Dear Dad,
How funny is it to play hide and seek with your granddaughters? Last summer, when we were all home I remember joining a game with you and the girls, who ranged in ages 2- 8 years old at the time.
Playing hide and seek with youngsters is not all that challenging. Super-secret spots like behind a few pillows, under the coffee table, or behind a curtain usually does the trick. They giggle non-stop while they search the house. You may be hiding, but you’re also in plain sight.
Many of the corrections to our population’s health epidemic are the same way, they may feel hidden but most the answers are in plain sight. The perpetual game of health hide and seek is prolonged by all the people and industries that wish to monetize your confusion about health and sell their idea, product, or plan as the ultimate guide. Using this approach health has been painted as a final destination rather than a journey towards health-ier. You’re not healthy just because you attained your summer weight early or because you eat low carb, gluten free, or participate in fasting. But you’re on the way to healthier when you feel good, eat mindfully, and laugh often. And there’s no scheme for that.
Feeling good is both body and mind. If you “look” healthy but feel miserable you’ve got work to do. What’s the point of being at a healthy weight while hating the food or routine to get there? If a salad isn’t your thing (you don’t make it right…) then try delicious vegetable soups or Buddha bowl. If you’re not a runner then hop on a bike, go for a walk, or find your way to the pickleball courts. In reality there are numerous nourishing foods and fun exercise opportunities for everybody to find one for them. Enjoy the process because ultimately, feeling good isn’t about an end achievement but having the necessary physical and mental energy to actively participate in the life that you live.
Eating mindfully is also both body and mind. Every time you eat there is a pleasure plateau, the point at which you achieved full satisfaction and any more sustenance will provide diminished returns. Finding the tipping point and eating mindfully requires self awareness. How often do you find your hand in a bag of chips or reaching for the last dinner roll and wonder do I really want to eat this? Or is it just there? And what everyone is doing at the time? Sometimes eating should be social, but many times it should be nutritional, and it can always be both and moderate. Does eating extra chips make you feel better? Maybe. Explore that further. Are you actually hungry, or is another feeling driving that behavior? Boredom? Stress? If you’re truly very hungry then the pleasure plateau may be after many servings, usually it’s somewhere far sooner, and sometimes the most pleasure is found by mindfully saying no thank you because you realized that you are actually not hungry at all.
Every time you eat there is a pleasure plateau, the point at which you achieved full satisfaction any more sentence will provide diminished returns.
Laughing often is a reminder to enjoy what you do. Finding enjoyment in what you do, what you eat, and who you spend time with will do more for your overall health than the best health formula that money can buy. If you’re looking for a tip or a quick fix to health and happiness here’s one: Find the fun in the mundane. Laughter is quite the medicine and remember our favorite Abe Lincoln quote, “You’re about as happy as you make your mind up to be".
When it comes to seeking ultimate health there might be a blanket or closet door shielding it from view, but without too much effort health-ier is right in front of you.
Move often, eat real food & the right amount, do things that make you happy.
With Love,
JSR