Kim's Fitness and Nutrition

Every week I overhear people beating themselves up because, once again, they have failed to get their ?lazy? bottoms to the gym. The time has come to accept that the innate nature of human beings is that we need external motivation in order to maintain a successful exercise program. That is a simple fact. The energy wasted becoming frustrated and angry with ourselves for failing to be something we are not is tremendous. That energy would be better spent finding an avenue by which to succeed in our exercise endeavors.

Most of us have sighed in disgust of late because it seems as though our food has become our enemy. It is difficult to know what information to trust because the research seems to conclude different results every time they run a new study. One minute we are supposed to reduce our carbohydrate intake and the next minute they recommend a high carbohydrate diet. Then they say eat a diet high in lean protein, just to turn around and say eating a vegetarian diet is best. First fat is bad for us, and then certain fats are considered essential. Eliminate all caffeinated drinks, and then coffee is okay. Do not drink alcohol, and then two glasses of red wine is good. Eat salt, don?t eat salt. What on earth are we supposed to do when it comes to eating healthy foods? How are we to really know what is best for our bodies?

I am a very positive person by nature, so it is with hesitation that I share this information with you for fear that I will come across tainted or cynical. It impacted me strongly, though, and I am compelled to pass this on. For years now I have been extremely tentative about feeding my family, as well as myself, foods with words in the ingredients that I can barely pronounce. There seem to be more and more of them all the time. Then I went to a Fitness Conference earlier this month and participated in many very informative lectures. The presenters were all highly educated, often scientifically oriented, health professionals who gathered here eager to share their latest findings. One gentleman spoke specifically on the issue of packaged, highly processed foods. It was quite the eye-opening experience, I must say.

Many of us are flat outrun by the relentless litany of thoughts that are continuously chattering away day in and day out in our heads. Most are 100% identified with all of the thousands of concepts, labels, categories and pigeon holes our brains have developed in order to make sense of the world around us. Then, when someone asks us who we are, the response is usually a pat list of labels something like, ?I am a Personal Fitness Trainer and I own The Fitness Connection. I am wife to Wade May and mother to my 10-year-old daughter, Kira Sealander. I have 2 dogs and 3 cats. I love to help people improve their quality of life. I enjoy visiting tropical climates, and I am a scuba diver.? Of course, there isn?t anything wrong with any of that, but that is not who I really am.