Mind Body Disconnection

Day 2.  The alarm was an unwelcome intrusion into my peaceful sleep this morning, but more than that, it alerted me to the fact that my entire body hurt.  Still, I pulled on my sports bra and workout clothes and reached for my tennis shoes.  After I dropped my kids off at the bus stop, I hit "the gym" - which for me is a small room in my basement where I set up a tv and dvd player and arranged my weights and yoga mat close by.  It is a small, cramped space and the ceiling is lower on one side so I have to be aware of where I am standing when I lift my arms above my head.  In the past, I would have fretted over the imperfection of my space.  Now I simply work with it and feel grateful that I have a place to do my workouts that I can keep messy and close the door (both when I am working out and when I am done).  For whatever reason, this works better for me mentally than having that stuff in my living room.  And as the saying goes.... "whatever works"!

One of the main components of the traditional Mediterranean diet is an active lifestyle.  What I love about this diet is that it isn't a diet in the normal way we think of one.  It is an eating style.  A lifestyle.  A way of living that is healthy, based on the habits of people who live near the Mediterranean Sea.  Since I do not, I will take what I can from it and do my best to implement those practices.  I can't be a purist.  I won't follow this diet perfectly.  Maybe you and I will both follow it and eat completely different meals, with different flavors.  And both be right.  It is about adopting eating guidelines and ways of doing things.

Based on my research, my interpretation of this diet is that it is plant-based, meaning that fruits and vegetables are the star of all meals.  They use extra virgin olive oil (instead of butter) with lots of herbs and spices for flavor.  They consume dairy in moderation, nuts, seeds, dried fruits and legumes.  Also they include good portions of whole wheat bread, pasta and rice to round out their meals.  They eat fish, seafood and poultry, as well as eggs.  It appears that a rule of thumb would be twice a week for each.  Meat is not the focus of the meal the way American diets tend to go.  They use meat (if at all) for a flavoring in soups and other recipes.  Also their cooking methods tend toward baking, grilling, broiling or roasting.

For me, while I learn some Mediterranean recipes and build up my cooking initiative, I will simply make a lot of vegetarian dishes, making sure to get adequate protein and lots of variety to ensure I am consuming a healthy range of micro-nutrients.  But more on the diet part in another post.

For today, I wanted to focus on the active lifestyle portion of the diet.  That is very telling.  An active lifestyle is not sitting at a desk for 8 hours a day and then sitting on a couch watching tv for a few hours in the evening.  Both of which I usually do - working and then relaxing from all of the work.  Except where does that leave our body?  As illustrated in my stick drawing above, we detach from our bodies when we live this way.

I stated yesterday that I need to make friends with my body.  In order to become friends, first you have to get to know each other.  And make time for each other.  I have really neglected my relationship with my body.  Which would seem obvious based on my weight struggles, except it really isn't that obvious.  I have spent time walking and trying this and that over and over again.  I like to go on hikes with my family.  But the body doesn't lie.  If I was listening to my body, if I was really in tune with my body, I would not overeat.  I would not eat simply because I was bored or upset.  Or because hello - chocolate!  When we do that, we disconnect from our body.  And we create metabolic dysfunction.  And obesity, discomfort and disease.  And let's face it, self-loathing.

You are what you eat!  Think about it.  And I really am thinking about it, all of it very differently as I embark on this journey.  If I eat food that is filled with toxins and additives and unhealthy ingredients, I am poisoning myself.  If I eat foods that are filled with sugars, unhealthy or excess amounts of fat, too much salt or processed white flour foods then I am definitely NOT going to lose weight or create optimum health, fitness and vitality.  And if I think walking around a track a few times a day is going to be enough, I am deluding myself.  Even if I cut calories and do that walking - it doesn't work.  At least, it doesn't work for me.  Instead, I feel like I just keep getting fatter and fatter, year after year.  And that doesn't necessarily just mean bigger.  I mean, I could be the same size but my body fat vs. muscle mass is appalling.  And I am weak.  Which is more of a stress on my bones, joints, ligaments and internal organs because my muscles are weaker and carrying more weight around. 

What I need is to change the composition of my body.  I need to build muscle and feed my body healthy foods in quantities that will help replenish and restore my health.  I need to heal my metabolism.  So that is what I am doing.  Or at least what I am trying to do.

Yesterday I started with a morning workout, using 5 lbs weights following along with Tamilee Webb in her famous (yes, I'm old) arms and abs of steel workout video.  Then I was active cleaning and moving furniture for a good while.  In the evening, I played tennis with my husband (by which I mean, we tried volleying the ball just for fun).  This morning, I did a weight-loss walk-away-the pounds, boot-camp style 45 minute workout with Leslie Sansone, using resistance bands and followed by an ab session on the mat.  Tonight I will either play more tennis, go for a walk or maybe even ride my bike for a little while after dinner - but I will do something.  Because an active lifestyle is NOT doing a burst of movement and then resting on my butt all day.

My body deserves more.  It deserves better.  I am determined to be a very good friend to my body from now on.

Until next time...  Be well!
~Tracy