My Secret Addiction

I have a confession to make.

People ask me all the time what my caveats are, what my vices are and what are the things that I'm absolutely stuck on. 

Truly I don't have any! 

I know that's hard to believe but when I was a kid, as a family, we all ate ice cream at the end of the day.  Not small servings of it either, nice big whopping bowls. I enjoy a dairy free ice cream every once in a while. I like arugula salad and I get excited about kombucha. 

But my life would go on if I didn’t have any of them.  

My parents were aggravated that I was a picky child. 

Now, I just see that as what was innately true within me right from the get go. My body just knew and loved foods that were supportive of my life. 

When I started my health journey a long time ago we ate pretty conventionally.

I fixed the typical Midwestern meals but when I started getting sick, it was obvious that something wasn't right and I started with my food. This worked out well for me since I was so picky!

Even then though i didn't love chocolate or cookies, I probably had some sweets cravings.

That's normal in inflammation and illness.

However, it's been years now since my recovery and I haven't had the urges of cravings.

In fact, if there are cravings, in the clinic we see those as signs and symptoms, indicators of some disturbance we want to address. 

My secret addiction? It's books and courses.

Yes, I know I'm a biochem nerd and I'm not shy to admit it. Give me some extra money and I'll learn something new, sign up for a new class, or buy books any day!

However, for all of this intention in me, I have a second confession to make.

No, my family does not eat perfect. My kids do not eat perfect.

In fact those of you that know my kids know that oftentimes they choose the exact opposite. That's okay, this is my thing and they're going to find theirs. I feel good knowing I've raise them with skills and knowledge and they'll get to learn their bodies just like I did mine and decide what's right for them.

This brings me to the two clients we're going to discuss this week.

One of them is my son.

He ended up in the ER with syncope and SVT, which is to put it very basically:  quickly elevated heart rate. The feeling produces an extreme anxiety or panic feeling because it's difficult to breathe and your heart is racing out of control. It's a very uncontrollable place to be.

This kid however follows my health theories quite well! He's fit, he's a boxer and he's lean.

However, he works hard, early and long hours. He had an energy drink that morning and that's the only thing that I can relate it to. Truly if you look up pub med there are all kinds of studies done on energy drinks, the dangers and the risks.

Those of you that know me know that if I had it my way I'd take away all pop in the world that serves absolutely no purpose.

Energy drinks outrank that.

In fact, I'll go on the record and state that it's downright negligent to call them energy drinks. Because who doesn't want extra energy?

However, the force these substances put on the body is unnatural and very unsafe in my opinion.

I'm scared for our youth that sees these on our shelves, advertised aggressively and without consequence.  

Just because it's on the shelf does not mean you should consume it!

Our second client is a 60 year old woman concerned about weight and body composition and feelings of low mood.

We had an excellent conversation about how easy it is to just grab convenience foods when you're busy and how shopping for foods is cathartic to her. It's relaxing, exciting and gives her a sense of anticipation over what she'll get to eat that week.

Let's get something clear.

FDA may allow foods and drugs on the market but that doesn't necessarily mean it's good for us.

In my opinion, there should not be such a thing as the terms healthy food and unhealthy food.

It's either food which is nourishing to the body or its foodstuff.

Food stuff is not food!

I believe we have to get very committed once again to understanding the reason why we eat in the first place.

It is to nourish and provide for the needs of the body.

If we are eating it for comfort, mood or any other reason, we should be addressing the possible biochemical dysfunctions in our brain and bodies, and the anxiety and stressors that could be triggering them.

If you are one of those that is having anxiety, stress or low mood, it might be time to have some holistic lifestyle coaching, a nutrition analysis or a whole body cell study altogether.

Any addiction is a sign that the body is operating out of a state of lack.

It is wise to address that rut rather than band aided.