Hey everyone, hope you’re feeling good today! After all, that’s the point of the challenge, is it not?

First off, Nick, make no mistake about it, I am not trying to motivate anyone here, simply sharing some tips and tricks that can be helpful. Helen is and always will remain the mother of motivation! She always starts these good initiatives and then boosts everyone through them. Thank you, Helen, on everyone’s behalf! And a big shout out to Nick for the positive changes he’s making!!

Speaking of everyone, where the heck are the others? It seems neither motivation nor health tips are enough to induce active participation! I’m not sure if everyone uses email daily, perhaps we need to text them a link or something… I’ll look into it.

Without further adieu, and inspired by Jackie’s excellent (and supremely important) article, sent earlier today, here’s your Day 5 TIP™ (not an actual trademark)! 😛

How many people can you think of that are truly healthy? Health may mean different things to each one of us, but I’d be willing to bet that anyone who makes your list is not dieting. Probably never does, in fact.

I sincerely believe that dieting is unhealthy and doesn’t work! There is an immense body of research proving this to be a fact, and the outdated and overly simplistic calories in/calories out model is a flawed myth which is being disproven more and more by the scientific community.

Sadly, the worst part about all this stuff is what’s it’s done to our self-talk, self-esteem, body image and how it has affected society overall. It has particularly insidious and devastating effects on children, especially young girls.

Jackie & I watched the CBC documentary Helen recommended the other day, Sext Up Kids, and they put it best: “A young girl is either fuckable, or invisible.” This starts off from a very young age with the seemingly innocuous obsession with the “perfect” Disney princesses – and then it goes all the way to the ubiquity of free online porn, which shapes the image of what kind of woman boys desire and demand. Can you imagine the deep damage this does to the very fabric of our society? No kidding our parents and grandparents say things (about our current society) like “έχουμε ξεφύγει εντελÏŽς”. What our the morals and values we live by – and pass on to our kids, consciously or not?

I may have gone a bit far down the rabbit hole, but this is really important. I propose that we start by embracing and loving ourselves as we are right now, then ditch dieting and weight loss. Real health (and sustained weight loss, ironically) can only come from a focus on gradual and sustainable, not drastic, changes. By being more active and practising true guilt-free moderation, we become not only healthier, but better people and role models to our children and society at large.

PLEASE consider these ideas, they are of paramount importance in our challenging times. I would be happy to share more about how to effect change and live healthier, if this interest people. Start by feeling good about yourself today!

In summary, my TIP is to forget about fad dieting and start living healthier, little by little, right now!

Sorry about the length… love and blessings to everyone.