Our habits can have early origins such as how we sleep, our preference for sweets and our taste in music. These things are learned behaviors from a young age. Many of which we had no other example to compare, so we do what we know. In my family for instance we always had dessert after dinner which was served promptly at 6pm Monday through Friday! Guess I can blame that for my sweet tooth?
We all like to have a scape goat for our bad behavior don’t we? When we were little we could just say “Wasn’t me!” But the older the wiser as the saying goes and it gets harder to blame someone else, well for most of us! If we spent as much time becoming aware of the reactions our bodies have to what we put in them as we do in say buying a new car we wouldn’t have much trouble making healthy choices. I find our bad habits are most easily changed when we stop looking to blame someone or something for our bad behavior. My mantra; Whatever the initial cause, I am responsible for my thoughts and actions.
Yes the R word.
The one that comes right after R-E-S-P-E-C-T, is R-E-S-P-O-N-S-I-B-I-L-I-T-Y !!
When we respect ourselves it’s easier to take responsibility. Instead of telling yourself I deserve that fried food or that processed easy to make and fast to eat crap!, tell yourself you deserve to live without diabetes, stroke or heart disease. I know not all catastrophic illnesses are from just eating improperly. But studies show those that following some simple guidelines can greatly increase your chances of being a healthier, happier adult. If you need help getting started, or you just don’t have the initial ambition to move! See a chiropractor! We can help you pick supplements to give you the energy to help encourage you to get up and move! Sometimes just looking in the mirror naked helps!
1. READ THE LABELS! Yes while in the grocery isle, bring your readers and read the ingredients on every package you want to put in your cart! I predict you will put the item back on the shelf over 80% of the time. Scary stuff they put in our food. First time I did this I was in the grocery store about an hour and a half. It made my next trip to the store about 15 minutes! There are several isles you can just cross off your list!
2. Buy fresh organic when possible. Not hard to do, more expensive? Not really, how expensive are antibiotics, cancer? I think a heart attack costs upwards of $550,000., small stroke, $250,000? Invest in your health. You’re worth it.
3. Find an activity you enjoy. Not the gym or sports type? At home yoga is a no brainer!(great tapes and mats available at walmart and target, budget friendly and beginners tapes are easy to follow). Not every day needs to be physical; your brain needs exercise too! Try checkers, backgammon, crosswords or reading. Exercise is not only important for a healthy body but extremely important for your mind.
Lastly, be good to yourself by being honest, everything you put in your body will have an effect. They harder you make your body work by just dealing with the chemicals and additives the less ability it has to fight the attacks from the world around you.