Hit the Road, Jack

I would love to just pack up a truck, take a long weekend and drive out into some mountaintops nearby but just far enough away to feel like my own little world. I would make sure to grab plenty to eat, a toothbrush, and my sneakers. Anything more than that would need to be negotiated or put back on the shelf.

I would want to hike up the mountain---Whichever mountain that may be---and come to a spot where you can see the beautiful colors of Fall, how the world can just go on and on and the effortless way we all work together in seamless and never-ending harmony.

Yes, we all have our moments. But the world buzzes with continuity. I've seen it before in a small, everyday kind of scale.

I would hike and go for walks and jogs around some lake on this unknown mountain morning, noon and night. I wouldn't mind fishing, but I would need someone to teach me. Hunting? I don't know if I could get to that point, but I wouldn't mind shooting some guns at a target.

I've actually never fished before, which is hard to believe, considering I am from Central PA. Central PA schools have In-Service Days at the beginning of any hunting/fishing/outdoorsy opening day.

I'd like to figure out how to make coffee without electricity. That would be interesting.

I'd like to make dinner over a fire. Very interesting.

'Smores every night! Heavenly.

How long would I be there? I don't know. Where do I plan to go? I don't know. When am I planning this trip? I don't know.

That is the point.

I am awake at 1am on a Monday night. I have a 14-hour work and school day tomorrow that starts in less than six hours. My mind is racing, and I would love nothing more than to pack up a truck and drive to some mountain, for some amount of time.

Delirious, much? I might need some Benadryl.

Does Your Breakfast Make You Amazing?

I was watching a commercial yesterday morning as I was getting ready for work. I was watching the news and drinking my morning coffee. I also made oatmeal for breakfast, and I always swirl peanut butter in my oatmeal and let it melt. First off, it's delish. I like how it tastes, and I am all for the extra protein and a little healthy fat.

Yes, healthy fat.

The commercial was for Quaker Oatmeal, so I was totally relating to the commercial from the beginning. Talking about making healthy choices in the morning and throughout the day is something of normalcy today for adults. For children, we want their breakfast to fuel them for the tough day at school with bullies and long division. So, naturally, oatmeal that makes you "amazing" and a superhero would appeal to a kid in a different way than sugary cereals with superhero cartoons. This commercial is meant to appeal to children, but it really made me think.

Low-carb. Low-fat. Low-calorie. Low-sodium.

Sugar-free. Fat-free.

Whole wheat. Antioxidants. Organic.

In diet fads-past, diets were all about excluding and banning whole food groups or types of foods or nutrients altogether. Today, it's all about what you're putting in your body. I think a healthy diet should marry the two ideas together.

Let me explain.

So, there is definitely something to be said for eating salmon, soy milk, blueberries and artichokes. There is also definitely something to be said for not eating Ho-Ho's, Haagen-Dazs, Cheetos and Mountain Dew. The evidence is there. If you eat the good things, and don't eat the bad things, your health will be better than if you did the opposite.

Duh.

However, there is definitely something wrong with the mentality of cutting things out and only eating certain foods. That messes with the mind and the diet is difficult to stick to, live with, and continue.

I remember when "Skinny Bitch" came to bookstores. A few of my friends love the book, and still, to this day, live by the book. That's awesome! But, my biggest problem with this book (And, I do have a lot of problems with this book!) is that it discriminates and yells at you in a way that doesn't encourage a lifestyle, although that is the authors' intention. By being edgy and trendy, this book goes about dieting in the wrong way.

Milk is not the enemy.

Meat is not the enemy.

Sugar is not the enemy.

The way we think of these hands-off foods is in jeopardy, and that is the enemy.

Think about it.

If we are drinking a glass of skim milk, we ARE NOT drinking Mountain Dew. If we are eating a grilled chicken breast, we ARE NOT eating Kraft Macaroni and Cheese. If we are treating ourselves to a (serving size-appropriate) cup of ice cream at the end of a long week, we ARE NOT binging on an entire birthday cake after a month of restrictive dieting.

Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig, South Beach and other diet programs all serve their purposes. They provide a framework and plan for those who would otherwise not stick to a diet. However, when it comes to a lifestyle of healthy eating, it shouldn't be about what we are eating or what we are not eating. Instead, it should be about the choices we make about the food we eat throughout our day. These choices include what we choose to eat in place of what we would eat otherwise.

OK, I am off of my soap box.

But, next time you think about going on some new diet, hoping that "THIS IS THE ANSWER" to all of your weight issues, I'd like you to ask yourself this question every time you are about to eat:

"Does my breakfast/lunch/dinner/snack make me AMAZING?"