More and more people are living in bigger bodies due to environment and lifestyle.
Some authors argue that in the eyes of the society, there is a new class of, “bio-citizen,” which are the fit, healthy, and in elite shape. They argue that being overweight carries with it a huge stigma, causing larger people to feel that they are second class citizens.
The problem with Fat Shaming.
You know the problem about fat shaming is that is says more about you than it does the other person. Seeing a person who is significantly bigger can arouse feelings of insecurity in others as they attempt to feel superior to somebody else.
Size is not the issue.
Our government’s concern with overweight and obesity BMI data brings this hugely simplistic message of the importance of calories in versus calories out for weight loss. Yes, this is true, but from a pure size perspective is an absolute failure to the nutritional needs of our fellow human. We need to focus on nutrients, not deficits.
By focusing so intently on big vs small, fat vs skinny, we are missing out on the foundation of nutrition: it must provide nutrients!
Never apply BMI data to yourself as an individual because you are more than just a number that has been indexed by your height and weight.
When people who are overweight become obsessive about calories in vs calories out, they may fail miserably. The reason is that people who carry a lot of fat on their bodies are most likely nutrient deficient in some ways. If they start restricting calories significantly, they will get even LESS nutrients and it will exacerbate the deficiency.
Focus on nutrient density, empathy, and understanding.
Clearly, education is key when it comes to learning about nutrients. You need to arm yourself with information about the benefits of fiber, antioxidants, omega-3 fatty acids, phyto-nutrients, micro-nutrients, trace minerals, magnesium, probiotics, enzymes, macro-nutrients, and other health topics.
We need to empathize with others. Let me tell you, if you have always been a smaller sized person, you have no idea what the struggle is like for a person who has been of larger weight ever since their first memories.
Understand that the complexities of weight loss and the healthy body are embedded deep within our culture, our genes, and our environment. There is no one answer to everybody’s challenges. We are all going to fail at some point, you take what you learn and choose to empower yourself. What types of examples are you setting and are you capable of empathy?
If you are truly, honestly and sincerely eating from the top 50 most nutrient dense foods available from your grocery store, then obesity is damn near impossible.
Let’s face reality. Most people know some reasons why they are the size that they are. People who have been bigger their entire lives know that losing weight truly is harder for them than it is for people who were smaller for most of their lives.
Bigness begins from a potential genetic predisposition to the accumulation of fat, and then the process continues as the parents serve high calories in excessive portions, quantities, and frequencies. If there is little physical activity during youth, weight gain can come on rapidly and being bigger becomes the new normal for this person. Hopefully, you can understand the significant challenges of a person who has been bigger their entire lives and empathize that we all have different challenges in life.
Imagine for 18+ years of your life, you were supplied with certain types of processed foods, fast and easily prepared foods, and plenty of soda, candy, and ice cream.
Not this
I’m going to be honest, change won’t come easily but you already know that. It is always possible as long as you can find your reason. Do it for self-love, not for self-hate.
The key is to avoid, “dieting” and to avoid, “restriction.”
This!
Abundance is what you want.
An abundance of nutrients that come from eating real, minimally processed, fresh foods. Frozen berries and vegetables are totally acceptable and very beneficial too. Lean proteins, healthy fatty acids, high fiber foods. If you truly consume an abundance of health promoting foods which are also enzyme rich, you will be privileged enough to experience the wide systemic benefits of nutritional healing in humans.
The most Powerful Gift is the Gift of Nutritional Healing.
How can I impact you significantly enough to help you experience nutritional healing? Let me tell you, there is always an answer if you’re willing to look hard enough and execute your plan. Foods and herbs heal you from the inside out. When your fat cells shrink and your lean muscle strengthens, that will merely be a side effect of nutritional healing and the prevention of metabolic syndrome.
Make this an All-Out War against Chronic Inflammation and the diseases that comprise metabolic syndrome.
Chronic inflammation occurs as a result of the standard American diet. On one hand, we have the idea of personal responsibility in what we put in our mouths. On the other side, literally billions of dollars have been spent to trick consumers into buying their processed “food” items.
This is not an easy battle because only you know what it is like to experience living in your body and hopefully you practice self love so that your experience is one of overcoming.
Let me put it this way: Fat Cells tend to grow or increase in size under periods of inflammation. Sugar tends to increase inflammatory processes and that results in the inflammation causing stress to the immune system. A diet high in processed sugars will weaken the immune system’s ability to handle inflammation properly (manifesting with symptoms of all types, basically whatever you may be susceptible to specifically).
When you eat a diet high in sugar, the inflammation allows harmful bacteria to flourish. When bacteria gets out of balance, the symptoms could be a poor mood, skin rashes, reddened skin, yeast infections, prone to colds/flu, etc.
We need *some* of this “bad” bacteria, but not when it becomes opportunistic as a results of eating an unhealthy diet. Try to eat foods that help you balance the healthy bacteria in your gut and other important places. You will feel stronger inside and have satisfying bowel movements every day.
Beware of Metabolic Syndrome!
Metabolic Syndrome is something you should know about. And you should know that diet and lifestyle is the answer.
Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of conditions — increased blood pressure, high blood sugar, excess body fat around the waist, and abnormal cholesterol or triglyceride levels — that occur together, increasing your risk of heart disease, stroke and diabetes.
You have to eat real food in order to prevent disease down the line. You will significantly increase the healthy years of your life by eating nutrient dense real food. It will give you power from the inside out.
Consuming anti-inflammatory foods and herbs may be the solution to every ailment, disease, or condition that a person can have.
Even if nutritional healing can’t cure you 100%, any person who is struggling will be able to experience some improvement in quality of life through foods that promote a healthy inflammatory response.
Here’s the short list: (I’ll have to make a broader and more in depth post soon)
- Foods that are high in Omega-3’s and low in Omega-6’s (look for foods with a high Omega-3::Omega-6 ratio)
- Greens/Leaves of a variety of colors. If you’ve never prepared Red Chard in your life, then you better go give it a shot because it’s da bomb! Red Chard is a power food, it will make athletes stronger and faster, it will allow better sexual function, and you may experience nutritional healing. Tip: Boil the chard to get the bitterness out and discard the water.
- Herbs: turmeric, ginger, garlic, green tea, holy basil, matcha, cayenne, cinnamon, etc. Great for anti-inflammatory, stress and blood sugar / insulin related processes.
- Raw foods with powerful enzymes. You definitely want some raw food in your life because the enzymes are so heat sensitive that cooking kills enzymes. Raw Pineapple has some of THE BEST enzymes called Bromelain. This enzyme will break down excess proteins and increase the efficiency of your anti-inflammatory processes.
- Water
- Magnesium: crucial for healthy functioning of the central nervous system and the body’s recovery/metabolic systems because magnesium is needed for healthy hormone balance.
The struggle is real.
We all struggle at times and I truly believe this. It is a good thing for our human development. Surround yourself by positive influences because trust me if somebody near and dear to you won’t eat healthily, then it will be very difficult for you to do so. When I was in my last year in high school, I asked my dad to stop buying ice cream and he helped me succeed in my weight loss by skipping on the dessert.
I can honestly count the number of times that I eat ice cream in a year on my two hands. I don’t feel like I’m missing out because I know that ice cream harms my body and my immune system. I’d rather have a bunch of natural sugar from something like fresh fruit that also hydrates and nourishes my body.
I know a lot of people do eat ice cream regularly because that’s the only reason the grocery store would dedicate entire aisles to it. When I see less ice cream in the stores, then I know America has made progress because individuals have taken the opportunity to consume something else instead.
Bad macronutrient ratio
I hope you found something useful in this post that broadened your nutritional understanding. Before I was a fitness trainer in Seattle, I worked with many sick people and also many people who have experienced nutritional healing. Disease prevention is a personal goal and it should not the business of the others to say that you’re fat and that it’s a drain on society — no, that’s not the right approach.
We are more the same, than we are different.
And that’s the key point. There are many shapes and sizes of human. We should attempt to understand the experience of others and I challenge us all to not make judgement. The next time you feel shame or the desire to shame, ask yourself for forgiveness and have some vegetables… you’ll feel amazing! Promise!
