Life Is A Gift; Don't Wait For The Tragedy

Everyday there are so many stories, TV shows, ads, and reports about obesity, and the tragedies that have caused people to become healthier and take charge of their lives. I finally decided that this needs to be the subject of my next article, so here it is. Why do we have to wait for a life changing event such as death or illness to shock us into reality, and finally take charge of our  health and wellness? I think it's great that there are more and more shows such as "The Biggest Loser", and "The Revolution", and even "Dr. Oz", not to mention all the cooking shows on the Food Network to promote the importance of losing weight and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. What I don't understand is how and why we let ourselves get to the point of no return. I know that everyone is a victim of their environment. We eat the way our parents eat which is the way their parents ate. We exercise the way we were taught in school, and/or by our parents. As adults we are exposed to so many new things, however we seem to turn a blind eye to the things we know we should do in an effort to maintain the norm as we know it. Always afraid to take that new step into the unknown. How will I ever live without my cakes, cookies, chocolate, creamy sauces, satiating fried foods, etc. I can't tell you how many times I have tried to talk to people about new foods I have tried, and had them tell me; "I can't live without this", or "I can't give that up", " It doesn't taste the same", "I'd rather not eat it if I have to substitute this for that". The very next comment is; "I can't seem to get rid of this belly, and I am exercising all the time".

 My answer is if you want your body to change, you have to be willing to make changes.   The real question is how badly do you want things to change. I have learned throughout my life that you can do anything as long as you try hard enough, and want it bad enough. We all control our own destiny. What we eat, and how much we exercise is no different than what we want to be when we grow up, or what we want to do with the rest of our lives. The information is out there for the taking, but you have to go and get it, and then do something with it. I realize that change is always the hardest thing to accomplish. I found this out being an Office  Manager/CFO in my last job. I instituted many changes in my early years at the job, but this was by far the greatest challenge. People are so resistant to change. If we never take that next step into the unknown, we never improve on anything, and everything stays at a constant whether it be good, bad, or indifferent. If it's not a good change, the best  part is you can always change back to what you know to be good. What have you really lost in the long run, and you took the bigger step in an effort to find out what else was around the corner that you otherwise would have never known about. More times than not, the results of the change will be positive, and you will feel a remarkable sense of satisfaction, and accomplishment for going in the new direction. I have always felt that there is always room for improvement. 

Getting back to my point of the article; Take charge of your life now. If you wait until something tragic happens, you could be harming yourself in ways that cannot be repaired. It is a well known fact that getting rid of the belly fat, and incorporating daily exercise in your routine, can, and will reduce medical conditions such as high blood pressure, cholesterol issues, and many other illnesses. This is different for everyone, and there is no guarantee as to what medicines you can reduce or cut out completely, but the benefits of eating more fruits, and vegetables, healthy whole grains, beans, lean meats, chicken, and seafood are becoming clearer and clearer each day. I know myself changing the way I eat has caused me to notice how badly my body feels when eating too many sweets, fried foods, and fatty foods. I actually enjoy the taste of fresh fruits, and vegetables, and cooking my own healthy meals gives me such a sense of accomplishment when the meal is complete. I was raised to enjoy my food, and I have learned to do just that thru healthy eating with fresh ingredients. Always remember to eat what you like, and be creative with your food. Once again, change is good, so try new things to enhance your choices, never depriving yourself of anything within reason. My advice is be healthy 90% of the time, and let yourself go 10% of the time.

EVERYTHING IN MODERATION

Life is Precious, Don't Take It For Granted