Tag / nutrition

by Nathan Coumbe

Start from 0, not 100

Thanks to our school systems, our parents, and our bosses, we tend to default to a “100” mindset. We look at everything we should or have done from this framing: “how far from 100 am I?”

How far from perfect is my effort or my attempt?

It’s incredibly unhealthy and unhelpful for making progress or creating change.

So you didn’t attend the protests yesterday? What have you done instead?

Maybe you’ve written tons of letters, made dozens of phone calls to your representatives, and encouraged others to do the same. That’s more than most, so you can comfortably give yourself at least a 75/100.

You didn’t eat perfectly cooked meals that align with your macros to the thousandth decimal place or get in your intensive, tactical workout to help you look like Thor?

Who cares? Did you eat some vegetables? Did you go for a walk or do yoga? You did a lot more than nothing.

Instead of looking at everything starting from 100, why not consider how far away you are from 0?

It’s not just incrementally better, it’s infinitely better!

Doing something, however small or seemingly insignificant, is uncalculably better than doing nothing at all.

by Nathan Coumbe

What are you REALLY hungry for?

Ever find yourself staring into the harsh glow of the refrigerator when you know you aren’t hungry?

Or digging through the cabinets, hoping one of those rustling foil bags will “hit the spot”?

If you’re human, the answer to both questions is, “yes.”

When you do this, you might be eating because you’re hungry for something else. 

Us humans often eat when we’re feeling stressed, unfulfilled, upset, or angry. We also do it as a form of procrastination: often a tough project at work is too overwhelming to consider. So we put it off by eating. (This is a big one for me…)

If you can resonate with this, fret not. You’re totally normal. 

I used to eat (a lot) because it was the only thing that was bringing me any pleasure at times. 

Work sucked—not only was it exhausting, but it was incredibly dull and unfulfilling. I wasn’t doing something that was meaningful to me, so I ate… just to feel something.

I also had no hobbies (other than watching Netflix). After college, I went to work full-time on a 9-to-5 schedule. And for some reason, I decided to give up every satisfying, joy-bringing, fulfilling hobby that I had. 

There were other things missing in my life too… Holes that weren’t being filled.

All I could do (so I thought) was fill it with food. It was the only “hobby” I had.

Of course, this wasn’t good for my health. I gained a massive amount of weight, put a dozen inches on my waist, and developed injuries usually only suffered by folks in their 70s.

Any of this sound familiar?

Using food as a coping mechanism is very common. It’s solving a problem for you right now, even if it might cause other problems later. And that’s okay—don’t let anyone tell you it isn’t. 

If you’re ready, willing, and able, the first step is to build awareness. Not to change anything, mind you. Just become aware of what’s going on a little deeper below the surface. 

You can start by enacting a simple practice.

Whenever you feel a craving for something…

Whenever you’re contemplating a task at work, then walk to the fridge instead…

Pause for just a moment and ask yourself: “what am I really hungry for?”

  • Is it affection? 
  • Sunlight or fresh air?
  • Dancing? Music? Some other hobby you’ve always dreamed of?
  • Validation?
  • Connecting with a friend or loved one?
  • A job better aligned with your skills?
  • Sex? (You have no idea how often we all substitute food for this one 😬)

Once you pause and think about this for a moment, go ahead and have that snack. And enjoy the hell out of it!

For now, all you need to do is recognize what’s really going on—what’s missing.

Then, if and when you’re ready, go take care of that craving you’re really hungering for. 

by Nathan Coumbe

“I can’t eat fries, right?”

Do French fries and pizza have a place in a “healthy” diet?

Well, I’m sad to say…

They absolutely DO!

I’m sad to say it because I’ll get a ton of hate from people who disagree. Or tell me that’s irresponsible advice. 

But what’s truly irresponsible is causing people to deprive themselves and triggering disordered eating patterns. 

If you tell yourself you can’t eat something, that’s a surefire guarantee that you absolutely will eat it at some point in the near future. Often in extreme, and gastric-distressing, amounts. 

You should absolutely eat French fries. And pepperoni pizza. And chocolate ice cream.

AND…

You should also eat lots of:

  • lean protein
  • colorful fruits and veggies
  • Healthy fats
  • Slower-digesting, higher-fiber carbs

One of my favorite meals is a grilled chicken caesar salad… with a side of hot, delicious, salty, crispy fries (dipped in ketchup, of course). And I can be strong, healthy, and happy doing so. 

So there you go. You now have complete, unconditional permission to eat whatever you want. 

Now, there are ways to do it so that you still hit your physical health goals. But that’s a discussion for another day. 

As my coach, Scott Quick, likes to remind me: 

“For the love of God, order the fries!”

by Nathan Coumbe

Are you as effective as you could be?

Here’s a story:

A man is walking through the woods alone when he comes upon a lumberjack hard at work. The lumberjack is sawing with all his might through a very large tree, and the man can tell this worker is exhausted.

“How long have you been at this one tree?” the man asks.

The lumberjack replies, “About 4 hours now, and I’m exhausted.”

The man watches for a few more moments and realizes the saw has become rather dull from overuse.

“Why don’t you stop to sharpen your saw?” the man suggests to the lumberjack. “You will probably finish in half the time it is taking you.”

“I can’t stop,” replies the lumberjack. “I’m too busy sawing.”

This story is where Dr. Stephen R. Covey got the name of his seventh habit “Sharpen the Saw®” in his monumental work, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.

In essence, most of us feel we are too busy to stop working long enough to revitalize ourselves in ways that would make us even more productive when we returned to work. We think the only solution to more results is more work. This, of course, leads to exhaustion, stagnation, and burn-out.

“The human organism needs an ample supply of good building material to repair the effects of daily wear and tear.”

–Indra Devi

What are you doing each day to supply that good building material you need? There are four dimensions to life–physical, mental, social/emotional, and spiritual–and each ones needs its own raw materials.

For the body: eat right and be active! This does not mean strict diets or multi-hour workouts 7 days a week. It means sensible eating and regular, quality movement throughout the day. I personally recommend Precision Nutrition for their quality (and free) resources, as well as their more expensive coaching options. Here is an article they released today on the benefits of small amounts of movement throughout the day rather than big workouts and nothing else each day.

For the mind: read. This is the simplest, smallest thing you can do each day to rejuvenate your mind and unleash your creativity. If you read only 10 minutes a day at an average speed, you will read approximately one book each month. 12 books a year will change who you are as a person. Start with this reading list here.

For the heart (social/emotional): read The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. No other book will help you improve your relationships with others and develop the self-awareness needed to effectively conduct yourself in the world than this one.

For the soul: you don’t have to be religious or pick up a copy of religious text to rejuvenate your spirit, but you must invest in your soul somehow. Read inspirational literature or biographies by great thinkers and leaders who inspire you. Go for a walk outside (social distancing, of course) without music or podcasts or social media, and listen to the sounds around you. Let your mind wander when you do it.

Give yourself the right stuff today to keep your saw sharp.

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