I have taken a few days away from my "Grow Younger Every Day" list, but we are now back. Just in case you have missed any of my previous versions, you can find them below:
Step 1: Exercise
Step 2: Eat Naturally
Step 3: Believe in Yourself!
Step 4: Enjoy What You Do
Step 5: Exercise with Purpose
Step 6: Spend Less Than You Make
Step 7: Diet Flexibility
Step 8 is a bit of a change of pace from previous steps. In the first seven steps, I am trying to convince you of things that you should do. Step 8 is all about things you maybe shouldn't do - follow.
If I had a nickel for every diet craze/fad/trend/style/etc. that claimed to be "the ONE", I would have a $hit-load of nickels. On the flip side of that coin, there are also an endless number of fitness styles/crazes/trends/etc.
Let me state this as early into this blog, and as clearly as I can. Anybody who tries to tell you that their diet/exercise program is THE best, and that you should try it because it works, is a buffoon!
There are such varying amounts of interests, lifestyles, moods, training patterns, etc. that you see across the board, it is not only idiotic, but just flat out wrong to assume that one thing will work for everyone.
Take this analogy, for example. With the Olympics coming up, do you think that a marathon runner would train and have the same diet as say someone who is training for the shot put? No, they are almost completely opposites in the training spectrum!
That may be a crude example to use, as probably majority of the people who are looking to make better lifestyle changes are wanting to diet and exercise to lose weight or maintain a healthy weight and do so while either building or maintaining muscle tissue.
When it comes to diet and exercise, I think that you should (for the most part) do what works for you. We all lead different lives, with varying amounts of activity and stress. So I think the foods you put into your mouth, as well as the physical activities you should partake in should be what interest you, are safe, and are properly structured to benefit you in a positive way.
I should place an asterisk beside the "benefit you" because there may be foods and forms of physical activity that you certainly enjoy and are relatively safe (short-term), but may not be the best for your long-term health.
One other thing I will mention, is the fact that although someone may say to you, "Oh, you should try the paleo diet. I do it and I have seen tremendous change!" Well, it turns out that even your paleo friend may not be as "paleo" as he/she thinks!
To summarize; diet/fitness trends can work for many, but are not necessary for all. What works for someone else, may or may not work for you, so don't try and conform to other folks' strategies, as it may not work for you. You should do what works for you!
Quote of the day:
"The best years of your life are the ones in which you decide your problems are your own. You don't blame them on your mother, the ecology, or the president. You realize that you control your own destiny."
~ Albert Ellis
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