Foodie Adventures in Health – The reBeginning.

The common misconception about veganism is that it’s an immediate solution to weight loss, or that it’s automagically healthy. It’s neither. Some planning is required, and thought is usually involved, especially in the long term. If you love the sensual experience of eating and going out to eat as much as I do (and intend to continue to do) something has to give.

While most of the food we (JC & I) eat is actually incredibly healthy, we also eat too much crap. My goal is still to continue going on food adventures, but also generally eat fewer calories of garbage food. I think this fits into being in love with food even more, because it involves placing a greater respect on the food that is consumed rather than just eating for the sake of eating.

So while my first goal is to eat more high quality meals, my other goal is to start incorporating more serious physical activity/resistance activities again. I love running, or, rather I loved running but now I just love the idea of running. It doesn’t happen as often as I’d like it to. Earlier last year, until around November I was being physically active, working out, running regularly, and loving every second of it. But suddenly, I was stuck in back pain land, movement was difficult, exercise was difficult, and excuses created themselves.

Now there aren’t any reasons or excuses left, my work has offered me highly fulfilling, stressful, and sedentary tasks. Like many people, I spend around 8-9 hours glued to a computer screen, focused on my work. I don’t spend my days munching away (or munching at all), but I can’t imagine it helps to be stationary for so long.

So where am I going with this? Over the past month I’ve increased my physical activity incrementally. Walking home from work gives me a little under an hour of physical activity several times a week (or about 6km), which is great, but kind of boring.

My mini goals starting this week:

• To start actively reincorporating running into my regular routine. I’ve got my music, I’ve got my shoes, and I’m ready to go. If that means starting with Couch to 5k, so be it.
• I’m going to stop using black coffee as breakfast, and start using at least a protein/fruit smoothie combo to start my day in the morning.
• to consumer fewer simple carbohydrates and favouring complex ones.

One thing I’m curious about is how you incorporate healthy decisions into your life while not turning it into a weight loss obsession? Any advice? Because when I say “healthy” I don’t mean “drop a ton of weight”, I mean actually getting healthier/maintaining health before it really turns into an issue. I feel that by focusing on a whole food plant based diet, and increasing my physical activity to a level I’d be happy with, I can get there.