To have a truly balanced life you need to incorporate the basic ingredients of body, mind and spirit. I know that seems rather like a cliche statement, the entire body, mind, spirit terminology has been sooo overused. I rather think of it as intellectually, physically, spiritually and recreationally balanced. Move your body through strength work, cardiovascular training and stretching with exercises like yoga and find an eating program that works for you. Feed your intelligence through studying, reading and observation. Find something that nourishes your spirit, meditation, prayer, alone time, communing with nature or whatever allows you to connect with your higher self. Finally, remember to have fun, enjoy yourself and make your work your play and your play your work. All of the above are required to be fullfilled and "balanced" in your life."To keep the body in good health is a duty...
otherwise we shall not be able to keep our mind strong and clear."
~Buddha~
We have to eat to live, unfortunately a lot of people live to eat. I have always struggled with eating right, not that I ate bad, but I lacked consistency. In our house we have experimented with all types of programs, ( I don't use the word diet as it implies weight loss plans) we have never used sugar and avoided white flour products. Due to allergies in the kids we have gone wheat free or dairy free for periods of time. We have bought organic when we could find economical source and desserts were made from scratch with whole ingredients. Coffee, soft drinks and candy have always been absent at our from the house. We drink lots of water, from our own well. We don't go out to eat very often and for the most part we have eaten "clean" compared to the general population. However, we did consume a lot of beef and chicken, raised by ourselves on our farm. Today I am working on my consistency, I have a gluten intolerance and avoid most grains and recently I have cut out meat. I eat lots of greens, rice, beans, veggies, fruit and drink carrot juice daily. Beef and chicken are still on the menu for the rest of the family but not as often as they used to be. I use supplements when I feel a need and generally try to keep my eating balanced and consistent.
I have always been active but not necessarily fit. Somewhere on my journey I realized I needed to move more, I had always dreamed of being really fit, lean and in great shape. Then one day I saw a talk show with a woman in a gold bikini, blond hair, fake tan and incredibly fit, she was forty years old and had a far better body then I. She was promoting her latest workout book and I decided I needed that book. I performed the recommended program faithfully and it was the beginning of my love affair with exercise. Over the years my routine has changed and manifested in all directions, I lift weights, I added running to my repertoire, I certified as a trainer and instructed for a while. I started a daily yoga practice, performed the P90X program for two and a half years, and now I swing!, kettle-bells that is. I have been working out for years and when I get bored of the current program I add something new. I keep it fresh and, no matter what, I keep moving.
But , the bottom line is that it is important to find something you love, whether it is a sport, walking, running, weights, fitness videos or classes and, as Nike says, "Just Do It".
"To eat is a necessity, but to eat intelligently is an art."
We have to eat to live, unfortunately a lot of people live to eat. I have always struggled with eating right, not that I ate bad, but I lacked consistency. In our house we have experimented with all types of programs, ( I don't use the word diet as it implies weight loss plans) we have never used sugar and avoided white flour products. Due to allergies in the kids we have gone wheat free or dairy free for periods of time. We have bought organic when we could find economical source and desserts were made from scratch with whole ingredients. Coffee, soft drinks and candy have always been absent at our from the house. We drink lots of water, from our own well. We don't go out to eat very often and for the most part we have eaten "clean" compared to the general population. However, we did consume a lot of beef and chicken, raised by ourselves on our farm. Today I am working on my consistency, I have a gluten intolerance and avoid most grains and recently I have cut out meat. I eat lots of greens, rice, beans, veggies, fruit and drink carrot juice daily. Beef and chicken are still on the menu for the rest of the family but not as often as they used to be. I use supplements when I feel a need and generally try to keep my eating balanced and consistent.“Most people would be much better off consuming less meat, milk, sugar, chemicalized, artificial junk food, alcohol, caffeine and tobacco and increasing their consumption of water, whole grains and vegetables, especially dark leafy greens.”
~Joshua Rosenthal~
Taking care of your physical self is only part of your whole health. As Joshua Rosenthal explains in his book Integrated Nutrition, "our bodies thrive on movement, and quickly degenerate without it". He also says what we eat is only our primary food . He has some really cool thoughts on integrated living. Read part two of this blog to see what else I have discovered as the Ingredients to a Balanced Life.
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