Sometimes I am simply amazed by peoples' concepts of nutrition and healthy eating. Just today, I kept running into a colleague in the kitchen area of my client's office. First, she was heating up a couple of croissants that she had bought in bulk at a "super store." Fine; I've enjoyed my share of croissants. Then I went in a bit later to fill up my coffee mug (no styrofoam for me ... I brought a mug from home, along with ceramic plates and metal utensils to be more environmental ... but that's a future blog). There she was again, hovering around the packets of cocoa mix and the coffee machine. I asked her if it was OK for me to get some coffee, and she said, "Oh Bret, I'm not drinking coffee any more. I'm monitoring my health, and I'm giving up caffeine." I watched as she emptied the packet of cocoa into a cup, and asked her, "Are you aware that chocolate contains caffeine?" It turns out she was, and she was using the caffeine in the cocoa to prevent headaches as she weaned herself from the caffeine in coffee. OK. Whatever.
She then pointed out that she had used the "sugared" version of the packeted cocoa, rather than sugar-free, because, "Did you know that our bodies need sugar to function?" I told her I did, but that it was generally best to take in carbohydrates in their most complex form to slow digestion and thus prevent insulin spikes; I didn't mention that she had already had croissants for breakfast that were probably all of the carbs she needed. She had previously admitted to being frustrated by her weight, so I was gently trying to steer her toward healthier decisions, but she wasn't hearing me today.
I have another coworker who is also trying to lose weight, yet is a generous soul who is the first to bring in a big box of bagels or donuts or muffins or other treats to share with everyone, and who will usually consume two or three or four baked items himself. He's a very generous guy, but he's also developed quite the generous belly. He's a friend, so I'm careful about hurting his feelings, but when I have mentioned that he just consumed an extra 500 (or more) calories for the day, he'll say, "Oh, I can work that off in 30 minutes on the elliptical machine." "So, are you going to the gym tonight?" "No, I'm going tomorrow." "So, does that mean you'll not be eating any extra calories tomorrow?" "Leave me alone." My bad. I crossed that threshold.
Knowledge is power. But sometimes a little bit of knowledge is dangerous. Fortunately, I've recruited additional coworkers who are concerned about his health, so we're all monitoring his intake. Sometimes, it takes a village. Are you part of a village? Or do you need a village? You are not alone. Check out the healthy recipes at www.god-dess.com for help and support.
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