Health is something that we need no matter what we do in life. Without health, life is not what it should be and in many cases, it ceases to exist all together. Health is important whether you are rich, poor or anywhere in between.
While health is important to the rich and to the poor alike, it shouldn’t depend on which category you fall into. There is no real connection between the amount of money you have and your health. At least there shouldn’t be. Unfortunately, many have let this factor become a reason for their health to take a back seat. Others have simply missed opportunities or simply didn’t have them in the first place due to their economic situation.
I’m not talking about those people. There is a problem in our country, and throughout the world for that matter, that has created more health issues for those with less. That is not something I am going to deny or even argue. What I will argue is that being healthy doesn’t have to cost more money.
I recently had a conversation with someone that was planning to change their health in the near future. Their plan was not to start exercising more or eating different foods. Their plan was to increase their financial standing by selling more of the products that they were paid to sell. The theory was that when they earned more, their diet and exercise would improve too.
The plan was as follows: once they earned enough, they could purchase a gym membership or even home equipment so that they could start exercising. They also said that once their budget was bigger, they would purchase healthier foods and stop eating fast food.
The theory was that they were not doing healthy things because they cost too much. The eating choices they made were based on price and their exercise was not regular because of the lack of resources they could afford. It makes sense, in theory, that they would be able to do these things if they had a budget for them. I get that, but I also get the fact that there are many options for many budgets.
Exercise
It doesn’t cost anything to go for a walk. It is free to walk down the sidewalk. You can even run if you want to. You can do push-ups, sit-ups and any number of exercises in your home or in your office as many of my clients have discovered.
Even if you have no money, there are exercises that can help you live healthy and feel better.
Nutrition
This is the tricky one. I constantly hear about how expensive it is to eat healthy. I also hear about how everyone would eat better if it didn’t costs so much. Honestly, this is one of the most frustrating conversations for me to have.
Food comes in many forms and is available in many places. Is it more expensive to have a private chef preparing natural meals for you every day than it is to eat fast food? Of course it is, but it is NOT cheaper to eat at a restaurant (fast-food or otherwise) than it is to prepare food at home. Grocery stores offer great deals on healthy foods and purchasing wisely can help you take your food dollar further and further the more you plan your meals.
You can buy food and prepare it for you and your family and spend less than you would by going to fast food restaurants every day.
Again, when it comes to global access and local availability, I see that economics does become a factor. If you live in a neighborhood that only has fast food and convenience stores it is more difficult and thus more expensive to get fruits and vegetables regularly. I also understand that if you can’t afford a membership, you can’t go to a gym. They won’t let you work out there without a membership and in many cases, there may not be an option near you if you live in a certain part of town.
These are all valid reasons for some of our health problems. These issues are being addressed by many at government, corporate and community levels. Hopefully we are on the right track to improving them with programs, education and awareness. These issues, while causing many problems are not causing all of the damage.
The damage of poor health habits is being caused more by excuses than by economics. Above we talked about ways you can exercise and eat better no matter what your financial situation looks like. Keep this in mind when you are thinking that eating healthy is expensive:
A bag of chips: $3.00 for a large bag of your average chip. This bag is going to provide you with enough calories to feed an elephant, but will barely provide you with any actual nutrition.
A loaf of whole-grain bread can cost you as little as $2.00. You can purchase lean meat for a few dollars a pound. Lettuce, a tomato and even some peppers can be purchased for a few dollars. How many sandwiches can you make for the cost of that $3.00 bag of chips? When you break it down, it is quite a few and each of these sandwiches provides you with real nourishment that takes you further than an entire bag of chips can…without the empty, excess calories.
When it comes to exercise, it is easy to say that if you had more money, you would work out more. That is the excuse I hear most, second only to “more time”. Sure, if we all had a live-in personal trainer, it would be easier to exercise. The point is, we don’t need that. The best exercise can come from the simplest and cheapest methods. Walking, running, playing with kids or doing calisthenics is all you need.
The problem in today’s society is not money. The problem is priority. The priority is not on health. We want to be healthy, but we are not making it a priority. A raise or a bonus will not help you make health a priority. On that same note, your current salary or title is not making you unhealthy. You are doing that on your own now and you will continue to do it no matter how much money you make.
It doesn’t have to be this way. If we can trade the excuses for actions, we can finally see that it is the excuses that cause health issues, not the economics. In fact, the lack of priority on health is actually causing economic issues, not the other way around.
If you think that your health routine is suffering because of money, do something that doesn’t cost anything. If you think it’s too expensive to change, ask yourself what it will cost you if you don’t change.
Monday, March 26, 2012
Monday, March 19, 2012
Change: You Are In Control
Change is something that we all have strong feelings about. Some changes are fun and exciting, while others are terrifying. We look forward to the exciting changes and we dread the terrifying changes. No matter what the change is, we have very significant feelings before, during and after each one.
The difference between a fun change and a scary change is often minor. More specifically, the difference comes down to two things. There are two important factors that determine how we feel about change. These same two factors also determine how these changes go for us.
The two factors that determine how we feel about change are not unlike what determines how we feel about anything else. The two factors are:
Perception and Preparation
Perception determines how you feel about change. It’s pretty simple: if you look at something as scary, you will not look forward to doing it and as many of us have experienced, it will likely be scary for you as you go through it. If you perceive something as fun and exciting, you look forward to it and it generally goes well for you.
Preparation is what determines how the change will go for you. You can perceive something as scary, prepare accordingly and actually change the outcome because you are prepared for the situation. Preparation is what we do to get ready for a change. Preparing doesn’t guarantee success, but it is difficult to reach it without some preparation.
Change may be what drives major impact in our lives, but if it is perceived as part of the routine, it becomes part of the routine and therefore, it’s no big deal.
The big deal in many lives right now is health. We all want to be healthy, but the statistics show that most of us are not. It is not the fault of fast food. It is not the fault of work. It is not the fault of our families. If we are unhealthy, it is because we are doing unhealthy things.
Change is a big part of this. The fact that many are unhealthy is often related to change. It is a change that they are afraid to make that is causing the current situation. Often it can be a minor change that leads to the major results that they are looking for, but there is a problem preventing them from making this change.
The problem involves the perception of the change, the preparation they have made or are willing to make regarding this change, or all of the above. When it comes to living healthy, the perception is often that it will be very difficult or that it will not be successful because of the difficulty. With this mindset, many choose not to prepare simply because they know how difficult it will be. Well, guess what, you just fulfilled your prophecy.
Perception becomes reality. What happens when we prepare for a great vacation, think about how much fun we are going to have and allow ourselves to do just that? Usually, the vacation does turn out great. We relax, let go and enjoy ourselves from start to finish.
What happens when we assume that the work day is going to long and difficult? We continue to see task after task come our way and we continue to struggle with them. The day gets more difficult until it finally ends when we say: “Wow, that was long and difficult day.” Just like you thought it was going to be and just like you prepared for it to be.
Preparation is not something that just happens. We do it no matter what, but how we prepare and what we prepare for is what makes the real difference. Preparing for a day that is out of control is easy. All we have to do is say: “OK, day, go crazy and I will just wait for it to happen.”
If you are preparing to be unhealthy, I have some good news for you. You don’t have to do anything. When you get up in the morning, just eat whatever is in front of you and let your schedule be in control of you as you just float through the day.
Perception and preparation come together. When they do, that is when we have success.
They come together when you are able to perceive something clearly and realistically and prepare accordingly. Notice, I said clear and realistic. I didn’t say easy. I didn’t say that in order to do successfully make a change, it has to be an easy change. That is not the case. If you can perceive a change for what it really is, you can prepare to take action as you will need to. When you do that, you will be successful.
Health is all about change. Making changes to your daily routine will bring you results that pay off for life. In order to make these changes, you have to perceive them as something you can actually do. If you look at a change as an impossible dream, you will never realize it.
Setting goals becomes the best way to make perception work for you. Set a goal that you can actually reach. Reach it and set another one. Keep doing this and you will be changing. As you change, remember how well you are doing compared to your perception.
Change does not have to be scary. Change is good as long as you are ready for it. Perception and preparation are the keys to making change work for you. If you can perceive it as possible, you can get started. If you can prepare for successful completion, you can take the steps you need to take.
You are in control of the changes you can or cannot make. You decide whether you can change or not.
The difference between a fun change and a scary change is often minor. More specifically, the difference comes down to two things. There are two important factors that determine how we feel about change. These same two factors also determine how these changes go for us.
The two factors that determine how we feel about change are not unlike what determines how we feel about anything else. The two factors are:
Perception and Preparation
Perception determines how you feel about change. It’s pretty simple: if you look at something as scary, you will not look forward to doing it and as many of us have experienced, it will likely be scary for you as you go through it. If you perceive something as fun and exciting, you look forward to it and it generally goes well for you.
Preparation is what determines how the change will go for you. You can perceive something as scary, prepare accordingly and actually change the outcome because you are prepared for the situation. Preparation is what we do to get ready for a change. Preparing doesn’t guarantee success, but it is difficult to reach it without some preparation.
Change may be what drives major impact in our lives, but if it is perceived as part of the routine, it becomes part of the routine and therefore, it’s no big deal.
The big deal in many lives right now is health. We all want to be healthy, but the statistics show that most of us are not. It is not the fault of fast food. It is not the fault of work. It is not the fault of our families. If we are unhealthy, it is because we are doing unhealthy things.
Change is a big part of this. The fact that many are unhealthy is often related to change. It is a change that they are afraid to make that is causing the current situation. Often it can be a minor change that leads to the major results that they are looking for, but there is a problem preventing them from making this change.
The problem involves the perception of the change, the preparation they have made or are willing to make regarding this change, or all of the above. When it comes to living healthy, the perception is often that it will be very difficult or that it will not be successful because of the difficulty. With this mindset, many choose not to prepare simply because they know how difficult it will be. Well, guess what, you just fulfilled your prophecy.
Perception becomes reality. What happens when we prepare for a great vacation, think about how much fun we are going to have and allow ourselves to do just that? Usually, the vacation does turn out great. We relax, let go and enjoy ourselves from start to finish.
What happens when we assume that the work day is going to long and difficult? We continue to see task after task come our way and we continue to struggle with them. The day gets more difficult until it finally ends when we say: “Wow, that was long and difficult day.” Just like you thought it was going to be and just like you prepared for it to be.
Preparation is not something that just happens. We do it no matter what, but how we prepare and what we prepare for is what makes the real difference. Preparing for a day that is out of control is easy. All we have to do is say: “OK, day, go crazy and I will just wait for it to happen.”
If you are preparing to be unhealthy, I have some good news for you. You don’t have to do anything. When you get up in the morning, just eat whatever is in front of you and let your schedule be in control of you as you just float through the day.
Perception and preparation come together. When they do, that is when we have success.
They come together when you are able to perceive something clearly and realistically and prepare accordingly. Notice, I said clear and realistic. I didn’t say easy. I didn’t say that in order to do successfully make a change, it has to be an easy change. That is not the case. If you can perceive a change for what it really is, you can prepare to take action as you will need to. When you do that, you will be successful.
Health is all about change. Making changes to your daily routine will bring you results that pay off for life. In order to make these changes, you have to perceive them as something you can actually do. If you look at a change as an impossible dream, you will never realize it.
Setting goals becomes the best way to make perception work for you. Set a goal that you can actually reach. Reach it and set another one. Keep doing this and you will be changing. As you change, remember how well you are doing compared to your perception.
Change does not have to be scary. Change is good as long as you are ready for it. Perception and preparation are the keys to making change work for you. If you can perceive it as possible, you can get started. If you can prepare for successful completion, you can take the steps you need to take.
You are in control of the changes you can or cannot make. You decide whether you can change or not.
Monday, March 5, 2012
You Will Eat What Is In Front of You
I was on vacation recently and I realized that many people are fighting a losing battle every day. I knew this was happening already. When I talk to my client companies about their employee concerns and my health coaching participants their personal struggles, I see it. When I was in an airport, I saw it clearly enough to make me think again.
As I thought about it again, my realization was: If it is in front of you, you will eat it. I’ve known this for some time, but I have new appreciation for just how difficult eating healthy can be. I know firsthand how difficult it is to choose healthy foods. I also know firsthand how difficult it is to avoid unhealthy foods.
Sometimes it is a combination of the two that leads to a struggle, but often the struggle and ultimate defeat actually take place before we even leave the house.
Let’s take the airport scenario for example:
Situation: sitting in an airport waiting for a delayed flight
Challenge: hungry
Options: go to fast food place, newsstand or vending machine
Result: eating a processed, fatty, sugary meal that doesn’t provide much nutrition
I not only watched dozens of people stuck in this situation, but I also heard people openly complaining about it. I already heard this complaint from friends, family and clients, but to hear it while seeing such a no-win situation unfolding for these people was truly an eye-opening for me.
The Perceived Problem:
There are no healthy options at the airport so I am forced to eat junk.
The Real Problem:
You didn’t plan ahead, so you are eating junk because you are too hungry to wait for something else
The Perceived Solution:
There is no solution to this problem other than eating it and vocalizing my complaints about it
The Real Solution:
This is actually a long answer, because there are so many options. That’s right, you have options. You have more options than most people realize. When it comes to eating on the run and eating while traveling, there is more than what’s right in front of you. Often, what is in front of you can be made healthier just by consciously making a choice.
Solution #1- Eat it, but less of it. That’s right, you can eat fast food, but if you eat less of it, you are taking in fewer calories and putting less junk into your body.
Solution #2- Bring something with you. Bringing a healthy snack with you can keep the cravings at bay as well as give you an alternative to the fast food or vending options that are in front of you while you wait.
Solution #3- Choose wisely. There are obvious choices at most fast food restaurants that can make a bad situation better. Grilled vs. Fried is one option. Skipping on fries or substituting something in their place can help too. Even your beverage can save you hundreds of calories each meal.
There are many more solutions that can help you get through a travel day. The airport is not always the best place to be when trying to eat healthy, but that doesn’t mean that you have to suffer. Use one of these solutions or find another that works for you and you can successfully eat healthy anywhere.
The airport is an easy place to pinpoint unhealthy eating habits. The home is another. It may not be quite as easy, but you may be putting more pressure on yourself at home than you need to. Just like you can make choices at the airport, you can make choices at home too.
Problem: I have healthy items at home, but I keep eating the junk
Solution #1- Don’t buy it. It’s that simple. If you don’t buy something you can’t eat it. If you don’t bring something into your home, you won’t eat it. The solution is really at the store. Making a smart purchase makes eating the smart food much easier.
Solution #2- Plan your meals and have healthy items ready. If you don’t have the food ready, you won’t eat it. If you don’t plan and prepare a meal, you won’t eat the food. There is no way around it. You can’t eat a salad without tossing, mixing or at least pouring. You can’t eat veggies without chopping. If you make healthy choices easier to eat, you will at them.
Everyone has their own vices. We all have certain foods that we like and we all have certain foods that we can’t resist. If you are sitting at a table with your favorite food on it (good or bad) you will eat it. If you get hungry anywhere, you will eat what is available. That is why the solutions listed above have to become your strategies if you want to eat healthy.
You can want to eat healthy and you can think about it all you want, but the fact remains, convenience is king. Easy options are going to win every time. Make healthy choices easy and you will win. You can’t win in a no-win situation. Don’t put yourself in a no-win situation and you will…well, you will win. It all comes back to the original statement: If it is in front of you, you will eat it.
As I thought about it again, my realization was: If it is in front of you, you will eat it. I’ve known this for some time, but I have new appreciation for just how difficult eating healthy can be. I know firsthand how difficult it is to choose healthy foods. I also know firsthand how difficult it is to avoid unhealthy foods.
Sometimes it is a combination of the two that leads to a struggle, but often the struggle and ultimate defeat actually take place before we even leave the house.
Let’s take the airport scenario for example:
Situation: sitting in an airport waiting for a delayed flight
Challenge: hungry
Options: go to fast food place, newsstand or vending machine
Result: eating a processed, fatty, sugary meal that doesn’t provide much nutrition
I not only watched dozens of people stuck in this situation, but I also heard people openly complaining about it. I already heard this complaint from friends, family and clients, but to hear it while seeing such a no-win situation unfolding for these people was truly an eye-opening for me.
The Perceived Problem:
There are no healthy options at the airport so I am forced to eat junk.
The Real Problem:
You didn’t plan ahead, so you are eating junk because you are too hungry to wait for something else
The Perceived Solution:
There is no solution to this problem other than eating it and vocalizing my complaints about it
The Real Solution:
This is actually a long answer, because there are so many options. That’s right, you have options. You have more options than most people realize. When it comes to eating on the run and eating while traveling, there is more than what’s right in front of you. Often, what is in front of you can be made healthier just by consciously making a choice.
Solution #1- Eat it, but less of it. That’s right, you can eat fast food, but if you eat less of it, you are taking in fewer calories and putting less junk into your body.
Solution #2- Bring something with you. Bringing a healthy snack with you can keep the cravings at bay as well as give you an alternative to the fast food or vending options that are in front of you while you wait.
Solution #3- Choose wisely. There are obvious choices at most fast food restaurants that can make a bad situation better. Grilled vs. Fried is one option. Skipping on fries or substituting something in their place can help too. Even your beverage can save you hundreds of calories each meal.
There are many more solutions that can help you get through a travel day. The airport is not always the best place to be when trying to eat healthy, but that doesn’t mean that you have to suffer. Use one of these solutions or find another that works for you and you can successfully eat healthy anywhere.
The airport is an easy place to pinpoint unhealthy eating habits. The home is another. It may not be quite as easy, but you may be putting more pressure on yourself at home than you need to. Just like you can make choices at the airport, you can make choices at home too.
Problem: I have healthy items at home, but I keep eating the junk
Solution #1- Don’t buy it. It’s that simple. If you don’t buy something you can’t eat it. If you don’t bring something into your home, you won’t eat it. The solution is really at the store. Making a smart purchase makes eating the smart food much easier.
Solution #2- Plan your meals and have healthy items ready. If you don’t have the food ready, you won’t eat it. If you don’t plan and prepare a meal, you won’t eat the food. There is no way around it. You can’t eat a salad without tossing, mixing or at least pouring. You can’t eat veggies without chopping. If you make healthy choices easier to eat, you will at them.
Everyone has their own vices. We all have certain foods that we like and we all have certain foods that we can’t resist. If you are sitting at a table with your favorite food on it (good or bad) you will eat it. If you get hungry anywhere, you will eat what is available. That is why the solutions listed above have to become your strategies if you want to eat healthy.
You can want to eat healthy and you can think about it all you want, but the fact remains, convenience is king. Easy options are going to win every time. Make healthy choices easy and you will win. You can’t win in a no-win situation. Don’t put yourself in a no-win situation and you will…well, you will win. It all comes back to the original statement: If it is in front of you, you will eat it.
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