If you missed yesterday’s chat with Marilu and the PCRM crowd, it’s here! Read the chat transcript here. Stop by next Tuesday, March 16 at 1 PM Eastern/10 AM Pacific for another chat with Marilu. These chats are a collaboration between Marilu.com and PCRM’s 21-day Vegan Kickstart program.
If you missed yesterday’s chat with Marilu and Dr. Neal Barnard (founder and president of Physician’s Committee for Responsible Medicine), don’t panic! Read the chat transcript here. Stop by next Tuesday, March 9 at 10 PM Eastern/7 PM Pacific for another chat with Marilu and Dr. Barnard. These chats are a collaboration between Marilu.com and PCRM’s 21-day Vegan Kickstart program.
We’ve all had those days when other people want to control us. We come home from work or school, or we walk out of a meeting or away from a partner, feeling less than ourselves. When we’re feeling pulled in too many directions, or dragged against our will, there are things we can do… besides shout “you’re not the boss of me!” (You know you’ve wanted to do that…) We can stick to the routine that makes us feel the healthiest – that makes us feel empowered.
Your mind and your body will be able to deal with life’s difficult situations when you take care of yourself. It’s the best way to take control of your life. Now get up and get moving – this song is all about empowerment.
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If the next ice age started right now, how would you be frozen in time? Would your chin be jutting forward? Is that how you would want to be stuck forever? Sit up. You look maaaahvelous, dahling.
Consumers (that’s you) need to know the facts about chemicals, additives, and preservatives. An educated eater is a healthy eater. Usually. Because the thought of eating nitrate, sodium stearyl lactylate, and monocalcium phosphate for lunch isn’t really appealing, is it? That’s what you’re eating in a turkey sandwich on whole wheat bread, with potato chips. For many of the foods we eat, food = chemicals. Additives are “any substance the intended use of which results or may reasonably be expected to result in affecting the characteristics of the food.” Hmmm. Sounds like the whole intent is to change the food into something it’s not. Of course, that’s not always bad. Herbs and spices are added to change flavors. Salt is a preservative, and has been for years (anyone who’s eaten lutefisk might say that’s not such a good thing, but we’ll keep that as the exception that proves the rule). ASSIGNMENT – For every meal you eat today, pay attention to how much of the food is just the way it grew, and how much has been “enhanced” with chemicals, additives, or preservatives.
Martin Luther King, Jr. helped us see the world in a whole new way. He encouraged us to treat each other as brothers and sisters, no matter our race, color, creed, economic background, or whatever else we like to think separates us. So, yes, keep thinking about Haiti, and about the other times and places in which we can help each other out. Then have a little faith that you can make a difference, and take that first step. You don’t have to know where you’ll end up – the first step will lead to the second step. The second step will lead to the third step. Eventually, the top of the staircase will find you, and the world will be a better place. In case you think we’re going to pass up this opportunity – the quotation works really well if you apply it to the changes you want – or need – to make in the way you eat, the way you exercise, the way you treat your body… just read it again. We promise – you don’t have to see the whole staircase – just take have a little faith and take that first step toward doing the right thing for yourself.
There are a million things that can turn us into emotional eaters. Any time we experience a negative feeling and head directly to the refrigerator, the vending machine, or the nearest convenience store or fast-food drive-through, we become emotional eaters. We look for comfort in something smooth, fattening, creamy, salty, sweet, or crunchy. Right? We all know that unhealthy overeating leads to weight gain. It also brings on a downward spiral of negative self-talk, anxiety, and even self-loathing. How do we break that cycle? The first and most important step is to realize that life is not always easy, fun, fair, or good. There will never be a totally stress-free time in anyone’s life. Once we can live with that, it’s easier to stop responding to the hard, not-fun, unfair, and bad days with food. Identify what makes you feel pressured, sad, angry, or anxious – just make a note of it in your calendar (online or paper), journal (online or paper), or planner (electronic or paper). After a couple of weeks, you’ll have a pretty good idea of your triggers. Then you can break the cycle with other, less self-destructive behaviors (like writing about your feelings, or treating yourself to a movie that helps you cry it out). Face your issues; be conscious of them. It’s so much better than eating them.
Did you know that the average consumer eats about 140-150 pounds of additives every year? Yuck! That’s like an entire human body full of chemicals! These preservatives are put in our foods for the benefit of the seller not for us, the consumer. These foods could sit on the shelf for years! Some preservatives keep produce from spoiling (ever!). Some additives give certain foods more color, some give it a different flavor. These chemicals and additives have side effects, making us lethargic, sleepy or wired, headachy, and can even cause cancers and other life-threatening diseases. We should all be reading those labels so that we know what to avoid. If you can’t pronounce an ingredient or if it sounds like something you used in Chemistry 101, you probably shouldn’t be eating it! ASSIGNMENT – Read the ingredient labels on all the food you eat or buy this week. Do you understand what the ingredients are? Or does it sound like chem lab?
It’s the weekend. Don’t let a couple of days on the calendar sidetrack you from your goals. When Monday rolls around, feel proud of all you’ve accomplished this weekend – by getting ahead, rather than falling behind. Right now, celebrate the start of a weekend of progress. Click that arrow and just dance.
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Become the animal you were meant to be. Get moving. And if you need personal coaching, become a member and get in the current class – InTENtional Living in 2010. You’ll have all the support you need.
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