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KNOWING NUTRITION
was chosen as the program moniker for the following reasons:
Eating is first and foremost about nourishing our body to
keep our systems functioning harmoniously and optimally.
Knowing involves the provision of information in an
interactive fashion.
To know comes through experience.
Knowing implies action and is a process;
present, constant and evolving.
I wanted to list some highlights in my personal version of
KNOWING NUTRITION that has occurred over the last 15 years
that has impacted the design influence of this program.
The first book I read, Fit for Life. This exposed me to a
whole slew of issues, first and foremost the difficulty of
changing eating habits while living at home if your family
doesn't support the cause. (not meant as a disrespect, just
the way it is for whatever reason and being a teenager doesn't
carry a lot of clout)
A 3 week vegetarian diet while partaking in a 21 day sit-
in- silence in a Buddhist temple during a trip to Thailand.
Dropping 30 pounds in 3 months for no apparent reason according
to the medical profession which led me to seek help via a
naturopathic doctor which resulted in a 6 month transformation.
Another highlight during this 6 month turnaround was the fact
that I had to go on a detoxification diet. I had ignorantly
associated detoxification with alcoholism and was completely
surprised because I don't drink, have never been drunk nor
have I ever done drugs.
I've seen numerous friends affected in adverse respects by
continued unhealthy eating. We're talking about some great
athletes that are now part of the obesity/sedentary bracket
of our population.
Another big influence for the development of this program
was watching my mother as I grew older partake in clubs similar
to weight watchers and other scenarios to address her own
weight issues, never achieving the result she desired. I can
say that this has pushed me to educate myself about the influences
and causes of obesity and I've found that there are many.
Not just genetics either. Nor am I saying that I have a cure
for it. I actually question if everyone can be slim. Is it
possible for someone to be obese or large and still be healthy?
Although you may laugh at this, a lot of the problem with
this 'epidemic' is attitude. Does an elephant or rhinoceros
think of themselves as fat and unattractive? I find it interesting
to note that elephants are vegetarian. This being said, there
are still measures that can be taken to make healthier eating
choices that can bring about greater vitality.
Lastly and ironically, even though I've pushed weights for
two decades, I firmly believe a person could be healthy and
vibrant and never touch a weight if they chose to be more
vigilante about how they nourished themselves. The point of
eating is to sustain bodily functions and requirements. The
feeling of well-being is the inherent joy in this endeavour.
Let great health be a known adventure, day in, day out.
Cheers,
Merlin X
Program Development
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