Wonder why you are obsessed with food? Why you think about it constantly? Don’t worry, you are not the only one. Think about our ancient ancestors and what they had to do in order to survive? Their entire existence was about shelter and food and water. Nothing else mattered. Almost all of their activities were geared around food; as well as their rites of passage. Where they lived (cave, hut, modest homestead) was relevant to where the food was. The men would go out and hunt/fish in groups and the women would study plants and harvest/forage them to balance out their nutrition. It was hard and sometimes dangerous work! You had to be “cognitive” or you could wind up eating the wrong berries, poisoning your tribe or mauled by a ferocious boar. You had to think ahead towards the seasons and what food would be available. You had to know how to conserve, preserve and store your food...like all animals do. 

Makes sense that we are both “cultured” to think about nutrition/food and genetically inclined ~because our very survival depended on it! 

Now fast forward to modern day times. We are probably no more than 40 feet away from food at any given moment. Through evolution we have made it simpler, easier, and “safer” (one could argue against that) to provide food for our families. We no longer have to plan weeks in advance for a hunt, follow the herd, know when the salmon will spawn, wait for harvest season... we just have to get in our car and drive 3 blocks to the grocery store where we can find ANYTHING we need. There is no more feast or famine...it is just feast, feast, feast. 

So herein lies the challenge we face. We are still programmed to think about food ALL THE TIME...but since we no longer have to go to the extremes of hunting and gathering...we have lost that necessary balance. Most of us aren’t tucked away in our furs when the sun goes down, exhausted from a day of HARD labour; and up at the crack of dawn ready for another marathon. We don’t have to chase after our food or walk 3 days looking for herbs, plants, and berries. We don’t utilize every calorie we consume.

In addition to our genetics, food is actually manufactured to be “addictive” with the refined sugar (addictive) and refined flour (addictive) and don’t forget the high-fructose corn syrup (super addictive); so that now not only do we think about food all the time (normal) but we now physically crave those highly processed food like products. Oh, and just in case you forget how addicted you are...television advertisements will remind you at 10:00pm...just as you are ready to nod off...that you haven’t fed your addiction for 2 or 3 hours! No wonder we are all out of whack! 

You bet...we are obsessed with food. 

So stop beating yourself up about it. The obsession will never go away (although we can learn to manage the addiction). Embrace that preoccupation and channel that energy in a positive way and think about food differently. If you are going to think about it constantly anyway, be cognitive about where your food comes from; READ LABELS; what ARE those ingredients anyway; how does your body respond to different foods; what do you need to eat in order to thrive; how can you start to prepare your food in a healthier, tastier way? LEARN, QUESTION, DISCOVER...and then TEACH your children to do the same. Think of it as modern day foraging.

Don’t stop thinking about food...it goes against your nature and it is an impossible task...but rather adjust your focus. It is called "mindful eating". (Sounds nicer than obsession, doesn't it?) 

I appreciate that life is busy; maybe you don’t have time for all that...but you don’t have time for illness either. If you are already suffering from ailments, it is an even better reason to be mindful. 

We must eat; nutrition is essential to life.

...you get to decide the quality of that life. 

Live Well,

Jen

At Anchor Wellness we focus on the individual as a “whole” person; body, mind and spirit. We understand that it takes a combination of healthy eating, activity, and a focus on positive self talk and refocusing our minds on a vision of healing from head to toe, inside and out; in order to be as healthy and vital as we are meant to be. Activity and healthy eating is not reserved for “dieters” or “health nuts”...it is for everyone! Adopting a lifestyle of clean eating and daily activity will offer you confidence, courage, and true contentment; and your body will flourish. 
This is how you are meant to be!
 What does it take to move things in the right direction? Action. It is one thing to plan and desire and hope that things improve...but without action, this can easily turn into chronic apathy and a whole lot of negative self talk. So we offer you this challenge:

30/30/30

• 30 Days
• 30 Minutes of Daily Activity (minimum)
• 30 Healthy Meals 
  

From February 18th to March 19th we invite you to join us in this challenge to improve your life one day at a time. So how does it work? The challenge is for 30 days...don’t let this intimidate you...think of it as a fun challenge that any one can participate in! You can include your whole family (imagine how much fun you can have as a family if you let everyone pick an activity or plan a meal?)...or you can just focus on challenging yourself. 

30 minutes of daily activity...and it can be anything that makes you move! Go for a walk, cross-country skiing, shoot some hoops, or have a snowball fight! Don’t be afraid of exercise...make it playful and fun. Find walking dull...so take a camera with you and take pics along the way! Haven’t skied in years...it is ok; dust them off, wax them up, and get out on the trail! Remind yourself how good it feels to breathe fresh air.

Don’t want to be outside? Ok! Get involved with some classes at your favorite gym or try DrumFit!  Head on over to the rec centre for a family swim! Look for something fun, playful and unique! It doesn’t matter how you choose to spend your 30 minutes, as long as you are moving! This challenge is not about hard core exercise (unless you WANT it to be)...it is about creating new healthy habits...and once you start moving everyday, you will see how good your body feels...and you may never want to stop! So pull out your calendar and start writing down your activity plan! Do not allow yourself to be bored...keep changing it up and the challenge will be easy!

30 Healthy Meals... It is simpler than it sounds! Assuming you eat 3 meals a day, there are 90 meals in 30 days...the challenge is to make 1/3 of those meals as healthy as can be! (Now if you want to bump that up to 40 or 50 healthy meals or more...that is totally your call!) The challenge is 30. Now this will take a little planning...but it can be fun! Pull those old cook books out from the back of the cupboard and...wait, this is 2013...we don’t need cook books! We have the internet! Literally thousands and thousands of healthy recipes on line and all you have to do is GOOGLE! Take an hour or two over the next few weeks and do a little research...plan those 30 meals...and make sure to include lots of raw, crunchy veggies! Print off or save those recipes to your hard drive; do an inventory of ingredients in the cupboards and fridge; write up a grocery list of items you are going to need, and then stock up! 

It is easy once you have a plan. Using your calendar, write down “what’s for dinner” on each day, print off the recipes and tuck them behind the calendar so they are handy! Preparation is KEY! If you are not prepared it is all too easy to be complacent. If you are serious about meeting this challenge, make sure you have a workable plan! If you are going to be out for dinner, then plan to make breakfast or lunch the healthy meal of the day. Get your family involved and let them plan a few meals too. If everyone is invested in the challenge, they will be much more committed to succeeding (and it will be more fun!)  
See file at the bottom of this blog-it is a menu planner to get you started!

So why do the challenge? What is in it for you? Making a few small changes to your daily routine will change your focus. It will allow you to develop habits that will promote more vitality. It will bring you closer to your loved ones and more importantly, closer to yourself. Too often there is a “disconnect” between the mind, body and spirit...we get so caught up in work and taking care of our responsibilities that we forget about our relationship to ourselves and how vital it is for our health. This leads to depression, negative self talk, and ultimately it could lead to illness. At the end of the day we are “spent” because we have invested our energy in everything and everyone else...it is time to start paying attention and investing in you, your healing and your happiness. 

If you “look for the time”, you will never find it...you have to MAKE the time...make it happen. Use the 30/30/30 challenge as a stepping stone to a healthier, happier you.

We are going to play along with you! Visit www.facebook.com/AnchorWellness and “like” our page! We will post our favorite healthy recipes throughout the challenge...and we invite you to do the same! Take pictures of your daily activities and share them! Encourage others and be encouraged. Inspire others...and be inspired. From February 18th until March 19th our Facebook page is going to be dedicated to the 30/30/30 challenge! Tell your family, friends and co-workers about the challenge! Be a part of it!

Let us know on our Facebook page, or comment below, that you are participating or send us a private message! We want to be able to encourage you (and congratulate you) personally!

We also invite fitness centers, instructors, or sports groups to get in on the challenge too! Encourage your clients to participate in the 30/30/30 challenge. Then, on our Anchor Wellness Facebook page, post your tips, tricks, and suggestions for daily activities! Maybe you can plan different activities geared towards the 30 minute challenge and invite people to come play!

Live Well!

Jen

P.S. After the challenge, we invite you to share your success stories with us...tell us what you learned, how you changed, what you experienced....and of course what your next goal will be!