So, I'm watching Penn & Teller's Showtime origional Bulls*#t. I don't always agree with them (and admittedly they are really off color) but they make some excellent points in favor of reason over fear.
Like today's recorded episode which is on collonics and detoxing. They make points like the average body in the US doesn't get parasites (what with our good plumbing, healthy tap water (YES!!) and clean produce) and that the body is designed to flush toxins - and it does, well and admirably.I did 20 minutes on our new elliptical trainer today. My cousin recommended doing 2 minutes of aerobic and them two minutes...not aerobic (what word do I use here?) for the 20 minute workout. That would optimize the jumpstart on my metabolism. I'm lucky I got through just plain ol' moving for 20 minutes - aerobic optimization ain't happenin' today!
Optimize. I have a problem with that concept. Why do we have to be optimal? "Enough" works, dang it!
My animals should have food put down twice a day and taken back up. This is optimal since it most closely reflects life in the wild. Well, my animals don't agree and simply don't eat when I do this. (I get "the face" from the vet whenever I bring this up to the vet.) Should I agonize over the optimal eating pattern of my animals or is it enough that they eat?
Optimally, I should be eating a fairly strict diet to handle my hypoglycemia. I know this way of eating is healthiest for me. But its really hard! It means giving up a lot of stuff (coffee!)(chocolate!) I don't want to give up right now. Do I really have to be the healthiest I can be, or is healthy OK, too? And what the hell does that even mean, anyway -healthiest? (What about all that stress from not optimizing enough?)
Enough ranting. The question for today:
What step below optimal is still good enough for what you need? (Think really, really low and see what happens...)
7 comments:
Deb,
I've spent (over the last 7 years) about 3 months at the "Optimum Health Institute" (OHI), a wonderful, wonderful place for cleansing. Everything is optimum. All of the food is raw and vegan, with only mild and non-stimulating seasonings. Exercise is at least two hours a day, plus optional yoga hours. You chew your food well and take an hour to eat each meal. You give yourself enemas daily. Only positive words are spoken in public.
The people there are REALLY OPTIMAL about health because for many people this is a last chance---they have cancer, or some other terminal illness and are trying a last time to save their lives. It's great.
But living the OHI way is hard and takes pretty much all your waking hours just to do it. And it can be ascetic and rigorous, lacking in pleasure sometimes.
I've always loved my time there (after the initial detox), but do not want to live this way in the world. It's a conscious choice I've made. I get too much pleasure from cooked food. I love wine, and fine food. And meat. And I don't do enemas. Ever.
Pleasure in food and exercise is a huge way of life for me. The pleasure is a GOOD thing, though. I don't believe that exercise has to include suffering to be beneficial. It's all a balance, and including the pleasure aspect increases the benefits even if you do less.
I've thrown out "optimal" in the sense of perfection, and instead look at what's optimal for me right now. (I'm on a rant about this because I feel so strongly about this---I wrote about an aspect of it today on my blog).
Happiness is a huge part of health. I have hypoglycemia too, so there are some things I choose to do, and some things I choose not to do---the pain and suffering isn't worth it to me. It's very personal and individual.
It's taken me 50 years to learn to start trusting myself, believing in myself, and to stop accepting "should"s when it comes to food and exercise. I wish I'd learned it sooner, but glad not to miss the chance now.
Love and blessings, Olivia
Deb, I think I wrote an essay, not a comment, now that I see it! I only hope it helps :)
Olivia - thanks for the essay. I was in a tiff because today was the trip to the vet to find out what we need to do for Nini and, highest truth be told, I am lousy at upkeep. Being unsure of what I was going to be asked to do to help him, I needed to express (for myself more than anything) that whatever I could give him would be OK.
Turns out subcutaneous fluids three times a week is a snap. Meanwhile, the exploration for what will suffice goes on.
Maybe I should do a follow up post on "Dayenu." :)
Well, I guess that depends of what day it is for me. Some days I find it fairly easy to live optimally (really, whatver that means) and other days just getting through with food in my belly and a roof over my head is enough. This is an interesting question, though, because sometimes self-help and "living Optimally" can end up being a trip to the hell of "perfectionisim" that is unreachable.
Your perfectionist-leaning but poor-at-follow-through cousin did not tell you two minutes on and two minutes off! Its about 2.5 minutes at a comfortable pace and then push (your choice as to how hard) for about 30 seconds. You'll just see faster results and get more encouragement out of your workouts, that's all. Sorry if I scared you with it. :) At least you got on the elliptical today - I haven't been to see mine in about a week!
Deb--the only time I seek "optimal" is in doing chores which are between me and what I would rather be doing. In that sense, I really mean "at top efficiency" as opposed to the perfectionist trap.
When it is me time (and it is, right now!), there is no judgment, so there is no "optimal" or "piss-poor" or anything in-between. It's all about the nuture of the little kid inside, and reacquainting myself with him so I am better at hearing those complaints from inside instead of just talking louder in an effort to ignore them!
Once he knows I am really listening, I learn so much.
And, when I return to "real life" in a couple of weeks, I'll get back on the stationary bike and eat with a bit more common sense engaged, and probably sleep less. For now, though, it's me and little Joey, living on vacation time, where the only clock and the only calendar say the same thing all the time: NOW.
Do you suppose it is an American thing - taking stuff 100 steps further than need be? Sometimes it feels this way, since you see women in France with lovely bodies drinking wonderful wine and eating butter.
For me, it becomes about balance. I do my best when I focus on my health. I want to be grateful to my aging body by giving it stuff it needs. (Ah, but the head needs good wine-:)).
This is not true for the animals I've owned. Frankly I let them live by the "life is very short" rule." The vets can suck it. -:)
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