxins in your colon to kick em’ out of your body. Another cool thing Rye does, is helps control sugar levels by using glucose and insulin secretion in the way it should be used, giving a steady sustainable flow of energy without a crash. Rye also helps you feel fuller quicker, which gives you that good ol’ satisfaction feeling in a healthy way!
Barley is low in fat and is a sweet source of protein, complex carbs, fiber, vitamins, anti-oxidants and minerals. Soluble fiber in barley can also help chase down that bad cholesterol and prevent those half hour trips to the bathroom (a.k.a. constipation) It can also help stabilize blood glucose levels which can come in handy if you have type 2 diabetes, but either way I’d say it’s a good thing.
As you read further down the label, you see a few things you’re not too sure about… Gotu Kola? Bee Pollen? Maca Root? Well, let’s check out all these crazy awesome things you’re about to put in your body!
So, what the heck is Gotu Kola? Well, it’s basically just a really rad herb that aids in curing and healing all sorts of stuff. To give you an idea, it can take out the stress you’re feeling about that piling “to do” list sitting on your desk, and when you do get around to checking it off, Gotu Kola will be there to keep you focused, improving your concentration and memory. At the same time, it can balance out your energy and relaxation levels, so you’re not running around the office like a mad man, but you’re also not snoozing away at your computer. It’ll also keep that blood flowin smoothly, especially in your legs, and it’s always good havin a little blood flowage goin on right? While all of this is going on, your body is going to be milkin this powerful herb for all it’s worth… using it to help heal that scar, fight blood disease, mental disorders, high blood bressure, congestive heart failuer, sore throat, and it’s also a mild diuretic. Oh, I almost forgot, you know that lady friend you’ve got that you’ve been workin up the guts to ask out? Well, you may be able to thank Gotu Kola for stimulating your nervous system, helping you brush off any feelings of anxiety, so you can set up a date for tonight! You’re already actin a little more studly!
So here’s the low down on Bee Pollen, another incredible herb full of neat things like vitams B, C, D, E and beta-carotene; not to mention mono and polyunsaturated fats, calcium, magnesium, selenium, nucleic acids, lecithin, and cysteine. What does that mean to you? Well, it means you’re gonna keep on copin with that stress like a champ, boost your energy to get things done and endure that long lecture your boss is about to give. Then, on top of all that, your immune system is gettin pumped full of umph to chase off any bug your fellow employees so kindly brought with them to work today.
Last but not least, Maca Root is basically a mighty little plant that amplifies energy, treats chronic fatigue, gets rid of you or your sister’s mood swings (she has to eat Rokit Fuel too though, it won’t magically work for her if you’re the only one eating it, sorry) relieves menopause stuff goin on if you’re thinkin about that, solves sleeping problems, improves your mental and physical well being and increases stamina. What more could you ask for? Maca Root has it all!
So your body’s stoked with whole grains, dried fruit, nuts and seeds, power house herbs, and your feeling more alive and SO thankful you dodged that one fast food place I can’t remember the name of. And when you’re out on that date tonight, Stud Muffin really will make you more of a stud, with tons of rad complex carbs for energy to dance the night away, complete proteins to feed those strong arm muscles buldging out of your shirt, vitamins and minerals for good luck, and gosh, a 5 minute bathroom break in the middle of dinner sure beats your regular 20. Heck, might as well bring some RF along for dessert…. Now we’re talkin!
To learn more about Rokit Fuel products and their incredibly awesome benefits, visit http://rokitfuel.com/
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