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| Photo via OmFactoryNYC |
When I was in graduate school at NYU, Joy Bauer came to speak. In the Q and A, Joy was asked what she suggested we read for nutrition information. Her response was to “read it all” both the scientific literature and the lowbrow crap. It was good advice but more than anything it has served as justification for my procrastination reading, I can admit I love the lowbrow. And now my reading democracy has extended into television.
About a week ago I was going to bed and flipped past the reality show Joan Rivers does with her daughter Melissa. I was transfixed. Despite aging and the zillion surgeries, Joan is awesome. If watching her crack jokes wasn’t enough, in my maiden episode Joan befriended a woman in LA (who happened to be gay) and kissed her after dinner. When asked about this by her daughter Joan explained she just did it.
Now I’m not going to analyze this from a sexual angle. I delved into that realm with Jill Blakeway. The message that stayed with me, other than the cautionary tale of plastic surgery gone wrong, was why wait until we’re older to experiment?
Dining in the Dark– this is popular in Europe, it is what is sounds like but the concept is that you’re experiencing the taste of food more or differently when you cannot see it.
Or maybe daring for you is trying a cuisine or new food. I’d love to try Ethiopian food and recently had my first mangosteen.
Retrying a Food You Think You Don’t Like– we all have foods with bad memories attached. For some it’s Brussels Sprouts, for others of you maybe it’s fish. More often than not these opinions can be traced to a mother who wasn’t adept at cooking the ingredient. I retried sardines. When clients list foods they dislike, I always ask them the last time they tried them, tastes change. Why not see if that’s the case for you?
Why Not? Workouts– In terms of fitness, I’m a fan of experimentation. In NYC there’s a trapeze school and also trampolining classes and indoor rock climbing. In the yoga world there’s aerial yoga and naked yoga. It doesn’t have to be a triathlon or marathon to get you to branch out. Some Foodtrainers’ clients are participating in the SEAK’s foundation’s Sports Bra Challenge to raise awareness of body image concerns in women.
SEAK is a nonprofit organization that brings awareness to the increasing epidemic of women who determine their self-worth based on their appearance. We address these issues by promoting fitness as a platform for women to build the confidence they need to feel empowered and comfortable in their own skin – exactly as they are.
On that note, I think there’s something empowering about experimentation. Whether it’s being in public in a sports bra, rock climbing or dining in the dark.
What do you think is the food or fitness equivalent of kissing a girl? Are you a creature of habit or interested in experimentation? What mindless reading or TV will you admit to? Any foods or workouts you’re curious about?
