Corn-Fed?!

I recently celebrated my 5th wedding anniversary by going out to dinner. After speaking to the concierge desk we settled on a chain steakhouse that I was assured had high quality food. The atmosphere was fabulous. Dimly lit and oozing romance, they sat us at a quiet booth and our server (she was excellent, by the way) greeted us warmly. As I had just begun to settle and peruse the menu, I was floored when I read the description of their high-quality meats at the top of the menu boast about CORN-FED beef!! What?! That immediately eliminated at least half the menu for me...

So, why, you may ask, am I up-in-arms over whether their cows eat corn or grass? "Elementary, my dear Watson," I would reply! Cows are designed to eat grass! Cows are ruminant (multiple-stomached) animals and their bodies are designed to subsist upon the grasses of the prairie. Corn-fed cattle are routinely fed antibiotics because they are not able to digest it and they commonly develop stomach ulcers. So, now we are talking corn-fed and antibiotic laden (at the very least!)The beef industry loves to feed them corn simply because their cows get bigger, faster. Bigger cows + less feeding time = more money!

Personally, I think grass-fed beef even tastes better, but really, that is besides the point. So, the next time someone tells you their cows are corn-fed, tell them to put it out to pasture!

L&G~
Erin

The Best Exercise

I often have clients ask me what the "best" type of exercise is and I just heard it again the other day. My answer is always the same:

The "best" exercise for you is the type you enjoy doing! If you do not enjoy running the treadmill or yoga or dance, it is not something you will stick with long-term. If it feels like a chore, you will most likely do it less frequently for less time and ultimately, you will feel like a failure if you just flat out quit.

I love yoga, Pilates, and dance (coincidentally, our studio offers all 3 ;) and I also love any outdoor activity in the sunshine (hiking, swimming, water skiing, etc.). It never feels like work to me when I exercise. Of course, I get tired after any sustained period of time, but I never stop having fun! It is because of this that I never dread exercise; in fact, I look forward to it!

Here's the deal...if you're not really sure what your particular cup of tea is, sign up to try as many things as you need to before you find something you enjoy. Heck, if you have trouble deciding, at least you'll get in shape while trying to figure it out! There are 3 main categories of exercise: cardiovascular, flexibility, and strength training. Start by trying at least one in each of these categories. Strive to incorporate all 3 of these in whatever you choose, but don't obsess over it. Many gym-type classes will incorporate them for you. (Think: Cardio dance class with weights and stretch cool down or power yoga using resistance bands and straps.)

Once you find something you enjoy, find friends who enjoy the same types of activities and I promise, you will never dread exercise again. Friends or family members are excellent motivators. Just ask my husband...I don't know that I would have done that crazy hike today if not for his enthusiasm!

"Do what you love and love what you do!" is a great motto for exercise and for life in general. Get out there and move your body and have fun doing it!

Love and Gratitude~
Erin

Dispensible You?

We live in a society where "quick and easy" seems to be the motto. Almost everything seems to be dispensible, disposable, or at best, recyclable. So our world is filled with paper plates, paper shopping bags, e-waste, old cars, disposable diapers, disposable this and dispensible that.

It is no wonder that we treat our body as if it is disposable also! The messages in our media state, "If you get too fat, just get the lap band!", "If you're too ugly, we can fix that, too!", "Heck, you didn't really need that body part anyway!" and if you are still hesitant, "We can give you a new and improved (insert body part here)!". But let's examine where this mentality has gotten us.

Our need for more dispensible things has put us in our current economic situation, has made humans (by far) the sickest species on the planet, has put our one and only planet in a state of crisis, and has given us a big pile of crap (pardon my French) in return.

You ARE NOT dispensible! You are given one physical body that is supposed to last for your 120 years! When you fill it with greasy hamburgers, alcohol, caffeine, cigarettes, toxic cleaners, pesticides, antibiotics, drugs, soda, etc. and do not give it the things it needs (fruit, veggies, water, protein, sunlight, etc.) it will die! That is the harsh reality, folks. No amount of medical intervention can keep you alive if you do not do the things necessary for your survival. Period.

My plea is that you treat your body as if it is the only one you've got, because it is! The human body was created with a perection that is so beyond our comprehension we can only begin to understand the minute (yet vital) workings of it.

Think of your most valued possession...something that means the world to you. Think of that wedding gown, car, antique, piece of jewelery, etc. How would you feel if someone poured alcohol on it, blew cigarette smoke on it, broke off a piece of it, poured toxic chemicals on it...you get the picture. So why is it ok to do this to our bodies? Why do we deplore this type of behavior when it comes to our "valued" possessions and not when we do it to the one thing that truly belongs to us alone?

Treat your body as the indispensible thing it is.

As always, with Love and Gratitude~
Erin