Words that can trip us up
Here are a few, more to come
Some words can trip us up, especially when it comes to discussions about food and health.
Diet: Ugh, this word is confusing. There are so many diets, and I think the word itself can make us feel bad when weight loss doesn’t go as planned. I’d rather ditch that word and ask questions like: How can I be healthier? What works for me? How can I improve? My go-to answer is to focus on foods, starting with vegetables, which help keep blood sugar stable. When you do that, a lot of good things can fall into place. And for me, that feels doable.
Weight loss: Another bummer of a few words. We all want to do that if we feel we have become a bit overweight. Let’s start with these: What am I eating? When am I eating it? Is it good for me? Is it junk? Will this help me live longer and enjoy the people I love?
Five Quick Tips:
Explore intermittent fasting: There’s a lot of information out there, and generally, intermittent fasting allows your body to rest between your last meal of the day and your first meal the next day. A 12–14 hour fast is common. Check with your healthcare provider.
Control the junk food: If it comes in a package as processed food, turn the bag over and read the ingredients. If you don’t like them, find something else.
Manage the sugary drinks: OMG, they can be loaded with sugar so check what’s in them. The only excuse for the really bad ones would be if you’re stranded in a desert with no water.
Exercise: Get moving! Whether it’s walking, riding a bike, playing tennis or other activity, just do something.
Find joy: It matters. I wasted too much time not knowing this. In my 20s, I was anything but carefree—working, commuting, running a household, mowing the lawn, fixing the garage door, and a first marriage that didn’t work out. I was overwhelmed. People might say, “But you went to college, you’re smart, you could have changed things.” If it were that simple, I would have changed things. It’s hard to change and in some cases the environment and people make it seem virtually impossible. Fortunately, life can give us opportunities to change and find a new path. Mine led to NYC. One of the people I enjoy talking to here in NYC is Dietician /Diabetes Educator Jordana Turkel. When I asked her about diet and weight loss, she said, “You can only start from where you are. Be kind to yourself. If 75% of the time you are eating healthfully, moving as much as you can and sleeping well, you will be in great shape!”
Stay tuned for my thoughts on other “Words that can trip us up.” I’ll be adding more as I come across them!
