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| Always look on the bright side of life! Whistle... |
Last year, I was having a conversation with a friend who said they were struggling with a not so healthy approach to dieting and running. To lose weight, my friend had almost completely stopped eating, drank a lot of coffee and was running quite a bit. Then she said something that absolutely surprised me.
She wanted to be thin, like me.
Many things raced through my head, but what came out was along the lines of...
NOOOOOOO!! You don't understand!
Let's back up a little. My weight has gone up and down over the years. I have always had a healthy appetite. My ideal date back in the day was a hearty dinner (think bread/appetizer/pasta and fries..always fries!) followed up by a movie with popcorn/soda/candy. I'm still not sure if I actually like movies, or just the eating food part. I also LOVED junk food binges ever since I was a kid and had enough allowance money to hit the Kwik-E-Mart, spending every dime on candy and chips. Even my first word was chocolate. You get the picture.
To say junk food binges never followed me into adulthood, would be a straight up lie. (My husband, much to his abhorrence, can attest to just how much sugar I can put away in one sitting.) I endearingly call him variations of Nazi Food Police as he tries to limit the junk food shoveled into my mouth at what he thinks is an alarming rate. If only he knew....
Anyhoo, that occasional, albeit highly enjoyable style of eating, started to go out the window 2 years ago along with any excess weight. Having an annoying, progressive chronic autoimmune illness, which the latest label my Dr has informed me has switched from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) to Systemic Exertion Intolerance Disease (SEID) means that more problems arise on a yearly basis.
The most troubling of these problems has been the inability to eat ANYTHING without wreaking major havoc on my body. Years ago I felt a lot better after finding out I was highly sensitive to wheat and dairy and eliminating those from my diet. Now, after a few years of chronic, extremely painful Interstitial Cystitis flare ups, I've learned that food can be the culprit of the pain and also the cure. (Mostly junk food being the culprit.) Flare ups occur every 1-2 months lasting 1 week to several months at a time. Some days the pain is so excruciating, I'm frequently reduced to tears and can hardly function. It sucks. If you've ever experienced it, you know. If not, you are one lucky duck!
The Paleo diet is the only way I've found to control the amount of cystitis discomfort. If you're not familiar with the Paleo diet, it consists mostly of eating good fats (coconut/olive oil), lean meats, fish, vegetables, nuts and seeds. No sugar, no carbs, no alcohol, no nothing. It's a decent, healthy diet, in my opinion, however weight drops quickly, especially since I love to run! Now, during a cystitis flare up, the pain is so severe I can hardly eat, exercise or go about a normal day. But flare up or not, weight is hard to keep on. I had a flare up over the holidays, could barely eat, but was shocked to see a picture of me from my grandmother's Christmas day dinner.
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It's uncomfortable for me to display this picture because the gaunt and frail looking person does not represent who I am. Just to be clear, if you are naturally thin like this, there is nothing wrong with that! You most likely have an ectomorph body type (lean, fast metabolism, small bones/muscles). However, my body type has always been a mesomorph (athletic, muscular, lean, medium build) and I love and accept what God has given me! This thin frame is unhealthy for my natural body type and is downright deceptive.
Do I want to be this skinny? Heck No!! But it's what I look like right now. I've come to realize, outside of my closest friends and family, most might judge my appearance and label me as super healthy, exercise crazed or even anorexic. When in reality, my digestive issues prevents any meaningful weight to be put on or maintained right now.
The point is, don't judge a book by its cover. We all come in different shapes and sizes. Weight is not limited by what we put in our mouths either. There are many factors which influence size that may be out of our control such as hypo/hyperthyroidism, slow/fast metabolism, hormones, genetics, Cushing's syndrome, Diabetes, stress, etc.
I was saddened to hear of my friend's extreme attempts to become thin. Societal pressures can push people to drastic measures in order to achieve the ideal weight. But the beauty of diversity is that there is no 1 ideal weight. Why not strive to become the healthiest versions of ourselves? Even still, one person's healthy will look different from another's. My version of healthy means to feel strong, have some solid muscle weight (since muscle weighs more than fat), plus a few extra love handles to fuel the longer runs. But others may want to achieve a certain level of activity or endurance. Do what makes your body feel good!
Each of our journey's are unique. Let's cast aside our assumptions on physical appearance and get to know the people behind the number. Listen, share your stories, and be each other's champion. Have a happy and healthy year, my friends!
As promised, I will end each post with a delicious, healthy recipe. Enjoy!
AVOCADO CHOCOLATE MOUSSE
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-1 ripe avocado
-1/3 cup cacao or cocoa powder
-1/4 cup honey
-1/4 cup almond, coconut, hemp (or any kind) milk
-1.5 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions:
-Blend all ingredients in blender or food processor. Scraping down sides until thoroughly mixed.
-Chill in refrigerator for 2-3 hours.
*Delicious dip for berries, bananas (any fruit really) or use as cake frosting. Double or triple recipe for more mousse-y goodness (in case you have to share).
