Adios Fad Diets

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It’s a new year, so which fad diets are you doing?  Will it be cabbage soup for a week?  Or maybe just lemon, cayenne pepper, and maple syrup (thanks Whole Foods for pushing this one out on your end of the aisle displays!?) January is the fad diet month. This is the month that the choices of 2016 are condemned and the 2017 promises come out big.

We do fad diets because we have been commercialized that January is the time to diet, the time to shame ourselves for our holiday choices, the time to start over….so we pound our shakes, eat our bars, take our magic pills, and deprive ourselves of the things we enjoy. Wow, we are such a healthy society (insert sarcastic eye roll here!)

Instead of fad diets, let’s make a pact to empower ourselves and others. Empower yourself to take care of your own health by eating food that makes your body happy, doing activities that make your body feel awakened, or take time to do something simple like smile at everyone that you see. These are truly life changing goals…making the goal to lose ten pounds might happen, but those ten pounds will probably creep back at some point. Instead make some life changing goals – goals that will make you truly happy; goals that will inspire you and those around you.  

How do we make life changing goals?

  • The first step is to stop comparing yourself to others – no, your backside may never look exactly like your Instagram fantasy and your house will never look like the perfect Pinterest house. But it is ok, you have so much more to offer. Start being content with everything that you do have, and if you really want to compare lives, then compare lives with those less fortunate than you.  
  • Next, keep a journal. What makes your body feel good? Is it smoothies in the morning or hot yoga in the afternoon? Or is it pumpkin pie for breakfast followed by a session of trampoline jumping? Whatever it is, write it down. And write down how you feel about it and how you feel doing it.
  • Lastly, be kind and compassionate to others. When you are kind and compassionate to others, then that will be reciprocated. Whether it’s that person being kind back, or that person being kind to someone else later. Remember, what comes around does go around. Plus that kind of goal is far more attainable then drinking lemon juice and cayenne pepper for a week straight!

This year I am excited to use The Feel Well Project  as my guide for my own individual health – it will help me discover those things that make my body happy and the things that make me strong. I am thinking an online book club would be a fun way to work together to feel well with others 🙂  I may just start one of these – comment if you have any desire to join.

Happy and healthy 2017!!