Welcome to the "new" digital age

Welcome to the new digital age! Perhaps that seems a little dated, but for someone who just got their first PDA – it is new news! The PDA happens to be a hand-me-down from my older sister who has been in the digital age for years! But, at least I’ve arrived – it doesn’t really matter how I got here, just that I am here. Now, I just have to invest the time and energy to discover how to wisely use the PDA. I’ve used a paper planner system for over 20 years. Will I now be able to go paperless? Only time, coupled with perseverance and endurance, will tell. All I know is that my eyes have been opened, my horizon broadened, and my depth of befuddlement deepened.

Maybe I’m not too different from you. Have your eyes suddenly been opened to the need to move from the standard American diet and lifestyle to one of healthy eating and daily exercise? Perhaps you’ve been forced there by a confrontation with your current health status or perhaps you’ve seen a glimpse of what your future health, or lack thereof, will be like if you don’t begin to change. It is tough standing on a foreign shore and trying to decide what to do next. The language is different, the people have different customs and nothing feels quite right. All of sudden you are confronted with tofu, target heart rates, leafy greens, BMI, smoothies, biometrics, legumes and a wide variety of fresh fruit and vegetables you’ve never really noticed before. The first thing to do is take stock of the land you’re in and RELAX. Once YOUR sense of befuddlement settles down, you’ll be able to see and act. Take a breath, sit for a spell and listen.

What is the real difference between a paperless world and a non-digital world? The data is the same, it’s just a matter of storage. Kind of like “paper or plastic” when you go to the grocery store. The difference between the standard American lifestyle and a healthy one is just a matter of 2 things, movement and whole foods. Make the decision to embrace the reality and necessity of these two things, and don’t look back.

I didn’t need anyone to convince me that the digital world was better, easier and offered more possibilities than remaining in bondage to paper and pen. I just needed someone to come along beside me and enable me to make the discovery myself. You already know that eating less processed food and getting more exercise is better. You’ve just been searching for someone to come along beside you and enable you to live healthier. So welcome aboard – our journey is just beginning and it’s going to be a fun and tasty ride.

Christmas in Florida

Christmas in Florida is always an interesting experience. Two days before Christmas and it is sunny and warm – a perfect day for pleasant outdoor experiences. Now is the time of year when we all stop hibernating and start doing. Of course, the highways are totally crowded and the stores beyond description. We are going visiting today and taking our bicycles for some extra fun. Our eating – well, we are planning on using up some of our margin. But the extra activity will deposit into our margin account. So, it all balances out. And that is how we manage to have a life and truly enjoy it. We have become doers, not talkers. We don’t search for the illusive magic pill, fairy wand or pixie dust. Being healthy is truly a lifestyle, not something that happens to you when you take a pill, drink a particular juice or hope for health. It is an active, lifelong experience made up of choices that we make everyday and every hour of everyday. There is no fountain of youth which provides rejuvenation with a dip or a drink. And if we spend all of our time searching for it, we will fail to have the life we hope it would provide. And to be honest, we all know that. But moving from talking to doing can seem impossible when our easy chair seems so comfortable and relaxing. What do we do and how do we do it? The first thing we must do is look in the mirror and see who we are. Not who we want to be, not who we hope to be, but who we really are. When nobody is looking who are we? We can’t get anywhere if we don’t start where we are. The best navigational system in the world cannot take you to where you want to go if you don’t know where you are starting from. Next, set a long term goal – a picture of where you want to be. It’s a long term goal, so unlike others, I am prone to say it doesn’t have to be specific. I think a mental picture of the life you want to have is as good as specific biometrics. If need be, find some pictures for the internet or magazines of people who look like they are living the life you want to have. Post them on your fridge, your computer, your Treo or your phone. When tempted to go back to old lifestyle choices, look at the picture and think of what your life will be like.

Now that you know where you are and where you want to go, you need to allot time for the journey. How much time depends on you and the vehicle you are using. Traveling from Florida to Alaska can take anywhere from months to hours, depending on the mode of transportation you are taking. It would be silly to plan on being in Alaska in a day if you are planning on walking and it would be just as silly to think you can compete in your first triathlon next month if you not willing to make a major commitment to training and eating habits. My journey from a couch potato eating the standard American diet to an athlete eating primarily high nutrient-to-calorie ratio foods has taken years. I have greatly enjoyed the journey and am reveling in the beauty of my destination. Notice, it has taken me years to get here, and I still have a ways to go. I keep thinking about scheduling my first triathlon, but I’m not sure I’m willing to make that commitment, yet. It’s all part of realistic goal setting and life choices. But at least I’m making my own choices rather than letting ill health take over and dictate my style.