If Coconut Oil will Kill You, You Might as Well Just Quit..... and other B.S.

Coconut oil is poison. Red meat will kill you. I forgot to turn on my FitBit. My life is in shambles!!

The pendulum is swinging.... again. It's apparently time for a new health craze, another food demon, and more confusion for the health-minded consumer just trying to do their best, dammit. I can't help but wonder if it really matters which way you swing in all this craziness, since the only option is to swing out to the farthest extreme and seek the ultimate in health perfection. Back when coconut oil was cool- you know before this latest bipolar breakup- the only option was to dump the stuff in literally everything. In an attempt to collect the benefits, consumers hoarded the stuff. Turns out we missed the whole point. Shocking.

It seems to be the American way, or the modern way, maybe? If something is supposed to be good, add it to the checklist. Wake up, do said things, take selfie, post on social media so everyone can know just how keto, meditative, nature-y, or extreme you have become. Congrats. But, WHY are you doing it? What's the point? If you're going for a hike just so you can log the steps and check the box next to "time in nature," you missed the point. If you dumped coconut oil on your avocado to balance the algebraic equation of your macros, I'm sorry. If you ever thought your workout didn't count because you didn't turn on whatever device you've enslaved to measure your every move, it might be time to re-evaluate.

Life is for LIVING.

You can be healthy without the strict regimen, too. Having purpose and appreciation for how you choose to live each moment creates a depth of experience that far surpasses any health craze. No single food, exercise, or extreme measure is going to buy you a guaranteed extra week of life. So relax, already. When you go about your life- and your health- seeking an understanding of the bigger picture, you can get off the pendulum and start the business of knowing what is best for you.  As Allison Areiff states in a recent NY Times article, "the appreciation of our own lives has much to do with the ever-increasing awareness of its relative brevity. It is this — an awareness and acceptance of our own mortality — that makes us human. And it is the impetus, I’d argue, for living our lives to the fullest." Eat the highest quality foods you can afford in their most natural state, put your Fitbit in a drawer for awhile, and go for a hike because the world around you is freaking beautiful. You'll find your best health when you slow down long enough to see it.