Daily blog #78

Live to eat or eat to live?

As many of you know, our needs are very basic as humans on a physiological level. After air and water, we need food, primarily in the form of proteins (and fat) to survive. When it comes to food, beyond our primal needs, there is an emotional connection with it. One of our most cherished American holidays centers around food (particularly turkey, stuffing and gravy mmmmmm). Those of us who were fortunate enough to have grown up eating at the dinner table with our families will recall many fond memories involving food from birthdays to holidays. I myself LOVE food, and those around me will attest to it. Unfortunately you can have too much of a good thing and many Americans struggle to find balance. So, without fully committing to a miserable existence it’s important to learn how to cope while still enjoying life. Here are THREE hacks that allow me to enjoy more of the foods I like:

1. Fasting (16/8 or 24 hour) hunger is the most pure form of self-discipline there is, just like lifting weights, it hurts at first but you will adapt and become stronger! In fasting, that means eating more of what you like!

2. Knowing what is necessary for survival. Those with a sedentary lifestyle are fine with proteins, fats and veggies (sounds boring but keep reading) Many people start their day with high sugar carbs which is unnecessary and inefficient although delicious.

3. Cheat meals or days. I believe in a routine reward system (usually over the weekends) one or two times per week. Anything you want for being disciplined, enjoy!

While there is much complexity to the subject of nutrition, much of it is more simple than we think. As humans we went periods with little or no food followed by periods with an abundance more or less. The largest difference between now and then is our circumstances demanded we eat for survival. By staying true to our nature we can prolong our satisfaction by building a healthy relationship with our food. Love to eat a another day!