Aging Gracefully

I’ve often heard people say that although they are afraid to get old, but that it’s better than the alternative (dying young). I had thought that was a good philosophy, until I went to my health class on Tuesday. We watched videos on Alzheimer’s and dementia and all the disabilities that come with getting old. It talked about the fact that our health care is at a point right now that we don’t let our bodies die when they naturally would. We fight off infectious diseases that took many lives in the past. We treat chronic diseases to such an extent that even when people can no longer swallow food, we put a feeding tube in them to keep them alive even further. Is this pushing nature too far? By the time many of our seniors die, they are so debilitated that they completely rely on others (whether it be nurses or family) to survive. I couldn’t help but think that this is such an awful way to live your last days. This is strictly my own personal opinion.

The bright side of all of this is that there are things that we can do, both to age better and to hopefully even avoid those diseases that cause deterioration of the brain. The biggest one: EXERCISE! While it may seem that this only keeps your body healthier, it also helps keep your brain healthier. Scientists typically say that what is good for your body is good for your brain (this also includes eating healthy foods). By exercising regularly, it keeps blood flowing better to your brain, resulting in less gray matter development. Another way to keep your brain healthy is to exercise your brain. By doing puzzles and solving problems, it also helps our brain stay strong, because it is being used. Try checking out this website for simple puzzles to do: http://www.brainbashers.com/

Exercise will also keep your body healthier. It will keep your muscles strong and your bones strong. It is even more important to stay motivated to move as we get older. It is never too late to start. Just keep moving!

Remember to keep the other aspects of your live  (social, spiritual, etc) healthy too!

Check out this website for more helpful ideas: http://websites.afar.org/site/PageServer?pagename=IA_Advocacy

ZZzzzz……

sleep. That’s all I want to do right now.

Unfortunately, that’s because I am part of the 70% of adults that do not get the recommended amount of sleep each night. With our society, we have become a 24-hour-a-day, 7-days-a-week kind of people. There are so many things that we need to get done (or rather, things that we are expected to get done), and we still only have the same amount of time to do it in.

The risks of not getting adequate sleep are many. They range from things as seemingly insignificant as irritability and skin damage to higher risks of cancer, heart disease and obesity. Other risks include things such as drowsiness, which can be dangerous for drivers, and lack of productivity at work.

So how can we avoid these consequences and try to get more shut-eye?

Try this:

1. evaluate how your are using your time throughout the day. See what you can eliminate and replace with an earlier bedtime (ex: if you find that you are spending an hour watching useless tv or surfing the web, you can go to bed an hour earlier instead)

2. Avoid caffeine. Although it gives you a little boost throughout the day, it can stay in your system for hours, thus resulting in laying in bed awake at night.

3. Do not exercise within 2 hours of going to bed. When your heart rate is up, your body will not want to go to sleep.

4. Don’t think about things that may make you worry before bed. Think carefree thoughts. Keep a notepad by your bed to jot down anything you are worried about forgetting in the morning. Once you write it down, stop thinking about it.

5. Make your bed a place for sleeping only. No working in bed. If it is a place your mind associates with sleep, you will be more likely to sleep.

6. Make your room dark- use blinds, drapes, shades, a sleep-mask– whatever you need to do to keep the light out.

7. Establish a regular bedtime and wake-up time, and stick to it as best as you can- even on weekends.

Simple ways to cut calories

To start off with, allow me get up on my soap box for a minute (one of the many, as I’m discovering). okay, ready, go!

One of my biggest pet peeves is when I turn on the television and commercial after commercial is advertising diet pills, miracle exercise equipment (use this for 5 minutes a day and you can look like THIS!), liposuction, and basically new ways to get to your “dream body” fast and easy. Forgive my language, but this is BULL! Losing weight is not going to be a product of taking a pill every night, or drinking a shake loaded down with expensive protein powder. Losing weight is going to come as a result of hard work. Yes, that’s right, ladies and gents, it takes work to lose that stubborn weight. I’m sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but it’s true. Especially if you are looking to actually maintain that weight loss, it needs to come as a result of a lifestyle change, not just some 3 month long program that you join and can’t wait to get off so that you can get back to your french fries, ice cream and Oreo cookies. It’s not just about being skinny, it’s more about being healthy! And weight loss is just a nice side benefit.

Okay. whew. Sorry about that. It’s been building up inside of me for a while, as I’m sure you could tell. Now, don’t get me wrong, I love my Oreos as much as the next person, but its all about moderation. If a weight loss plan sounds too good to be true, most likely, it is!

As complicated as people try to make it, what maintaining/losing/gaining weight really comes down to is calories.

• If you want to maintain your weight, your intake has to match your output.
• If you want to lose weight, your intake has to be less than your output.
• and If you want to gain weight, your intake has to exceed your output.

One pound is approximately 3,500 calories. This means, you need to create a calorie deficit of 1,000 per day to lose 2 pounds per week, and 500 per day to lose 1 pound a week. That deficit can be created by either eating smarter and finding more nutrient-dense food to enjoy, or by exercising, OR preferably, BOTH! Studies have shown that combining healthy eating patterns with daily exercise is the most effective method for weight loss, particularly for sustained weight loss.

To figure out whether  or not a food is nutrient dense, you must look at the nutrition label. Take the amount of calories and divide it into 2000, and then turn it into a percentage. Or, The easiest way that I like to do it is take the calories and divide it by 10, and then divide that by 2. That’s your percentage of calories (of a 2000 calorie diet) for the day that are in that one food item. Then, taking that percentage, look and see if anything healthy in that food item (like iron, fiber, protein or any vitamins or minerals) has a higher percentage than the amount of calorie percentage. The more items that are higher than the calories, the better off you are. That means that you are getting more good things (nutrients) than calories. You’ll most likely reach your recommended These foods are sometimes called Nutrient-Dense Superfoods.

Cutting back calories doesn’t mean you starve yourself. In fact, there are quite a few very painless ways to cut back on the calories you eat.

Try This:

1. Focusing on nutrient dense food is a biggie! Rather than eating that donut for breakfast, have a slice of whole grain bread and a banana instead. You’ll feel just as satisfied (if not more so), plus you’ll get more nutrients, AND it will be less calories! What else could you want?

2. Try cutting back your portion sizes. Many times we eat past the point that we need to, because we eat so quickly that the message our body sends to our brain to tell us we’re full doesn’t get to us until it’s too late and we’ve eaten too much. So I guess this tip is actually two-fold. First of all, eat slower, so you have time to recognize the “full” signal. And second, cut back your portions. Try eating from a smaller plate. You will have the illusion that you are eating just as much (because your plate will still look full), but you won’t be (because there is less room to load up the plate with food)– thus eating less calories without even thinking twice about it.

3. If you currently drink 2% or whole milk, try cutting back to 1% (low fat) or skim milk. You will still get the calcium and other nutrients in the milk, but you will not get as much saturated fat or calories.

4. Try replacing things in your diet. Instead of using butter in your cooking, most recipes you can replace the butter with applesauce. Sounds strange I know. But just experiment. Start with half and half. Replace 1 stick of butter with an equal amount of applesauce (1/2 cup). For more tips on this, you can search the internet and find millions of tips and advice from people.

5. Just say NO! to eating when you are not hungry. Many of us eat out of boredom, because of emotions, or as part of a social activity. If you’re not hungry, don’t even think about putting it in your mouth.

6. Forego some of the foods you know are bad for you. If you eat a Snickers bar daily, eliminating that will help a ton. There goes about 300 calories each day!

7. Drink more water. Many times we confuse the feeling of thirst with the feeling of hunger. If you think you’re hungry, drink a glass of water. Wait a few minutes. Then if you still feel hungry, it probably really is hunger. Plus, this way you’ll stay more hydrated, which is healthier as well.

8. Finally, shop healthily. If you don’t buy it, chances are you won’t eat it. This puts the main pressure of your eating decisions on your grocery shopping trip. Make a list. Make sure the foods on the list are healthy foods that will not hurt your weight loss efforts, and then only buy the foods on your list. Avoid the cookie aisle. Don’t look at the candy bars by the register. Just don’t do it.

(don’t feel like you have to totally eliminate anything that isn’t fruit or whole grain. You can still eat those less healthy foods you love. Just keep it to a minimum. Moderation is key here. Remember, it’s about being healthy!)

Healthy Self-Esteem

This is something I feel is a very big problem in our society. We are taught (from an incredibly young age), that you have to look a certain way to be pretty; that you have to act a certain way for people to like you; that you have to have certain things to be important. THIS IS ALL WRONG! All of it. It scares me to see 10 year old girls who look like they are 18. It scares me to think that children in elementary school can have eating disorders because they are not being accepted for how they are and they feel like they need to be different. It makes me sad that there are so many people who don’t understand what it means to truly like and appreciate themselves for who they are- not what kind of shoes they have or what car they drive. That so many people don’t think they are good enough. I admit, this is a problem I have had my fair share of struggles with as well, so don’t think I’m just pointing my finger at everyone else.

I feel so strongly that this is a problem brought on by the society we live in– and that we have the power to change it! Now, I’m not being paid by Dove to say this, but I completely LOVE their program of Real Beauty. It is so inspiring. I couldn’t decide which of these commercials I liked more, so I decided to post both. The first one is just frightening.

It blows my mind to see the transformation that they do to this girl, and then they display it and tell us that this is what we should look like.

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And the second one, it makes me smile, but at the same time, it just makes me want to cry. Its so sad, yet so sweet at the same time. What are we teaching our children, if they are afraid to come out of the house because of what they look like?

Having self-esteem is so critical. When you feel that you are a worthwhile person, you’ll be less vulnerable to the world and more likely to make good choices regarding yourself and your body. When you feel good about yourself and who you are, you will enjoy life so much more. You can stop worrying about what others think and only worry about what you think. Be who you want to be and who you feel that you should be. Everyone else gets to decide who they will be- don’t let them decide who you will be. Try taking this short self esteem test... see if there are things you can improve on. (Now, don’t get down on yourself if the score isn’t what you want it to be– that would be totally counter-productive. Just take it as a helpful suggestion of what you can concentrate on.)

Lets do our best to not judge others. Lets all try to accept each other as equals and try a little bit harder to be a good friend and reach out to those who made need us. Service is a strong way to build self-esteem. When we stop thinking about ourselves and our own problems, its amazing how much those things just take care of themselves anyways.

Cancer- staying healthy

Cancer is a scary thing. Even the word can instantly create strong feelings in many people. Practically everyone’s life has been touched by cancer in one way or another. I doubt you could find a person walking this earth that doesn’t know someone who had cancer or someone that even died from cancer.

Cancer is the leading cause of death worldwide. By 2030, it is estimated that 12 million deaths per year will be a result of cancer, which is an increase of 5 millions deaths compared to 2004. And the most incredible thing about it is that more than one third of those cancer cases can be prevented! Many cancers are caused by tobacco use, alcohol consumption, high-fat diets, having an unhealthy body weight, and lack of physical activity.

They way to prevent many types of cancer should be fairly obvious now– avoid those risk factors listed above. Additional risk factors include having a low fruit and vegetable intake, contracting sexually transmitted diseases, or heavy inhalation of urban air pollution. Try to increase avoidance with all of those risk factors, receive vaccinations against Human papilloma virus and hepatitis B, and reduce exposure to sunlight- which can lead to skin cancer.

In 1971, Richard Nixon declared a “war on Cancer.” A lot of money is being spent to find cures and we are finally beginning to gain the upper hand against cancer. I think this is wonderful, especially considering how many deaths are caused by it. However, I also think that prevention is essential. It’s much more cost effective, and much easier on people’s lives and the lives of their families. It feel very strongly that this is something we need more awareness of- which is probably why I’m studying public health.Of course we need to keep working to find cures for those cancers that are not preventable. Or that still happen despite our best efforts to avoid them, but just remember, a lot of it is up to you: Would you rather make time today to exercise? Or would you rather make time later to deal with cancer?

Flossing your teeth…

Seems like a strange, trivial thing to focus on for a whole post, right? WRONG!

Flossing your teeth is actually a very beneficial habit to get into, and it doesn’t just help your teeth.The benefits of flossing go way beyond your mouth.The bacteria that doesn’t get removed from just brushing has the potential to cause other much more serious health problems.

Heart Disease: oral bacteria can compromise heart health by promoting the formation of blood clots and fatty deposits.

Diabetes: Those who develop periodontal diseases (infection in the gums) have a harder time controlling their blood sugar when they have diabetes.

Respiratory Disease: Those with periodontal disease are at higher risk for respiratory infection

Low Birth Weight: Women with periodontis are more likely to give birth to a premature low-weight baby and have a pre-term delivery.

Plus, you’ll have cleaner teeth and fresher breath. Who doesn’t want fresher breath?

All of that just from a little bit of plaque buildup on your teeth. Who would have thought? All of that can be prevented with less than 5 minutes a day. If you can’t find time to even do that though, try flossing your top teeth in the morning and the bottom teeth at night. Then you’ll only have to make an extra 2 minutes.

To see the correct way to floss to effectively remove as much bacteria and plaque as possible, visit this website: http://www.gumsurgery.com/flossing.htm

An Apple a Day

Fruits. Vegetables. Everyone knows they are good for your health. But… the downside is that they can get very expensive. The effort that it takes to keep fresh produce in your house without it going rotten is a task much bigger and more challenging than it may sound. But don’t give up just yet. There are other options out there.

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Try This:

First option: try to buy the fruits and vegetables that are in season OR on sale. Find out what fruits are in season before you go shopping so you know what to keep an eye out for. Walmart price matches, so if you bring in another store’s weekly ad for a lower price than Walmart already has, you can save additional money without having to spend that saved money on gas to go to 15 different grocery stores.

Second option: Buy frozen. Despite popular belief, frozen fruits and veggies are just as healthy (if not more so) for you as fresh fruits and veggies. They are frozen rapidly at the peak of freshness and ripeness, thus freezing the nutrients right in. This is a great option especially for saving time and money. Vegetables are purchased for next to nothing when they are frozen, and the preparation time is minimal. Fruits can be purchased frozen as well, but they are a little more pricey. Instead, I recommend freezing your own fruit. This makes for great smoothies later. If you buy several boxes of strawberries when they are in season and very cheap, you can simply put them into a freezer Ziploc bag and enjoy as a delicious smoothie later, when strawberries cost you an arm and a leg in the store.

OR, if your fruit is ripe past the point where you want to eat it (I don’t know about you, but I do NOT like eating mushy bananas) but it has not spoiled yet, pack it away in the freezer and save yourself from throwing it (and your money) in the garbage. I never use a recipe for smoothies, I just add whatever I want. Milk, yogurt, some kind of frozen fruit (or if your using fresh fruit, you probably want to add some ice), and a banana are usually my key ingredients, but feel free to experiment with adding peanut butter for additional protein, honey for added sweetness, or even try fruit juice instead of milk (but be careful not to add lots of sugar unknowingly with the sugared-down, barely-even-made-from-fruit fruit juice). Just add more fruit or milk to get it to the right consistency and enjoy!

Third option: Canned fruits/veggies. Buying canned foods is often the cheapest option, but it can also have many added ingredients that make it much less healthy. However, if you know what to look for, these have many of the same benefits of frozen- they are canned at their peak of nutritional value, thereby preserving those precious vitamins and minerals.

When choosing canned fruit, keep in mind:

• Some canned fruits have been peeled (peaches and pears, for example) thereby significantly reducing their fiber content.
• Vitamin C is heat sensitive and can be destroyed in the canning process, so fresh fruit is often a much better source. But heat doesn’t bother other good-for-you vitamins and minerals such as vitamin A, B vitamins and potassium.
• Some fruits are canned in heavy or light syrup, which adds lots of empty sugar calories. Choose canned fruit packed in its own juice or in water instead.

Fourth option: Dried fruits. This is a great option to take as a snack on the go and to eat when fruit is out of season. Buying dried fruit can sometimes be expensive as well, but the good news is that you can dry your own fruit!!! Wonderful news, isn’t it? The other great news is that dried fruit can last up to a year without refrigeration! However, if you are going to store them for this long, make sure you also complete the simple pasteurization step. You can get several different versions of the instructions on how to do it, but these were just two that I found:

http://planetgreen.discovery.com/food-health/homemade-dried-fruit.html

http://www.ehow.com/how_2083871_dry-fruit.html

The best part about it is that you need no special tools or appliances or gadgets or anything. I mean, really, what’s more energy efficient than using the sun? Just make sure that if you live somewhere where it’s humid, you don’t use the sun option… the oven choice would be better for humid climates.

For more ideas on eating healthy on a budget, check this out!

Raising Healthy Children

With all of the new technologies that we have today, as much as I hate to say it, I don’t find it very surprising that so many children are becoming overweight and obese. According to the AAP, kids in the United States see an average of 40,000 commercials every year. These commercials range from junk food and fast food to toys and game advertisements. And the marketing targeted towards kids is not only limited to the television. The ads are EVERYWHERE! They’re on billboards, on the internet, in magazines, in schools, on the back of cereal boxes, on the sides of buses, and even slipped into movies so subtly that we don’t even consciously realize that we are being advertised to.

It is my opinion that the responsibility lies in the hands of the parents to help our children recognize healthy behaviors, since our society is (obviously) not doing a very good job. It’s going to take a lot of work though. The social forces we are fighting against are powerful and we can’t underestimate them, but it is possible to fight against this trend.

If we continue the way we are headed right now, the prediction is that by the year 2050 90% of today’s children will be overweight or obese. 9 out of 10 children! They are the only generation so far whose life expectancy is lower than that of their parents’. That is some scary stuff if you ask me.

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So… what can do about it? We will not just sit back and let this happen! Okay, who’s with me?

First of all, limit the amount of time your child spends in front of a screen- whether it’s a computer screen, tv screen, etc. Give them other ideas of activities to do that are more active. Encourage them to go outside and play. Getting kids to be active again wil be half of the battle. Participate in activities as a family.

Second, encourage healthy eating. Serve vegetables at dinner. Make fruits available as an after school snack. Give them options of healthy food to choose from (they can have an apple or string cheese as their snack OR they can have green beans or carrots for their side at dinner). Let them feel in control to make their decisions, but give them lots of good things to choose from. If they only have good options, chances are they will choose something good.

Remember, as the parent, they look to you as an example. If you lead the way in living a healthy lifestyle, they will more than likely follow in your footsteps. Take charge in helping your children live as good and happy of a life as they can by leading them in the right direction to be healthy for life. Any habits they establish now at a young age will be more likely to continue throughout their life.

For more ideas on things to do and not do in trying to help you child be healthy, see this idea list.

Finding the Motivation…

Exercise.

That word alone may be enough to make you cringe.

However, if that’s how you feel, please open your mind up for just a minute and consider:

Exercise has tons and tons of benefits! I’m sure you already knew this. But did you know… it has this many benefits??

• Exercise Benefit #1…Increased energy: The right combination of exercise and nutrition creates an hormonal environment conducive to fat loss, increased muscle strength and increased energy. When your body is working at peak efficiency, your energy levels soar!Everyday things become much easier to do.
• Exercise Benefit #2…Increased Self-Esteem: Gaining control of your body size and weight through fitness is an amazing way to increase self-esteem. You look better and are more confident which empowers you in everything you do. You will find that the self-discipline required and learned through regular exercise spills over into other areas of your life and you will be better able to make other necessary and desireable changes.

• Exercise Benefit #3…Increase Mental Focus: Did you know that the latest research shows that exercise helps keep the brain sharp well into old age? Anything that involves mental acuity (focus and concentration) is improved. You also stand a much better chance of avoiding such diseases as Alzheimer’s and senility.

• Exercise Benefit #4…Decreased Risk of a Heart Attack: By exercising regularly and making positive changes in your diet, you lower your cholesterol and blood pressure and greatly diminish the chances of having a heart attack.

• Exercise Benefit #5…Decreased Risk of Osteoporosis: Regular exercise, especially weight-bearing exercise, reduces the risk of osteoporosis, and can even reverse it buy building bone tissue!

• Exercise Benefit #6…Reduce the Risk of Breast Cancer by up to 60% Estradiol and progesterone, two ovarian hormones linked to breast cancer tumor production are lowered in the body by exercise.A womans body is most susceptible to these hormones during the time between ovulation and menstruation. Habitual exercise can actually delay ovulation until later in the menstrual cycle. This reduces the time she must fight these hormones.Fat has long been known to be a catalyst in the production of estrogen (estradiol). Regular exercise burns body fat and thus decreases the rate of estrogen production.So there you have it!… A two pronged, cancer preventing exercise benefit!
• Exercise Benefit #7…Increased Strength and Stamina: Every physical thing you do becomes easier which is immensely useful in everyday life.

• Exercise Benefit #8…Reduced Depression: The production of Endorphins (Feel good hormones) is increased through exercise. Nothing improves mood and suppresses depression better than those endorphins.

• Exercise Benefit #9…Decreased Stress Levels: The worries and stresses of everyday living (commuting, work demands, conflicts etc.) can stick with you long after the work day is done. Exercise right after work is the perfect natural therapy that can change your mood. You’ll sleep better too!

• Exercise Benefit #10…Well actually, here are another 50 benefits…
  • Improved digestion.
  • Enhances quality of sleep.
  • Adds a sparkle and radiance to complexion.
  • Improves body shape.
  • Tones and firms muscles.
  • Provides more muscular definition.
  • Enables weight loss and keeps it off.
  • Makes you limber.
  • Improves endurance.
  • Burns extra calories.
  • Improves circulation and helps reduce blood pressure.
  • Increases lean muscle tissue in the body.
  • Improves appetite for healthy foods.
  • Alleviates menstrual cramps.
  • Alters and improves muscle chemistry.
  • Increases metabolic rate.
  • Enhances coordination and balance.
  • Improves posture.
  • Eases and possibly eliminates back problems and pain.
  • Makes the body use calories more efficiently.
  • Lowers resting heart rate.
  • Increases muscle size through an increase in muscle fibers.
  • Improves body composition.
  • Increases body density.
  • Decreases fat tissue more easily.
  • Makes body more agile.
  • Is the greatest body tune-up.
  • Reduces joint discomfort.
  • Improves athletic performance.
  • Enriches sexuality.
  • May add a few years to life.
  • Increases your range of motion.
  • Enhances immune system.
  • Improves glycogen storage.
  • Enables the body to utilize energy more efficiently.
  • Increases enzymes in the body which burn fat.
  • Increases the number and size of mitochondria in muscle cells.
  • Increases concentration of myoglobin (carries oxygen in muscles) in skeletal muscles.
  • Enhances oxygen transport throughout the body.
  • Improves liver functioning.
  • Increases speed of muscle contraction and reaction time.
  • Enhances feedback through the nervous system.
  • Strengthens the heart.
  • Improves blood flow.
  • Helps to alleviate varicose veins.
  • Increases maximum cardiac output.
  • Increases contractility of the heart’s ventricles.
  • Increases the weight and size of the heart.
  • Improves contractile function of the whole heart.
  • Makes calcium transport in the heart and body more efficient.

Amazing right??

PLUS- Think of all the different ways there are to exercise! If your not a runner, don’t sweat it (sorry… no pun intended). There are about a billion other different options of ways to exercise… chances are that you’ll enjoy at least of them.

Have you tried: Playing tennis? Raquetball? Swimming? Biking? Hiking? Rowing? Speed walking? Basketball? Soccer? Work out videos? (I know those sound lame… and if you buy the 80′s aerobic videos.. chances are that they will be a little lame. But there are some really good options out there. AND about 90% of the time, you can get them for a really great price on Amazon.com. I’ll come back to this later…) Dancing? Joining a gym and doing their classes? Simply turning on your favorite music and breaking it down in your own home?

Find an exercise buddy. It’ll keep you more motivated. It doesn’t even have to be someone that you actually exercise with. Just being accountable to someone even helps. My younger brother (who lives 1000 miles away from me) devised a plan to motivate each of us to work out. We both have big life changes coming up (I’m getting married and he’s heading off to college), and we both want to be feeling our best for the things coming. Starting today, we are having a competition to see who can work out the most days until May 7 (my wedding day). We established rules as to what counts, what our reward will be, etc. Find a system that works for you. Something that will make you want to get off the couch and put a little healthy stress on your heart. Find something. Think about it. Being able to gain all of those benefits… it’s worth doing just about anything, right?

There are so many reasons to exercise. What’s yours??

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Try this:

1. Start slow. If you haven’t exercised in a while, there’s never a better time to start than today.

2. If you are self conscious about others seeing you exercise, there’s a lot of great workouts you can do in the comfort of your own home. My favorite workout videos that you can try are: Karen Voight: Burn and Firm. and Jillian Michaels: 30 Day Shred. Both of these are great workouts and get my heart rate really pumping. I would recommend any of their videos though, because they are both great (and not the super peppy, annoying exercise video people you typically think of) but these are just my personal favorites.

3. Don’t give up. It’ll be hard at first if your just getting into the habit of exercising, but just remember all the rewards your getting! Think positive.

Making the Commitment to Change… Start Now!

None of us are perfect. We all have things about our life and the way that we live that we’d like to improve. The key to true change is time and effort. Changing a habit that is ingrained in our brain, often subconsciously, is a difficult process. But the key is to not get discouraged by failure. Don’t expect to be flawless on your first try.

There are many theories on the best process to change a goal. The most basic one includes 5 steps.These are:

First, you must become aware of what your habits are, whether they be good or bad.

Second, you must have  a desire to change. It must be a conscious decision to make the change

Third, you must make a commitment. You can simply commit to yourself if that works for you, or you can find a support system (a roommate, spouse, sibling, parent, friend, etc.) that can help you. Sometimes it helps to be more accountable to someone besides yourself and to know that someone is behind you. Try to visualize yourself doing what your goal is. As cheesy as it sounds, it has a powerful effect on the way you see yourself and you abilities in making this change.

Next, begin taking consistent action towards forming that new habit. Decide whether a gradual change or a “cold turkey” change would work better for your situation and your goal, and work towards that.

Finally, you must persevere. Even when you fall, just get right back up again. Eventually it will become easier and easier as you continue to work towards your new behavior.

Try This:

1. Focus on one thing at a time to change.

2. Make sure your goals meet all the characteristics of SMART goal (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, Timely)

3. Don’t get discouraged.

4. Remember why you’re doing it.

5. Give yourself small incentives to encourage your new behavior (make sure it doesn’t cancel out that behavior… for example- if your goal is related to eating healthy, you might want to stay away from rewarding yourself with a big bowl of ice cream… just an idea)

6. Start today… don’t keep putting it off until tomorrow.

7. Think positive! You can do it!