Skinny Vs Healthy

It’s refreshing to see about 9 million “Strong is the New Skinny” photos on Pinterest and Instagram.

Exhibit A:

 I mean, not every girl wants a 6 pack and bodybuilder arms, and that's totally cool. But you know what? This trend is so much better than the stick skinny ano-whatever ya want to call it look that was widely embraced just a few years back.

Like, yuck.

There seems to be a new interest in being fit and an eagerness to eat to fuel a fit body by way of eating right, but I still know soo many people (I say people because I know plenty of men who fit this mold) who confuse skinny and healthy, figuring that because they aren't overweight that their insides aren't rotting to pieces. Hmmph.

Anyway. Let’s talk skinny.

Want to be skinny? Eat frozen diet meals, bars, fat free packaged salad dressings,  cut out entire food groups, and posses unimaginable self control when your body is screaming "feed me, damnit!" at the top of its lungs.  I had a friend who survived solely off Special K cereal bars, Lean Cuisine and canned soup for a year.  She was obsessed with the gym and considered herself a health nut. Was she skinny? Totes. Was she healthy? Duh, no.

There's nothing healthy involved in a diet of preservative and sodium loaded, nutritionally empty food. This includes fake sweetner and foods that have had the fat removed. Even if they are low in calories.  All that nasty shiz causes inflammation (if you aren't familiar with the dangers of inflammation, I suggest a little self-education on the topic) that your body will have to work extra hard to get rid of, and it certainly doesn't make your skin or hair look nice.

Skinny does not define healthy. Get that through your head now. Want to function at an optimal level both physically and mentally? I'm not a nutritionist, but here's the basic 101 version of what I know from experience.

1. Stop the dieting.

2. Eat the Rainbow -lots of colorful fruits and veggies. And eat lots of them, with every meal. Fill in the rest with lean proteins and "good" carbs such as quinoa, oats, and sweet potato.

3. Don't eat foods that come in a box or bag. Extra extra yuck.

4. Don't eat foods with ingredients you can't pronounce (if you're a sucky reader, ask a smarter friend to try pronouncing "bisphenol" or "castoreum" (you should probably look that one up, by the way. Hint= it comes from beavers. As in, the animal. You'll never eat anything with "natural flavoring" again) - bet they still can't do it).

5. Do not eat anything that your grandmother wouldn't have recognized.

6. Stop being afraid of fat. It's not 1988. If you don't know about the health benefits of nuts, avocados, and coconuts by now I don't know what to say. Google them. Also, many thin, high-longevity European cultures eat butter. Think about that for a minute.

It's pretty basic guys. Skip this $hit

(Cause really, what is that? Ew)

In favor of something, um, made of real food. You won't miss the processed stuff, and you'll both look and feel amazing.

You're welcome.

XO

M