Sunday Story…Your Food

 And You.

 

The other day someone asked me if I eat “clean.” I responded affirmatively and he proceeded to call me out (the same way I do to you!)…” that’s what everybody says. Are all your protein sources grass-fed and grass-finished, all your vegetables organic and sourced locally?” Oops…I guess it’s not THAT clean!

 

So how do we define a healthy diet? Let’s be honest…there are a myriad of dietary choices out there…keto, paleo, vegan, vegetarian, pescatarian, raw, fruitarian, whole 30, low-fat, low-carb, SAD (standard American diet), CRAP (calorie-rich and pathetic). And (except the last two) most of them lay claim to being healthy. Most of them work for some of us; most of them will work for some period of time depending on your reasons for implementing the said diet.

 

The more I look at this I am convinced there is no one right, true way to eat. That being said, there are some things I do think a healthy diet should include.

 

The food we eat should be nutrient-dense. That means whole foods that are anti-inflammatory and full of both macro and micro nutrients. It precludes any processed and refined foods. This includes:

Meat

Fish and shellfish

Organ meat

A variety of fresh fruits and vegetables

Nuts

Seeds

Starchy plants

 

You can eat these in any combination that serves your individual needs.

Here’s the bottom line. If the way you are eating doesn’t make you happy, change it! By happy I mean, the food feels good in your body while and after you are eating it. Your food should also be prepared with love in a fashion that honors all the people and creatures that brought it to you. And then in the final detail, it should be eaten mindfully.

 

Your diet should not be a struggle, it should be a joy.

 

John Mariotti

www.crossfitodyssey.com

www.sunday-stories.com

775-338-2412

 

 

 

 

Sunday Story…Father’s Day

 My Father passed in 2014 just after my first CrossFit Games appearance. I like to think he watched at least some of it. I think of him often and fondly. The stories he told me, the lessons he left me with have stood me in good stead throughout my life.

 

He wasn’t perfect. Like all of us he had flaws and chinks in his armor but his heart was always in the right place and he set an example for all of his sons to follow. He showed up at practice and games and supported all of my endeavors.

 

He went to work and when he came home he went to work on the house, the garden, and the fields or played with his kids. He loved my mother and showed it every day. I hope I do those things as well as he did.

 

My father taught me many lessons.

Here are a few of them:

Treat everyone with respect and dignity. Every person is worthy until they prove otherwise.

Don’t judge people by characteristics they can’t control.

Hard work is its own reward.

You aren’t done until the job is finished.

If you agree to do something be the best at it you can be.

 

And to this day whenever I swim laps I can hear him yelling, “Pull, John Pull.”

Thanks, daddy, I’m still pulling.

 

John Mariotti

www.crossfitodyssey.com

www.sunday-stories.blogspot.com

775-338-2412

 

Sunday Story…You Are

 What you eat. We all know this. “You can’t out-exercise a bad diet.” “Garbage in Garbage out”

 

What you put into your body matters. If you put toxic food and drink in your body it will not be able to perform at its best. It is a choice.

 

Guess what? What you put into your mind also matters. If you constantly ingest negative information or information that leads you astray; if you suspend your critical thinking tools, or just bury your nose in a pool of distrust and disinformation, you will not be able to shift into an attitude of gratitude and positivity. What you put into your mind matters.

 

The same is true of the people you hang around. If the 5 people you spend the most time with noxious Nellies, it won’t be long until there are 6 noxious Nellies at the table. The crowd you hang out with will have an inordinate influence on your attitude.

 

Decide you are going to put healthy and nutritious food in your body. Ingest healthy and positive information into your mind. Hang out with positive and helpful people. These are all things you can do to improve the quality of your life.

 

You are what you eat, think, say, and do so decide you are going to put good, healthy nutritious food, thoughts, and actions into your life. You’ll be glad you did!

 

John Mariotti

www.crossfitodyssey.com

www.sunday-stories.blogspot.com

775-338-2412

 

 

Sunday Story…Long View

 

I often say what you are doing right now is important 10 years from now. Your thoughts, actions, and words have as much to do with 10 years from now as they do right now.

 

If I concentrate on the destination, the end result of all the blips and side trips matters less as I will return to the path of my destination. If I allow the diversion to become the path that’s when the rails come off. I want to live in a world where all of us are looking for destinations in the future, not a world of immediate gratification and 20 second sound bites. Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram are all like a drug…you get a quick fix and then want more. This short-sightedness costs you your long-term destination.

 

What this really means is planning and acting today for the who and what I want 10 years from today. If I want to be fit 10 years from now I can’t start in 9 ½ years. I must start now. And along the way, I will derive so many benefits that when I finally arrive at the destination I will forget all the trials and tribulations I suffered along the way.

 

Although the destination is the goal, it is the journey that gives joy.

 

John Mariotti

www.crossfitodyssey.com

www.sunday-stories.blogspot.com

775-338-2412