194.8 Born To Run...Who Me?

My daughter Miranda suggested I read the book Born To Run. When she first told me about it, I dragged my feet :). I know I will never be a runner at this stage of my life. And, if you have been reading my blog, you know that I would never have said that I was born to run. But, according to the book, we were all born to run. The book talks about how complicated and efficient our feet are. Some of us just didn't know how to value that gift as we were growing up. The book is about many things to do with running, but also about the development and endurance of our spirits. And, it's also about healthy eating. It talks about the tribe of the "reclusive Tarahumara Indians of Mexico’s deadly Copper Canyons who are custodians of a lost art. For centuries they have practiced techniques that allow them to run hundreds of miles without rest and chase down anything from a deer to an Olympic marathoner while enjoying every mile of it. Their superhuman talent is matched by uncanny health and serenity, leaving the Tarahumara immune to the diseases and strife that plague modern existence." (I took this quote from the editor's description of the book on Amazon.com.) To eat like these tribe members, the first suggestion was extremely simple: eat less. The second was to eat mostly fruit and vegetables and to rely more on beans for protein than animal products. The concept of eating less does seem simple, but doing it is not as easy as it sounds. However, it wasn't as difficult as I thought it would be and becomes habitual quite quickly. Since my weight loss has really stalled out, I am thinking about cutting back even more. I can always fill up on celery :), apples, other veges. Oh, one thing I do occasionally while I'm preparing dinner so I won't eat while cooking is to put out raw veges. My favorite these days is a sliced red bell pepper, beautiful and yummy.