Photo: ericskiff

Alright, so there is no possible way that you are ever giving up your double-shot non-fat mocha latte, no whip, unless of course ALL the Starbucks go out of business.

You’ll eat more greens as long as you can have some Burger King fries every once in a while. You understand that maybe Snickers is not the best snack in the world, but you still need chocolate (duh).

And since they actually ended up making a Sex and the City movie, those chilled pink-drinks found their way back into your heart.

Welcome to a little area I like to call Damage Control.

The secret to good health is not eating perfectly all of the time. Just as there are eating disorders that are based on not eating enough food (anorexia), and eating too much food and then binging (bulimia), there is a relatively newly defined eating disorder that many people have yet to hear of: orthorexia.

On his website, Dr. Steven Bratman describes this form of disordered eating as a “fixation on righteous eating.” Anything can be taken too far, and some people can become completely obsessed with eating the “perfect” diet of completely “clean food.” This can lead to physical, emotional, social, and developmental problems just the same as other eating disorders, and as with anorexia and bulimia, it is often based on something far beyond just food.

Though I doubt most of you reading this are heading in this general direction, I bring it up simply to point out that once again, balance is key in every aspect of who we are (and understanding that sometimes the figurative scale is going to be titled further in one direction than another, and that’s ok).

So what can help with actually improving your health but not giving up everything that you love?

First, as I mentioned back in 101, it is about taking stock of yourself, figuring out what foods, forms of exercise, and types of activity give you energy and which ones deplete you. Remember only YOU (not Dr. Phil or Deepak Chopra or even Sarah Palin) can answer these questions.

Once you’ve sorted that out, it’s time to pick one thing that makes you feel pretty crappy in the long run (although when you initially partake, it might feel damn good) and figure out an alternative that makes feel good both in the short- and long- term.

An example? Ice cream.

Not That! Oh The Horror!

Yes, that. Most people love it, of course, especially during the hot summer days. But quite a few people don’t appreciate the after-affects say 15 minutes, one hour, or four hours later. Why? Well, dairy is one of the most common food allergies in the United States.

Ohhh, ice cream...
Photo: Tavallai

And of course the types of ice cream that are sold by say, an ice cream truck, or at the 7-11 probably have a few additives and ingredients you can’t pronounce, which can wreck havoc on the ole’ stomach.

So what to do if you simply can’t give up all that creamy goodness?

Well, first, try an organic version of your favorite flavor. Some people don’t actually have an allergy to milk, but rather react to the hormones found in commercial dairy.

If you still have the same type of symptoms after eating organic IC, it’s time to start thinking about moving over to another version of the cold stuff (and remember, a lot of ice creams contain wheat, another food high atop the list of most common allergies, so that could be the problem).

Of course, soy ice creams are now widely available, but be careful with too much soy consumption–there is mounting evidence out there that soy is far from the wonder food that it has been championed to be over the last several years.

A new version of ice cream that has been making its way around the larger cities in the United States comes from coconut milk.

Coconut is now being considered a superfood by some (and don’t worry, the coconut fat that has been so maligned for the last 20 years is actually good for you), and has a very similar texture to dairy, though I’ve heard many people say they actually feel lighter after having consumed it as compared to milk-based ice creams (they also tend to be MUCH lower in sugar). Almond-based creams are found in some areas also, and of course there is always sorbet (though for me it just doesn’t cut it).

Once you find an alternative that suits you, you can save the Drumstick cone for an occasion when you are feeling particularly naughty, and then enjoy the hell out of it.

Now I’m REALLY Gonna Make You Mad.

Another example? Coffee. You’ve heard the rumors. Messes with your blood sugar. Kills the stomach. But doesn’t it have a ton of antioxidants??!! And help keep you regular? And back and forth. So is it good or bad?! you beg to know.

But it's SMILING at me!
Photo: e's

Well, here we go again. It all depends on the person (yes, I know you are tired of hearing this, but what can I say? It’s the truth. And I promise, you’ll thank me in the long run).

Everything you’ve heard about coffee is true–it has positive and negative aspects to it, and some people’s bodies are able to handle the negatives well enough that it balances out.

But don’t kid yourself–if you need the coffee (even if it is just about the “ritual” of drinking it), and you have a lot of ups and downs in your energy levels during the day, you aren’t one of those people.

Everyone tries to tell me coffee doesn’t really do much for them, they only have a small cup or two in the morning and then one in the afternoon, they could easily go without it but it’s just a habit. Umm hmm.

To that I say, try not drinking coffee for 3 weeks. If you don’t have headaches, your stomach doesn’t hurt, you jump easily out of bed and into the car to go to work, and you don’t bite off everyone’s head that even glances at you the wrong way, I’ll say “Ok, I believe you. You are fine without coffee.” Otherwise it is time to admit you are just a wee bit addicted.

And that’s ok. Caffeine is actually an addictive substance. Not heroine type of addictive, but addictive enough that the body goes through a withdrawal once you stop drinking it (hence the headaches, fatigue, bloating, irritation–God, kinda sounds like PMS, huh?). There’s no denying it.

That doesn’t mean you are killing yourself drinking it, but maybe it’s time to take a step back if you feel like everyday is like living on a rollercoaster (and it actually compounds the stress your body is reeling from by working-in-an-office-with-an-insane-boss-doing-mindless-tasks-and-the-main-reason-you-are-drinking-coffee-in-the-first-place-is-to-get-through-the-day syndrome).

Couple of easy things:

Drink Water.

Photo: Snap®

Now, I know you’re throwing your head up in exasperation because you are thinking, “Man, that’s what they ALL say and water does NOTHING for me.”

To that I say–try it again. And give it a real go, not a but-I-drank-a-whole-eight-ounce-bottle-of-water-today kind of a try. And I know the latest study says we don’t need eight glasses of water a day/it doesn’t really clean out our system or help our skin/we get plenty from foods and other drinks, etc.

And to that I say pish posh. From clients I’ve worked with, friends, and personal experience, 99% of the time, drinking more water makes people feel better. You can go weeks or months without eating but you will die in a few days if you don’t get enough water. It just makes sense. It’s being absorbed by your organs that thrive off of it and is flushing out the stuff that needs to go. And besides, almost everything else you are drinking is a diuretic, for Christ’s sake. And give it a year–there will be another study to coincide with all the previous studies that say our body needs water.

Take vitamin C.

Photo: audreyjm529

And not a piddly 100mg tablet from Safeway. I’m talking 1000mg and up in a sitting. If you don’t feel anything off of 1,000mg, take 1,500mg. I used to stop at 1,000mg because everybody said that’s all the body could take it an hour. Never did much for me. For a short time, I started taking 2,000mg in a sitting (not every hour, more like twice a day), and man, talk about waking me up and clearing out my brain. That’s what I’m talking about.

Of course, I don’t recommend that you start at 2,500mg–better to start at 500mg and see if you feel anything from it. Everyone’s body needs a different amount. And don’t do it for more than two weeks unless working with a practitioner.

This is only to help your adrenals out while weaning off coffee. But the great thing about Vitamin C is that it is a water-soluble vitamin, which basically means your body gets rid of what it doesn’t need. So if it gets too much, you’ll have diarrhea. That’s nature’s signal to take less the next time.

Eat protein for breakfast.

My perfect breakfast.
Photo: adactio

It will change your life, I promise. And not “high-protein” cereal. No cereal is technically high protein if you look at its ratio to carbs. I’m talking eggs, lean meats, fish, and tofu occasionally if you are vegetarian.

And to get some greens in, which are packed with vitamins to help your body with energy production, throw some spinach into your omelet. Hell, if you are feeling really crazy, have a salad with salmon for breakfast. I’m telling you, change your life.

And you can do all these things before you start cutting back on the coffee. You’re body will probably let you know it’s feeling more energetic by having less cravings for the old roasted bean. Then you can begin to substitute black or green tea, maybe some mate if you are feeling really risky, and have the occasional decaf or full caf just for the flavor. Imagine that, you could truthfully mark the box on your doctor’s health evaluation that says “drinks coffee occasionally.”

There are many ways to switch around what we feel is impossible to change. You just gotta get a little creative so you don’t fall into the ‘restricted’ mindset. Because as soon as you go there, that little rebel in all of us is gonna end up having the last word.

Want some more Damage Control options? Let me know in the comments section.