What’s the one thing most of us have in common during the Thanksgiving to Christmas holiday window?
Want a hint?
Overeating.
Not a surprise, is it? All of those delectable goodies: the rich desserts, the fatty dressings, company parties, family gatherings, Aunt Bee’s 1000 calories a piece family heirloom recipe, and on and on. You feel obligated to indulge and out of control. You excuse it as okay because you’re going to turn over a new eating leaf in 2019.
As we rev up to Thanksgiving this month and then into Christmas in six weeks, maintaining healthful eating habits and not gaining an extra five to ten pounds that will likely not come off next year, we’re going to wade into the conscientious eating waters here on Workout Wednesdays.
Just exactly what does conscientious eating mean?
It’s not just conscious eating, as you’re probably familiar with. Living consciously is a big topic these days. It goes beyond that.
It means not just being conscious of what or how you’re eating, but being conscientious about the food choices you make.
Specifically, we’re going to look closely at how eating affects your mental health, body inflammation levels and brain, especially the aging brain.
Last month I had the opportunity to attend a great educational program on conscientious eating.
One of the sad facts we learned is that the US life expectancy hasn’t improved much in the past several decades, and the major determinant in improving life expectancy was the introduction of antibiotics after World War II.
And although the longevity age seems to be eking up, much of that may be due to available medicine.
An ugly statistic we must face is that the United States ranks 34th on the longevity list, tied with Cuba.
Not a pretty picture.
Country Comparisons
One thing both Chris and I noticed when we returned from Europe was just how overweight Americans are. I knew the statistics, but the glaring fatness and sluggishness of Americans couldn’t be missed, or ignored.
Just why is that? And does that heavily influence our poor longevity status?
I think there are a lot of contributors to our obese status, and we’ll look at several of those. But we’ll focus primarily on what you can do—as a consumer and as a person concerned about your health, your lifestyle, and your overall fitness and energy levels—to improve your health, lose weight without going on some special six-week caloric restriction diet, and reduce your chances of serious illness.
We’ll really delve into the woes of the Western diet and why we need to care about inflammation in the body, what it means for your overall present and future health.
Want to feel good mentally, physically and spiritually on January 2? Then meet me back here next week when we start our conscientious eating focus!
Pre-holiday checklist:
Until then, go through your cabinets, pantry and refrigerator to get an idea of how many products you purchase that contain sugar, added sugar and ingredients like fructose and high fructose corn syrup. This includes any kind of sugar, even if it’s raw or evaporated cane source. What percentage of your overall food intake does it constitute? (Make sure you examine ingredients in every processed food, frozen, fresh or canned.)
Blessings,
Andrea
May you prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers (3 John 2).