It’s An Inside Job

I’m into a lot of things:

My husband

My kids

My granddaughter

My faith

My church

My friends

My coaching practice

My clients

And to a lesser degree, my home

I do love this place, though. We’ve been here for 33 years. We built the house (not literally) but it was built for us. Over the years we’ve added a screened back porch and a front porch. And we have made the updates I mentioned previously. (I could seriously camp out in our new bathroom!) We’ve painted and carpeted a few times. Oh yes, we went through the navy blue, maroon and hunter green eras. I had a navy blue/white striped wallpaper in our first-floor hallway that could easily second as a cross between an optical illusion and the shifting floor of a fun house. Yikes!

I’m not big into decorating, less is more for me. Of course, I do want the inside of my house to be appealing and comfortable.

But the outside? Other than my peaceful back porch, I couldn’t care less. When we built this place I told the landscaper, “Keep it simple. My idea of a fun weekend is not taking care of the yard.” Thankfully my husband does the mowing and the edging.  In front we do have a rose bush and a lilac bush. Oddly enough, I do enjoy deadheading the rose bush. 

Zero bushes in the back. I have fake flower hanging baskets and one potted plant that is now quite crispy, on the porch/deck. Where plants are concerned, the inside of my home isn’t much better. Philodendrons are my hearty plant of choice. I go from watering them too much (bright yellow leaves) to dehydrating them.  I bought a little plaque recently that was made for me. It says, “Home is where I kill my plants.”  Perfect.

My house is not my priority.  But what goes on in is this body certainly is. I’m concerned about the outside AND the inside- but mostly the inside. You can make some pretty big changes on the outside of your body with Intermittent Fasting. You know what I’m talking about. 

Your friends remark on your weight loss.

You’re fitting in smaller clothes.

You’re feeling sexy.

You catch your reflection in a glass door and smile on the inside. 

Perfect segue: The inside

That’s a great place to pause and think a bit.

You see, it’s not just about your eating window and the weight loss. You must feed yourself for your future. You want to build up strength and stamina as you age. You do that by making healthy food choices. Now you say, “Wait a minute. I thought with Intermittent Fasting the mantra is, “It’s not that I can’t have it, I just need to eat it in my window.” Yes, yes, I understand. But that can also work against you, especially on the inside. I’m not a nutritionist or a dietician, so I can’t tell you specifically what to eat.

But I can say, in general: keep your carbs low (or none at all), don’t be afraid of fat, get an adequate amount of protein, ditch ALL processed foods, and drink filtered water. And one last thought on food- sugar is inflammatory, which means sugar in your window is still inflammatory.

And while I’m at it: 

Focus on getting good sleep

Move your body: strength training/cardio

Get outside

Spend time with others

If you’re around my age (60’s+) cultivate friendships with younger women

Put down your phone and pick up a book

Turn off the TV and chat with a neighbor

If you’re middle aged, there’s not much time left to turn this boat around. Think of it this way. If you don’t make these changes, this is the healthiest you will be. Picture yourself at 65, 70, 80. What you do today will determine your future health. Yikes again. 

There’s a lot at stake!

Speaking of steak! (I couldn’t resist) I’m 6 months into Carnivore.

My doc is running some labs, so I’ll update you next month. I feel GREAT!

Curious? Email me. Renee@yourfoodfight.com 

Put Curious about Carnivore in the subject.

Let’s connect again in August!

Renee