Making the connections
Today on the Healthy Mind Fit Body Podcast, we interviewed Tom Naughton, comedian and creator of the documentary Fathead.
In part of our discussion, he talked about his kids and how they also eat low carb for the most part. For the most part he lets his kids have freedom in what they eat, but they still gravitate more towards healthy fats and proteins rather than the massive carbs that most kids are consuming. Instead of feeling like they were deprived of all the desserts and empty calories their friends were downing, they no longer connect those things with a good or positive feeling!
This got me thinking. When I overcame my carb addictions, what made it easier for me was making associations. Instead of associating carbs like cereal, pasta and sugar with health and fitness, I began to see them as adding fat to my gut and slowing me down, both physically and mentally. When I was able to make this mental association, and after 2 weeks of severely limiting my carb intake, I no longer had any cravings for these bad foods! At the same time, I was able to have the occasional dessert or unhealthy carb without sacrificing my health (or my flat stomach!).
When I talk to people about easing up on the carbs they are eating, I often get the reaction of “But I LOVE my carbs, and I can’t do without them!” So these people are looking at cutting out or cutting back on these foods as a sacrifice. Looking at it that way, I can’t blame them for resisting making dietary changes! But a little success with healthy eating will go a long way. Trying our suggested 2-week plan of cutting out most carbohydrates in your diet, (found in our book Healthy Mind, Fit Body) will allow you to start making these connections, and using the mind-body approach to achieving your perfect body!
17 – Overrated health foods and tasty carb substitutes
(duration 28:21)
5 most overrated health-food trends
http://www.chicagotribune.com/health/ct-overrated-food-trends-pg,0,6975867.photogallery
It’s always better to eat the whole fruit than to drink the juice (which is concentrated carbs)
Saturated fat is not bad
For some odd reason, the myth of bad saturated fat persists in the minds of many so-called nutrition experts
These experts know what they’re talking about regarding fat and cholesterol…
http://www.fathead-movie.com/index.php/meet-the-experts/
Vegetable oils are to be mostly avoided (except for olive oil)
The CSPI (Center for Science in the Public Interest) has contributed to lots of nutritional misinformation
Fish oil is better than flaxseed oil for omega 3s
Different carbs all get converted into sugar, which requires insulin, which enables fat accumulation and fat storage
12 Tasty Substitutions When Cutting Carbs
http://www.menshealth.com/mhlists/cut_carbs/
Grain-based carbs are to be eaten only in moderation
Pasta will make you fat, on account of the carb/insulin factor
bumper music “All In My Head” (Remix) – http://www.kosheen.com
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Bagel Busters! – Carbo Loading Part 2
As I’ve mentioned, I’m currently training for a half marathon with a local running group, and we’re about a week away from starting our 
“taper” phase, which means we will slowly start to decrease mileage and intensity of our runs leading up to the race we are training for.
I’m bracing for the nutrition plan our coach is going to recommend during this phase. Last time around, it was carbs galore, and when you think you’ve eaten enough carbs, eat more! Bagels, cereal, bread, and pasta are all recommended as good foods that your muscles need to start storing fuel for your race. This would be bad enough when we are running 10-12 miles in training, but as we are resting, our bodies are even more likely to hold onto these calories and store them as fat! Not exactly the result of training for a race that most people are shooting for.
In the old days, when I used to compete in swimming, I followed the “common wisdom” of pumping in the carbs in the week leading up to my big meet. I distinctly remember one year going out to breakfast with the team the morning of our sectionals meet, and ordering up a big stack of pancakes with extra maple syrup. I was absolutely shocked that I felt sluggish later than day in the water! I actually FELT like the pancake breakfast screwed me up, but thought that would be impossible since carbs were the best source of energy possible!
Instead of listening to “common wisdom”, this year leading up to my race, I plan to eat a balanced diet and continue my fat intake of about 35-40% of my total calories. I will not go on a carb binge nor will I gain or lose weight, and I should be good to go for my race.
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Body shapes and sizes
I recently had an email exchange with healthy mind fit body proponent Tina, who hails from across the Atlantic in England. She inquired about the different body types we see in society and whether they are more innate or acquired.
This is an interesting subject, indeed. I think Kevin and I have casually mentioned ectomorphs, mesomorphs, and endomorphs a couple times on the podcast, but we haven’t delved into the specifics of human morphology in much detail. Apparently, this terminology of assorted “-morphs” was developed by a psychologist who linked them to temperaments, which seems a bit ridiculous: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Somatotype#Modern_assessments
That said, obviously people have different bone sizes and muscle mass and constitution (some have biceps and calves that are more pronounced when contracted, for instance), which creates different forms. Yet, we also witness the typical excuses for settling for less in the realm of “body type.” Sometimes, individuals may be tempted to adopt a particular label (for example, “plus size”) that puts them in a supposedly natural category of body shape—even though if they decreased their amount of body fat, their form would look quite different (we’ve all seen those before and after shots;).
Imagine how dramatically different the world would look if everyone had a fit body (not to mention healthy mind:). Many so-called “big-boned” people who are overweight or obese might turn out to be much less large-framed than suspected, simply on account of achieving lower bodyfat percentages. Again, I refer you to those myriad before-and-after pictures of persons who’ve lost lots of weight; they seem like different people (ignoring the shaving and tanning, of course).
Nonetheless, noticeable variations in bone size must be taken into account when determining lean body mass. For example, the handy body fat calculator on Barry Sears’ site entails, in addition to height, measuring around the wrist for men and hips for women:
http://www.drsears.com/ZoneResources/BodyFatCalculator/tabid/414/Default.aspx
The BMI (Body Mass Index) has typically been used to assess a person’s body composition, but many experts recognize it as inadequate and even misleading. More recently, a new index has been developed called the BVI (Body Volume Index): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Body_volume_index , which is an improvement but has its drawbacks too.
Regardless of your BMI or BVI, every person should set his or her sights on an optimal body fat percentage (e.g., <15% for males and <21% for females). In so doing, you will discover your real body shape. Given what we know about achieving a healthy mind and fit body, there’s no need to accept popular labels; psychotherapist Haim Ginott was right that “labeling is disabling.”
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16 – Resolutions for self-improvement
(duration 16:28)
Happy 2010!
Happy Festivus: Top 10 Festivus Foods for your Festivus Party! http://blogs.miaminewtimes.com/shortorder/2009/12/happy_festivus_top_10_festivus.php
2010 New Year’s Resolutions According to Women (Infographic) http://topcultured.com/womens-2010-new-years-resolutions-infrographic/
Your ultimate goal is happiness, and achieving a healthy mind/fit body is part of that process
It’s important to set concrete and specific goals
Delving into your emotional world is key to resolving self-conficlt and taking responsibility for your own well-being and happiness
A healthy sex life is an important reflection of your own self-esteem and feelings, as well as respect and admiration, for another person
If everyone had a healthy mind and fit body, the world would be a much better place!
Did Americans get any healthier over past decade? http://news.aol.com/article/did-americans-get-any-healthier-over/836823?cid=14
It’s amazing how much vital knowledge of health and nutrition doesn’t get into the mainstream
Central planning “authorities” oftentimes don’t have your best interests in mind; in fact, they are partially responsible for widespread obesity
Challenging rather than merely accepting what “experts” say is key to your well-being; and, it can reflect a higher level of self-esteem
Check out http://www.fathead-movie.com/ We’ll be interviewing its creator Tom this month!
Be objective by taking into account all the available evidence about health and nutrition, and beware Nanny State tactics!
bumper music “All In My Head” (Remix) – http://www.kosheen.com
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Also, please sign up – upper right corner of http://healthymindfitbody.com – to get the free bonus audio on the 3 Pillars Of Achieving Your Perfect Weight Using The Mind/Body Connection, as well as the newsletter
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