The Power of One Word: WHY

Two weeks ago I was asked to speak at a Running Group in Tucson Az. After much thought they asked me to speak on why I run. Wow. That sounds simple right? Wrong. On the surface it’s a simple answer right now, for fitness. Honestly though, think about it. Why?

                Now apply this to your life: Why do you do the things you do? Why do you wish for certain things? Why do you wake up when you do? Why do you do things the way you do? I promise you there is a big answer there that we just haven’t truly thought about, and this is what this simple yet significant question brought to my attention.

                Well, what’s my answer then? This goes back to when I was 6 years old, when I ran my first 5k with my dad. I did it because my hero did it. Then it morphed when I was 15 years old because it was a part of a triathlon. If I wanted to compete and be any good I needed to train and run. From there it changed again, only this time it wasn’t so simple or healthy, I ran to lose weight, to be thin, to push myself even harder, because I had an eating disorder. I ran to escape my feelings of not feeling good enough, I ran as a torture for myself for the food that I ate. Ugh, but I ran myself sick.

                I was running to a point in where it was to punish myself because I hadn’t found a positive relationship with myself, with food or what I did. I needed help. Fortunately I got the help I needed. After years of work and continual work now,  I transitioned to run to compete again. I competed because I could, because I wanted to and I loved the elation of accomplishment and comradery it brought.

                Fast forward years later I still run for competition, but not as much as I had 4 years previous, I now run because simply I love it. Running has been my therapy, it has been my companion, brought me a sense of identity but also a family and community away from family. Running has brought be so close to so many people and wonderful connections in my life I can’t imagine not having.

                My relationship with myself, my mind, food and physical activity is so much more balanced after having gone through all that I have. In 20 years my purpose for running has changed, and it has changed me. I run simply because I love it.

                Now think about your life. Why don’t you? Or why do you do things? Are you doing things because you love it, because you love yourself OR because you are torturing yourself? I ran for a good part of 6 years to torture myself, but that didn’t bring me peace or love, only heartache. Do what you do because you love who you are because of it.

Thanks to the Goatographer

What is in your food?

Nutrient - Daily Amount Needed	Information		Fruit Sources	Vegetable Sources	Nut/Grain Sources	Meat/Protein Sources	Legume Sources
Vitamin A 10,000 IU/day (plant-derived) for adult males. 8,000 for adult females - 12,000 if lactating. 4,000 for children ages 1-3 5,000 for children ages 4-6 7,000 for children ages 7-10	Vitamin A helps cell reproduction. It also stimulates immunity and is needed for formation of some hormones. Vitamin A helps vision and promotes bone growth, tooth development, and helps maintain healthy skin, hair, and mucous membranes. Alpha-carotene, beta-carotene and retinol are all versions of Vitamin A.		Most fruits contain vitamin A, but the following fruits have a significant amount: Cantaloupes Grapefruit Guava Mango Papaya Passionfruit Tomatoes Watermelon	Amaranth Leaves Bok Choy Broccoli Brussels Sprouts Butternut Squash Carrots Chinese Broccoli Chinese Cabbage Kale Leeks Peas Pumpkin Rapini Spinach Squash - summer Squash - winter Sweet Potato Swiss Chard	Chestnuts Pecans Pistachios	Cheddar Cheese Cream Cheese Cows Milk Whipping Cream Eggs Tuna Goat Milk Goat Cheese Sour Cream	Most legumes do not contain a significant amount of Vitamin A
Vitamin B1 (thiamine) 1.2 mg for adult males and 1.1 mg for women - 1.5 mg if lactating. Children need .6 to .9 mg of B1/thiamine per day.	Vitamin B1/thiamine is important in the production of energy. It helps the body cells convert carbohydrates into energy. It is also essential for the functioning of the heart, muscles, and nervous system. Not getting enough thiamine can leave one fatigued and weak. Note: Most fruits and vegetables are not a significant source of thiamine.		Avocado Boysenberries Breadfruit Cherimoya Dates Grapes Grapefruit Guava Loganberries Mango Orange Pineapple Pomegranate Watermelon	Asparagus Brussels Sprouts Butternut Squash Corn French Beans Lima Beans Okra Parsnips Peas Potatoes Spirulina Sweet Potato	Brazil Nuts Buckwheat Cashews Chestnuts Flax Seed Filberts/Hazelnuts Macadamia Nuts Millet Oats Peanuts Pecans Pine Nuts/Pignolias Pistachios Quinoa Rice Brown Rye Spelt Wheat - Durum Wheat - Hard Red Wheat - Hard White	Beef Cows Milk Catfish Herring Salmon Tuna Goat Milk Pork Soy Beans Soy Milk Lowfat Yogurt Roast Duck Bacon Pork Sausage Ground Chicken	Black Beans Black Eye Peas Kidney Beans Navy Beans White Beans Winged Beans
Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) 1.3 mg for adult males and 1.1 mg for women - 1.5 mg if pregnant/lactating. Children need .6 to .9 mg of B2/riboflavin per day.	Vitamin B2 or riboflavin is important for body growth, reproduction and red cell production. It also helps in releasing energy from carbohydrates.		Avocado Banana Cherimoya Dates Grapes Lychee Mango Mulberries Passion Fruit Pomegranate Prickly Pear	Amaranth Leaves Artichoke Asparagus Bok Choy Brussels Sprouts Chinese Broccoli French Beans Lima Beans Mushrooms Peas Pumpkin Spirulina Squash - winter Sweet Potato Swiss Chard	Almonds Buckwheat Chestnuts Oats Quinoa Rye Wheat - Durum Wheat - Hard Red Wheat - Hard White	Beef Cheddar Cheese Cottage Cheese Chicken (dark meat) Eggs Caviar Herring Pollock Salmon Sardines Tuna Goat Milk Goat Cheese Lamb Pork Soy Beans Soy Milk Turkey Breast Turkey Bacon Veal Yogurt Sour Cream Turkey Leg Lowfat Yogurt Roast Duck Hamburger Beef Sausage Ground Turkey Ground Chicken	Adzuki Beans Fava Beans Edamame Garbanzo Beans Mung Beans Navy Beans Pinto Beans Soy Beans Winged Beans
Vitamin B3 (niacin) 16 mg for adult males and 14 mg for women - 17-18 mg if pregnant/lactating. Children need 9 - 16 mg of niacin per day.	Niacin assists in the functioning of the digestive system, skin, and nerves. It is also important for the conversion of food to energy.		Avocado Boysenberries Breadfruit Cherimoya Dates Guava Loganberries Lychee Mango Nectarine Passion Fruit Peach	Artichoke Butternut Squash Corn Mushrooms Okra Parsnip Peas Potatoes Pumpkin Spirulina Spaghetti Squash Squash - winter Sweet Potato	Barley Buckwheat Peanuts Rye Spelt Sunflower Seeds Wheat - Durum Wheat - Hard Red Wheat - Hard White	Beef Chicken Breast Chicken (dark meat) Anchovies Catfish Cod Herring Perch Pollock Salmon Sardines Tuna Lamb Pork Turkey Breast Turkey Bacon Veal Turkey Leg Hot Dog (Turkey) Roast Duck Hamburger Bacon Pork Sausage Beef Sausage Ground Turkey Ground Chicken	Adzuki Beans Fava Beans Edamame Pigeon Beans Split Peas Soy Beans Winged Beans
Vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid) 5 mg for adults and 6 - 7 mg for women who are pregnant or lactating. Children need 2 - 4 mg of pantothenic acid per day.	Pantothenic acid is essential for the metabolism of food as well as in the formation of hormones and (good) cholesterol.		Avocado Black Currants Breadfruit Cherimoya Dates Gooseberries Grapefruit Guava Pomegranate Raspberries Starfruit Watermelon	Broccoli Brussels Sprouts Butternut Squash Corn French Beans Mushrooms Okra Parsnip Potatoes Pumpkin Spirulina Spaghetti Squash Squash - summer Squash - winter Sweet Potato	Buckwheat Chestnuts Oats Rye Sunflower Seeds Wheat - Durum Wheat - Hard Red Wheat - Hard White	Beef Chicken Breast Chicken (dark meat) Cows Milk Eggs Catfish Caviar Herring Perch Salmon Sardines Tuna Goat Milk Lamb Pork Soy Milk Turkey Breast Veal Yogurt Turkey Leg Lowfat Yogurt Roast Duck Hamburger Beef Sausage Ground Turkey Ground Chicken	Adzuki Beans Black Eye Peas Edamame Lima Beans Mung Beans Soy Beans Split Peas
Vitamin B6 (pryidoxine) 1.3 to 1.7 mg for adults - 2 mg for women who are pregnant or lactating. Children need between 0.6 to 1.3 mg B6 per day.	B6 plays a role in the creation of antibodies in the immune system. It helps maintain normal nerve function and acts in the formation of red blood cells. It is also required for the chemical reactions of proteins. The higher the protein intake, the more need there is for vitamin B6. Too little B6 in the diet can cause dizziness, nausea, confusion, irritability and convulsions.		Avocado Banana Breadfruit Cherimoya Dates Gooseberries Grapes Guava Lychee Mango Passion Fruit Pineapple Pomegranate Watermelon	Amaranth Leaves Bok Choy Broccoli Brussels Sprouts Butternut Squash Celeriac Corn French Beans Green Pepper Kale Lima Beans Okra Peas Potatoes Spirulina Spaghetti Squash Squash - winter Sweet Potato Taro	Chestnuts Filberts/Hazelnuts Pistachios Pumpkin Seeds Rice Brown Rye Sunflower Seeds Walnuts Wheat - Durum Wheat - Hard Red Wheat - Hard White	Chicken Breast Chicken (dark meat) Catfish Cod Herring Pollock Salmon Sardines Tuna Pork Soy Beans Soy Milk Turkey Breast Turkey Bacon Veal Turkey Leg Roast Duck Hamburger Beef Sausage Ground Turkey Ground Chicken	Black Eye Peas Edamame Garbanzo Beans Kidney Beans Lima Beans Navy Beans Pinto Beans Soy Beans White Beans
Vitamin B9 (folate/folic acid) At least 400 mcgs for most adults - pregnant women 600 mcgs and breastfeeding women should get at least 500 mcgs. Children need between 150 to 300 mcg per day.	Folate and folic acid are both forms of B9. Folate occurs naturally in fresh foods, whereas folic acid is the synthetic form found in supplements. Your body needs folate to produce red blood cells, as well as components of the nervous system.		Avocado Blackberries Boysenberries Breadfruit Cherimoya Dates Guava Loganberries Lychee Mango Orange Papaya Passionfruit Pineapple Pomegranate Raspberries Strawberries	Amaranth Leaves Artichoke Asparagus Beetroot Bok Choy Broccoli Brussels Sprouts Chinese Broccoli Chinese Cabbage French Beans Lima Beans Okra Parsnip Peas Potatoes Spinach Spirulina Squash - summer Squash - winter	Buckwheat Chestnuts Filberts/Hazelnuts Oats Peanuts Quinoa Rye Sunflower Seeds Wheat - Durum Wheat - Hard Red Wheat - Hard White	Cheddar Cheese Eggs Salmon Lamb Soy Beans Soy Milk Lowfat Yogurt Beef Jerky	Most legumes are good sources of Folate but these are very good sources: Black Eye Peas Edamame Soy Beans
Vitamin B12 2.4 mcg for adults and 2.6 - 2.8 mcg for women who are pregnant or lactating. Children need 0.9 - 2.4 mcg per day.	Like the other B vitamins, vitamin B12 is important for metabolism. It helps in the formation of red blood cells and in the maintenance of the central nervous system. Vitamin B12 is the one vitamin that is available only from fish, poultry, meat or dairy sources in food.		None	None	No nuts contain a significant amount of vitamin B12.	Beef Cheddar Cheese Cottage Cheese Cows Milk Eggs Catfish Caviar Cod Herring Perch Pollock Salmon Sardines Tuna Lamb Pork Veal Yogurt Lowfat Yogurt Hamburger Beef Sausage Hot Dog (Beef) Ground Chicken	Legumes do not contain a significant amount of vitamin B12.
Vitamin C 60 mg for adults - 70 mg for women who are pregnant and 95 for those lactating. Children need between 45 and 50 mg	Vitamin C is one of the most important of all vitamins. It plays a significant role as an antioxidant, thereby protecting body tissue from the damage of oxidation. Antioxidants act to protect your cells against the effects of free radicals, which are potentially damaging by-products of the body’s metabolism.		Black Currants Breadfruit Grapefruit Guava Kiwi Lychee Mango Mulberries Orange Papaya Passionfruit Pineapple Strawberries	Amaranth Leaves Bok Choy Broccoli Brussels Sprouts Butternut Squash Green Pepper Kale Swiss Chard	Other than Chestnuts, most nuts do not contain a significant amount of vitamin C.	Cod Perch Goat Milk Soy Beans Lowfat Yogurt	Other thanEdamame, most legumes do not contain a significant amount of vitamin C.
Vitamin D 5 mcg (200 iu) for most adults. Between 50 - 70 yrs 10 mcg (400 iu), and after 70 15 mcg (600 iu). Children need about 5 mcg (200 iu)/day.	Vitamin D is known as the "sunshine vitamin" since it is manufactured by the body after being exposed to sunshine. Ten to fifteen minutes of good sunshine three times weekly is adequate to produce the body's requirement of vitamin D.		None	Mushrooms	No nuts contain a significant amount of vitamin D.	Beef Cheddar Cheese Cream Cheese Chicken Breast Cows Milk Whipping Cream Eggs Anchovies Caviar Cod Herring Sardines Goat Cheese Turkey Bacon Yogurt Sour Cream Hot Dog (Turkey) Hamburger Bacon Pork Sausage Beef Sausage Hot Dog (Beef) Ground Turkey	Legumes do not contain a significant amount of vitamin D.
Vitamin E 30 IU for most adults. Children need between 6-11 mg/day. (1 IU is equal to approximately .75 mg) Note: some researchers and medical experts believe that with all of the positive studies using higher doses of vitamin E, this daily recommended intake is not high enough.	Like vitamin C, vitamin E plays a significant role as an antioxidant, thereby protecting body tissue from the damage of oxidation. It is important in the formation of red blood cells and the use of vitamin K. Many women also use it to help minimize the appearance of wrinkles, and mothers use it to help heal minor wounds without scarring, as it is valued for its ability to soothe and heal broken or stressed skin tissue.	Avocado Blackberries Black Currants Blueberries Boysenberries Breadfruit Cranberries Guava Kiwi Loganberries Mango Mulberries Nectarine Papaya Peach Pomegranate Raspberries		Butternut Squash Parsnip Potatoes Pumpkin Spirulina Swiss Chard Taro	Almonds Filberts/Hazelnuts Pine Nuts/Pignolias Sunflower Seeds	Eggs Herring Sardines Turkey Bacon	Edamame Pinto Beans
Vitamin K 70-80 micrograms/day for adult males, 60-65 micrograms per day for adult females. Children need about half the amount, depending on age.	Vitamin K is fat soluble and plays a critical role in blood clotting. It regulates blood calcium levels and activates at least 3 proteins involved in bone health.		Avocado Blackberries Blueberries Boysenberries Chinese Pear Cranberries Grapes Kiwi Loganberries Mango Mulberries Pear Plum Pomegranate Raspberries Tomatoes	Alfalfa, sprouted Artichoke Asparagus Bok Choy Broccoli Brussels Sprouts Cabbage Carrots Cauliflower Celery Chinese Broccoli Cucumber Kale Leeks Okra Peas Rapini Spinach Spirulina Squash - winter Swiss Chard	Cashews Chestnuts Filberts/Hazelnuts Pine Nuts/Pignolias Pistachios Rye	Beef Cheddar Cheese Eggs Anchovies Lamb Soy Milk Turkey Bacon Turkey Leg Roast Duck	Edamame Kidney Beans Split Peas