Can We be Healthy 100% of the time?
Eating 100% "healthy" is impossible to do. No matter how motivated an individual or well intentioned they are, eventually we cave. The size of the cave is the difference between having a body like Kevin James and having a body like Megan Fox.
Our current food system is set up to encourage the consumption of highly processed foods. These foods contain fattening amounts of refined flour and sugar. However, highly processed foods have two good things going for them. One, because they are laced with refined sweeteners and artificial flavors, they taste delicious. Two, they consist of ingredients that are subsidised by the United States government. So they are cheap.
Personally, I can swear off most candies (except for Sour Patch Kids and M & Ms), most chips (except for tortilla chips) and almost all soda (expect when mixing drinks 
). The point is, even some of the strongest willed people that I know, including myself, can not withstand the temptations that sugary, cheap foods present for us.
Not to mention the favorite part of every meal: desert. Is their a person on planet earth that would turn down a piece of their grandmothers homemade apple pie? If we all liked apples then I can guarantee not a person would have the will power to turn that temptation down. Unless apple pie were somehow deemed the food of the devil. Then I guess some super radical religious folk could muster the courage.
Crappy food is all around us. From cheap candy to cheap and tasty fast food. How are we supposed to eat healthy if these demon foods are all around us? The answer is we can't. At least not 100% of the time.
When people try to eat 100% healthy two things happen. Either they become very angry and hostile or they eventually freak out and eat gallons of Ben and Jerry's ice cream in one sitting. Trust me, I've done it.
Let's stop beating ourselves up over every minor breakdowns in our healthy eating walls. We can finally stop being obsessed with every little morsel of food we put into our mouths. Because lets face it, if we were to swear off all the sugary snacks, all fast food products, alcohol and caffeine we would be living a rather square existence.
In response to this kind of lifestyle, I created a model that we can base our food choices on. I call it Our Food Orbit.
This model resembles that of our solar system. The planets resemble food choices which revolve around the sun, which represents you.
Planets like Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars revolve around the Sun much more often than other planets. Whole foods like nuts (except cashews and peanuts in excess), all kinds of meats (preferably raised sustainably and organic), fresh, dark, leafy vegetables, dark fruits such as berries, local and fresh eggs represent these planets.
Planets like Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune only revolve around the sun once in a great while (compared to Earth's orbit). Foods like corn, potatoes, chips, wheat products, hamburger helper, Mac and Cheese, Pizza, spaghetti. Pretty much all foods that are found on typical American dinner plates. These foods should never be staples in anybodies diet.
Fast food, candy, ice cream, alcohol and all other nutritional contraband are represented by the at-one-point-in-time-planet Pluto. No explanation is necessary as to why these foods are Plutos.
The Law of 85%
Because following a diet 100% is impossible, we must enact the Law of 85% to go with our Food Orbit.
The Law of 85% states that of all the food we eat, 85% of it should be natural, whole and nutritious food. 12% of the remaining 15% should be made of foods that resemble Saturn and Jupiter. The last 3-5% of our diets can be Plutoesque type foods.
This Law of 85% should be used with caution. Do let the foods that make up the 15% ever creep into your daily food schedule. If you do then you will get fat.
I use the 85% rule because I hate living my life with what I like to call the 100% mentality. The 100% mentality puts enormous amounts of stress on the individual who is trying to be 100% healthy. I can honestly say that I was in the 100% mentality group for a few months when I ate a strict vegan diet. It sucked. I would never recommend becoming completely alien to our current food system. It will only add stress, worry and a loss in self worth when you fail.
I understand that I have thrown a lot of laws and rules at you already. Ones that I in fact made up on my own. This is why I want to apologize for spitting yet another rule into your retinas.
The One Day Rule
This rule has made me a sane individual. The One Day Rule simply sets aside one day during the week when you can eat what ever the hell you want. It is simple and awesome.
If I did not follow the One Day Rule I know that I would eventually binge on Oreos and McDonalds Strawberry milkshakes until I barfed and then ate it again off the floor because it would still be delicious.
Seriously, one day a week eat what ever your little heart desires. This provides a day of the week to look forward to. Because lets face it, when we change the way we eat there is very little that we can actually look forward to eating.
The only disclaimer I have for the One Day Rule is this: It can only last for one day. If you let it go longer than one day, then a snowball affect will occur and it will be easier and easier for you to let your guard down during the week. And you will then get fat.
My day changes from either Friday or Saturday. This allows me to go to a bar or club and drink guilt free alcohol and eat late night pizza 
.
May the planets align and bring you all good health
- Ryan
Why Should We Care About Our Health?
The majority of us care about what we eat and how much we exercise because of the outward, superficial benefits that sacrifice in these areas brings us.
We all want to see muscle definition, only have one chin and be attractive to the opposite sex.
Unfortunately our society cares deeply about how we look. However this is not all bad. The way we interact with the outside world around us is often a reflection of how we view ourselves. If we lose respect for ourselves, in both the physical and mental sense, then our respect for others ceases to exist.
As important as our outward image is to ourselves and (more likely) those around us, the importance of health goes much deeper and affects areas of our lives that we often overlook.
The Rock
Health is the rock on which all other aspects of life balance on. Don't believe me? When we become ill, we can not work, don't want to learn, we avoid social interaction and pretty much stop our lives until we are healed.
Every aspect of life depends on how healthy we are. A chink in our health armor can derail life goals, ambitions and dreams. No other aspect of life has the power to transform our lives like our health. Except for maybe having a child.
It won't matter how much money we make, or how many new cars we own, or how big our homes are if our health is broken and we are unable to enjoy these pleasures.
Many people who do not take care of their health refer to people who do by calling them "health nuts" or view us as alien life forms.
These people are blinded from the fact that their life is controlled by how healthy they are. Whether it be an illness or simply needing to stop to catch a breath after walking up a flight of stairs. Our health affects us on a day to day basis, whether we are aware of it or not.
Other Motivation
Why else should we care about our health?
In second behind physical appearance is the hope that we will live longer. For many this may be the case, but for some it is not. One thing is for certain however, being physically fit, having energy and embracing a healthy lifestyle will lead to a more enjoyable life. This can range from the importance of self confidence, self image and can even affect how we interact with those around us.
Will being healthy automatically result in a longer life? Who the hell knows. I could get hit by a car after I finish writing this article. Chance is an area of life we have no control over*.
* Sort of. Karma is an idea that I find truthfully fascinating and at the same time graveyard-after-dark terrifying.
Final Thoughts
Personally, for the time that I am allotted on this planet, I would rather have the peace of mind that what I am doing (nutrition and exercise speaking) is making my body work more efficiently and hopefully free of disease.
I am happy when I look in the mirror, I enjoy life and content with who I am. For me this is a reflection of living a lifestyle that I deem as healthy.
In truth, it really does not matter what motivates you to take your health into your own hands. As long as you are doing something (whether it be right or wrong) it is better than sitting on the sidelines and hoping.
Ryan
3 reasons why we shouldn’t eat food
When most of us hear the word fasting, we immediately think of Jesus or Gandhi. We mistakenly associate fasting solely in a spiritual context. However, fasting is a great way to break addictions (other than food), the only way to truly cleanse our bodies and it is a great way to lose weight.
I partake in a 3-day fast once or twice a year. I would like to do this more often, but fasting takes a lot of energy, will power and time to complete.
I am writing this post to introduce my readers to the background and benefits of fasting as I will again refuse to eat food and drink anything other than water in the next few days.
I will be keeping a a detailed log of my experience here for all of you to see.
Ryan, why are you going to fast?
I fast for 3 reasons.
One, a water only fast is the ultimate way to cleanse the human body.
Digesting food requires massive amounts of energy from our bodies to complete. When we remove this energy intensive process, all of the energy that we would have spent removing nutrients and disposing of food, we will now use to heal our bodies.
Because food is not available for energy production in our bodies, we must obtain energy from somewhere to stay alive. When this starvation mode is engaged, our bodies use fat and muscle for energy. When this occurs, our bodies (again in their infinite wisdom) seek out cells that are damaged for energy. Leaving cells that are strong to carry out our bodily processes.
Second, abstinence from food results in increased mental clarity.
I enjoy meditating on a regular basis. When I am in a fasted state, my mind is free and clear and my meditations are very fulfilling.
Jesus Christ and Gandhi fasted regularly. Jesus fasted prove that he could overcome temptation from the devil. He also fasted many times to reassure and strengthen his faith in his God.
Gandhi fasted for many reasons. He once fasted for 27 days in protest of Indian civil rights in India (before India was its own country, it was ruled by the British). He also fasted regularly to gain mental clarity and direction from his God.
These two men are arguably the most profound humanitarians in human history. If they fasted for mental clarity and spiritual renewal, then there is something to be said about the power fasting.
Lastly, I fast because I love the taste of food.
I am positive that many people out there often eat without actually tasting their food (like me).
After abstaining from food for an extended period of time, the taste of food is out of this world.
In the book Fasting and Eating for Health, Dr. Joel Furhman brings forth evidence that argues when the body is in a fasted state, taste buds that are sensitive to sugar and salt actually regenerate and become more sensitive to those tastes.
As I mentioned earlier fasting is a great way to lose weight.
I am not promoting chronic withdrawal from eating food. That is what doctors call anorexia.
If you want to start a new lifestyle change, fasting before hand is a great way to get a fresh start.
If you fast solely to lose weight, then you will be sadly disappointed. Without a drastic change in your daily diet, the weight that you lost while fasting will be gained back in the days following a fast.
Other Benefits of Fasting
As I mentioned before, Joel Fuhrman wrote a book titled Fasting and Eating for Health. Within his book, Dr. Fuhrman recounts his personal experience with fasting. Joel was an world class figure skater. At the age of 20 he experienced a terrible injury to his leg. After a year of surgeries from the world's best surgeons, he was still unable to walk without pain. Fed up with drugs and surgeries, he sought the help of a doctor who specialized in fasting. After fasting for 46 days his leg was healed. One year later he placed 3rd in the World Professional Figure Skating Championships.
This is an example of the bodies amazing ability to heal itself. As long as we provide the opportunity for this to happen, the body will heal almost any disease or injury on its own. Dr. Fuhrman uses fasting as a treatment to cure arthritis, asthma, heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes.
Personally, when ever I am sick or obtain a physical injury I fast. I give my body the opportunity to use all of its energy to heal itself.
Our bodies are genetically created to fast. Evolution has endowed us with the ability to survive extended periods of time without food. Living in the natural world for the last 1.94 million years has forced us to adapt to times of food abundance and times of food scarcity.
We are made to exist with periods of no food. However, in our modern system of cheap and abundant food, this bodily system rarely, if ever, is utilized.
I understand that this mode of healing comes as a shock to many of you. In a world where are televisions are flooded with advertisements for drug companies that "cure" every common ailment known to man, it is no surprise.
In truth, drugs to not "cure" any disease, no matter how small. Drugs only mask the symptoms. We tend to view the human body as that of a machine. Like a car, we believe that if we add something the machine, we will make it run better.
For example, if a cars gas lines freeze, we add a product to the gas that prevents it from freezing. However we are not solving the problem (living in a cold climate), we are only masking the consequences of living in a cold climate. As for the human body, if we come down with a terrible cough, we take NyGuil or some other drug to "make my cough go away". In reality drugs do no such thing. Does the cough come back? Yes. So it did not "cure" anything. We over look the fact that we are coughing for a reason. Somewhere in our bodies something has gone wrong and a cough is simply the bodies way of cleaning itself.
I will be fasting for 3 days. I'm not sure when I am going to start this, but it will be soon. I will fast for 3 days because fasting for a longer period of time should include a doctor.
Eating food is more powerful than most of us have ever realized. Embrace it.
- Ryan
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