The only easy day was yesterday.

13 truths about health and wellness for your journey

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There are some clear rules here at the Intentional Table.

The first amongst them is a phrase my mom used, which is “Tell it like it is.” She was often correct, that my inclination to make the story about the fish I caught sound really good. (or fill in any fish story you want)

A little edgier post from the Table today: An invective, direction, rules, choices… oh, man.

There is SO much out there in the marketplace about diets, and I radically avoid the use of the word diet and this table. A diet is like an imposed prison sentence. It implies suffering and sets restrictions and other boundaries on the variety of nature, and is, well, just boring. Of course, there are exceptions to the rule. Sometimes you should not/cannot eat certain things because of immediate health concerns. Got that! However, we here advocate for a wider array of deliciousness routinely.

Here are the facts: (all the people mentioned, btw, are fake, just so you get the idea…

1. There is no “perfect” diet. My neighbor Carla trains for triathlons yet loves Friday‑night burgers with her kids. She fuels mostly on vegetables, fish, and whole grains, but that cheeseburger brings her joy and keeps her plan livable. She never feels guilty, and the next morning she’s back to oatmeal and a long ride. Her story shows what balance looks like in real life. Health is the pattern, not the one treat. Aim for variety, stay flexible, and let celebrations stay fun.

2. Too good to be true. A flyer once promised my uncle Pete he could “drop 20 pounds in a week—no sweat.” He bought the pills, shed water weight, then felt awful and regained it all. Real progress came months later when he started walking after dinner and cooking on Sundays. Slow gains felt boring at first, but now he keeps up with his grandkids. Quick fixes fade; steady habits last.

3. Correlation ≠ causation. Headlines screamed that eating ice cream raises shark‑attack risk—both rise in summer. Silly example, but nutrition news can be just as misleading. A friend stopped drinking coffee after reading one study and felt no different; the research only showed an association. Science needs controlled trials and replication. Read past the headline and ask, “Was this proven, or just linked?”

4. Skip pricey supplements. Sarah spent $80 a month on “super‑greens” powder until her dietitian asked her to list her usual meals. She already ate spinach, berries, beans, and salmon. When she paused the powder, nothing changed but her bank balance. Most nutrients come packaged inside food, bringing fiber, flavor, and satisfaction. Save your cash for fresh produce—or a fun cooking class.

5. “Natural” isn’t always better. Poison ivy, rattlesnake venom, and arsenic are 100 percent natural. Meanwhile, iodized table salt—technically “processed”—virtually eliminated goiter in the U.S. Context matters far more than the label. My botanist friend laughs every time she sees “all‑natural” plastered on soda. Judge by evidence and dose, not marketing buzzwords.

6. Health ≠ weight. Jamal’s scale hasn’t budged in a year, but his doctor high‑fived him because his blood pressure dropped and his energy soared. He swapped late‑night TV for early walks and learned to prep lunches. He feels lighter in spirit if not in pounds. Function, mood, and labs tell a richer story than any number. Of course, I have known men that were +300# that have a body fat below 5%.

7. Small, consistent wins. Maria wanted to overhaul her diet but felt overwhelmed. She started by adding one piece of fruit to breakfast. A month later she tackled water intake, then switched from elevators to stairs. Individually tiny, together these habits helped her lower her A1C. Mini steps stack into big change—like bricks forming a wall.

8. Food isn’t everything. After a week of perfect meals, Ben still felt drained. Turned out he was sleeping five hours and answering emails at 1 a.m. His afternoon cravings eased once he set a bedtime and took stretch breaks. Nutrition matters, but so do rest, movement, and mental calm. Think orchestra, not solo. None of these actors can pull off the whole made-for-TV movie by themselves!

9. Education ≠ behavior change. My cousin, a nurse, could recite heart‑healthy guidelines yet skipped breakfast and lived on vending‑machine snacks during shifts. Only when her team formed a salad jar club did her lunches improve. Knowledge lit the path; support made her walk it. Practical tools, reminders, and community turn ideas into habits. This is exactly why some in the crowd cannot understand why, when I was a restaurant manager, I had to shove a burger in my face while taking inventory in the walk-in cooler. I know doctors that had wear diapers in surgery, and pee themselves while in place, because they could not walk away from the table while they were taking your ‘X’ out. Sacrifices like this know no barriers.

10. No magic foods. Blueberries are great, but a blueberry muffin every morning won’t grant immortality. Conversely, one doughnut won’t doom you. A client obsessed over kale smoothies yet ignored overall calories and sleep. When she zoomed out, balance returned, and so did her energy. Patterns trump single foods, every time.

11. Rules in the garbage. Tyler banned carbs for six weeks, then devoured an entire pizza and felt defeated. When he allowed bread in measured portions, cravings relaxed. Rigid rules often backfire and breed guilt. Flexible guidelines, think “mostly plants, enough protein, treats on weekends,” feel doable and sustainable.

12. One meal won’t ruin you. Thanksgiving dinner left Maya stuffed and worried. The next day she walked the dog, made a veggie omelet, and moved on. No spiral, no punishment. Likewise, her co‑worker’s Monday salad didn’t erase a weekend of cocktails. Zoom out to the monthly calendar, not the single plate. If you do not eat on occasion what you wish, you will never be able to say no to it when it really counts.

13. “If you can’t pronounce it, don’t eat it.” Sounds clever, but my grandmother struggles to pronounce quinoa, edamame, and kefir—yet all nourish her. Conversely, she easily says “sugar” and “lard.” Ingredient lists matter, but tongue‑twisting names often just mean vitamins or harmless additives. Learn what they are, decide with information, and keep fear off the menu. Ask any 5 year old what the words mean, and if they don’t know, don’t eat it.

Ah, life at the Intentional Table.

Be real, and eat real.

Until we eat again,

Jonathan