The Big Bad "Diet"

One of the most steadfast truths of contemporary consumerist society is this: If you can make people believe that they have an easy way out - if you can offer them any avenue besides the hard work that they know they really should do - you can make a lot of money. This is exactly the case when it comes to "diets". Put a 45 year old man or woman with tanned skin and ripped abs on the television screen, and get them to tell the world about how "The All Cabbage Diet works for me!!", and no doubt you will get plenty of orders for your "Specialized Cabbage Formula" in a hurry. Time after time we see 'the new diet' storm the market, followed by a cascade of overweight and desperate individuals emptying their wallets in hopes of purchasing their way out of a body that makes them unhappy. Rarely, ever, does this work.


The secret to the weight loss diet is this: There is no secret. Its obvious and you knew it all along. The difference between healthy and unhealthy food is intuitive, we all know when we're eating something we shouldn't be, and we all know when we're eating something more healthy. Fruits, veggies, whole wheat and whole grain, lean meats like chicken, fish and turkey, juice instead of pop etc...; none of this is surprising - all of it is very cheap - and none of it requires some joker on the t.v. or in your fitness magazine and his "3 step diet program".

The hard part comes in changing the way we think about eating. In the west, food is very available to us. So available in fact, that we have been able to translate it from a fundamental bodily need into a social event. Most people, when choosing their next meal will opt for the best testing option rather than the most nutritious option. Eating has become a hobby, a way for us to drown away our woes into the chocolaty, greasy, deep fried abyss. Instead, we need to remind ourselves what the purpose of eating really is - and how that relates to our fitness goals. Eating is the means by which we supply our bodies with the nutrients it needs to operate and survive, sort of like filling a vehicle with fuel, or changing its oil. If we hold on to this analogy for a second we can put things in perspective...

If you had a fancy sports car, you would make sure to top it up with only the highest quality fluids. If you had an old rust bucket, your not likely to spend the cash on top of the line motor oil. Not all of us are so lucky to own a Ferrari. Imagine, however, if by simply wanting your car to be a Ferrari, and by investing in top of the line motor oil - you could *poof* turn your run down sedan into a sleek and shiny powerhouse. Unfortunately this doesn't work for your car. Fortunately, for for your body, it does.

If you eat right - you can *poof* lose weight and feel better. The quality of the food that you put in your stomach - directly effects the performance of your body. If you are in the pursuit of a healthy lifestyle, you will benefit greatly by accepting this conception of eating. If you raise the standards for your body - you have to raise the standards for what goes in your body!

The prospect of cutting down on unhealthy food is difficult for some people, who might not be willing to give up the comfort they render from eating. We can still enjoy our food, however, even if it isn't listed on a takeout menu.

Get ready for this. You, your brain, and I are about to take a heroic leap of faith... brace yourself ...


Healthy food - tastes good


Take a moment to recover .. still with me? I know its an earth shattering and all around absurd thing to say... but once you take a few honest steps into the world of healthy eating, you will find that things that aren't covered in sugar or fried in lard - can taste pretty good!

Once you put a little faith in this idea, that you can actually enjoy a healthy diet, you will have made a very important move towards a healthy lifestyle and a better body. There are so many snacks and meals that taste great, and provide your body with nutrients it needs (without the garbage it doesn't). All it takes is some effort and some patience. Start exploring the world of healthy food, get a copy of the Canada good guide (http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/food-guide-aliment/index-eng.php), experiment with dishes and find what you enjoy. These foods are not based on "revolutionary weight-loss science", they are simple, intuitive - and you've probably walked by them a thousand times at the grocery store.

A healthy lifestyle is found in a healthy body. The health of our body is determined by what you put in it. We have no need for specialized diet plans, for stressful unpleasant and expensive 'weight loss programs'. All you need is to explore the world of healthy food, find some things you like - and begin the process of shifting away from food that your body doesn't need. Your dreams of a Ferrari, well, maybe thats a little further down the road - your dreams of a healthier body, they are so much closer than you think.