If you've ever taken a few moments to browse the links featured on the right-hand side of my blog, you will have come an across an amazing breadth of knowledge, humour, entertainment and information. Each of these links merits some further elaboration, but tonight I've endeavored to provide you with a short synopsis/rationale for some of my very favorites among the bunch:
Bill Hartman is the co-owner of I-FAST, alongside one of my mentors (and my strength coach) Mike Robertson. Bill obviously operates at a very advanced level, but his passion for pondering and postulating cool ideas related to corrective training make his writing a must for anyone who puts health at the top of their reasons for training.
Cassandra Forsythe's blog is required reading for anyone (especially women) seeking well-articulated and extremely accessible writing on the latest dietetic research, social and psychological studies on food. Cassandra is not only an incredible role model, but a newly published author of 2 books (one of which I will be reviewing in the near future) and a strong advocate of heavy lifting for health and confidence. Her research on low-carb/ketogenic diets and also on dietary intervention (using the fibre, glucomannan) is incredibly interesting and has immediate and fascinating implications for the real world. I can't say enough great things about her. She's as real as she is smart!
Chad Waterbury is an author and neurophysiologist/trainer whose ability to simplify training modality into amazing programs and understandable terms, has made him a favourite author of mine. His book Muscle Revolution is a great read for anyone who takes their training seriously enough to plan and periodize for specific goals. I had great success using his Total Body Training Program to transform my body a few years back.
Jonathan Fass is a young, energetic writer and CSCS whose blog discusses everything from social/cultural dialogues on fitness to corrective exercise methods. I particularly enjoy his brand of myth busting!
Lesson, Laments and Thought Experiments is for anyone who
a) Keeps a dictionary near by, and
b) Seeks something more philosophical and pondersome(punctuated with great laughs)in life.
Written by a close friend of mine, this blog is both anecdotal and outward-looking, and talks about training in a way that always reminds me that the human condition is such that nothing is ever seems enough, but to dispel that fallacy for yourself is to find a great liberation of the spirit! If nothing else, this is worth a click for the lexical stimuation!
Lina Augaitis is a high school friend of mine. Her graduate studies in Sport Psychology and her athletic gifts are incredible, but her work ethic and motivation are truly inspiring. Follow along, as she trains and blogs her world-class talent toward the most elite adventure/multi-sport events in the world! Besides being humble and focused, Lina's blog is an incredible example of how you cannot fail when you follow what's inside your heart.
Mike Robertson is a lot of things, and although I can think of many adjectives to describe him, the best of all is REAL. Mike is an accomplished competitive powerlifter, the co-owner of a brand new training facility, a distance coach, recognized author and an amazing guy. I've had the great fortune of working with him for 2 years, and in these two years, every dimension of my athleticism has improved by an order of magnitude. Mike is a true professional and stays true to his methods and ideas about holistic and purposeful training. You'd be hard-pressed to find anyone who gives so generously of his/her time as Mike to answer questions and disseminate information that he believes can make a difference for others.
Nate Green packs a lot of personality and success into his two-syllable name. At 23, he is the author of an upcoming book, as well as a contributing author to one of the internet's premier bodybuilding and fitness sites, and an entrepreneurial prodigy. Although he would credit the many resources and networking tools that he has at his disposal, his blog is an amazing compilation of personal and professional posts that will make you think twice about how you spend your money, time, energy...life. Although I may be guilty of bias (via friendship), I don't think anyone could argue that his clarity and hilarity make for a very distinct style of writing.
Vinkomorf is a site that features all manner of fitness/strength related discussions and operates primarily in French. My buddy, and Editor-in-Chief, Pat Gagnon (who I am hard pressed to believe ever sleeps) provides top-notch information and translations of many articles by top industry minds, as well as information on regional events such as seminars and talks by academics and industry folks, alike. Redacteur-en-chef Gagnon has been a great inspiration to me to believe in big ideas, as he successfully brought some of the top trainers from around the continent to Montreal last year for the first ever Vinkofest seminar!
When we next meet, I will continue down the list and share some of (what I consider to be) the most impressive recipe blogs and sites on the net! For all of you atomists out there, seeking maximum pleasure and health utility from your meals, the next post is definitely for you!
Showing posts with label NUTRITION. Show all posts
Showing posts with label NUTRITION. Show all posts
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Monday, March 24, 2008
Exijebus!
Hello world! Although I've scarcely the time to blog, it's precisely at these moments, when hours collide and assignments pile up that I want to write most. (How convenient!)
In large part, my blogging (and typing) hiatus has been due to some very minor and temporary nerve damage in one of my fingers. This, after a sprained thumb and a fractured toe have made for a pretty colourful month! I haven't really been out of training, but haven't been able to play a lot of hockey :(
A colourful month.
The term is winding down, the off-season is changing pace, applications are being sent to universities for the fall, coaching is slowing down, the snow is melting (but still falling) and as the days grow longer, I find more and more reasons to believe that it is eternally spring within myself.
Anyways, I've also been reading a lot of Rousseau lately for my political philosophy course and curiously and finding some very prototypical arguments that resurface in the writing of none other than one of my favourite contemporary writers, Micheal Pollan!
For those of you who haven't heard of him, Michael Pollan is the author of The Omnivore's Dilemma and In Defense of Food and is a real advocate of returning to our instinctive and pre-choreographed relationship with food. Pollan makes some very provocative and salient points in both books, but essentially calls for a return to local, seasonal, intuitive eating.
Most notably, Pollan warns us of nutritionism:
"The first thing to understand about nutritionism — I first encountered the term in the work of an Australian sociologist of science named Gyorgy Scrinis — is that it is not quite the same as nutrition. As the “ism” suggests, it is not a scientific subject but an ideology. Ideologies are ways of organizing large swaths of life and experience under a set of shared but unexamined assumptions. This quality makes an ideology particularly hard to see, at least while it’s exerting its hold on your culture. A reigning ideology is a little like the weather, all pervasive and virtually inescapable. Still, we can try.
In the case of nutritionism, the widely shared but unexamined assumption is that the key to understanding food is indeed the nutrient. From this basic premise flow several others. Since nutrients, as compared with foods, are invisible and therefore slightly mysterious, it falls to the scientists (and to the journalists through whom the scientists speak) to explain the hidden reality of foods to us. To enter a world in which you dine on unseen nutrients, you need lots of expert help."
(Taken from a New York Times article)
Agh, there is so much to say, but I have to keep it succinct and ask only this -
Is Pollan adopting a Rousseauian return to pre-enlightenment ideas regarding food, too? The idea that the hunter-gatherer was the most nutritionally balanced state of humanity is one that resurfaces in scores of popular literature, academic discourse and in my head during bus rides. If time is history, history is progress, and progress leads us away from our instincts, then is Pollan (knowingly or unknowingly) reinterpreting the Second Discourse of Rousseau in his own framework? Do we need to look backward to move forward with a healthy life?
Well, that is something that merits further investigation and I am far from qualified to present a detailed response at this stage in my learning, but if anyone has any thoughts, I would be more than interested to know. As for me, I'm keeping this idea in the hopper because I smell some ammo for a future paper!
Training is going fantastic. I get stronger every workout, learn to manipulate my mechanics with every session and am really seeing some great improvements in my kyphosis and posture. I'm currently training 2on/1off and finding that though the glutes are a little slow to respond during this training cycle, doing some basic day-off work every day (inchworms, X-band walks, clams with band, static stretching) keeps me from losing progress on off-days when I am mostly seated, hips flexed and glutes asleep. I recommend having day-off work, no matter your fitness/sports goals!
There are about 120 pages worth of essays, 3 exams and a seminar presentation in my near future, but you know what? I asked the cosmos to bring it.. so here I go!
In large part, my blogging (and typing) hiatus has been due to some very minor and temporary nerve damage in one of my fingers. This, after a sprained thumb and a fractured toe have made for a pretty colourful month! I haven't really been out of training, but haven't been able to play a lot of hockey :(
A colourful month.The term is winding down, the off-season is changing pace, applications are being sent to universities for the fall, coaching is slowing down, the snow is melting (but still falling) and as the days grow longer, I find more and more reasons to believe that it is eternally spring within myself.
Anyways, I've also been reading a lot of Rousseau lately for my political philosophy course and curiously and finding some very prototypical arguments that resurface in the writing of none other than one of my favourite contemporary writers, Micheal Pollan!
For those of you who haven't heard of him, Michael Pollan is the author of The Omnivore's Dilemma and In Defense of Food and is a real advocate of returning to our instinctive and pre-choreographed relationship with food. Pollan makes some very provocative and salient points in both books, but essentially calls for a return to local, seasonal, intuitive eating.
Most notably, Pollan warns us of nutritionism:
"The first thing to understand about nutritionism — I first encountered the term in the work of an Australian sociologist of science named Gyorgy Scrinis — is that it is not quite the same as nutrition. As the “ism” suggests, it is not a scientific subject but an ideology. Ideologies are ways of organizing large swaths of life and experience under a set of shared but unexamined assumptions. This quality makes an ideology particularly hard to see, at least while it’s exerting its hold on your culture. A reigning ideology is a little like the weather, all pervasive and virtually inescapable. Still, we can try.
In the case of nutritionism, the widely shared but unexamined assumption is that the key to understanding food is indeed the nutrient. From this basic premise flow several others. Since nutrients, as compared with foods, are invisible and therefore slightly mysterious, it falls to the scientists (and to the journalists through whom the scientists speak) to explain the hidden reality of foods to us. To enter a world in which you dine on unseen nutrients, you need lots of expert help."
(Taken from a New York Times article)
Agh, there is so much to say, but I have to keep it succinct and ask only this -
Is Pollan adopting a Rousseauian return to pre-enlightenment ideas regarding food, too? The idea that the hunter-gatherer was the most nutritionally balanced state of humanity is one that resurfaces in scores of popular literature, academic discourse and in my head during bus rides. If time is history, history is progress, and progress leads us away from our instincts, then is Pollan (knowingly or unknowingly) reinterpreting the Second Discourse of Rousseau in his own framework? Do we need to look backward to move forward with a healthy life?
Well, that is something that merits further investigation and I am far from qualified to present a detailed response at this stage in my learning, but if anyone has any thoughts, I would be more than interested to know. As for me, I'm keeping this idea in the hopper because I smell some ammo for a future paper!
Training is going fantastic. I get stronger every workout, learn to manipulate my mechanics with every session and am really seeing some great improvements in my kyphosis and posture. I'm currently training 2on/1off and finding that though the glutes are a little slow to respond during this training cycle, doing some basic day-off work every day (inchworms, X-band walks, clams with band, static stretching) keeps me from losing progress on off-days when I am mostly seated, hips flexed and glutes asleep. I recommend having day-off work, no matter your fitness/sports goals!
There are about 120 pages worth of essays, 3 exams and a seminar presentation in my near future, but you know what? I asked the cosmos to bring it.. so here I go!
Sunday, September 2, 2007
What would you attempt to do, if you knew you could not fail?
I've been thinking a lot lately about the ideal conditions for setting and achieving goals. From having the courage to create a vision that is bold, to working toward it and everything in between. Some visions (like cheesecake) can come to life in as little as 48 hours, while others (like earning a degree) can run a good 4 or 5 year course. I have a pretty modest list of achievements, but I can say with some confidence that with a little help from myself, a lot of guidance from others and all of the reading I can get my hands on, I've finally been able to seal a few theories in to practice in this last week.
Although this is a bit specific to my own experiences in hockey, I believe that most of what follows has some messaging mobility...
1) Self-acceptance is the foundational precondition to achieving anything in life.
You must believe that you truly deserve your successes in order for the conscious and subconscious to work synergistically toward deveping a healthy mental environment. Do your very best to accept every strength and shortcoming, care for your mind and body, use discipline and indulgence with care, and believe in the necessity of dreaming.
"Do not wish to be anything but what you are and try to be that perfectly."
-T. Francis de Sales
2) Input = output
With respect to food, company and fresh air, you often get out what you put in. I can hardly describe the difference between energy levels after 200kcals of ice cream vs. 200kcals of brown rice and chicken. And no, one is not necessarily less sexy than the other if you are willing to get jiggy with the spices. Every opportunity to eat is an opportunity to eat is an opportunity to repair from the last session and prepare for the next. Having said this, it is really important to toss in the occasional treat when training volume is this high. The sports lifestyle is incredibly different than the "fitness" lifestyle. Even some of the nutrient timing principles present some flexibility if you are willing to experiment a little bit.
And of course, it goes without saying that the physical and interpersonal environment can be great enhancers too! Don't discount the positive effects of tossing around the frisbee, walking along the river, or just having a tea with a buddy.
Also remember the important of mentors! Find people who emulate the particular qualities you admire, or possess a good deal of knowledge and seek out some learning.
3) Visual-eyes.
Decide how the field (or scene) will smell and feel. Imagine your every move, the way your body will feel, the relaxation and focus coming together, the synchronicity of thought and action, see your target, commit and act. Whenever possible, go see the field, course, court or exam room (as the case could be) and get comfortable cultivating the scene in your mind over and over, so that when the time comes, it will be a matter of reliving a scene that is already comfortable and familiar.
4) For every extra effort, extra care.
Before you can ask anything exceptional of the mind or body, there must be a prevention/recovery plan in place. Do your homework and find out what extra care you will need to take in order to sustain or even increase your mental/physical output. Start asking the body what it needs and continually check in. The more you demand of your body, the more you must nuture it. Sometimes it takes a lot more discipline to sit waist deep in an ice bath than it does to run a stage 11 beep test. For myself, I realized quite late last week that I was starting to need a CHO:PRO drink after my sessions to shuttle in nutrients ASAP.
5) "When you are content to simply be yourself and don't compare or compete, everyone will respect you."
Whatever it is that you want in this life, want it for yourself and for no one else. Not everyone will support or agree with your vision, but if the path is yours and the path is right, those people will come around and see that the pursuit of your goal is maing you a better person, not taking from who you are. Respect and accept input from others, but ultimately let your own inner voice guide you if ever there is doubt. Some days will be difficult and those who love you will help you find the strength and joy in your days, but in the moments of solitude when you can only look to yourself, breathe deeply and remember the funny tickle in your "I have a funny idea spot" that started it all...
And...
For the lovely lady who asked, this is a rough outline of the kind of nutrition I practiced during the 2x/day sessions. I'm definitely no expert, but I can say that this worked really well for me:
5am ish Pre-workout:
1 slice sprouted grain bread, almond butter (or just plain soaked almonds), a big bowl of banana/berries and a protein shake
(+ fish oil, Glucosamine/Chond, Vitamins)
9:30 AM PWO:
Brown rice, mini crustless quiches + fruit
noonish:
6-bean chili + veggies
4ish Pre-workout again:
sweet potato, chicken/veggie stir fry
7-8 PWO again:
Massive meal of veggies + protein source + olive oil + fruit
Pre-bed:
Cottage cheese + full fat yogurt + flaxseeds shake
Believe it or not, there were days when even this didn't feel enough! I've upped my dose to about 10-12 fish oil caps a day.
My current list of supplements: ZMA, fish oil, vitamins and glucosamine/chondroitin. This list is kept to an absolute minimum as much as possible!
********************************
I'm feeling a few aches this week and trying to keep a close eye on some tenderness in the left IT band and quads, but other than that nothing out of the ordinary (phew!). So the week went as well as I could have hoped for, including a Dan John "Rule of Five" day, when I really had to test my resolve and recover from some mistakes. It was a very complete experience! I will don my darling #13 this year as a Raven and, remember that lofty goal I had mentioned earlier...?
I'm planning on being an Academic All-Canadian this year. I don't want to be the best player on the team, in the OUA or CIS, I just want to be a balanced athlete who sets a positive and REAL example for the younger girls who will carry this team in the years to come.
Now, if I can just take these lessons learned in to the classroom and put it all together...
Although this is a bit specific to my own experiences in hockey, I believe that most of what follows has some messaging mobility...
1) Self-acceptance is the foundational precondition to achieving anything in life.
You must believe that you truly deserve your successes in order for the conscious and subconscious to work synergistically toward deveping a healthy mental environment. Do your very best to accept every strength and shortcoming, care for your mind and body, use discipline and indulgence with care, and believe in the necessity of dreaming.
"Do not wish to be anything but what you are and try to be that perfectly."
-T. Francis de Sales
2) Input = output
With respect to food, company and fresh air, you often get out what you put in. I can hardly describe the difference between energy levels after 200kcals of ice cream vs. 200kcals of brown rice and chicken. And no, one is not necessarily less sexy than the other if you are willing to get jiggy with the spices. Every opportunity to eat is an opportunity to eat is an opportunity to repair from the last session and prepare for the next. Having said this, it is really important to toss in the occasional treat when training volume is this high. The sports lifestyle is incredibly different than the "fitness" lifestyle. Even some of the nutrient timing principles present some flexibility if you are willing to experiment a little bit.
And of course, it goes without saying that the physical and interpersonal environment can be great enhancers too! Don't discount the positive effects of tossing around the frisbee, walking along the river, or just having a tea with a buddy.
Also remember the important of mentors! Find people who emulate the particular qualities you admire, or possess a good deal of knowledge and seek out some learning.
3) Visual-eyes.
Decide how the field (or scene) will smell and feel. Imagine your every move, the way your body will feel, the relaxation and focus coming together, the synchronicity of thought and action, see your target, commit and act. Whenever possible, go see the field, course, court or exam room (as the case could be) and get comfortable cultivating the scene in your mind over and over, so that when the time comes, it will be a matter of reliving a scene that is already comfortable and familiar.
4) For every extra effort, extra care.
Before you can ask anything exceptional of the mind or body, there must be a prevention/recovery plan in place. Do your homework and find out what extra care you will need to take in order to sustain or even increase your mental/physical output. Start asking the body what it needs and continually check in. The more you demand of your body, the more you must nuture it. Sometimes it takes a lot more discipline to sit waist deep in an ice bath than it does to run a stage 11 beep test. For myself, I realized quite late last week that I was starting to need a CHO:PRO drink after my sessions to shuttle in nutrients ASAP.
5) "When you are content to simply be yourself and don't compare or compete, everyone will respect you."
Whatever it is that you want in this life, want it for yourself and for no one else. Not everyone will support or agree with your vision, but if the path is yours and the path is right, those people will come around and see that the pursuit of your goal is maing you a better person, not taking from who you are. Respect and accept input from others, but ultimately let your own inner voice guide you if ever there is doubt. Some days will be difficult and those who love you will help you find the strength and joy in your days, but in the moments of solitude when you can only look to yourself, breathe deeply and remember the funny tickle in your "I have a funny idea spot" that started it all...
And...
For the lovely lady who asked, this is a rough outline of the kind of nutrition I practiced during the 2x/day sessions. I'm definitely no expert, but I can say that this worked really well for me:
5am ish Pre-workout:
1 slice sprouted grain bread, almond butter (or just plain soaked almonds), a big bowl of banana/berries and a protein shake
(+ fish oil, Glucosamine/Chond, Vitamins)
9:30 AM PWO:
Brown rice, mini crustless quiches + fruit
noonish:
6-bean chili + veggies
4ish Pre-workout again:
sweet potato, chicken/veggie stir fry
7-8 PWO again:
Massive meal of veggies + protein source + olive oil + fruit
Pre-bed:
Cottage cheese + full fat yogurt + flaxseeds shake
Believe it or not, there were days when even this didn't feel enough! I've upped my dose to about 10-12 fish oil caps a day.
My current list of supplements: ZMA, fish oil, vitamins and glucosamine/chondroitin. This list is kept to an absolute minimum as much as possible!
********************************
I'm feeling a few aches this week and trying to keep a close eye on some tenderness in the left IT band and quads, but other than that nothing out of the ordinary (phew!). So the week went as well as I could have hoped for, including a Dan John "Rule of Five" day, when I really had to test my resolve and recover from some mistakes. It was a very complete experience! I will don my darling #13 this year as a Raven and, remember that lofty goal I had mentioned earlier...?
I'm planning on being an Academic All-Canadian this year. I don't want to be the best player on the team, in the OUA or CIS, I just want to be a balanced athlete who sets a positive and REAL example for the younger girls who will carry this team in the years to come.
Now, if I can just take these lessons learned in to the classroom and put it all together...
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
A Heart Full of...Grub.
In no particular order, the top 10 signs that you might just qualify as a "sporty" girl...
1) You own only 2 regular bras which you grudgingly wear to work. The balance of your lingerie is made by New Balance, Under Armour, Sugoi and Nike.
2) You lead the office in terms of daily trips to the loolee, outnumbered only by the number of trips made to refill your water bottle.
3) Your daily lunch consist of as many containers as most people use in a week.
4) You wear a heart rate monitor as a watch.
5) The emergency preparedness kit in the trunk of your vehicle includes: a foam roller, therabands, shin guards and your Mom's million kitchen design samples. (Find the intruder!)
6) You generally eat breakfast #1 before the sun comes up.
7) You eat more than one breakfast.
8) You own more tournament/technical/sports event t-shirts than you do purses, non-sporty shoes or fingers and toes.
9) You start to seek out increasingly hellish ways to make your training more intense. Examples include training in peak heat, uphill when possible and sans visual aid (as evidenced by Simmirathon's scar),
10) Although you wound't dare tell a soul, you can spend hours watching those horridly corny NBC sport specials. I particularly love the yearly IronMan edition.
Oops, I somehow slipped in to first person...
On a more serious note, getting back to training for athleticism instead of aesthetics has moved my life in such a positive direction in the past few months. I can scarcely explain how my attitude towards my body is beginning to shift and how my views regarding the mind-body connection (my own, at least) are evolving. I won't make any secret of my views regarding the figure/fitness industry and my concern that it is positioning unsustainably low body fat levels under the guise of the "healthy lifestyle" label. I have the utmost respect for the efforts and wishes of my friends who compete in these contests, but I fear for the scores of women who, looking at photoshopped pictures of Oxygen cover models, are considering figure contests as a means to an end. Looking around me, the people with the most fantastic physiques and healthiest glows are all the people who simply have a passion for healthy living, fresh air and an active lifestyle. I'd like to take this opportunity to say that is NOT what I noticed first about Dave.
(I think they believe me!)
Is there anything wrong with wanting to look good? Absolutely not! I feel the same occasional nose-wrinkling emotions about my own figure as any girl, but if my body is the most impressive thing about me, then my mind is in trouble. It took me a damn long time to appreciate my body for being a very accomodating vessel (even at times a little TOO accomodating) and a means to living, rather than simply existing.
One of my strongest motivations for pursuing the study of Nutrition is because I believe with all of my rate-monitored heart that eating local, natural, whole foods (including occasional treats) allows us to spend the 14 hours a day when we aren't eating or sleeping, at our best. Sometimes I think I'd like to work in conflict zones, or for the UN World Food Programme. Other times I think I could spend my days having a personal practice or working with elite athletes. There are also days when I know that I want to help people walk out of the darkness of disordered eating and into the light of day although more often than not, these situations call for counselling and behavioural change as a prelude to conquering eating issues. I know that conventional medicine is not my calling, but I am certain that there is a kind of comfort that I wish to explore and combine with the theoretical knowledge that I need to connect with others.
This post has turned into a huge foray in to randomland, but by suzie, I needed it!
I wish you all experimental salads and sun drenched evenings in these final few days of summer.
P.S No training today :D
What do you think? Should we let her back in to the sisterhood now that she's smartened up a bit? Who said she smartened up a bit? Alternate caption: My sisters who have loved me through thick and thin. And yes, I've been both thick and thin!
1) You own only 2 regular bras which you grudgingly wear to work. The balance of your lingerie is made by New Balance, Under Armour, Sugoi and Nike.
2) You lead the office in terms of daily trips to the loolee, outnumbered only by the number of trips made to refill your water bottle.
3) Your daily lunch consist of as many containers as most people use in a week.
4) You wear a heart rate monitor as a watch.
5) The emergency preparedness kit in the trunk of your vehicle includes: a foam roller, therabands, shin guards and your Mom's million kitchen design samples. (Find the intruder!)
6) You generally eat breakfast #1 before the sun comes up.
7) You eat more than one breakfast.
8) You own more tournament/technical/sports event t-shirts than you do purses, non-sporty shoes or fingers and toes.
9) You start to seek out increasingly hellish ways to make your training more intense. Examples include training in peak heat, uphill when possible and sans visual aid (as evidenced by Simmirathon's scar),
10) Although you wound't dare tell a soul, you can spend hours watching those horridly corny NBC sport specials. I particularly love the yearly IronMan edition.
Oops, I somehow slipped in to first person...
On a more serious note, getting back to training for athleticism instead of aesthetics has moved my life in such a positive direction in the past few months. I can scarcely explain how my attitude towards my body is beginning to shift and how my views regarding the mind-body connection (my own, at least) are evolving. I won't make any secret of my views regarding the figure/fitness industry and my concern that it is positioning unsustainably low body fat levels under the guise of the "healthy lifestyle" label. I have the utmost respect for the efforts and wishes of my friends who compete in these contests, but I fear for the scores of women who, looking at photoshopped pictures of Oxygen cover models, are considering figure contests as a means to an end. Looking around me, the people with the most fantastic physiques and healthiest glows are all the people who simply have a passion for healthy living, fresh air and an active lifestyle. I'd like to take this opportunity to say that is NOT what I noticed first about Dave.
(I think they believe me!)
Is there anything wrong with wanting to look good? Absolutely not! I feel the same occasional nose-wrinkling emotions about my own figure as any girl, but if my body is the most impressive thing about me, then my mind is in trouble. It took me a damn long time to appreciate my body for being a very accomodating vessel (even at times a little TOO accomodating) and a means to living, rather than simply existing.
One of my strongest motivations for pursuing the study of Nutrition is because I believe with all of my rate-monitored heart that eating local, natural, whole foods (including occasional treats) allows us to spend the 14 hours a day when we aren't eating or sleeping, at our best. Sometimes I think I'd like to work in conflict zones, or for the UN World Food Programme. Other times I think I could spend my days having a personal practice or working with elite athletes. There are also days when I know that I want to help people walk out of the darkness of disordered eating and into the light of day although more often than not, these situations call for counselling and behavioural change as a prelude to conquering eating issues. I know that conventional medicine is not my calling, but I am certain that there is a kind of comfort that I wish to explore and combine with the theoretical knowledge that I need to connect with others.
This post has turned into a huge foray in to randomland, but by suzie, I needed it!
I wish you all experimental salads and sun drenched evenings in these final few days of summer.
P.S No training today :D
What do you think? Should we let her back in to the sisterhood now that she's smartened up a bit? Who said she smartened up a bit? Alternate caption: My sisters who have loved me through thick and thin. And yes, I've been both thick and thin!
Friday, August 10, 2007
Moooo-urns.
For anyone else planning/hoping/praying/wishing for an MSc in Nutrition, I'd like to make to advise that you advertise with caution. Although I'm fresh out of logic (being that it's Friday) let's see if I can't develop the integrity of this suggestion...
Being a social scientist with a particular interest in the science and psychology of nutrition, I find myself often on the receiving end of questions about everything from "what's the difference between a carbohydrate and a carburetor" to "what should I eat if I want to look good?" I should also mention that everything from people watching on the bus to observing parent-child dynamics at the grocery store make me understand human cooperation (or lack thereof) in a way that is so much accessible than 97% of the meta theory and political philosophy I have studied in the past 4 years at school.
And yes, there is a reason why Dd (my oldest sister) praises my ability to express multiple ideas without so much as a punctuation markk.
I'm no RD, nor do I possess any certifiable expertise regarding food, but I can tell you that I've reached a point where I can comfortably generate a sense of someone's general bevahiours by looking at their lunch, or within the first 3 minutes of chatty cathying about food. The workplace is a social science goldmine for food and mood voyeurs (like me). My interest stems largely from having overcome some bad food habits of my own which were largely manifestations of my perfectionism and (restrospectively) unrealistic need to maintain some optimal state of leanness year-round. Being much more perfomance and uhm, 'ow you say, life-oriented, I'm now feeling much better, thanks for asking. Oh yeah, that small mortgage worth of counselling didn't hurt either.
In particular, I find that women often seem to develop these "moral codes" built entirely within a food-framework. I often find women almost defending their food choices around me. A lot of my beliefs around the morality thing come from repeatedly hearing phrases like:
"Oh, just so you know, I never normally eat X.."
"I just didn't have time to put together a lunch so I grabbed Y.."
"I probably won't eat the whole thing but.."
"I really watch my kcals.."
"I just needed something to Z..."
"I was bad today, I ate X.., I was good this weekend, I didn't eat much Y.."
(or worse) "Since I ate X this weekend, I starved on Sunday and did a 10 mile run with Rover, who mistakenly attacked my growling stomach, and then I did a detox and put imported Belgian cucumbers over my pressure points to channel the calories away from my thighs."
Hrmmm...
My knee-jerk reaction is always to wonder why people feel a need to justify their food choices to me (or others!). I would never judge someone based on their lunch, and in no way would I ever want people to feel as though my appreciation and modest knowledge of nutrition makes me the food police! The sighting of a police vehicle seems to elicit an involuntary spasm into model-citizen mode and sometimes my conversations with people about food are no different. I guess this ties a bit in to my wish to be seen as a balanced person, too. The same way I feel about not wanting people to feel self-conscious about eating a chocolate bar in front of me, I'd like people to know that despite not being witness to it, I do eat ice cream (and how!) and love to enjoy rich and sexy foods every now and then. I take pretty darn good care of my body in exchange for the volume of output I demand from it, so when I do enjoy a treat (and now that I am forever snobbified by having a pastry chef for a sister) I'm reaching for something boldly created with real and decadent ingredients. This is also how I rationalize a relentless appreciation for opulent goodies alongside my regular of making healthy food taste great. This is also why it's not a big deal to pass up store-bought cake with gritty buttercream frosting, or just save a piece to use as an adhesive for wallpapering.
Flourless chocolate hazlenut torte from Stubbe wilfully (and gleefully) enjoyed at Dd and Simon's anniversary last weekend
All this to say that I think we should all be at peace with our choices in life and know that judgment occurs in a vacuum. I really love eating fresh and healthfully because it makes me feel great and allows me to truly and guiltlessly enjoy celebrations and special meals without worring about how I'm going to keep Rover from growling back at my stomach...
(Oh! By the way, mainstream nutrition is FINALLY opening its eyes to that often ignored body of literature that favours a protein/carb mix over just fast carbs for endurance and recovery. Although plain milk was used in this study, you get the point. Please note that despite debunking myths built so dogmatically by the Gatorade Institute, this study was sponsored largely by the US National Dairy Council who probably tossed a pretty hefty chunk of change out for this research.)
Being a social scientist with a particular interest in the science and psychology of nutrition, I find myself often on the receiving end of questions about everything from "what's the difference between a carbohydrate and a carburetor" to "what should I eat if I want to look good?" I should also mention that everything from people watching on the bus to observing parent-child dynamics at the grocery store make me understand human cooperation (or lack thereof) in a way that is so much accessible than 97% of the meta theory and political philosophy I have studied in the past 4 years at school.
And yes, there is a reason why Dd (my oldest sister) praises my ability to express multiple ideas without so much as a punctuation markk.
I'm no RD, nor do I possess any certifiable expertise regarding food, but I can tell you that I've reached a point where I can comfortably generate a sense of someone's general bevahiours by looking at their lunch, or within the first 3 minutes of chatty cathying about food. The workplace is a social science goldmine for food and mood voyeurs (like me). My interest stems largely from having overcome some bad food habits of my own which were largely manifestations of my perfectionism and (restrospectively) unrealistic need to maintain some optimal state of leanness year-round. Being much more perfomance and uhm, 'ow you say, life-oriented, I'm now feeling much better, thanks for asking. Oh yeah, that small mortgage worth of counselling didn't hurt either.
In particular, I find that women often seem to develop these "moral codes" built entirely within a food-framework. I often find women almost defending their food choices around me. A lot of my beliefs around the morality thing come from repeatedly hearing phrases like:
"Oh, just so you know, I never normally eat X.."
"I just didn't have time to put together a lunch so I grabbed Y.."
"I probably won't eat the whole thing but.."
"I really watch my kcals.."
"I just needed something to Z..."
"I was bad today, I ate X.., I was good this weekend, I didn't eat much Y.."
(or worse) "Since I ate X this weekend, I starved on Sunday and did a 10 mile run with Rover, who mistakenly attacked my growling stomach, and then I did a detox and put imported Belgian cucumbers over my pressure points to channel the calories away from my thighs."
Hrmmm...
My knee-jerk reaction is always to wonder why people feel a need to justify their food choices to me (or others!). I would never judge someone based on their lunch, and in no way would I ever want people to feel as though my appreciation and modest knowledge of nutrition makes me the food police! The sighting of a police vehicle seems to elicit an involuntary spasm into model-citizen mode and sometimes my conversations with people about food are no different. I guess this ties a bit in to my wish to be seen as a balanced person, too. The same way I feel about not wanting people to feel self-conscious about eating a chocolate bar in front of me, I'd like people to know that despite not being witness to it, I do eat ice cream (and how!) and love to enjoy rich and sexy foods every now and then. I take pretty darn good care of my body in exchange for the volume of output I demand from it, so when I do enjoy a treat (and now that I am forever snobbified by having a pastry chef for a sister) I'm reaching for something boldly created with real and decadent ingredients. This is also how I rationalize a relentless appreciation for opulent goodies alongside my regular of making healthy food taste great. This is also why it's not a big deal to pass up store-bought cake with gritty buttercream frosting, or just save a piece to use as an adhesive for wallpapering.
Flourless chocolate hazlenut torte from Stubbe wilfully (and gleefully) enjoyed at Dd and Simon's anniversary last weekendAll this to say that I think we should all be at peace with our choices in life and know that judgment occurs in a vacuum. I really love eating fresh and healthfully because it makes me feel great and allows me to truly and guiltlessly enjoy celebrations and special meals without worring about how I'm going to keep Rover from growling back at my stomach...
(Oh! By the way, mainstream nutrition is FINALLY opening its eyes to that often ignored body of literature that favours a protein/carb mix over just fast carbs for endurance and recovery. Although plain milk was used in this study, you get the point. Please note that despite debunking myths built so dogmatically by the Gatorade Institute, this study was sponsored largely by the US National Dairy Council who probably tossed a pretty hefty chunk of change out for this research.)
Thursday, July 26, 2007
You Don't Make Friends With Salad
"Obesity 'Contagious', Experts Say"
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/6914397.stm
It blows my mind that this constitutes a "breakthrough" in science, according to some experts. On the matter of friends, one could easily posit a behaviouralist argument that individuals with similar lifestyles likely share similar habits, borne of similar behaviours, borne of similar thinking. I believe this is the same reason why any 2 people with an interest or past-time in common will often get along famously!
Another neglected factor is financial dependency. The dynamics in relationships often shift the balace of power in favour of the individual with the greater purchasing power of the two. In the case of spouses, or children, it is simply a matter of consuming whatever is provided, regardless of its nutritional value.
In the case of kiddies, routinely eating unhealthy foods could condition any child to develop a sense of normalcy (regarding food) that is entirely based on their experiences growing up.
There is an incredible sense of social divide between those who lead active, healthy lifestyles and those who don't (but perhaps endeavor to) and further this latter group becomes marginalized, the more it actually will perpetuate the myth of obeisity as an "epidemic."
Having said this, I'm now switching my grim-reaper hat for a much more fashionable optimist hat to share that one of my best friends works for the BC Provincial Government on policy and implementation of healthy food programs in communities and schools... hoorah!
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/6914397.stm
It blows my mind that this constitutes a "breakthrough" in science, according to some experts. On the matter of friends, one could easily posit a behaviouralist argument that individuals with similar lifestyles likely share similar habits, borne of similar behaviours, borne of similar thinking. I believe this is the same reason why any 2 people with an interest or past-time in common will often get along famously!
Another neglected factor is financial dependency. The dynamics in relationships often shift the balace of power in favour of the individual with the greater purchasing power of the two. In the case of spouses, or children, it is simply a matter of consuming whatever is provided, regardless of its nutritional value.
In the case of kiddies, routinely eating unhealthy foods could condition any child to develop a sense of normalcy (regarding food) that is entirely based on their experiences growing up.
There is an incredible sense of social divide between those who lead active, healthy lifestyles and those who don't (but perhaps endeavor to) and further this latter group becomes marginalized, the more it actually will perpetuate the myth of obeisity as an "epidemic."
Having said this, I'm now switching my grim-reaper hat for a much more fashionable optimist hat to share that one of my best friends works for the BC Provincial Government on policy and implementation of healthy food programs in communities and schools... hoorah!
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