Pulling the Plug on the Disconnect

Americans are as unhealthy as they have ever been. 

This is a fact. 

And there really is no good reason for it. We have access to the best health care ever, nutritious food has seldom been more accessible, and we have more knowledge (as well as the ability to gain more knowledge) about how to make healthy decisions than we ever have before. 

Regrettably, there are two sides to this coin. We have never lived in a time where doctors push medications to every patient. We are exposed on a daily basis to literally tens of thousands of chemicals. There are fast food restaurants on almost every street corner in America, with more being built every day. And while the Internet does provide us with a wealth of valuable information, it is also a terrible vehicle of misinformation and blatant falsities. 

Somewhere along the way, the people struggling to live a healthy lifestyle are suffering a serious disconnect. And this disconnect is costing them money and quite possibly shortening their lifespans. 

How do we fix it?

Health Care

There is no doubt that our health care system improves all the time. Recoveries from surgeries are shorter than ever, and people with terminal illnesses are able to live longer and healthier than ever before. The problem with health care in America is that we have somehow managed to forget that preventing health maladies is infinitely preferable to treating those same maladies for every conceivable reason. 

Unless, of course, you are a prescription pill manufacturer. 

Then, unhealthy America is nothing but a cash cow for you as you come out with the newest cure all pill for everything from cancer to diabetes to obesity. 

And sadly, we are ok with this. In fact, many doctors feel that what their patients want most from them is a prescription for a pill to solve their health problems. 

If only it were that easy. 

The Food We Eat

When I talk to people about their eating habits, by far the biggest complaint I hear is that it is too expensive to eat healthy food. These people are often drinking from a Starbucks cup or holding a McDonald's bag. 

I'm literally at a loss for words in these situations. Maybe you can explain this to me. How is healthy food too expensive when you can justify spending $5-7 on a coffee at Starbucks that has 1000 calories in it? Not only is that expensive, but it is terribly unhealthy. 

A better alternative? Brew your coffee at home and drink it as close to black as possible. 

But the real problem lies in the foods we choose to eat. If you can even call most fast food food. There really is little room to argue that fresh, healthy food can be a bit pricy. I get it. And yes, that food does go bad quicker than heavily processed, non-perishable food does. But you know what? You get so much more nutrition per dollar of nutritious food than you do from processed food, that the actual bang for your buck makes fresh, healthy, organic fruits and veggies way cheaper than the unhealthy alternative. 

The Knowledge Conundrum

The Internet is a great thing. I love it. There is so much useful information available online to help you make good choices about the health of you and your family. However, there are also no shortage of scams and misinformation available that you just don't always know what to trust. 

Another problem with the evolution of the roll the Internet plays in health care is Web MD. If used correctly, Web MD can be a great tool to help you figure out exactly how serious your symptoms are, and what an appropriate plan of action would be to treat your symptoms. However, for all you hypochondriacs out there, no matter what your symptoms are Web MD is likely telling you that you are dying. And at that point, you run to the doctor to get a prescription that you probably don't need, and the vicious cycle just repeats. 

The Internet is also a source of all kinds of diet and fitness trends that tell people they can loose weight with just a few easy payments and only 8 minutes a day.

Unfortunately, the good information on the Internet is harder to find than the bad information. And there really isn't a good way to change that. 

So, What is the Answer?

If only there was a good answer. 

The problem here is that everyone is going to have a different answer. And that is ok, provided the process is sound.

For some, that may mean just getting off the couch and getting more physically active. Workout doesn't have to mean getting on a treadmill and walking for days. There are plenty of ways to get in exercises that are not only fun, but super effective. 

For others, it may be time to find a farmers market in your neighborhood for some fresh and relatively inexpensive produce. A great resource for finding farmers markets and local foods is the Local Harvest web page. All you need to do is enter your zip code and you'll find plenty of local options, that you may have never known even existed. 

But no matter what your answer is to help you live a healthier life, it is up to you to make it happen. No one can do it for you, though plenty can help you along the way. 

There's never been a better time than now to get started on a better you. Go ahead and pull the plug on whatever it is that is holding you back. 

Stress Busting

The world that we live in is so fast paced, that sometimes it feels that if you're not fighting to get ahead you are completely losing ground. Sometimes, it feels like you're loosing ground even when you're trying to get ahead. Ergo, it really shouldn't be much of a surprise that we struggle to take some time to just enjoy the moment and separate ourselves from the fast pace of modern life.

And that is exactly what my wife and I are doing today. We have some friends in town from TN, and we are enjoying an afternoon with them at one of the Disney resorts. Even though there is plenty of stuff to do at home, and even though I'm missing the Lions game, I feel so at peace as I sit here in the shade by the pool. Just watching all of the families enjoying their vacations, and interacting with the girls we are visiting, it's so easy to let many of the cares and concerns of 'real life' just melt away.

So the next time you feel like you have too much stuff to do, don't hesitate to take a step back and smell the roses a little bit. Letting the stress and worry melt away will allow you to be more productive later anyway.

And the relief you will feel will be worth it's weight in gold anyway. I promise.

Why is Your Health Important?

Why is improving your health important to you?

The question is simple enough, yet the answer isn't nearly as simple as it would seem. 

So, let me ask again.  Why is improving your health important to you?  The reason this question isn't as simple to answer as you might think is that it is too easy to answer this question in a very vague manner.  And an answer to a question as powerful and as important as this question MUST have a specific answer that resonates with each person.  Ergo, there is no one right answer but there are lots of wrong answers.  If everything goes right, by the end of this post I hope you are able to produce the answer that is right for you.

And if you do, it could change your life.

So, why is improving your health important to you?

The key to answering this question appropriately is to be as specific and personal as possible.  Why should this be so important?  Simple.  This answer is what you are going to use to provide you the inspiration that you need to make the changes necessary to improve your health.  If you don't have a good, specific, and personal reason to make improving your health important to you, it will be really easy to talk yourself out of getting out of bed an hour earlier to go for a run.  Or it will be easy to talk yourself out of taking the stairs instead of the elevator.  And when it comes to portion control, good luck not going back for seconds on dessert if you don't have a good enough reason not to.

Why is improving your health important to you?  Here are some examples of bad answers to this question that I hear a lot.  "To live longer."  "To feel better."  "To get more energy."  "To look better."  On the surface, these may seem like at least decent answers to the question.  But, are any of these answers good enough to hold yourself accountable on the days that you need it most?  I doubt it.

But what if you have a more specific answer to our omnipresent question?  Here are some examples of much more effective answers that will inspire you to stay dedicated to your routine.  "I'm hoping to start a family soon, and being healthy increases the odds of getting pregnant."  "I want to be able to see my son/daughter get married and start a family."  "I want to be around to see my grandchildren graduate high school."  "I want to be able to play with my grandkids."  Answers like these are even more powerful when you are able to put a loved one's name and face along with your reason to improve your health. 

Why is improving your health important to you?  The answer choices are many, but for each of us there are one or two answers that hit home more than any other.  The key to making lasting life changes is to find those answers, and use them as motivation on the days that need them.

If you're serious about improving your health, decide on your reason and get started today.  Need help coming up with a personal reason, or need advice on what steps to take to improve your health?  Check out my website or email me at denny@dkfitsolutions.com.

Let the Games Begin!

It's the first Saturday of the college football season, and all of a sudden everyone's a football fan. To prove my point, espn has been on for an unprecedented 4 straight hours today in the FOLK greenroom. Unbelievable, I know.

In honor of the new football season, many fans are returning to the fall tradition of tailgating and Saturday afternoon gatherings centered around watching your various teams play. While there is nothing wrong with this, make yourself aware that you can very easily undo an entire weeks worth of healthy decisions in one big afternoon blowout.

So, as you're digging into your second round of BBQ and waiting on the first big upset of the day, allow me to give you permission to not sit on the couch all day watching game after game. Going for a walk between the noon and afternoon games doesn't make you less of a fan. And honestly, there is only so much Lou Holtz and Mark May that one man can take per day. If there's some kids around, go toss the football for a few minutes. Just find something to do for those few moments when you are not missing any game action.

So hurry up! I'm not asking you to miss any plays from your favorite teams games, but do something good for your health today in the midst of watching something that's so good for our souls.

Hail to the Victors!

Why Wait?

When did Americans go from being a people who take action to a people who put off action? In all honesty, I've been known to put things off a time or two. And when it comes to our health, which probably should be the MOST important thing to most of us, we are especially guilty.

Case in point, how many times have you been planning to work out once you got home from work, only to get home and change your mind? Or how often do you hear someone say something to the effect of "I'm starting a new diet/workout program next week/month?" Why wait? Why put off improving our health until we get around to it?

The person that is willing to start now, and work with what they have, is going to see the best results. Maybe you have a shoulder that is bothering you or a knee that's flaring up. These issues may limit the amount of physical activity you can do, and may force you to think outside the box about what you can physically do, but they shouldn't be your excuse to just not do anything. Use this time when you are healing a certain body part to strengthen up some areas that you may not focus enough on. The time spent will jot be in vain, I promise you that.

So why wait any longer? Start doing something. Anything. Do some stretching to loosen up your hips and low back. You'd be surprised how tightness in your core can cause problems in other parts of your body. Get in the pool for a good workout that places relatively little pounding stresses on any of your joints. The moving and swimming might actually alleviate some of your pain.

Just start doing something. Now.

Don't wait for the perfect time to start improving your health.

Because the perfect time will likely never get here.

Schedules Change

It almost never fails. Just when you think you're getting into a good routine, finding time to exercise and eat healthy foods, somebody goes and throws a wrench into everything.

This is exactly what happened to me last week. In my case, my hours at my day job shifted a few hours back. So instead of getting home in time to walk the dog, run, and still have dinner almost ready when my wife got home, now my wife is routinely beating me home.

This type of scenario plays out for most of us from time to time. For many of you, your routine may have just taken a sharp turn now that your kids are starting back to school. Maybe you're starting a new job. Maybe something changed in your spouse or partner's life that has some ramifications as to how your day flows.

At the end of the day, though, you only have two choices. Alter your schedule so your priorities still fit into your new "routine", or let the new schedule win.

Hopefully you won't even consider the latter option.

In some cases, the new routine may even be a blessing. Switching things up from time to time can provide a new spark, or a breath of fresh air. Changing your routine allows you to see the things that really are important to you, like making time to exercise and prepare healthy foods. And without a little adversity from time to time, and my new schedule is full of adversity, we would stop growing as individuals.

So, even though a schedule interruption may be uncomfortable, from time to time it may just be the best thing for you.

As the month of August draws to a close, I challenge you to find a way to disrupt your routine. Whether you resolve to pack lunch everyday, get up and exercise before work, or decide to swear off pop for good, find something to do starting September 1st that may be a little uncomfortable.

You may just be surprised how much pushing yourself out of one rut will help you get out of many others.

Being Human

Today's blog is going to be short and sweet. 

Sometimes it seems like the world is moving faster and we are just standing still.  My schedule at work has been turned upside down, and I struggle to find time to get it all in.  So, when you find yourself in a situation like this, don't be afraid to take a deep breath and relax.  The important stuff will get taken care of, it always does.

This post may not be the most informative on matters of health and fitness, but maybe it offers something that gets lost in the shuffle of the daily race of life.  Sometimes, when you think things can't get any crazier, you just need to let go.  Not letting go causes the stress to build like crazy, and that is certainly not good for your health. 

So next time you feel like you can't get everything done that needs to get done, just stop and smell the roses for a few minutes.  Those moments of relaxation will allow the following times of insanity to be just a little bit more bearable. 

So, if you'll forgive me for ending this post here for the evening, I've got some sniffing to do.

Just Do It

Face it folks, how many of us really look forward to working out every day?

This seemingly simple question isn't quite as superficial as it seems. Most active people, myself included, look forward to the IDEA of working out every day. We may look at a calendar and plan out our cardio and strength training days. Maybe you sign up for a yoga or pilates class as well.

Then, inevitably, the day of the workout gets here and it just seems like the last thing on Earth any of us would like to do.

So what do you do? Gut out a workout that you really have no desire to complete? Ideally, maybe. But maybe not. Doing the whole workout, when you have no desire to be there, can leave you with an awfully bad taste in your mouth. The kind of taste that might prevent you from hitting the gym or the pool or whatever you had planned the next time.

So should you just skip the workout entirely? Absolutely not.

Instead, you need to alter the workout but still do something. Maybe today you were supposed to do a P90x workout but you are just dragging. Well instead of ploy-x just do cardio x instead. Or instead of running take the dog and the kids for a longer walk than normal. If you're going to the gym, only do one or two sets of one or two exercises instead of your normal 4 sets of 6 exercises.

The key is to do something and listen to your body. Sometimes once you get started, your attitude will switch and you'll knock out the whole workout anyway. And sometimes your body is begging for a break of routine, but will respond positively to some light activity.

The trick to maintaining a healthy active lifestyle is to understand that to err and miss a workout is human. But to use one bad day or week as an excuse to quit working out is just that--quitting. You are literally giving up on yourself. And you deserve better from yourself than that.

So do a little something everyday, no matter how little that something is.

Dietary Hiccups

As a health and fitness professional, I take living a healthy lifestyle pretty seriously. I try to eat as much local and organic food as possible, and try to make physical activity a regular component of my daily routine.

In an attempt at being completely honest though, I have to say that I am human. Ergo, I am not perfect. The other day I had a major food slip-up.

Allow me to explain.

On Tuesday, for whatever reason, I wasn't feeling it when I got home from work. My wife was out of town, and after walking the dog I had no desire to make something legit for dinner. So, I pulled a frozen pizza out of the freezer and put it in the oven. 15 minutes later, dinner was served. After cutting it up, I ate what I thought would be my dinner. Then, I went back for more. Then, I just finished the whole dang thing. I sat on the couch, feeling full and completely unsatisfied. Then I went to the freezer for a bowl of ice cream.

Needless to say, when I went to bed that night I wasn't feeling the greatest. But yesterday, I was back to eating a better array of foods and have noticed no real differences in how I've felt except for the time right after gorging on Tuesday night.

So what is the point of this story? Simple. Eating a "perfect" diet all of the time is impossible. Sometimes life gets in the way of ideal, and that's O.K. The trick is to only screw up for one meal or one day once in awhile. If you eat well for most of the time, a bad choice or two won't derail your progress. Keep going forward and you'll see progress. I promise.

First Step to a New You

There are a variety of components that constitute a healthy lifestyle. Some of them are very difficult to argue about. There aren't too many people who would argue about the need to incorporate physical activity and good nutritional choices into your life to help improve your health. No one doubts the negative impact that smoking has on your health anymore, not even the smokers themselves.

There are some, however, who question the role some other lifestyle factors have on people's overall health. The amount of sleep you get at night has been shown to play a role in the amounts of both fat loss and muscle gain, but many have yet to take those findings seriousy. The use of dietary supplements is a huge source of contention among health professionals.

In the next few weeks, I'll look at these components individually and how you can take responsibility for improving your health.

Today, however, it's time to look at the most important component to improving your health: what you see when you look in the mirror.

You are the most important part of your health. Period. End of story.

It may sound harsh, but it's true. And what it means is that if you don't like what you see in the mirror, there is no one to blame but yourself.

But on the flip-side, that means that changes are completely possible if you want to make it happen.

The only thing that can stop you? That pesky guy in the mirror again.

So what are you supposed to do then? In simplest terms, just start doing something. There are literally dozens of ways to improve your health. Better choices, more activity, more sleep; all good ideas. Drink more water, cook your own meals, watch less TV; more good ideas.

Use common sense, and make good choices. You can do it if you make the commitment.

The vessel needed to make the changes you desire is staring you in the face every time you look in the mirror.

Need more help making some changes in your lifestyle to achieve a healthier you? Check out www.dkfitsolutions.com, and we can work together to get you started down the path to better health.