Food for Thought: Instead of following eating and fitness “fads” and “styles”, consider progressively scuplting your own “Unique You” program- The GAIA Health Blog

Food for Thought: Instead of following eating and fitness “fads” and “styles”, consider progressively scuplting your own “Unique You” program

On 12.27.11 • In Body and Soul, Food for Thought • by Doug Wallace

The great martial artist, and transcendentalist Bruce Lee, in his final movie "The Game of Death", was in essence trying to say that if you are locked into any particular fighting "style", you will be bound by it's limitations. He said it was better to have "no style", just express yourself honestly, and be fluid and dynamic enough to deal with changing circumstances as they come.

This is an excellent philosophy that can be applied to our concerns relating to eating, exercise, and overall wellness. My main concern about "styles", i.e. The Atkins Diet, The Taibo Exercise Routine, The South Beach diet, the Zone Diet (which I was once deep into ~chuckle~), and so forth, is that they rarely address the individual health concerns of the person that needs the most help.

People, let's face it, we have to find a way to dive into ourselves in order to take care of ourselves. Our families and loved ones need us alive and healthy. We are all busy, those with kids barely have 30 minutes in a given day to stop and think, but we have to find a way, or shall I say "our way". If we don't, I sense that we will be more of less floating down stream in a big business driven society that is not overly concerned about our physical, mental, and spiritual well being.

In the movie Game of Death, Bruce lee had to fight his way up five levels of a pagoda (a multi tiered building, prominent in the far east), and on each level there was a martial artist with a different fighting "style". To survive, he had to adapt his own fighting techniques to the different and unique circumstances that presented themselves on each level of the pagoda.

I say and say again, you have to dig into "you" and design the nutritional, wellness, and fitness agenda that is necessary for the "Unique You". You undoubtedly will pull a vast chunk of your personal wellness program from the professionals, perhaps a few pointers from my own blog, but in the end, I think the triumph or tragedy of life as it relates to health and wellness will be determined by how deep we choose to look into ourselves and begin to understand and resolve our own health and wellness issues. I am not saying we have to take the place of our own doctor, dentists, and other professionals, but in the end, we are the stewards of our own unique lives.

Below is a clip of Bruce Lee and his perspective on "styles".

This is my point pertaining to the Bruce Lee analogy in the "Game of Death" movie. Any situation I am in, is like a level of the pagoda that I must fight my way through, I must adapt myself to the circumstances in front of me. It works very well, and the "Unique Me" that I have developed so far as eating and general wellness is concerned , can handle itself in any of the basic situations that I run across. I simply enjoy my food, trust my instincts, revel in my accumulated knowledge of healthy eating, which has allowed me more flexibility in eating, and it is really working for me. Let's not become "Hardwired" in how we should approach nutritional health and wellness. Stay flexible, stay dynamic, stay fluid, stay with an open mind, because in some sense, nutrition can be a "Game of Death" but you can definitely turn it into a "Game of Life, Health, and Happiness" ~dw~

Doug Wallace

2 Responses

Lalen Jeckson

10.16.18

Follow the basic premise of the Zone diet, but adjust as needed. Some people are more carb-sensitive so you may have to reduce the carbs slightly. If you lack energy, increase the carbs a little.

Doug Wallace

10.16.18

Hi Lalen Jackson,

My health regiment actually started 15-20 years ago with the Zone Diet. The only problem I had with the zone was I got tired of counting the fat, protein, and carbs in my food to get everything to line up to the infamous 40-30-30.

My only other issue at that time, which is why I had to evolve past the Zone, is that I felt I had take more control of the “type” of proteins, carbs and fats I put in my body. Meaning, I can eat 30% fat, but if the fat is unhealthy Canola Oil and Cottonseed oil, then that is not the best approach for me in the long run.

I think the Zone taught me that there has to be a balance, you don’t have to cut out any of the 3 (proteins, carbs, and fats), more so for me, eat quality foods that the body is designed to process.

But I suppose what I just typed is the theme of this whole article, in I had to let my own nutrition program evolve to my own specific needs, body chemistry, and things I have learned.

The easiest diet I recommend to people is to design a super smoothie and add superfoods you like over time, and eat quality “real food” as opposed to processed and man-manufactured foods. And then keep learning and let it evolve….

…I think there are thousands of approaches however

Doug at GAIA Health Blog

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