Being a part of TrainSmart, I know Joe and Brandon are always looking for ways to help lead their clients to a healthier lifestyle, whether it's through movement, thoughts on nutrition or daily regime. So I got to thinking of how I could help provide people with some good sound advice too. I love to read, so my thoughts drifted to the many hundreds of books whose company I have had the pleasure of. There are so many recipes out there for living well. The idea struck me that presenting book summaries might be a good way to achieve this. Not everyone has time to read all the billions of books out there on the subject of 'living a better life'. One of my favorite books has become so because it is simply written, sensible, easy to follow and taken step by step can make real change in a person's life. It needs to be viewed exactly as presented by the author. Reading each page and taking it in can help us create positive actions that I believe, over time, will provide us with a new set of habits which will lead to a healthier, more fulfilling existence. Mark Hyman (a popular holistic and medical doctor), calls the book I’m talking about “the new manifesto for how to eat well, feel good and live long” If you are the type of person who needs to own the book, by all means, go grab a copy, but it is my sincere hope that you will think of taking this weekly journey with me. Written by Dr. Frank Lipman, and Danielle Claro, it is called The New Health Rules. Sections in the book cover Eating, Moving, Boosting, Healing, and Living. The book is not full of frivolity nor is it meant to sprinkle you with fairy dust to create change in your life. It is a book that I hope prompts thoughtfulness, but above all - action! Here is the first of many pages for your contemplation and enjoyment. I will follow up by posting an excerpt each Friday for the next several months with some commentary. Hopefully, you will join me in making this a conversation instead of a monologue! Take a week-by-week approach to incorporating the ideas that are presented each Friday.
Week 1
Fill The Kitchen With Real Food
“Meaning, the kind of stuff that grows in the ground, goes bad if not refrigerated, or
has a limited shelf life. Leave no space for unhealthy items. Instead of worrying
about food labels, buy few packaged foods. And clear your pantry of anything
containing high-fructose corn syrup or artificial sweeteners, which travel under the
following names: aspartame, saccharin, sucralose, Equal, NutraSweet, Splenda and
Sweet’NLow."
What I know for sure: If you keep junk food in your house, it’s not a matter of whether you will eat it, but when. That’s why it is so important to load up on good healthy alternatives. If my fridge houses fuji apples instead of cheesecake, guess I’m having a fuji apple for dessert. Seems logical. What Pam Proposes: This week, open up just one cupboard that houses a lot of processed food in your home. See what items are in there that you can swap out for healthier substitutes, and then as Nike says "just do it"!! Each week over the next month continue to go through your kitchen drawers and cupboards or even your "food drawer" at work, and see how you can make some healthy changes. For parents out there with young children, this is a great exercise to do now! Have your children join in and help with what they think would be a good replacement for an unhealthier one that is in your kitchen now. Children adjust to change when they are brought in as helpers rather than told outright "you can't ....". Good luck! What do you think? Have you decided you have had enough of unhealthy eating and are ready to make some changes? How has that helped you or made you feel different? What action steps have you taken so far? I Would love to hear from you. by: Pam Mancuso, CCHP TrainSmart
