Welcome to Optimal Health Mama

Thanks for cruising by and becoming part of my personal revolution of self-love, health, and hilarity!

Monday, May 2, 2011

Jane's Feel Good Plan- Challenge 1

Okay.  Here it is.  My brilliant idea of the day. 
Let me break it down for you:

I don't drink tequila because it makes me act like an asshole, I end up slapping people, and I get a wicked hang over.  It sucks for me, therefore, I don't drink it.  I drink vodka.  It never gives me a hangover, I like how I feel when I drink it, I still act like an asshole, but not a mean asshole.  Just me, but WAY cooler (noted sarcasm).

Food is the same way.  There are certain foods that make me feel like shit when I eat them (raw nuts, wings, cheese, wheat, beans, eggs, peanut butter).  There are certain foods that make me feel AMAZING (raw chocolate, sunwarrior, green smoothies, greek yogurt, steak, fish, sweet potatoes)!!!   In theory, you should never walk away from a meal feeling like you are in the third trimester of a pregnancy and  want to fall over and die.  You should walk away from a meal feeling energized.  Seriously, I'm not kidding!!!

Here is my brilliant hypothesis:  You should never practice another person's diet.  Diets fail because they are not "you" specific.  They are general and are based on science and theories, which is great, but what is good for one does not always work for another.    The best way to find out what will work for you is to meet with a nutritionist/allergen specialist and figure out a specifically tailored diet plan.  But honestly, who has the time or the money.  So let's do it together.

We are going to create a YOU specific diet. 

So here is my 1st challenge in Jane's Feel Good Plan: pay attention to your diet.  Pay attention to how you feel after you eat certain foods and certain amounts. If you are feeling bloated, gross, and tired, it might be the food, it might be the amount, or it could be a combination of the two.  Make adjustments and experiment.  Think about foods that you absolutely LOVE that are good for you and make you feel great. Write them down.  If eating 6 wings worked and you still felt energized, but 12 wings left you feeling nasty, make a note of it.  That will help you from being a repeat food dumb ass like me.  

Examples of Good Food for me:  I LOVE bananas.  Bananas never give me a stomach ache, they always taste yummy, and they are healthy. Another food I can eat the hell out of is steak.  I never leave a meal after I have eaten a steak feeling heavy or gross.  It works for me even when my ethics wishes it wouldn't.  

Example of Bad Food for me:  I cannot eat sugar.  If I eat sugar, within 12 hours I have a migraine headache and am down for the count.  It tastes great, and God knows I love desserts and baking, but it makes my life hell.  Some less serious offenders include the ones listed above.  I just can't eat bready things,too many beans, peanut butter, or eggs without a belly ache.  Anything really fatty, like cheese, will do it too.  And guess what, chicken makes me feel kind of bleh!

Are there any foods like that for you???  Foods that are allergens or foods that just do not work?  Think about it.  I know I hadn't until I met with a nutritionist a year ago.  I just kept eating things without thinking about how they were reacting in my body or how they were making me feel. 


Challenge 1 Part 2: Think about exercise and what you actually enjoy.  I hate riding an exercise bike.  Hell on earth to me is riding an exercise bike at a gym while watching paint dry and being hit on by a man with a rat tail.  I like Crossfit, rebounding, running, and hiking- so that is what I do.   Don't force yourself on a treadmill because you "should."  Do things that you LOVE and WANT to do everyday!  Yes, exercise should feel like that!!!  Try a dance class, do strip aerobics, hike with friends, run outside (sometimes that makes all of the difference when it comes to enjoying running), lift weights, martial arts, kettlebells, pure barre, zumba, yoga, African Dance, etc....  Try things that you have never done and really experience them.  Don't be skeeeeerd!!!  What do you have to lose?  One hour of your life and a few hundred calories?  Enlist your friends.  Some friends of mine are die hard runners or yogis or crossfitters.  I asked around, tried their passions, and found an activity that is my current fav!  Find out what other people love and try it.

Exercising and eating right should be a joy, not a suck fest.  Life is too short to spend it doing activities you hate and eating foods that make you feel like a tired, bloated fat ass and cause a psychological beat down when you drop your fork. 

There is no such thing as "one size fits all" when it comes to anything (especially spandex) so let's figure out what works for each of us!

2 comments:

  1. Thanks for the advice!
    I never pay that much attention to the food I eat, but I definitely want to start trying..
    Also, as far as working out goes, I've been doing the INSANITY workouts, I'm on week 9 of 9, the last week and I just can't push myself to do it!! I'm SO bored, I can't wait to start mixing up my workouts!

    ReplyDelete
  2. hahaha! It might be time to find a new "insanity." Something you are crazy about ;0) I hope paying attention to how certain foods make you feel brings some clarity. Today I ate five or six smaller meals and noticed I felt so much better today than my normal 3 big meals! New things to learn every day!

    ReplyDelete