Embracing Health for a Year: 2017 Health or Hedonism?

 

Image courtesy of BalancingPaleo.com

Image courtesy of BalancingPaleo.com

Living life in the wine business is particularly and gloriously hedonistic. Most of my colleagues find time in January to Master Cleanse, hit the gym, or find other ways to come to terms with our lifestyle. I have never been good at fasting and I hate the gym atmosphere. I find other ways to re-calibrate my body, mind, and spirit. Last year, on the advice of a physician, I tried the Whole 30  for 60 days and felt amazing. This week, I committed to 90 days. Ready, set, go!

One thing that I learned from Whole30 last year was the attention that must be paid. Every label must be read, meals must be prepared with thought and often new techniques and effort. It takes much more time to think about every single thing we put in our mouths. There is no room for error and error is everywhere, hidden sugars, hidden soy, hidden grains. All of this attention to detail is actually attention to oneself. It is really an exercise in self-care, self-love, and self-discovery. Every body is different and everyone will have a unique experience with Whole30. Learning about my optimal food choices and experiences was truly illuminating. I now know what works best for my body for health, vitality, energy and peace of mind. Why would I want anything less for myself? Once we become our own priorities, it is easy to make the best choice for ourselves.

As for the gym, it is definitely not my thing to go and participate in public workouts in a sweaty and often filthy environment. I am a dancer, so dance classes fit my sense of style. Ballet, in particular, is an amazing total body workout. Still a group activity and every bit as sweaty, but there is just something more civilized about dance classes. Perhaps it is the beautiful, classical music, and the strong sense of decorum required. There is certainly a respect for your peers, teacher, and for the music. Dance classes are hushed, serious, peaceful, mindful and relaxing. I have little time to make classes so I transformed my living room into a ballet studio, complete with a ballet bar and pilates machine.

Another of my favorite ways to participate in health is to take long, daily walks with my dogs. We can go for an hour and let all of the cares of the world just fade away. It is a form of meditation for me. This month will be particularly challenging as one of my pups has a torn ACL and will be having surgery on January 10th. No walking for him. And, the jealousy of just taking one dog is at the same time, hilarious and heartbreaking.

Here is to a happy and healthy 2017. It is going to be quite a journey!

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