Coke or Kale?
The past few months when I did video interviews at trade shows, the weight I had recently gained was apparent on camera, and I wasn't happy to see it. Due to months of injuries, I just couldn't do the running and hiking that helped me burn calories. And yeah...I like to eat.
A while ago, my doctor suggested I watch a Netflix film called Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead. Geez...am I that bad, I thought? But the movie is good and primarily about how juicing had changed the filmmaker's life.
Travel can often provide some unhealthy food choices, so in between the show in Orlando and the one in Vegas my wife and I did a week of juicing. The juices consist of kale, celery, cucumber, spinach, beets, apples, pears, and some stuff from the ground I've never seen or in some cases, even heard of before. Consuming all natural, unprocessed foods packed with nutrients is a good thing. I felt awesome, wasn't hungry, and lost some pounds. I'd heard about juicing, but now I get it.
I knew I wouldn't eat great in Vegas and I conceded that week. Lifestyle changes take time, and I want to be realistic about my goals. So, when I returned, we started a 5-Day juice thing to jump start cleaner eating. It's hard to get excited about kale, which to me just does not taste good, but mixed with good juice recipes, it's tolerable. My wordsmith editor Glenda loves it. Perhaps I'll get there. (Editor's note: Glenda does hate beets. She will never get there with those).
Juicing is a LOT of work. Kudos to my precious wife Lorraine for making these drinks. I'm not going to live on juicing, but, I think it's a good thing to incorporate into a cleaner diet. You just can't go wrong consuming good stuff. The energy you have is surprising. And that leads me to an interesting real-world story. I swear I couldn't make this up.
A potential client reached out me as they heard about what my business does. Everyone who knows me is aware I'm ADD and passionate about what I do. I can talk and write too much. As I started to explain our multi-faceted program to this person, he stopped me and told me that I talk in sentences that are too long. The comment took me by surprise, and I wasn't sure how to respond. I apologized and explained that I do get excited about what we do, but I would try to be more aware of my sentence length.
As we moved on, apparently several long sentences later, he again admonished me that my sentences were too long. At this point, I wasn't sure what to say. Pondering a response, I chose to lay out what I thought might be the issue. I candidly mentioned I'd been doing juicing for a few days and perhaps the excess energy was showing. What came next stunned me. His comment was, "Something like white lines?" After a pause, I told him I was quite familiar with white lines MANY years ago but assured him this was not that. I explained my juicing ingredients and the energy they give me. Sentence length aside, I believe nutritious juices and foods that provide you with a "natural high" are a good thing.
This company may not be a client for my business, and that's fine. But it was interesting that juicing would come off that way. Like, the energy of kale makes it seem like I'm high on coke? It was odd, thought-provoking and ultimately, eye-opening to realize the power of juicing.
As we build the SuccessFit4Life! Community focusing on wellness, the goal is to encourage everyone on their wellness journey, whatever that looks like for them. In the health "industry" there are all kinds of programs and products. It's big business. I've had success with some products, but my doctor is suggesting I get my nutrients from the right natural foods. That makes sense to me.
Do what works for you, but one thing I know, there is a value to consuming natures products packed with nutrients. Being active to the extent you can be is always good.
In researching online, I found this information on nutrition: Supplements can never replace the nutrient content of whole foods. You should eat healthy foods your body needs, staying away from artificial nutrients.
Of course, I won't be living life eating great all the time. I still enjoy a quality burger and pizza, but I am starting to think differently about what I put into my body. The food industry focuses on creating processed foods engineered to taste great. These foods do taste great but take a look at the ingredients. You know the saying, you are what you eat. Ouch! This rant is really for me...and to make me a bit vulnerable. That's it. Rant over.
Coke or kale? I'm going with kale. It's cheaper, legal and MUCH better for you.