It's Not Right

When I searched a popular health advocate's website to find out about the newest craze, an oil that will burn your fat away, I had to stop and say "This is ridiculous." Many people are chasing that elusive magic bullet to cure them of their chronic diseases and get them to a healthy weight. The problem is that it does not exist. The best way to sustained weight loss and better health is through change. Start exercising and eating healthy food for good. Not sexy. A year ago when I started my plant based journey, I dutifully searched out random ingredients to make the next recipe. It was a lot of work and most of the recipes really didn't taste that good...but I was committed. When I finally bought a Happy Herbivore cookbook, Lindsay S. Nixon's simple recipes changed my life. Suddenly I was learning new techniques and cooking nearly everyday all thanks to her approach on cooking, which happens to be very low fat. Now I could see a path to plant based living day in and day out. At the new year, I started online yoga classes to get fit. Ten days of yoga in a row helped me find a new obsession and had me looking forward to working out. Score. The teacher, Esther Ekhart, said one thing that struck home with me more than anything else. She said always listen to your body. Everyone has a different approach to yoga and slight variations on positions so if it doesn't feel right to you, then it's not right. It's not right. Consuming calorie bombs of oil daily (roughly 120 calories per tablespoon) in an effort to lose weight does not make sense. Yes, those are not the exact words used, I believe it was more of "helps burn fat." But seriously, when someone who is desperate to make a change hears "helps burn fat", that translates to "will help me lose weight." Then a tablespoon of oil becomes two tablespoons and suddenly you are gaining weight instead of losing it. Dr. McDougall has it right, "the fat you eat is the fat you wear." The next time you hear about the latest weight loss miracle, examine the claims and run it through your own filter. Look into the science behind it and see who is supporting it (and their own affiliations.) If what is being said doesn't ring true, then it's not right.