Nutrition and Wellness

     Through any piece of media that you can imagine, we hear about fad diets and new ways to lose weight.  No one knows how your body feels besides you, it is your machine and you know it best.  That being said, there are many scientists out there who have studied countless people and have learned a general sense of how the human body can be fueled and run at an optimal level.  We all know that we should be eating more fruits and vegetables, but there is always something holding us back...time?  money?  preparation?  knowledge?  You name it!  Now, it would be really easy for me to tell you to just give up the excuses, and live a healthy life, but you and I both know that rarely works for anyone.  I'll tell you what, share this post on Facebook, leave a comment on what your reason for not eating as well as you could, and I'll devote an entire post to your specific reason!    Learning and living healthy is easier with a community.

     While you are thinking of that, I'm going to side track and let you know about the fun things that are going on in my life.  First things first, Andrew took me on a dinner cruise in Chicago last night for my birthday!  We were on the Spirit of Chicago, it was a beautiful evening, and we had lots of fun!  The only problem was the price for parking...$24!!

Dinner:

 Dessert!  The carrot cake was amazing!!

     I apologize for the extensive post, but I just have to tell you about this book I am reading (besides the ones for class...I know, I know I'm crazy in love with books...)  It is called Raw Food:  Weight loss and Vitality.  Now, I am not into losing weight, per say, I am just very interested in what this guy has to say about raw diets.  I heard of him through a podcast and decided to get his book because he was so right about so many things pertaining to food!

     In Chapter 2, he compared a bunch of studies that had been done on the typical diets of the longest-lived people, their culture, and lifestyle.  The two that stuck out the most to me were the Okinawans and Kenyans.  The Okinawan people (part of Japan) are known for being thin, long-lived, and practically disease free.  They typically eat food in a ratio of 85/9/6 (carbohydrates, protein, fat respectively) and seem to have a longer lifespan than any one; 5 times as many Okinawan reach 100 years of age as to the rest of Japan!  We could seriously learn from these people...
     As for the Kenyans, did you know that they typically eat a plant-centered diet with little protein and fat (77/10/13).  Besides the fact that the elite Kenyan runners have a vigorous training program, it is easy to see that these people can be very healthy.

     I think that more research should be done on these two populations because they just outshine the rest in terms of health and longevity.  I have already felt a sense of lightness after becoming vegetarian, I wonder how I would feel after adopting a more similar lifestyle to one of those two populations?  More research on my part is needed, but I am definitely int the market to learn all I can, so if you have any resources for me please let me know!

Don't forget to share and comment on your reason for not eating more healthy.

Luana ola!