Last week I started my post with photos of plus size fashion models & proclaimed, “These are all exceptional people!”
Well, I’m an equal opportunity blogger and I want to make it clear that in my eyes THESE are also exceptional people!
Last week we decided to redefine beauty in terms of health, healing, wholeness, empowerment and to pursue this new “beauty” together! Our physical starting point is irrelevant. How many times have you seen gorgeous human beings, gussied up to the hilt, but who turn out to be internally under/overnourished, cardiovascularly challenged, and not at all fit? I’m just musing over the way our culture (magazines, websites, films, television) is embarking upon a valiant attempt to embrace the Endomorph (overnourished body type), but have become quite vocal in its campaign to ‘skinny-bash’ and shame the Ectomorph (undernourished body type). Why the difference?
VEGAS HEALTH CONFERENCE
I’m sitting here in Las Vegas today attending the big annual plant based nutrition conference: Health, Healing & Happiness. Speakers include Youtube personality John Kohler (of “growing your greens” fame);
SOS-free weightloss coach Chef AJ; lifestyle physicians Michael Klaper,
John McDougall, Joel Fuhrman, Evan Allen; athletic trainers Robert Cheeke,
John Pierre, Coach Joshua (Keep It Real Wellness) DJ-ing the event:
… and many more!
Each day I’ve been dragging my lazy butt downstairs to my hotel gymnasium. Yesterday I noticed many overweight patrons walking in the door (very cool that they’re working toward wellness!)… and one extremely underweight woman came in with her mom (equally very cool!) I believe all of us were consciously pursuing the same (Project Waistline) definition of beauty – health, healing, wholeness, empowerment. The comradery in the common cause invigorated my workout!
SAD NEWS
Then last night on the local news it was announced that a woman was found deceased in her Vegas hotel bed, and her death was attributed to anorexia nervosa! Wow…
It stopped me cold in my tracks. Undernourishing our body will lead to illness and an early death. But honestly, overnourishing (given enough time) will make us just as ill and kill us just as dead. Of course, (and perhaps the reason our culture is less apt to embrace the Ectomorph over the Endomorph) undernourishment kills faster than overnourishment. Youngsters are often the ones who die from undereating, while older folk are usually the ones who die from overnourishment. It just takes longer to manifest the damage from overeating!
Enough.
Love thyself… for where you are today AND for where you’re going tomorrow. Make that future in the direction of total wellness!
BACK TO CONFERENCE
Some well known plant based chefs created & shared some mini-meals with us: Chef BeLive’s raw vegan Caesar salad:
Raw green smoothie w/ avocado PIT from Chef Shane Stuart, and Chef Stacey Dougan’s coconut flake “bacon”, broccoli, carrots, snap peas, zucchini salad w/ Thai chili lime sauce:
Whole Foods had a vendor table offering free samples of their Cali Quinoa Salad:
The head banquet chef at the Vegas Tuscany resort, Chef Lonnie Beals, took me on a personal tour of the buffet spread on both days of the two day conference.
Here is one day:
(cilantro lime salad, pinto beans, rice, black beans enchilada, guacamole, eggless potato salad, avocado chickpea salad)
Here is a serving from the other day… yes, that’s Joel Furhman (of PBS programming) “dining with me”:
(romaine, carrots, celery, potatoes, squash, mushrooms, Jazmine XL-white rice, red pepper, onions, brocolli, cauliflower w/ curry)
Chef told me this was his first ever purely plant based buffet event. He enjoyed the experience so thoroughly that he’s going to go into vegan food prep big time… making delicious meals for his patrons, and extending their lives at the same time! 🙂
I bought Coach Robert Cheeke’s great new fitness book, Shred It… yes, he is curling YAMS in his right hand:
All speakers were excellent, full of vital information, and I particularly enjoyed the final uplifting presentation by Coach John Pierre. I think he & I were raised by the same mama! 🙂
GOTTA HIT THE SACK
Okay… sleepytime. Checking out tomorrow & heading home, so I’d better get some rest.
Say Nay-Nay-Nay to corporate foods!
Say Aye-Aye-Aye to simple stress free living!