Riding the Wellness Carousel

Does your Diet Plan feel more like a Merry-go-round ride than a wellness plan?

As a child, the Merry-Go-Round, or Carousel as they called it, was a favorite ride at the amusement park. Thru high school and college I worked summers at an amusement park to help pay for school. One summer I worked as a ride operator and was regularly assigned to the merry-go-round. You may think this is a dream job, where I got to

stand among the bobbing horses as the world rushed by. The music blaring a carousel tune from another era and everyone smiling without a care in the world.

But like many things in life, the merry-go-round was fun for the first few times around, and then it loses its appeal. Or said differently, it goes nowhere, and the experience gets less and less rewarding each time its starts and finishes. You may be asking about now, how does this story relate to health and wellness? Well its like this…

Experience has taught me that “dieting” is just like riding the merry-go-round. It works much better the first time, but each time you get on, it is less and less rewarding. You may even feel sick if you ride it too many times.

As the post by Natalie Rizzo on spring cleaning your diet suggests, you may have noticed an uptick in articles urging you to start your spring off with a new diet. You know, the get your body in shape for summer push! And while I am fully onboard with promoting fit bodies walking the beach over the all to frequent chronically obese members I see each year. Not for esthetic reasons. Its more about wanting to help people who are likely facing a greater risk of illness or shorten life.

The fact is maintaining a healthy body is not “as simple as following some three-day cleanse” each spring. Learning to eat healthy everyday will go a long way to stopping the merry-go-round dieting cycle so many Americans adopt each spring and get off each summer having gone nowhere. Just like continuous riding the of the carousel and the not so healthy fad diet cycles. Don’t believe me…here is link to some research that supports my belief.

“Preliminary research presented at this week’s scientific conference of the American Heart Association (AHA) found that women who yo-yo diet as little as 10 pounds have a higher number of risk factors for heart disease than women who have never been on that gain-lose-gain merry-go-round.”

So the evidence is pretty clear. While spring cleaning your home may take only a weekend, cleaning up your body is a life long activity. So ban the “quick fix” get fit mentally. Stop the restrictive YO YO diets and establish a lifestyle balanced on nutrition first, all things in moderation second approach. Hopefully you will understand that I am fundamentally in agreement with Natalie Rizzo. There are many benefits to a number of diet plans, such as the Mediterranean, and other plant based diets. If you have read any of my prior blog posts you should know this about me.

Balanced On Nutrition

As in healthy eating is a “year round” trip from unhealthy eating and lifestyle to healthy eating and lifestyle. If taken, this trip is merry, but in fact must lead to some where not just back where you started from. Of course “eating healthy is 100-percent doable” and it leads to lower rates of illness, based on improved immune system function.

You will notice a change in how you look and feel. Personally I my cravings were reduced and the quantity of meat and snacks eaten have diminished over time. I believe I have reprogramed my body to seek healthy options, where junk calories were eaten before. My weekly selection of food is more varied, with higher quality food. I have no forced restrictions. Quite frankly it desires cheap carbs (sugars & sweeteners) less often.

Some say “You are What you Eat”

If that is all you do. As for me, I am still mostly water, so therefore I stay well hydrated. Not to mention once you start eating healthy your need to burn these nutritious diet, on a regular basis, so I now exercise daily. Where it is a daily 60 minute walk, or High Intensity Interval Training (“HIIT”) session at the gym.

“HIIT promises the best workout in the least amount of time. Runners have used interval training for more than 100 years, alternating between sprints and jogging to improve their endurance.” -Julia Belluz.

After all that exercise all your body needs is a good nights rest. And like the failure of the YO YO diet, you cannot make up for lost sleep all in one spring weekend after weeks or months of sleep deficits. Good rest and recovery is achieved thru establishment of sound patterns. Optimal restorative rest occurs between 9PM and 3AM each night. Maximize the opportunity to get your rest during this time and your body will restore and rebuild nightly.

“Stop Starving yourself. Do this Instead.”, Marty Munson.

Sleeping more gets your body to help you eat better, per some of the latest research.

I guess that’s all I need to share today. Hope this was helpful, If it was, please share with your friends and family so we call get enjoy the healthy lifestyle ride, but stop the merry-go-round spins.

Sources and Inspiration

“The Hidden Danger of Yo-Yo Dieting You Need to Know About”, Jessica Migala.

“This Dietitian Wants You Stop ‘Spring Cleaning’ Your Diet”, Natalie Rizzo, MS, RD.

“Why You Should Incorporate HIIT into Our Workouts”, Bryan Kittman.

“LIIT verse HIIT: Two Trainers Sound off…”, Vogue.

“How to get the Most out of Your Exercise Time…”, Julia Belluz.

“How to Lose Weight Without Dieting”, Marty Munson.

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Disclaimer: In fact, before starting any exercise, diet or wellness program, be sure you consult your doctor and be sure to learn the proper techniques for that diet before starting a new wellness program.That would defeat the whole purpose of the activity and your injury may even increase your health insurance cost not reduce them. This post and site is intended to be for educational & entertainment purposes only and is not intended to be considered medical advice. Readers should understand the links to products may or may not pay commissions to the author of the post to defray website costs or the time of the writer and/or coach’s time. Linked products are not endorsements of the product unless specifically so designated.