Food for thought, Part 2

Only 2 posts ago I wrote about the strange effect 'Eating Right For My Blood Type' was having on me (all positive).

Well, over the weekend I had the opportunity to become aware of the effects of NOT eating well. Two of my friends were married over the weekend in Owen Sound, which is about an 8 hour drive from Ottawa. As is my excuse with most road trips, this meant I got to take a break from my usual strict routine and endulge in the greasy... carb filled... processed side of the food chart. You remember the Food Groups right??? Pizza (Bread), Milkshakes (Dairy), French Fries and Onion Rings (Vegetables), and Hamburgers (Meat) and Alcohol (Liquids).

To be honest, yes, it was fun to endulge! But not without consequence (to me and others).  First the obvious ones:
- Fuzzy thinking (lack of mental clarity).  Although the serious case of the stupids made for an amuzing trip home, it was actually hard to pull together a cohesive thought.  In fact, I still feel this.
- Lack of energy. More precisely, my energy was a lot more volatile. I would feel short burst of high energy followed by long periods of burnt out exhaution.  Any motivation would come and go very quickly.  I also noticed my moods were starting to follow this pattern.
- Digestive challenges (i'll spare you the details)
- Weight gain (5 lbs in 4 days... )

THE TWO SURPRISE ONES:
- Nightmares.... lots of them.  I can't remember the last time I had nightmares, let alone consistently.  For 3 nights in a row I had anxiety driven nightmares which woke me up throughout the night. It also meant I slept much longer than usual to get the same feeling of being rested.
- Muscle fatigue. On Monday, I did my P90X routine, and although I had the energy to complete the video, my muscles felt weak.

By now, we all know the importance of eating right. However, most people still don't pay nearly enough attention to this area of their lives and the immediate and long lasting benefits one will receive from doing so. In my opinion, it is simply because we associate too much immediate pleasure by endulging cravings and pain in not doing so and/or eating the alternatives.

If you never stop (even if temporary), you will never be able to realize the benefits which await you.

SOOOOoooooo...  I challenge you to eliminate one thing from your diet for 14 consecutive days. Chose something you know you shouldn't be eating AND (this is very important) decide on at least 3 alternatives you will use instead of this AND buy these alternatives before you start.

If I have learned anything about nutrition (and life) it is to prepare. Quite often we turn to unhealthy alternatives because they are convenient, so make your healthy choices convenient.

Set yourself up for success and let me know how it goes.

Dream your life. Live your dream.

Your friend and Coach,
Bryce