One day last week, I made a regularly scheduled visit to my chiropractor, Zeinin Haji. Zeinin is this wonderful woman who, a few years ago, took a man whose hips could barely get him across the livingroom floor and changed him into a viable, functioning human being once again. Because of this, I tend to pay attention to what she says.
Last week, in the middle of an adjustment, she suggested I might be better off if I lost five pounds. In chiropractic terms, she thought it would create a better "balance". What I found remarkable about this was that she has never said anything to me about my weight before and, believe me, I have needed to lose five pounds pretty well since I was fifteen!
When she said this, I immediately became suspicious that perhaps she and my wife, Doralyn, had been involved in some conspiracy. I had noticed that Doralyn had been in for an appointment with Zeinin about an hour before I got there. What a coincidence that Zeinin was now talking to me about my weight.....hmmm.
After the adjustment, we sat down and Zeinin drew me out a bit of a pie chart with proteins, carbs and fats on it and suggested a diet higher in protein and with a little less of the others. We then agreed that I would try and lose five pounds by my next visit, in a month, and that my overall goal might be closer to thirty pounds. Not unreasonable.Here's where the black coffee comes in.
At some point while we were talking about small and simple things I could do to lose weight and be healthier, Zeinin suggested that I could start drinking my coffee black. Now, the whole time she'd been talking to me, I had been gently nodding my head up and down, in total acquiescence. When she mentioned drinking my coffee black, my head started swiveling back and forth sideways. I have never taken my coffee black. I can't stand the taste of black coffee. Over the years, I've had pretty well every combination of milk, cream, sugar and sweetener in an attempt to be healthier but I always drew the line at drinking it black. In my mind, right there in Zeinin's office, I'm thinking no way.
I headed for home after the appointment and was standing in the kitchen, telling Doralyn about it. She swore up and down that my name had never come up during her earlier appointment with Zeinin. Which is now kind of beside the point because when it comes right down to it, I do need to lose a whole bunch of weight and Doralyn reminded me that I've been promising her for years that I would be a healthier husband for her. At that point, I mentioned to Doralyn about the black coffee. I told her what my reaction had been when I had heard black coffee described as a healthier alternative. Right there in the kitchen, I more or less told Doralyn there was no way I was going to be following that little bit of Zeinin's advice. At this point, Doralyn turned to leave the kitchen and as she did so, looked over her shoulder at me, smiled sweetly and said, "Perhaps Zeinin thinks I'm worth it!"
With this one short phrase, Doralyn more or less nailed me to the cross of my love for her.
I stood there in the kitchen after she left with my mouth (or was it my soul) hanging a little open. Of course she's worth it! This was, and always has been, the undeniable truth to it all and all the responsibility around this had just been very clearly distributed right back in my lap. Clearly, where it belonged.
I followed Doralyn into the livingroom, smiled, looked down and pointed my finger at her (as I tend to do every time she amazes me with something) and told her, "That was good!"
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| She seems worth it, doesn't she?? |
The next morning, I drank my coffee black. I made more black coffee and took it to work with me. I then drank black coffee all weekend long and I drank black coffee today.
Along with all this black coffee, I've been eating lots of protein, fewer carbs and healthier fats. I've been to the gym twice and hiked and run. I've lost about five pounds but it's five pounds I knew would come off quickly once I started to really pay attention.
The black coffee, with its missing milk, of course, will likely always be one of the smallest parts of me being healthier. With all the things I can do to be more mindful of my health, however, black coffee may be the touchstone of them all!
