Maybe you started too late…

Barring divine intervention, I will never be a great snow skier. Intuitively, I have a disconnect between leaning forward down a steep mountainside over a pair of thin slick rails and the expectation that all will end well. In this, my seventh year, I can finally admit that I’ll never be fast or fearless.

So maybe they’re right. 51 was just too old to start a new sport. Gotta get ‘em when they’re young. Guess it’s not enough to be happy gliding along at a comfortable pace, appreciating the mountain mysticism and amazing lunch views.

I hope you’re thinking “That’s ridiculous. That’s not YOUR goal! You never said you wanted to be a downhill racer!”

Because that’s exactly what I want to tell you today.

It’s National Nutrition Month and you may be hammered by marketers selling you weight loss potions, supplement regiments, and extreme diets. THEY may want you to look like them. THEY may need you to obsess over food. THEY may want you to spend a fortune. THEY may tell you skinny = healthy & happy.

I hope you’re still thinking “That’s ridiculous. That’s not MY goal! I never said I wanted to turbo diet my way to someone else’s ideal body image.” (OK, maybe I said it, but it’s never worked for me or 95% of the Results Not Typical population.)

Like most facets of life, healthy eating can be simplified for consistent, sustainable, successful change. The guideposts are straightforward: eat smaller portions, eat more plants, eat less processed food, eat slower, aid digestion with sleep and stress management. Notice how your body responds to foods, drinks, and supplements. (I break out from too many mushrooms. So, guess what, I have to put limits on my portobello sandwich fixation.)

Rocket science? Actually, it’s decades (in some cases, centuries) of nutrition science. People all over the world who live long, healthy lives do these things.

If you want to further explore your personal health prescription, you’ll need to look at genetics (inherited predispositions), biomarker diagnostics (blood/body systems), and your microbiome (what your body absorbs well and rejects). Most of us haven’t taken that deep of a dive, but it won’t be long before more of these tests will be widely available, and hopefully covered by insurance.

In the meantime, don’t let THEM tell you that your pace is off. Or that you’re too old, too ill, too fat or skinny, too anything to make your own health decisions. No matter what lifestage you’re in, you can throw out the habits that are no longer serving you well, and gently introduce new positive and sustainable choices.

PS. I ran my first marathon at 52. The first place runner was probably at home carb-loading before I ever crossed the finish line. But cross I did.

Happy, healthy Nutrition Month.

That's your goal, not mine