Healthy+is+the+New+Glam

I had a doctor tell me today that I definitely did not have a 115 or 120 pound body type and that my muscle mass was huge. I’m not sure what he was trying to tell me, but in my head it sounded like, “You have a huge ass and you will never be skinny or beautiful.” I walked out of his office and fought back the tears.

I’ve cut out dairy, eggs, gluten, wheat, potatoes and peppers. Now, this chiropractor who calls himself Doctor C says I need to count carbs. So basically I can have meat, because a yam has 32 grams of carbs and don’t even think about carrots- those are 15! Who knew how degrading a diet could be. I’m not having splitting headaches or stomach pain anymore, but I occasionally stop breathing due to high levels of allergens in the air. Is this organic, pesticide-free, home-grown, home-cooked, politically correct, local diet effective or am I just scanning my Visa every two weeks for these shameful appointments to hear the words that I need to eat less, work out more and swallow more concoctions from the odd looking bottles of supplements. Is it common sense? Is it a scam? Children are obese in elementary schools, young girls are starting their periods earlier, women and men are losing themselves to food, lack of care, and an overzealous society that wants things now whether it costs us in the end.

There are villages all around the world that have never tasted a Big Mac nor have they enjoyed a crisp glass of Pinot Grigio, but they are not overweight. They don’t use fluoride or bathe their bodies in anti-bacterial serums or spend great amounts on a pair of Jimmy Choos all for the sake of beauty. Or is it fear? Fear that we won’t find the man of our dreams if our teeth are gleamingly white or fear that we won’t land the ideal job if we don’t have the right suit appropriately screaming, “Hey I just graduated from college just like the millions of other kids just like me- I’m new- I don’t really know a thing- hire me!”

Fear sneaks into our homes, it creeps into our confidences in ourselves and it looms in churches, offices, alleyways and schools all over the United States. Fear whispers into our hearts and stabs us when we aren’t paying any attention. It tells us to listen to the “they sayers” and the so-called research. I have grown up with the sound of people saying, “//They say// we shouldn’t drink cows’ milk because really its quite disgusting to drink another animals’ milk that is supposed to be for //their// babies.” Who does one believe? When does it become too much? The Indigo Girls state it accurately, “There’s just enough science to keep from saying fuck it” and I agree.

There’s always a plethora of information in this information age with Wikipedia, Google and YouTube. You can locate directions from your IPhone not to mention you can find who pitched the winning pitch in the World Series. Information is at our fingertips, but there is just enough fear looming around to keep us at bay. Even the best text books and scientific explanations have another point of view. Research can be skewed to argue or support the latest political scam. When did life get so messy?

The neon sign horizon blurs our vision between right and wrong, melding each of us into confused zombies wanting and buying more, filling our plates with the newest product, going back for seconds and thirds. We want and crave extra when what we have is slipping by the wayside. We are losing ourselves and losing our friends and family because we are self absorbed, media infused, taking shots of wheat grass and throwing ourselves into Pilates on our lunch breaks and reading Us Magazine instead of Mark Twain. What messages are we sending to our children when we pick them up from soccer and we don’t put down the cell phones to say hello. I want to scream out and turn back the time when summer days were filled with sun burns and forts and endless bike rides. Let’s slow it down and breathe in the simple things in life, the relationships we do have, the strong bodies that help us work, and the love we have and share with others. Beauty and the beast is slowly turning away and revealing our freshly scrubbed faces so we can get back to basics. I will be on guard so fear can’t get to me and creep into my innermost hopes and crush my self worth. You see, we’ve always been at war, but watch out- this war’s no more- I can decide!