A few weeks ago in the Salt Lake Tribune, in the op-ed section there was a letter that moved me.  It was written by a woman in her fifties who had been diagnosed with Type II Diabetes (the lifestyle diabetes), who had been heavy all her life and was now facing serious health complications as a result.  Her letter was a plea to everyone to just love yourself enough to take care of yourself, to eat well and to exercise.

The thing that struck me was the call to love yourself enough to do all of those things.  Love yourself enough to take care of yourself.  Wow.  I had never really thought of staying fit and healthy in those terms before.  Love yourself.  Keep yourself healthy.  Love yourself.  Eat nourishing foods.  Love yourself.  Move your body.

When I see someone come into the gym and catch the exercise bug it excites me so much.  I love to see the transformation when someone goes from hating exercise to not wanting to miss a single day.  You see the change in the way a person carries himself, the way a person moves through the world.  I have seen it over and over.  To move your body, to raise your heart rate, to sweat, to stretch your muscles, these are all acts of loving yourself.  And it transcends the gym.  It touches all aspects of your life. 

I just learned last night that the summer camp my son attends closes each day with this little saying:

I love myself.

I trust myself.

I will be myself.

Namaste.

The next time you are feeling like you want to skip the gym, or you reach for the snack that you know will make you feel lousy after you eat it just remind yourself of that little saying.  Or think of the woman who wrote the letter who is suffering the devastating effects of not having taken care of herself.  Love yourself enough to get the workout in.  Trust yourself to make the right decision.  See yourself as a truly healthy individual and be that.  Be yourself.  Your best self.

One of the blended drinks we feature has leafy green vegetables (spinach, kale or chard) in it.  I personally drink one of these green smoothies every single day.  I love them. They taste good, surprisingly good actually.  They are such an easy way to get fresh, leafy-green vegetables.  Dark green leafy vegetables are, calorie for calorie, perhaps the most concentrated source of nutrition of any food. They are a rich source of minerals (including iron, calcium, potassium, and magnesium) and vitamins, including vitamins K, C, E, and many of the B vitamins. They also provide a variety of phytonutrients including beta-carotene, lutein, and zeaxanthin, which protect our cells from damage and our eyes from age-related problems, among many other effects. Dark green leaves even contain small amounts of Omega-3 fats.  It is recommended that we eat at least five to thirteen servings of fruits and vegetables daily, depending on caloric intake.  The average American gets three servings per day. 

So, while I am certain that an Oreo mint drink would be delicious, what health benefits is it providing?  Have you ever read a book touting the many amazing health benefits of Oreos?  Have you ever heard doctors and nutrition experts saying that we just need to get more Oreos in out diet?  We wish, right?  I happen to love Oreos but I don’t associate them in any way with anything having to do with good health or nutrition.

Just knowing all of the health benefits of the leafy greens makes the green smoothie one best parts of my day.   I encourage everyone to stop by this health conscious gym and try one.

And now I will step down from my soap box…for now.

Resources:

Harvard School of Public Health

WebMD

Super Foods Rx

Green Smoothie Girl

10.  We’re locally owned. 

9.  We make delicious protein shakes.

8.  We have the best playroom supervisors.  You will feel great leaving your little one in their care.

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3.  Our classes are incredible, no matter what your fitness level, we have a class for you. 

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1.  We LOVE our members and go the extra mile to make sure each visit to the gym is a positive one.

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The point is that if a fitness professional can get sucked into this crap, how is someone who doesn’t do this for a living supposed to figure out how to lose weight and stay fit and not go broke or insane in the process?

The answer is one that I think most of us know but the one that we don’t really want to hear.  We all want to believe that there is a quick, easy and permanent way to lose weight. 

The only way to lose weight is to burn more calories than you take in.  The only way to maintain weight loss is to burn the same amount of calories as you take in.  To lose weight you must change your diet and exercise.  Period.

The truth is that it isn’t easy.  It’s a process.  But it’s a process that will lead to increased health, energy, self-confidence, longevity and well-being.  It’s worth it. 

So we’re going to turn off the infomercials.  We’re going to stop believing that we can eat whatever we want and still lose weight.  We’re going to stop buying ab machines late at night.  Let’s start taking an honest look at what we are putting into our bodies, and let’s start moving.  Let’s get to work!