Take the long way home?

Shortcuts have so much allure in our busy times.  Some of them are worth it (prewashed greens, you rock!), some not so much (see:  frozen pizza).  Many of us would love the equivalent of a multivitamin for exercise:  take one a day and relax because we have the RDA of all our essential cardio, weight training, and flexibility.  (I, on the other hand, would be sad and out of a job!)

I am not talking about efficiency.  I love interval training because it does more with less time.  That is a total win because we get in the necessary work more quickly.

I am talking about things like crash diets, caffeine, and sugar dependency.  Severely restricting calories does more than take off pounds.  It deprives the body of needed nutrients.  It inhibits the body’s ability to heal.  It also may cause irritability and lethargy.  Finally, it is not sustainable.  Eventually, we need to return to normal eating and may in fact binge.

I am the very last person to tell someone to forgo a morning cup of coffee or tea, because my recurring besetting sin is Coke, diet or regular (presently in remission).  However, relying on caffeine to replace sufficient sleep for long periods of time causes problems.  Sleep is not a luxury; we need it.  Maybe the process of weaning ourselves from overuse of caffeine is nasty:  well, actually, there is no maybe about it.  It is also worth it because when it is over we are less irritable, more relaxed, and more in tune with what our bodies actually need.

Then there is sugar.  We love the high it gives us, the instant burst of energy.  I’ve written before about the dark side, the energy crash, the empty calories, its role in obesity, and even its role in environmental destruction.  We can choose naturally sweet things and skip all the added sugar in processed food.  It’s not as easy as grabbing a candy bar, but it is worth it.

Take the long way; the view is better.