C.A.T.S Challenge is a way for us to clean up our system from toxins and keep the bad habits away – at least for up to 28 days. We can all benefit from such a diet, even for a limited given time. Our body feels better, our mind clears, we sleep better, we look better… should I continue?
So one would ask, if we know what is bad for us, why do we go there? Why do we put the not-so-healthy things into our body, knowing very well it won’t do us good? It cannot always be explained but I tried to get my head around it.
- Because it feels good at the time
Let’s face it, after a long hard day at work, some of us cannot wait to pop that bottle of wine and kick our shoes off as soon as we get home. We feel the day’s trouble will simply go away – at least until the morning. For us sweet teeth let’s just say pastry and chocolate just make everything good again… And god, what would we do without that caffeine kick first thing in the morning, the smell itself makes me smile every single morning. Coffee, Sugar, Tobacco, Alcohol are all naughty addictions many of us simply “need” to feel good. Even if our health and waist line could be impacted long term. If it feels good, does it mean you should do it?
- Relief from stress
In most cases we feel happier when we succumb to our little weaknesses. Somehow a little sugar fix will help relieve some tension or boredom at work, a cigarette break will take you away from your duties and the nicotine will feel like a sigh of relief – even though you are slowly obstructing your breathing. That mid-morning coffee break, that drink or two every day after work, they all feel like a stress relief remedy. Ironically all those wonderful remedies are on the top 5 list of stress-inducing foods.
- The social side of things
I deeply believe that our social life has a lot to do with our over-indulging lifestyle. Start with coffee shops hangouts, a chit chat around our favourite brew, it all goes together, it’s all part of the experience, even at work. It’s that time when you gather among friends and colleagues to go over gossips or weekend adventures. Smoking is all the same, usually provides employees an excuse to get out for 10-15 minutes and exchange pleasantries with “like-minded” individuals – or are they?
Don’t get me started on Alcohol-fueled evenings with “mates” that make you feel good – the prospect of social surroundings certainly sounding better to most than a lonely evening on your own sipping a cup of green tea; but how you feel the next day should be the real indicator of whether that was a good evening or not.
I believe the Social side of things is a huge factor in why we indulge. The question to ask ourselves is how much we do and when is the right time to stop… until next time.
No matter the reason, we are all guilty of succumbing to temptation. Let’s face it – we are only humans: we do it because we can, we do it because it makes us feel good at the time, we do it to compensate for something we are not so happy about, we do it to find relief. Bottom line is we cannot really stay away from all of it forever – in most cases – so my go-to word is: MODERATION.
Live a little but remember to treat your body with care.
C.A.T.S. CHALLENGE 