What motivates your behavior? When I ask this question, most people hesitate responding. After a pause, the typical answer is, “I don’t think in terms of MOTIVATION, but rather HABIT. The term habit is more commonly associated with a NEGATIVE response than a positive one. “Kicking a habit,” “force of habit,” “old habits die hard” and “creature of habit” are phrases often used to express “BAD HABITS.”
Why do we choose to deceive ourselves? Why do we deny the likely harmful physical and mental outcomes of these habitual patterns of self destruction? Why do we choose to believe our bodies and minds are IMMUNE to SERIOUS DISEASES and DYSFUNCTIONS when we live day to day knowingly making POOR CHOICES? Why must we:
WAIT FOR SYMPTOMS
before CONSIDERING changing our lifestyles to UNDO the damage we’ve created?
In addition to the rising numbers of people suffering well known health problems including cardiac disease, diabetes, obesity, stroke and cancer, why are we now facing increasing numbers of:
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peanut sensitivities?
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gluten sensitivities?
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chemical sensitivities?
Why are more people diagnosed with:
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Irritable bowel syndrome?
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Reflux disease/GERD? (indigestion)
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Auto Immune diseases? (multiple sclerosis, lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, etc…)
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Alzheimer’s disease?
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Chronic fatigue?
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Fibromyalgia?
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Skin diseases? (ex. eczema or psoriasis)
It is my opinion (based on clinical experience and observation) our society has become so complacent, we have convinced ourselves of the following:
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It’s cheaper and easier to live a sedentary life sustained by low cost “food” products.
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Lifestyle doesn’t play a significant role in health, disease and dysfunction.
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Doctors will “FIX” the health problems we develop as a result of our lifestyle choices with their pharmaceutical drugs.
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The quality of our lives is based MORE on the WEALTH we create than the LIFESTYLE we live.
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Our bodies will remain HEALTHY in the ABSENCE of ACTIVE participation .
I challenge each and every reader to TRUTHFULLY decide if one or more of the five sentences above applies to your life. If it does, you are one of those:
WAITING FOR SYMPTOMS
.
to occur before “SEEING THE NEED” to potentially change your lifestyle. The problem with this approach is the INCORRECT ASSUMPTION that we can “undo” the damage at any point and achieve a “HEALTHY” DESIRABLE OUTCOME!
DO YOU REALLY BELIEVE THE ONLY DIFFERENCE IS PRICE AND TASTE?
.
“THE NEED“ is NOT based on undoing damage, but rather supplying the essential components necessary for MAINTAINING healthy physical and mental FUNCTION. If the reader is willing to accept this concept and ACTIVELY IMPLEMENT it into his or her lifestyle, the chances for achieving optimal health as well as the opportunity to experience quality living becomes POSSIBLE.
Those who choose instead, to WAIT FOR SYMPTOMS, will continue to develop the diseases that destroy the quality of so many lives.
.
Saying, “it won’t happen to me,” doesn’t prevent it from occurring.
.
Waking up to the reality that lifelong (damaging) HABITS is the #1 FACTOR that results in DISEASE and DYSFUNCTION and implementing a PLAN OF ACTION to REALISTICALLY modify your life to provide the body the tools NECESSARY to help it RESTORE HEALTHY FUNCTION makes saying,
“IT WON’T HAPPEN TO ME”
a more honest and likely outcome!
Ignoring this advice will keep your doctors and pharmaceutical companies “LIVING THE DREAM” while you continue to pay the financial, physical and mental price for their services. Are you living your life IN A MANNER so you can improve the quality of THEIRS? Are you willing to reassess your THINKING and ACTIONS or are you:
GOING TO WAIT FOR SYMPTOMS ANYWAY?
The doctors and pharmaceutical industry would appreciate your response so they know whether or not it’s time to purchase that new CAR they’ve been looking at?
All About Healthy Choices 
It’s definitely all about choice! I’ve been slowly and quietly changing our diet to healthier choices and last night my husband actually asked me to buy healthier vegetables (you have no idea how much of a miracle that was)! I think once people readjust to eating the healthier choices, they won’t desire the “junk” so much. They feel a difference in their bodies and energy and learn to associate it with better food.
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You are absolutely correct. You will also be surprised when the “craving” hormones settle down and realize the yearning for unhealthy food choices settles down as well.
Just remember, this approach is analogous to the term “remission.” If you return to previous patterns of behavior, the “cravings” will return.
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Very good point.
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I knew I had heard the truth about processed foods before I made a different choice. I have no solid answer to what popped my bubble of denial about the damage they were doing. When I talked to my family this holiday, comments like “But they taste good” or “But you’re starving yourself!” were the norm.
I think the idea of making changes is overwhelming and scary. So we turn those fears into defenses. I know now, though, I can’t make them burst those defenses and want something better. It’s not them losing the weight or experiencing increased energy and body functioning. So it still seems unattainable and they elect to not even try. 😦
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There are many reasons for their feelings. Emotions play a large factor that interferes with success. It creates BOTH a mental and physiological obstruction. This is why I teach people how important the MINDSET is. It’s not just about saying, “this time will be different;” it’s about saying, “I am truly ready to do what it takes to become HEALTHY.” If the word HEALTHY isn’t a PRIMARY REASON, the yo-yoing is likely to continue.
Personally, I would rather a person NOT try, than “try” when they aren’t mentally truly prepared. Helping a person “fail” again (with my assistance) simply gives them an additional excuse “proving” even with professional guidance, the goal was unattainable. This is NOT TRUE. The goal is ATTAINABLE, but not when a person is unwilling to commit FULLY to the task. Hence, if the MINDSET isn’t ready, LONG TERM weight loss accompanying HEALTH IMPROVEMENT is unlikely ATTAINABLE.
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This is very true. I waited to long to change my habits. In the end I had pre diabetes. Knowing my family history has a lot of diabetes but I chose to indulge in sugar my whole life. Now I am on the right track. Eating right, exercising every day, I only manage 15 minutes a day then I’m shot. But it’s something. So yes I fully agree with what you say. People leave things to the last or have this ugh it won’t happen to me attitude
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My philosophy is LIVE A LIFESTYLE YOU CAN MAINTAIN FOREVER. Exercising everyday is something I recommend NOT doing. Whether it’s diet or exercise, don’t start something you can’t or are unwilling to do for the next 40 years. If you start at a realistic pace, you can maintain it; if you start at 100%, you only have one direction to succumb. Slow and steady creates the LONG TERM results we’re looking for.
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An ounce of prevention in exchange for a pound of life!! Hugs!
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If just more people were willing to follow this approach, so much more joy, happiness and quality living would be experienced.
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A serious (and, as always around here, important) post – but that last picture did draw a laugh out of me!
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Great article….kat
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Thank you, Kat
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Gastric bypass surgery can easily remedy poor eating habits too… Remember, health is measured in how much you weigh. (Apparently, I’m feeling pretty sarcastic today.)
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Interestingly, Gastric bypass surgery uses the same disclaimer as EVERY OTHER METHOD to achieve a healthy weight. “At present, weight loss surgery is the most effective and sustainable treatment option for severe obesity as long as the individual is motivated to make the lifestyle changes required.”
If the individual was “motivated to make the lifestyle changes required,” they wouldn’t need gastric bypass (in most cases.)
Although I know your kidding, people truly believe this surgery is the magic bullet that causes weight loss with minimal changes in lifestyle. Without getting to the ROOT CAUSE of weight gain, the LONG TERM results are likely to be just as poor.
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Unofrtunatley, I know far too many people who believe in, as you say, this magic bullet and have gone through surgery. None of them have had the results they wanted. Goes back to the whole “everyone wants change but no one wants to do anything different” bit. As an advocate for change, my brain does not compute with this particular line of thinking. 😦
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So true. I used to love chocolate as a teenager but I switched to a healthier diet when I started running at 17. Now I rarely eat chocolate – fruit is just as sweet and much nicer! Got to be aware of poor eating habits so that we can make the effort to improve our diets.Thanks for sharing! 🙂
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You are way ahead of the curve. Most people require SYMPTOMS before altering behavior. You will save a LOT of wear and tear on your body with your approach to health and wellness.
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I hope so!
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It is certainly not my plan to wait for the symptoms of any ill health. I looked at that picture with all the food, one side beautiful with loads of healthy colourful fruits and veg and then the other which really did not look appetizing at all. The more healthy one eats, the less desire for the unhealthy.
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You’re absolutely correct. As we begin to feed our body what it NEEDS and experience a new level of energy and vitality, our desire for “junk” food diminishes. People do not believe this until they experience it for themselves. Once they do, they completely understand and no longer “crave” food that destroys their health. The hardest part is getting them to START THE PROCESS.
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