It is not often that you will find me in Wally-world, but I was on the hunt for cinnamon (to make zucchini bread) and did not want to drive halfway across town to Whole Foods even though their cinnamon is out-of-this-world good. And Target was out. And because there is a WalMart literally walking distance from my house, that was the next most logical decision. *NOTE: There is nothing wrong with WalMart. They offer some great staples at competitive prices, but I stay away moreso for [some of] the crowd that it draws as I am usually by myself, without security and easily overwhelmed. Seriously, I am a walking case of environmental ADD (<- self-diagnosis).
Wandering the aisles like a lost soul, I overheard the following exchange between a parent and child busy loading their cart with some pre-packaged breakfast pastry, among other things, who’s Elmer’s glue-looking frosting saturated the sponge-like food item? *gag* Both were significantly overweight. The school-aged boy, probably old enough to have learned the nutrition basics there, turned to his mom and asked, “So what exactly is our protein?” I think my jaw dropped when his mother open hers to respond: “There’s milk in the Klondike bars and dairy has protein.“ Nooooo! WTF?! Klondike bars are also loooooaded with sugar (=carb). Not to mention the number of people walking around with dairy sensitivities that don’t even know it.
But THIS. What gets me fired up (and is super scary) is that this is their normal, their every day. Either these people have not been taught, or the lesson was taught but the message not explicit enough. And then, these people are teaching their children… the wrong things! Their children who are smart enough to ask these questions in the first place. Remember, knowledge without implementation is meaningless. Kids learn through observation and will follow the lead of their role models (e.g. parents). But when those role models aren’t leading by example, the kids will follow suit.
And this, my friends, is my charge in the world. I was put on this Earth to restore health to a society plagued by ill-health. To educate. To lead, by example, and to make what seems unattainable, attainable. To meet people where they’re at. To teach that exercise can be efficient, nutrition sustainable and that wellness extends far beyond the latter two realms. So many of the health issues we face are largely preventable. Life doesn’t have to (and shouldn’t, IMO) be lived as a gym-rat, or a clean eater that lives out of Tupperware. But regaining one’s health through diet and exercise as medicine is hugely empowering. And to empower the individual is key in affecting behavior modification.
I want to follow this up by saying that, although I choose to fuel my body with foods that make me feel good both while I am eating them AND after, I judge no one for what they are (or are not) eating. That is a *choice* that is up to the individual to make, and I respect that.
>>Side note: When stopped in the grocery store by people I know, you would not believe the “Don’t look in my cart” ‘s that I often get. Cra, right?! Helloooo people… I am human, too, and practice a 90/10 rule when it comes to my nutrition. I eat clean, whatever that means, but I give myself some wiggle room.
*FUN FACT: In case you didn’t know, one of my most favorite foods is nachos. Fully-loaded. ha #moderation365
Do you feel “stuck” in your health/wellness journey? Don’t know where to start? Head on over to my Facebook page and let me know your #1 BIGGEST struggle! Or, if you’ve already achieved that balance in your life that so many people are after, let me know what gets you fired up most. What are you most passionate about? Are you living it?
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