Reading

I've always relied heavily on instinct when deciding what to put in my body. Twinkies? Not so much. A cookie? Okay. Ibuprofen? Nah. Caffeine? Only from coffee. It's inconsistent, it's frustrating, and it's time to change. And this book gave me the final push to start working on some changes.

I'm not an expert. I'm not a scientist. I certainly am not positive about the realities of every "fact" in this book. I do know that when the author talks about the insinuation of corn in everything we eat, he is speaking truth. Every grocery item in the store has corn in it--the meat, because we've bred our livestock (and even fish, which disgusts me) to eat corn because it's cheaper. The produce, because to make it shiny it's brushed with corn syrup, and because the pesticides are made of corn. And almost everything else (even non-food items like toothpaste and soap) all contain high fructose corn syrup. It's insane how much corn goes into my body daily when I'm not even aware of it.

This book plus a trip to Trader Joe's plus recent photos of myself in what I thought were my most flattering jeans plus me huffing and puffing up the stairs in the hotel while carrying Finley have inspired me to make changes, and fast. The goals?

1. Make smart, aware choices about what I'm feeding my body. Know the ingredients. Buy local. When in doubt, don't eat it. Don't wait until I'm starving and desperate.
2. Eat more produce. Eat less meat.
3. Build up my strength. See what kind of power really lies in my body, because I've never pushed it.

All so I can ultimately show Finley how to properly feed herself nutritionally and wisely. So I can improve my quality of life and longevity. And, yes, so I can wear short shorts and a bikini in August and score some dates.