If you’re reading this blog post, chances are you’ve perused my website, become intrigued by my message, and decided to dig a little deeper to learn more about what drives the “DAM MAD” initiative.
Fabulous! Grab a cup of your favorite warm – it IS January in Chicago – “hug in a mug” (learned that phrase from one of my RD friends as she and I discussed the soy creamer “hug” I use to lighten my coffee) and settle in.
At first I wasn’t certain whether to call “DAM MAD” a movement, a project, or an initiative. Words matter, and I happen to be in love with them. Choosing the right words to craft the right language around any idea can evoke both a clear vision and strong emotional reaction to that idea – a powerful combination. Positioning “DAM MAD” in the right context sets the tone that guides my work and informs the people I reach through my work about what to expect.
Given that my goal is to create a powerful, global resource, I’ve settled on INITIATIVE, and here’s why.
“DAM MAD” is all about ACTION. Taking it and sustaining it.
Merriam-Webster’s definition of initiative? “Energy or aptitude displayed in initiation of action.”
Wordnik’s definition? “The ability to act first or on one’s own” and “the power or ability to begin or to follow through energetically with a plan or task.”
Bingo.
Getting and staying as healthy as you possibly can first requires action. Some would argue it first requires commitment to action, and I don’t disagree, but once you’ve made that commitment, absolutely nothing will change until you engage in action. And THAT requires initiative and personal responsibility.
No one can get healthy for you. If that were true, I’d own the rights lock, stock and barrel. Nothing makes me happier than to hear how good my clients feel once they begin to make even the smallest changes in support of good health, but I can only coach, guide, educate and support them in making those changes ON THEIR OWN. They must take INITIATIVE.
If you’re struggling with the initiative to get started or sustain your health goals, here’s an idea (a BIG one) to move you toward ACTION today!
- Identify WHAT’S WORKING now or HAS WORKED in the past.
It’s common to get all “gung-ho” about health, especially in the new year. Perhaps you’ve found a new diet book, or your friend is following an on-line detox program and raving about how good she feels. Well hell, you want some of that, right? So you go all-in, drowning yourself in green smoothies, chia-seeding your way through unfamiliar recipes requiring mystical ingredients, grocery shopping while clutching and consulting the “foods-to-avoid” list, and white-knuckling your way past the pastry case at your neighborhood coffee stop. That will work. For about 48 hours.
However, if you take a less aggressive and more familiar approach, I think you’ll be surprised at how much more mileage you’ll get out of your effort.
For example, perhaps you’ve gotten out of the habit of eating something before you leave the house in the morning, even though you’ve made a commitment to drink-a-green-smoothie-every-single-morning-dammit. Turns out, that given your habit of incessantly hitting the snooze button until the very last second, your green smoothie is simply too time-consuming to “whip up” – despite the fact that the detox people promised you would be able to do just that.
Yet, when you look at what actually HELPS you glide right past that pastry case (a habit that’s working NOW) with nary a glance, you remember that you LOVE granola topped with fruit (a habit that’s worked in the PAST.) It’s convenient and fast (and did I mention you LOVE it?), but you’ve stopped eating granola because you read somewhere – probably on that detox website – that it will make you gain weight.
Umm, unless you devour the entire box in one sitting, every, single day, no. It’s true, granola IS higher in calories than other cereals, so stick with a 1/4-1/3 cup serving, boosting (or not – depending on YOUR appetite) the portion by adding more fruit and/or mixing in an equal amount of raw, uncooked oatmeal (the milk will soften it up).
Actually, a balance of whole grains, healthy fats (nuts), fiber (fruit, whole grains AND nuts) and plant-based protein (nuts AND whole grains) will satisfy you, help you avoid starvation-driven, non-stop-munching, and aid in keeping you energized through your morning.
The granola and fruit approach is easy, familiar, and sustainable. My recommendation? GO WITH IT.
Save the smoothie-making for when you have more time, like the weekend; a win-win for getting in those healthy smoothie ingredients AND saving your sanity. To be sure you’re buying the healthiest granola you can (yes, some granola is little more than glorified candy), use my buying guide below. And when you feel ready to up-level your approach?
You can even make your own. But only when you feel ready to sustain your granola-making action!
Action Guide to Granola Buying.
- 3+ grams fiber per serving (typically 1/4 cup = 1 serving)
- 6 grams OR LESS sugar per serving
- No hydrogenated oil or trans-fat in ingredient list