By Gina Cousineau
We all know that this holiday season will be very different than years past, with staying home not really a choice but potentially our only opportunity to quell this pandemic. We do this not only to protect the people we love, but for the greater good of humankind.
That being said, as any annoying mother would do, I am going to continue to remind/bug you about how you can make the decision to take an active role in helping yourself construct a better defense against this deadly virus, rather than just hiding from it.
Though I am a huge proponent of following the CDC’s guidelines of mask wearing, social distancing and proper hand hygiene while in the public setting, if you choose to stow away in your home, not getting fresh air, sunshine, nor socialization, it adds its own risks to your health and mental well-being.
While we can do everything in our power to ward off COVID-19, it can still find us, no matter how careful we are. This is when we must look to our overall health, how strong our immune systems are, and realize that even the healthiest of individuals have succumbed to this virus.
So, what can and should we do? We must take ownership of our overall health, from the top of our heads to our tippy-toes.
From our mental state, heart and pulmonary fitness, gastrointestinal constitution, genitourinary track soundness, to our overall strength and robustness, the food we ingest and how we choose to move our bodies, matters.
You can no longer choose to ignore this, and you don’t have to feel like you must choose between your health and your happiness. You can have your cake and eat it, too.
My wellness approach, which I call the Mama G Lifestyle, has allowed me to control the things in my life that are actually controllable, and remain standing strong today at the age of 57.
Real, wholesome food can change your life. And while the majority of people who reach out to me for nutrition advice don’t end up working with me, it is almost always about them refusing to do a bit of “cooking.”
This makes me really sad, especially since I know each one of you would go to the ends of the Earth to protect your brood. How do you refuse to see the error in your food and lifestyle choices?
Since I know that not only can real, wholesome foods bring immense joy to one’s life, but also to the people you live with, why not consider trying a new outlook in the coming year, rather than the all-or-none approach that feeds the multibillion-dollar diet and health industry?
It is for this reason I am doing complimentary, monthly virtual “Cook-Alongs” to inspire you to get into the kitchen and cook beautiful meals for your family. A good place to start is by viewing these recorded sessions on my Mama G’s Lifestyle YouTube page in my “Cooking with Mama G” public playlist.
Additionally, you can also work with me virtually in a group or one-on-one setting to boost your health and live a long, healthy, independent life, once and for all.
Gina Cousineau sees clients virtually and in person out of her San Clemente office. Her extensive education with a BS in dietetics and MS in integrative and functional nutrition, chef training, and 30-plus years as a fitness professional, allow her to help clients lose weight and improve their health. You can reach her at mamag@mamagslifestyle.com, 949.842.9975, and on Instagram and Facebook @mamagslifestyle.
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