👚 Dealing with body image (and other cool things)

May 31, 2024

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Okay, I’ll admit it. I’m part of the 🍊 OrangeTheory cult!

Exercise never came easily to me. 😓 I don’t know whether that is because of the way that P.E. was structured #hatethat12minutemile, or that I hate (emphasis on the hate) sweating (why so smelly?), or that I just really like sedentary hobbies. 🧶 📖 📺

🪑 About two years ago, though, I sat myself down for a serious talk. You know that you live alone when you have to have interventions with yourself, lol!

“Self,” I said, “science will NEVER say that exercise is not good for you. So you have to figure out a way to do it and enjoy it.”

It took me 2 years after signing up for OrangeTheory before I stopped having to really talk myself into going Every. Single. Time. 😩 And then without no big to-do, it just became a normal part of my week. 🏋🏽

How does this relate to food?

Well, the other day I was shopping for new clothes with my Mom and I went up a size. Again. And that’s after the several sizes I went up during the COVID-19 pandemic. 😬

Now, I know that paying attention to 👗 women’s clothing sizes is essentially like asking a 🎱 Magic 8 ball what you should have for dinner, but I would be lying if I said it didn’t still get to me.

What was happening?! I’d been doing everything 💯 “right”.

Of course, I’ve heard all sorts of theories about how to eat better to 🧈 lose fat and/or 💪🏽 gain muscle from reputable and (oh so many) questionable sources. You should:

Eat more protein.

Eat less carbs.

Track your everything.

Don’t drink your calories.

Only eat healthy fats.

Avoid all fats.

Do more cardio.

Lift more weights.

Protein powder!!!

Since the clothing industry/society made me feel shitty about my body, 🌀 I spiraled a bit and leaned into the whole exercise-nutrition science side of the world.

Generally, I try to balance eating for 🏃🏽‍♀️ physical and 😄 mental/emotional health. But the past few weeks, I have been paying closer attention to everything that I eat. ➕ 🔢

And how did that make me feel?

💩 More shitty.

The thing is yes, there are ways to maximize your weight lose/muscle gain. And that science is constantly evolving.

But I think Michael Pollan summed up what I actually want my nutrition goals to be >>>

The foods we eat all have a different function, whether it is to get our 🍊 Vitamin C, celebrate a birthday with 🎂 cake, we’re trying a 🍛 new dish while traveling, or we’re just craving some 🍟 fries. The important thing is paying attention to what we eat and why we’re eating it.

Also, here’s a random little thought 🧠 from somewhere on the internet that helps me:

So many corporations want you to hate your body because then they can keep selling you stuff 🤑, so it is a radical act to love yourself at whatever size.

Plus, being healthy should really be about doing the things that you enjoy 🤩 for as long as possible!

Last week, I shared about the value in taking messy and imperfect action.

After days of holding my breath, the video came out and it was less messy and (let’s be real) bad than I remember it. # negativitybias

Here’s the video where I talk all about 🥖 sourdough and mindfulness:

🌶️ What’s with the Gochujang trend?

This week I saw an ad for gochujang-flavored potato chips 😋 and of course that led me down a rabbit hole of learning about this delicious fermented food.

I’m curious though, have you tried the gochujang potato chips yet???

This week, we launched our brand ✨ NEW School Newsletter exploring all things 🍿 Flavor & Taste. Developed by Sarah, one of our rock star board members, this newsletter is designed to serve as a curated resource for 🏫 schools leaders, 🍎 educators, and 🏡 parents to use food as a tool to teach about the world.

Check it out

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🥤 An iconic diner that still handcrafts its Coca-Cola!

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