In my family, during the holidays, we often said that we had the right to “cheat”. “I have the right to eat a piece of log, I’m going on a diet on January 2! Even if I gain a few pounds, I will lose them afterwards.”
With the substance of the message, I completely agree. Allowing yourself to eat a little more or differently than usual during special events is perfectly okay. With the form, on the other hand, I have a downside. The word “cheating” has a negative connotation… as if we were breaking the rules of the game of good health. But actually, what is good health? What are the rules that determine it?
Health can be influenced by a multitude of factors, some of which we cannot control: our genetics, the environment in which we are born, the price of fruits and vegetables, etc. But among those on which we can act, lifestyle habits top the list. Rather than seeing them as tools to stay healthy, we too often describe them as an instrument to modify or maintain our physical appearance and our weight.
Sometimes these two concepts – health and weight – go hand in hand. Other times, no. It is also because of the complexity of this link that the Canada’s Food Guide changed its paradigm in 2019. Rather than imposing portions of certain types of food, we recommend cooking more often, savoring food, sharing meals with people you love, becoming aware of our eating habits and eat a variety of healthy foods every day.
These tips restore food to its true role: that of nourishing our body. Calories provide energy for our cells to survive; eating is therefore a tool to keep our body healthy, not an adversary! Not to mention that a thin body is not necessarily a sign of a healthy body if it does not adopt healthy lifestyle habits. That said, whatever our weight, a balanced diet and an active lifestyle greatly benefit our health.
In this regard, two components related to the movements of our body should be considered: physical activity and non-sedentary lifestyle. The first requires activation of the heart and muscles: you have to force a minimum for the benefits to appear. It is recommended that people aged 18 and over do, each week, 150 minutes (2h30) of moderate-intensity physical activity or 75 minutes (1h15) of vigorous-intensity physical activity, as well as at least two sessions of moderate intensity strength training exercises.
As for non-sedentary lifestyle, it consists of limiting periods of sitting or lying down to a maximum of 8 hours per day (besides the night), and interrupting these periods as often as possible. To do this, you don’t need a lot of effort: getting up to go to the toilet or doing a few standing stretches is enough to reduce the risks associated with a sedentary lifestyle.
It is therefore a combination of multiple factors that maximize our chances of being healthy. Weight is one, certainly, but it is not the only one. Aiming to change our body weight to reduce the risk of certain diseases may be a good option. However, this approach should never be undertaken to the detriment of our health. Depriving yourself of eating after the holidays to compensate for the piece of log you swallowed is not the solution. Instead, we must adopt a set of long-term habits and practices to ensure that we provide our body with the required energy in a healthy way.
It’s easier said than done, I know. I myself am in the midst of exploring what a healthy body means to me… and it’s no small challenge. You must show indulgence towards yourself, because being healthy requires a journey and constant adaptation to the seasons of life.
At the dawn of a new holiday season, let’s eat this piece of log if it gives us pleasure. Let’s eat it in honor of a way of life that serves both our body and our mind.
