Read 62 times since Tuesday, August 09, 2011
Good things come in small packages.
And I can relate this to my mission of better health at a much better cost. How so?
Change is hard. In fact, it can be so hard, we don't want to approach it at all. When it comes to change, people can simply shut down. The thought of doing something -anything- differently can be a paralyzing concept. And this is perhaps never more so true than when it comes to changing your routine of living. You know: how you move through your day, your activity (or lack of) habits, what you tend to eat, your use of TV, etc.
That's why, when it comes to healthy lifestyle modifications, I beat the drum for small things. Small being more sustainable - which is what we are really after anyway.
If I said you have to completely overhaul your lifestyle (stop drinking alcohol altogether, throw our your TV, never eat sugar again, start running daily) it would be pretty overwhelming. Not only overwhelming, but unnecessary and (most likely) ineffective.
What if you could approach your daily routine but targeting just ONE thing that you could "tweak up" - perhaps even in a way that brings a bright spot to your day? Example: If you have kids, and the routine is currently "vegging out" to the TV after school before dinner, why not "tweak it up" by setting a limit to one hour of screen time and then doing a fun activity together. Maybe shopping for healthful ingredients and then creating a fun, healthy and delicious dinner for your family to enjoy together. Try to re-frame the thinking around this - from tiresome chores to quality time spent with your children, working together to nourish your bodies and solidify lessons of healthful living.
Take the pressure off: Don't worry about doing this every day, but strive to do it just once a week. Pick another opportunity to "tweak it up" tomorrow. You just might find you prefer your new habits and routines to the old!
Some tools I have run across for taking what you need to do anyway (eat) and "tweak it up" are Jessica Seinfeld's projects on creating family-friendly meals and snacks and Rocco DiSpirito's "Now Eat This" - healthful re-interpretations of classic (and classically less-than-healthful) fare. Keep your eyes open for tools you can use; they are everywhere if you stay open to the many possibilities. Dr. Cynthia Haines is a family doctor, professor of medicine & Chief Medical Officer-HealthDay News. The New Prescription: How to Get the Best Health Care in a Broken System is Dr. Cynthia Haines' first book. Find Dr. Haines at www.drcindyhaines.com, www.facebook/com/DrCindyHaines & @drcindyhaines
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