on health.

I’m on day 4 of a 2 week unlimited trial of purebarre, one of many new group fitness options constantly bombarding the back bay. Since I never know when I will be leaving work, this means waking up at 6:30 every morning to don my leggings and “sticky socks” to do an hour’s worth of crunching and tucking and lifting galore. Its really a weird workout if I’m totally honest, but since I can’t remember the last time I stuck with a workout 4 days in a row (and counting), it appears I’m actually also enjoying myself through the sore muscles. I’m still not sold on the purported amazing results, but Ill hold judgement until the end of my trial.

Along with all this exercising, this past year has also spurred a lot of thought around what once and for all constitutes healthy eating. Let me just say that this is shocking to me because food has never been a controversial topic as long as I have lived. I’m not trying to lose weight or get spectacularly “ripped,” just looking to feel healthy and energized on a regular basis. Yet somehow in the past 6 months, I feel myself thrown into a flurry of paleo vs. vegetarian, and endless questions of shall I eat dairy, soy, legumes, protein? Not to mention discussions around all the many horrifying dangers of processed foods and carbs. Sometimes I just want a granola bar or an unassuming bowl of cereal without feeling like I’m committing some kind of dietary sin.  Is this just Boston, or is the whole world going crazy?  

Conclusions: Eat what makes you feel good. I have tried to cut down on things that come out of a box or a plastic wrapper as a rule (yes, unfortunately my days of guilt free indulgence in an endless box of cereal or sustaining on granola bars are over - who knew they put so much sugar in granola!) But I’m also not planning to switch over completely to eating butter, avocados, and steaks. I’m no food scientist but it just seems…unintuitive. 

As for my fitness experimentation, I’m glad to be past my days of treadmill/elliptical loyalty. I still love a good run (and in fact trying my first half marathon in June!) but as it turns out, not all sweat inducing activities are created equal.