The Basics
Some basic truths you should know:
About one-third of all kids and two-thirds of all adults in America are overweight or obese. All of that extra weight translates to preventable diseases, which results in an estimated $150 BILLION a year in increased medical costs.
The food industry, and surprisingly, a large number of average consumers, say that obesity is just a matter of personal responsibility. After all, no one is forcing you to eat fattening foods. Just feed your family healthy diets - problem solved!
I don't buy it. In our society, in our culture, it is so easy to get addicted to processed foods and sugar and salt. Companies engineer their food with the goal of literally making you addicted. The majority of farm subsidies are given to only 3 or so crops, making all other crops expensive to produce, and therefore expensive for us. Tens of billions of dollars a year in healthcare costs could be saved in the long run if we spent just millions on obesity prevention and behavior modification programs. Can we really afford not to?
The basics of healthy eating:
Let's not over-complicate things. I could give you a long list of food swaps and studies on the longest living societies, but what it really comes down to is this:
Eat food that looks like real food. If it doesn't look like something nature made, it's probably not good for you. Processed food should be eaten minimally. I'm not saying you can't ever have it. Just keep it to a minimum. This includes bread, pasta, cakes, cookies, processed dairy, chips, fast food, processed juices, etc. Don't worry about what people are eating in China, India, the Mediterranean, or some booney Island X where people are living to 120. What works for some, does not work for all. Gather some local, seasonal produce, add some spices and herbs, and you've got a meal that will keep you energized, at your ideal weight, and able to ward off diseases naturally. I call it the Crazy Diet, cuz it's so simple it's crazy!
The basics of exercise:
Our bodies were designed to move. Not to sit all day everyday. We were created with muscles, tendons, ligaments, bones, limbs, nerves. For what? Again, not to sit all day everyday. Movement is necessary to keep our bodies and our brains active and functioning at peak levels. But all of this "walking is the best exercise", "you must get 60 minutes most days of the week", "cardio is the only way to lose weight" yada yada is really misleading. They all mean the same thing. MOVE MORE. Get up a few times a day, stretch a little, jump around a little, shake your booty to some tunes, run after the kids, do some yardwork, or go to the gym. It does not matter. Use your body, that's all. Use it or lose it.
The basics of being happy:
Yes, I know, this is subjective. But believe you can be happy, and you're halfway there. A lot of how we feel stems from our perception of our daily life experiences, not from the experiences themselves. Despite this basic truth of life, there are activities that are strongly correlated with an improved outlook on life.
-
Do something for someone else. Research has shown that it really is better to give than to receive. When you give to others it helps to mitigate your own stress. Volunteer, offer your shoulder, help a neighbor.
-
Meditate. It's simple, free, and effective. Sit for 10 minutes, focus on your breathing. Pay attention to each inhale and every exhale. If your attention drifts (it will but with practice will happen less) patiently bring it back and resume your focus on your breathing.
-
Get social. Spend quality time with others. Have friends over, join a class, set up date nights and play games with your kids.
-
Move more. It improves your mood by releasing feel-good hormones, not to mention it makes you look good, which in turn boosts your self-confidence.
-
Smile. Our brains are so funny. We have what are called mirror nuerons in our brains. Even if we see someone else smile, but we don't smile ourselves, our brains pick up on it, and it improves our mood. Weird right? But true.
Apply these theories to your life and you'll be just fine. But how do you apply these theories considering the hectic nature of your busy life? It's all about knowing your priorities, having a goal, and learning some basic truths. I can help with those - Champion of Health has a plan and it's designed to help you eat well, move more, breathe deep, and smile often!