Yesterday, I read this NYT article: It’s the Sugar, Folks
Sugar is indeed toxic. It may not be the only problem with the Standard American Diet, but it’s fast becoming clear that it’s the major one.
A study published in the Feb. 27 issue of the journal PLoS One links increased consumption of sugar with increased rates of diabetes by examining the data on sugar availability and the rate of diabetes in 175 countries over the past decade. And after accounting for many other factors, the researchers found that increased sugar in a population’s food supply was linked to higher diabetes rates independent of rates of obesity.
In other words, according to this study, obesity doesn’t cause diabetes: sugar does.
There are more problems that we need to address of course, but sugar definitely plays a large role in creating our obese society. And we already know that diet is 80% of the health and wellness equation. The other 20% – exercise! You have got to move your body, challenge your body –and when I say body, that means your mind too. Challenges that tax you physically and mentally are key to maintaining a quality of life well into your older years. Muscles are meant to be used –and when we all sit around on computers or on the couch or at our work desks for hours on end — it contributes to many of the problems we all suffer from.
The other day my friend and coach Colleen adjusted her own schedule to set up a special intro session at CrossFit for a prospective customer that had so many issues with making any of the normal times we offer these sessions. It took weeks to find a day and time that worked for her but they finally did. The day came and five minutes before the scheduled intro, the person called and cancelled. I looked at Colleen and said “if it was that difficult to schedule, that person doesn’t want it bad enough and it was never going to work out. She wasn’t ready.”
If you are into something and really want it to happen – you will go to the ends of the earth to make it happen. It takes work, focus, vision and most of all a commitment. I hear quite often how amazing people think my dedication to working out is and they could never do it. Well, first off – that’s not true. I am not any more capable than most people. It’s also not amazing –i made a commitment almost five years ago and have remained steadfast and focused on it. Occasionally I do stray, but by doing it for the last five years –it’s so ingrained in me now, I don’t think I could stop without it driving me crazy. My point is, it didn’t happen overnight but by doing it over and over again without fail – it is now a part of who I am. I redefined myself by staying committed, focused and determined. You have got to want that for yourself.
When I start to feel less focused, I try to think of things that could happen if I let it all go. We all have seen those older folks, hunched over, in those motorized scooters at Target -wherever. Some of them have legit reasons for being impaired, but many of them, simply do not keep moving into their elder years! I NEVER want to be like that –and this is the surest path to avoid it. This, healthy eating and FISH OIL! BOOM!