I am going to start with a shameless plug for my brother's band. They just made the Top 5 in their region out of hundreds of bands to become Canada's best new artist in CBC's Searchlight competition. If they win, they could have amazing opportunities come their way.
I have mentioned them a few times on the blog, but if you haven't checked them out yet, they are called Inlet Sound and they are quite wonderful!
Anyway, voting to choose the regional winners end Thursday night at midnight and if they win they will be going on from there. You can vote once per day for every internet-enabled device that you have. Just go to http://music.cbc.ca/#/Searchlight-Here-Now and vote for Inlet Sound for their single Magnetic North. It would mean so much to me and to them!!
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Moving on, I wanted to share a more personal story today, about someone who always inspired me in her attitudes toward both health and life. That person would be my Granny.
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| That would be my Granny with her beloved dog Bailey, who we inherited when she died. |
Growing up, she was one of the most vital people I knew. The downhill-skied, played tennis, rowed and played golf late into her 70s. She was incredibly strong, robust and feisty as hell. When she was 75, her doctor told there that she had the bones of a 30-year-old and a "wonderful aorta". I am desperately hoping I inherit some of her traits.
What set her apart from the image of "healthy living" that you often see today was her attitude and balanced mindset. She was very active, but she didn't spend hours at the gym or run marathons. She ate very little processed food, but she didn't shy away from meat, fat or carbs. In fact, her 2 favourite foods were ice cream and butter. She had quite the reputation as far as butter goes. We used to stare at her in disbelief during family dinners as she ripped off small hunks of bread and topped them with an equal or greater volume of butter! I am not kidding here, this woman buttered danishes, she was not messing around.
She never bought into fad diets. Even when margarine was advertised as the "healthier" option and my Granddad ate it everyday, she refused to make the switch from good ole' butter. She didn't buy anything labeled "low fat", with the exception of the occasional jar of mayonnaise or tub of yogurt, and I am sure she would have hated chia seeds, kale and stevia.
I am not trying to bash anyone who gets into the latest healthy food fads. I myself have gone through my fair share of almond milk, protein powder, chia seeds, nutritional yeast and kombucha, and I don't think there is anything wrong with that. The thing that bothers me - and has caught me in its trap before - is the obsession around health and diet that has become so common in our society.
My Granny's healthy attitude served her and gave her strength until the day she died, which was less than 3 weeks after she went on a ski holiday in the mountains and less than a month after Christmas, when she had us all over to her house and cooked us a turkey dinner. I know that her heart would break if she could see how I have abused my body in the past and have taken my health for granted. Whenever I get into a disordered mindset, I try to think about my Granny and how a balanced lifestyle and a
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| Bailey doesn't really have a concept of her size... |
Thank you for your support and inspiration, Granny. I will always love and miss you. xoxo
Who is your health role model?
What is your idea of a balanced lifestyle?
