Super Foods

Some foods appear to be more nutrient dense than others and are very high in vitamins, minerals, or antioxidants. Foods like blueberries, flax, almonds, quinoa, salmon, acai, broccoli, and garlic are all known for their unique properties and benefits. I believe we are what we eat, and nutrition is a critical component to good health, but I also think it is easy to put too much emphasis on any one specific food.

If you have been on the Internet over the last several years you have probably seen ads for the acai berry. I have personally tried products containing this berry and am a fan of it, but I will be the first to tell you to watch out for scams. There are countless marketing companies that are jumping on the bandwagon and promoting it as a weight loss supplement and a cure for any ailment. Acai may have many antioxidants, but that doesn't mean it's the answer to losing weight or curing disease. I believe it can aid in the prevention of certain ailments, and promotes good health, but there is alot of marketing hype to sift through.

We've been told about the benefits of green leafy, brightly colored, and cruciferous vegetables that contain high anti-oxidants. I think you can pretty much say that all vegetables are good for you. (that is, until Hostess comes out with a new one), but over emphasizing any one vegetable because it has been labeled a super food and avoiding others is not wise. Fad diets frequently focus on just one food. A balanced diet is the key. No matter how good for you any specific food may be you, you will still want to eat a balanced diet.

I think it is a good thing for us to eat more of these healthy "super foods", but when I hear people endlessly promote any one particular food it reminds me of a concert pianist who sits down to the piano and then just hits the one same key over and over because it sounds so great to them. Nutrition consists of the entire keyboard, not just your favorite key. Remember it is important to have balance, variety, and moderation.

Achieving Balance

I have always been intrigued with the concept of balance. I think the idea of being well rounded is appealing to most people. When it comes to physical fitness, balance is obviously important. I have seen some people with incredible strength, but they have little or no cardiovascular endurance. Others might be conditioned for aerobic activities but have no flexibility. It's hard to be perfectly balanced in every area, and if you are training for a sport specific or preferred activity, you obviously have certain areas you want to emphasize, but you don't want to be deficient in other areas either.

When an athlete is lacking in one area of a sport, it can be an obvious weakness. There are some NBA players who routinely get yanked out towards the end of a close game since they are such poor free-throw shooters that they become a liability to their team. This blog obviously focuses on the Physical aspect of your health but you should also consider the following four areas of development.

Mental-Many people stop reading after high school. Find activities that challenge you and are intellectually stimulating. Learning about new ideas and concepts will help you grow mentally. If you found a topic you know very little about and spent a few minutes studying it each day, you could soon become an expert on that topic.

Social-The ability to interact and work with others is important. Some people are obnoxious, overbearing and rude, while others are withdrawn and extremely introverted. Since we interact with others regularly, it is important that we get along with other people and are comfortable doing so.

Spiritual-This is one of the hardest areas to analyze since you can't just measure it by taking your blood pressure or stepping on a scale. Spiritual health means different thing to different people, but having a spiritual aspect to your life is important. People who ignore this aspect are often unfulfilled.

Financial-Like physical health, this one is a little easier to measure and analyze. Money is not everything, but it gives you options. It is more difficult to maintain good health if you are living in poverty and can't afford proper health care, nutritious food, or don't have free time to participate in healthy activities.

These 5 different areas often overlap and affect one another like the sections of the rim in the photo above. A friend once advised me to "find the one area where you are the furthest behind in your life and that is what you should work on." I challenge you to analyze your life in these different areas and work towards creating better balance; (as if you didn't already have enough things to worry about.) You will have a better quality of life if you focus on body, mind, and spirit, as opposed to just your physical health.