Even “healthy” can be unhealthy…
I’m not in the fitness industry and not trying to pretend to be so I’m not preaching. So what’s the reason for this post? Well if you’re like me you’re pretty much tired of hearing the influx of diet trends out there, promises, fixes etc and this quarantine has brought out every gimmick known to man. Here’s another elastic band workout to do while your bread loaf is fermenting…

I pay @teamludachris (thank god for them) to help me out with my fitness and nutrition but I can tell you that I can teach a thing or two based on my own experiences and issues. I have followed many “diets” and made lifestyle choices and my body has morphed in ways I like but many times in the opposite direction or things have gone wonky.  I have a million food intolerances and am very sensitive to stress and even water intake so here are some points I can share:
1. Diets do work… but temporarily. You will lose weight likely from each and every one of them but sustaining that is the real challenge. There’s a reason why there are so many diets out there. They all work but only for some time for many reasons of course. Some diets are too hard and make no sense to follow long term, some are healthy and some are are actually not very healthy (e.g. calorie deficits for too long or deprivation of “healthy” foods etc…) Be mindful of this and the repercussions it may have on your body.
2. Our bodies adapt. We build tolerance and resistance and our bodies get smarter. I have ran for the past 100 days rain, snow, sun, rainbows and all. Haven’t dropped a pound. I don’t even sweat. Why? Lots of things (e.g. stress) but one of them is that I’m used to it. In order for me to pull a sweat at this point I need to find another means of cardio, run in intervals, be chased by a bear for an hour, etc…I perspire more trying to blowdry my frizzy hair. This same time last year, if I ran this much I would have melted down to nothing.
I have also intensely trained my glutes (almost daily last year) They are the largest muscle and can handle a lot of load and frequency. The elastic bands have helped me isolate muscle fibers. They have not helped me build or maintain muscle.  Bottom line for the past 4 months, elastic bands did not save my life…Point here is that at different points in time our bodies will and can do different things; however, if you get your body used to burning x calories a day on x amount of food, you might need to restrict more or do more to get the same results or better and that’s NOT a good thing but the early onset of potential metabolic disaster (e.g. I should be the portrait for that)
3. The diet trend you swear by may literally kill me. Ninety percent of the food in the dishes I posted are items I am intolerant too. The majority of fruits and vegetables considered  healthy give me a many different reactions. My abdomen will swell, my hands will swell to the extent that they burst and bleed and I will get patches of burning itchy hives for days. That doesn’t include the other fun stuff that happens in the digestive system.
These reactions are not unique to veggies either.  Want to feed me fats? Don’t even go there! Same thing even worse. Avocados nearly killed me last year and 15 grams of peanut butter a day created absolute havoc in my intestines, so I will not embark on a keto diet ever which brings me to the next point.  Stop feeding into trends and follow what makes sense for you.  Many people eat things because they “heard” of the health benefits but don’t actually understand them.  Monk fruit sugar huh? I’m not against it but my heartbeat mysteriously went up all 3 times I baked with it and I got a headache…something weird there. It may be healthy but not healthy for you. For example, legumes and beans are healthy but they make me very ill and for months I had no idea what was wrong with me. I used to eat those instead of meat. Thanks, I’ll take the meat now!
4. Eat what makes sense and what makes your body feel healthy and GOOD. Up until last year the Canadian food guide had dairy and although we’ve known for decades it can be harmful, the point is next food guide they’ll be telling you your celery stick is the enemy.  (I can’t have dairy OR celery by the way) You’ll find studies that indicate wine is good for you but there are going to be equal amounts that say the opposite. That being said, no offense but do you even know how to read a study? The term “research shows” is quite overused and not everything you read is valid or reliable. Educate yourself based on facts but also on what works for you. Check your own foods and act accordingly. Do you understand what you are eating and why you are eating it?

5. Balance and moderation. No one’s telling you to celebrate with dessert everyday but you don’t have to behave like the “No I don’t accept sugar in my life ” biblical person at a party either. Most people don’t know this about me but I actually GAVE UP sugar for about 8 months a few years ago. Guess what? I didn’t look better back then! I think I’m more fit now.  So unless you’re abusing foods like that, do yourself a favour and have a treat in moderation. Make sure to call @biscottidiana if you do

6. Rewards and Punishment. Stop rewarding yourself with food and punishing yourself with exercise.  Trust me I’m a bit embarrassed admitting it since I’m smarter than that but I’ve done the “ate a cheat meal and need to run like a gerbil for an hour” There are actual solid scientific reasons that this backfires which I won’t sit here and go into but please read up on them (metabolic damage, excessive caloric restriction, fight or flight principle with storing calories) but the number one reason being that it leads to poor relationship with food and exercise and potential eating disorders.

The next time you’re sitting around contemplating whether sweet potatoes are bad for you or not go check out my competition picture. Those potatoes made and saved my ass!