2984: Strong is the New Beautiful, Disordered is the New Diet by Leigh Peele

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[00:00:55] This is Optimal Health Daily. Strong is the new beautiful. Disordered is the new diet. By Lee Peel with NeaShanks.com. And I'm Dr. Neil. A very happy Monday to you. Welcome back to Optimal Health Daily where I act as your narrator of the best health and fitness blogs covering fitness, nutrition, stress management, weight management, and lots more. Kind of like an audiobook but from a bunch of different authors. And then on Fridays, I answer your questions right here on the show.

[00:01:23] Now today's post comes from a guest author on NeaShanks' site. And I'm excited to read it for you. So let's get right to it and start optimizing your life. Strong is the new beautiful. Disordered is the new diet. By Lee Peel with NeaShanks.com. Browse any Facebook feeds or Pinterest boards of a female lifter and you'll likely come across a phrase like,

[00:01:50] Strong is the new beautiful. Or, I lift weights, not shirts. I'm assuming that last one is a snarky nod to women's girls gone wild phases during their college youth. Jen Sinkler, a popular fitness writer and bad fanny pack toter, has recently released a line of t-shirts that say, Unapologetically strong. The statement is not one of irony given that she just busted out a 305-pound sumo deadlift to Roxanne's 1988 billboard topping, Listen to Your Heart.

[00:02:20] We are moving slowly but steadily in the right direction. Women should have the option to be sexy in high heels or sneakers. They also have the option to not be sexy at all or thought of in that manner. Women should have the option to pick up a yoga mat or a 300-pound barbell. Women should understand that, while there is still a social norm that may feel otherwise, there is a large subset of the population who likes seeing a lady strong physically. I believe in the old adage that there is someone for everyone.

[00:02:49] I have to because I'm pretty untraditional as these things go. Two steps forward, two steps back. Ah, we're doing so well here, ladies. We're trailblazing in the sun and kicking the dust up behind us. We were rejecting society norms and rising up to be who we decided we want to be. But every action has a reaction. The American Psychiatric Association is considering for the first time classifying orthorexia as a mental illness.

[00:03:17] There is a rise in adult picky eating, as well as anorexia and bulimia. All day long in my inbox and Facebook feeds, I see fear. Fear of bread. Fear of fats. Fear of carbohydrates. Gluten. GMOs. Refined sugars. Potatoes. Tomatoes. Meat. Nothing is safe from claims or suspicion.

[00:03:40] The end result is you being scared and making choices based on fear rather than need or solid scientific data. Being informed and caring about your body isn't the same as being paranoid. I don't want to imply that we can't make good selections in the foods we eat. I'm also not saying that if you know something hurts you physically, you should say, screw it and eat it anyway. I can't eat dairy because my allergy is so bad, I get instant pustules on my face. So no, I'm not eating dairy.

[00:04:10] And there's a good reason for that. But you need to ask yourself, am I making this decision based on logical evidence and solid research or am I appealing to authority and the fear in my mind? Every day, I make a conscious decision to eat part for enjoyment and part nutrient requirements. While I enjoy foods that are very dense in nutrient value, I also have this crazy notion that we only live once in this life.

[00:04:34] I don't try and fool myself into thinking that chocolate or french fries hold a remarkable amount of nutrient weight. I simply account for the nutrients I need and the nutrients I can spare. And some days, I just have fun because I want to. Can you imagine that? A fitness professional that enjoys food. Strength isn't only on the bar. Strong should exist in every facet of your being.

[00:04:59] Your mental strength and strength of character are just as important as what you can lift or do with your body. Otherwise, there will be a disconnect and your physical strength will be overshadowed by mental weakness. Don't fall into that trap. What I think makes you strong. Strong. One. One. Being able to stand up for yourself in the face of those who want to put you down. Two. Strong. Feeding your body to its full ability and not being afraid of the scale. Three.

[00:05:28] Strong. Trusting yourself and continually setting a good example by doing what you say you will do. Four. Strong. Strong. Choosing a diet, training program, and lifestyle based upon what you want, not what you think people expect of you or based on fads. Five. Strong. Have a critical mind to information. Quote, A lie can travel halfway around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes. Mark Twain. And six.

[00:05:59] Strong. Optimizing your nutrition for both recovery and pleasure. So, as some organizations with swoosh symbols might say, live strong and leave disorders. You just listened to the post titled, Strong is the New Beautiful, Disordered is the New Diet. By Lee Peel. With NiaShanks.com. And I'll be right back with my commentary. Oikos presents 15 seconds of strength. Here we go.

[00:06:28] Steve's got a trunk full of groceries and no one to help him. Oh, that's tough, Jim. Looks like a five-trip load at least. He grabs the first bag. The second. Bob, it looks like he's trying to do it on one trip. He shimmies the door open, steps over the dog. Oh, and he stumbles. Oh, right into the kitchen without missing a beat. Jim, now that's a man who eats his protein-packed Oikos. With 15 grams of complete protein in each cup, Oikos Triple Zero can help build strength for every day. Oikos. Stronger makes everything better.

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[00:07:22] for a combination that may help keep you feeling fuller longer. And on top of all of that, Wonderful Pistachios is a complete protein, providing all 9 essential amino acids. Whether you love the satisfying crack of the in-shell varieties, or the pure convenience of no-shells, maybe their new unsalted no-shells that holds the salt, but not the flavor, there's a pick for you. They're perfect for that protein pick-me-up, or just a tasty treat. So, get snackin' and get crackin'

[00:07:51] with the snack that packs a protein punch. Visit WonderfulPistachios.com to learn more. Dr. Neil here for my commentary. I don't blame folks for feeling fearful about the foods that they're eating. It's hard to ignore all the news about GMOs, food allergies, food infections that get spread like E. coli and salmonella, and so it does, as a natural response, make us fearful of what we're putting in our bodies. Then you add to that chronic disease,

[00:08:20] and well, how can we prevent it through food? And then add another layer of, well, I heard caffeine was bad, but then I heard it was good, and I heard peanut butter was bad, so almond butter's better, and now we're all just confused and fearful. In my opinion, one of the worst things a person can do, one of the most damaging things they can do, is to avoid foods for no real good reason at all, only based on maybe what they heard, or what somebody had told them. But as Lee mentioned, when it's not based on scientific data,

[00:08:49] or actually learning about how your body responds to certain foods, then you're just putting yourself in a situation to have nutrient deficiencies, and to be unhappy. And believe it or not, there are ways besides allergy testing that can help you determine whether certain foods cause you to have a particular reaction. Along with a physician who specializes in allergies, a nutritionist or registered dietitian who understands how to deal with food allergies can help guide you through something called an elimination diet.

[00:09:20] And there's a specific protocol that has to be followed, but if this is done correctly, it can uncover certain foods that may be aggravating you. But again, there's a specific protocol that needs to be followed, and I don't recommend anybody does this on their own. So what I'm trying to say is there are ways to uncover whether foods are causing you harm. Just don't be afraid to recruit the help of health professionals to help you along the way. Because if you're just avoiding foods because you think it's harming you, well, we may need to dig a little deeper, and you may be avoiding it

[00:09:49] for no good reason at all. Now before I go, don't forget, we have four other podcasts where we narrate blogs for you. We cover a bunch of different topics. To subscribe to those, just search for Optimal Living Daily wherever you're hearing this show. I thank you for doing that and for being here every day. Thank you for being a subscriber. Thank you for sharing this show with someone. I hope you have a great start to your week. I'll be back here tomorrow where your optimal life awaits.