Alessandra de Faria

Health and Wellness: 5 Ways to

Tackle Unhealthy Habits &

Improve Our Quality of Life for

Future Generations.

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Table of Contents:

Introduction…………………………………………………………………………………………. 2 – 3

1. Avoid the Dieting…………………………………………………………………………… 4 – 5

2. Proper Food Choices…………………………………………………………………………6 – 7

3. Let’s get Physical……………………………………………………………………………….8 – 9

4. Reduce Stress Levels………………………………………………………………………….10

5. Commit to Change…………………………………………………………………………….11-12

Conclusion……………………………………………………………………………………………… 13.

America. Land of the free, home of the brave, and home of the $0.99 big-gulp. With so many

fast-food restaurants, incentives to “biggie-size” every meal, and unhealthy food choices

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everywhere we turn, it’s no wonder the country is so unhealthy. In fact, there are four states in

the country where obesity rates have hit 35% or higher (as of September 2016).

With such staggering figures, it’s no

wonder children in the US are at risk for these risks as well. With examples being set by parents,

and with many families falling victim to the “low-priced” craze surrounding fast-food chains, it

doesn’t seem like this epidemic is going anywhere, anytime soon.

There are many ways in which we can implement changes. In which families, schools, and yes,

government agencies, can help end these staggering figures, and make a positive change in the

country.

Diabetes, hypertension, levels of inactivity, and issues such as racial disparities, all contribute to

the obesity epidemic in this country. With proper nutritional guidance, simple changes

implemented in schools and in the household, and with proper education, we can improve

upon these staggering figures.

In recent years, childhood obesity rates have staggered off in the US. There is still plenty which

must be done to maintain, and further help reduce these figures. So, what are some simple

solutions which we can implement which will help end this childhood epidemic, and help

change these figures for future generations?

Of course, the fast-food craze will never end. Restaurants will continue to promote more, and

large-sized meals, for less. Simple changes will go a long way in helping educate the future. In

helping to reduce obesity rates, creating a healthier country, and improving fitness and overall

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well-being, moving forward. These are just a few of the changes we can implement, to help

with both short and long-term goals moving forward in our country.

Let’s take a look at five-simple ways we can improve overall health and well-being. Just a few

minor changes in the home, setting positive examples, and improving upon unhealthy habits we

implement as adults, will help benefit future generations to come.

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Avoid the Diet: Focus on Lifestyle Changes –

Fad diets simply don’t work. Quick, easy, fast and effective, just aren’t terms which work well

together. As a matter fact, diets in general don’t work. The first word which comes to mind

when you think diet is often restriction. When you teach yourself that the only way to lose

weight is to restrict the things you love, you are never going to stick through with that “diet.”

Instead, we must focus on “lifestyle changes.” We must focus on making incremental changes.

Instead of cutting out bread altogether, and going on a “no-carb” or “low-carb” diet, why not

limit yourself to choosing one or two starches daily? Why not choose whole-grains, rather than

the refined, white wheat? First off, you simply can’t live without carbs. Your body needs them

to burn, and to have energy. Especially when you implement exercise into your lifestyle change.

So instead of cutting or eliminating, consider reducing, timing, and proper choices instead.

We must focus on making progressive changes, as opposed to dieting. Diets simply don’t work.

Most people who try these extreme caloric-deficit diets, typically shed water weight. This

means the initial results on the scale will be positive, resulting in weight-loss. But, what

happens when you go back on your regular diet, or return to prior eating habits? The water

weight returns, the pounds creep back on, and you typically add on a few extra pounds because

you were restricting yourself while following the calorie-restricted diet.

By making positive changes, and reducing caloric-intake slightly (approximately 500 calories per

day), you’ll see far greater results. Even though the weight won’t come off as quickly, you are

far more likely to keep it off. Slow weight loss, is positive weight loss. Most experts and medical

professionals agree that a healthy weight loss rate of 1 to 2 pounds per week is not only

something you can maintain, but is a healthy rate of loss. This can easily be done by cutting 500

calories per day, or by increasing physical activity and burning an additional 500 calories per

day.

Regardless of the approach taken, slow and steady is not only going to prevail in terms of losing

the weight, but is also the easiest way to keep it off after you are finished with caloric-

restriction while you are trying to lose weight.

A healthy, balanced eating plan, allowing yourself to eat foods you enjoy, and eliminating the

mentality that you must remove all foods you love from your daily food list, is just the

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beginning of your weight loss journey. Teaching children how to choose calorie-dense, high-

protein foods, rather than those which are packed with fillers and byproducts, is a good way to

teach children healthy eating habits at an earlier age.

The sooner these habits are instilled in children’s’ minds, the easier it is for them to carry these

habits through with them to adulthood. And, the less likely it is that the obesity epidemic will

follow future generations moving forward. Maintaining healthy, balanced, and rich, versus

cutting foods, or implementing strict “dieting,” is the best way to maintain a healthy lifestyle

moving forward.

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Proper Choices: Healthy & Balanced Changes –

Now that we’ve gotten out of the “diet,” and restrictive-thinking mindset, we must focus on the

proper food choices to implement into our healthy eating lifestyle. Sure, we know that fruits

and veggies are a must, but how about the starches, proteins, and dairy? Should we consume

certain foods over others? The answer is yes, of course we should.

When selecting foods to eat daily, an easy guide to choosing the foods you consume is to

choose calorie-dense foods, which are high in fiber, protein, and low in fats. Don’t restrict

calories or food groups, and don’t simply look for the “fat-free” or “sugar-free” labels. In fact,

these products typically have fillers, byproducts, and artificial ingredients added, which often

make them worst choices than the foods which have the full fat or sugar content in them.

Look for natural as often as possible. If you prepare it yourself, rather than buying items which

you stick in the microwave, this is the superior alternative. If you can go into the produce aisle

and choose the foods, rather than buy canned-items, this is a better route to choose. As often

as possible, choose “real” food, as opposed to packaged or “pre-cooked.”

So, what foods should you be consuming? Well, as simple as it seems, this little guide still reigns

supreme.

Although it’s changed in format a bit over the years, it still reigns true as to the foods we should

be consuming. Natural, whole-grains, rich-proteins, and all-natural foods. When at all possible

to choose all natural, rather than pre-packaged, this is the decision which should be made as it

pertains to the foods we are eating.

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There really isn’t a mystery around it, nor should we make it something so difficult to

understand that only health professionals will understand how to eat well. When teaching your

children how to eat, what foods to avoid, and which items they should be eating in abundance,

this is a handy-guide every family can use.

How about the picky eater in your home? Or, how about those who find it hard to get certain

veggies or fruits in? a good way to maintain a healthy lifestyle and eating habits is to keep it

simple. Try new fruits, look for locally grown veggies, and keep it balanced.

It is also important to remember that balance is key. Don’t eliminate the foods you love.

Instead, allow these foods to be eaten once a month, or only on special occasions. Remember

that the elimination mentality leads to failure. Instead, focus on balanced, healthy, and allow

for deviations every once in a while, instead. Not only will this help you maintain that healthy

lifestyle we are working towards in the future, it also helps in preserving and instilling positive

eating habits which your children will take with them moving forward into adulthood as well.

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Physical Activity: Get Up and Move –

Ask any health professional, doctor, or even personal trainer out there what the key is to a

healthy lifestyle and body weight. Most will tell you that it is 70% diet (food choices), and 30%

exercise. If this is the case, why must we focus on exercise, movement, and implementing it

into your daily regimen. Because it matters!

So many people are inactive. Think about your job for a minute. Most of us sit behind a desk for

8 to 10 hours a day. We don’t get out of our chairs except to go to the bathroom, or to walk

something over to our boss. After work, we get into our car and drive home. After that, we sit

at the dinner table, and take a seat on the couch to watch TV before bed.

Our entire days we are immobile or seated. Of course, there are the select few who work on

their feet all day, but this is a very limited segment of the population. For this reason, it is

important to carve out time to exercise. So, during the lunch break, after you finish eating,

rather than sit down in the break room, why not go for a 15-minute walk? During your break,

rather than sit in the lounge, go for another 15-minute walk. If possible, bike to work once or

twice a week.

Even if you can’t dedicate the 30-minutes to 1-hour a day to work out, you can get in a few

minutes each day. Remember, your kids learn from your habits and routine. So, you can’t

expect them to get off the couch and stop playing video games, if they see you watching TV all

day on the weekends. Make it a point to have time outside, to spend time moving each day,

and to find ways to implement exercise into your daily routine.

Even though it is only about 30% of the total as it pertains to a healthy lifestyle, it is still

imperative if you want to live a balanced lifestyle. And, exercising is good for you. It helps keep

you young, it helps reduce toxicity levels, it helps clear your mind, and it helps keep your body

and mind lucid. So, why not take advantage of these benefits and go for a bike-ride, or go for a

short jog at the end of the workday?

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There are several ways in which you can exercise and become more mobile. So, even if you

don’t have time to dedicate each day, you can carve out a few minutes here or there during the

work day, to pull together 30-minutes of exercise. You’ll feel better, your head will feel lighter,

and you might notice a difference in your waistline. If nothing more, you’ll instill a healthy,

positive habit in your children, which is essential for eliminating the obesity epidemic we are

trying to cure moving forward in the US.

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Eliminate the Stress –

Were you aware that simply stressing out about your weight can cause you to retain weight?

Stress is one of the biggest problems which leads to obesity, leads to overeating, and makes it

harder for people to lose weight.

Chronic stress levels aren’t only a problem for your waistline, but can also weaken your

immune-system, lead to issues with sleep, and can lead to other health-related issues. So, why

stress it? There’s no way you are going to eliminate all stresses in your life. Your boss, the kids,

your spouse, finding money to pay the bills; all of us deal with these issues differently. But, it is

important to focus on ways to reduce stress. Finding things, you enjoy, stepping away from

certain situations, and learning how to release stress levels when things get a little too difficult.

So, make a mental note to reduce stress levels. Go for a walk at the end of the work-day. Get a

massage on the weekend. Go for a girls-night out, and get out of the house for a few hours. Do

something for you. Eliminating stress is not only going to help you in getting rid of the last few

pounds you’ve been trying to lose, but is also going to improve your heart-health, and improve

your overall well-being.

Improved sleep patterns, better relationships with your family/kids, a better relationship with

work and your boss, are all benefits you will realize when you find ways to reduce and eliminate

stress. And yes, you are also going to notice it in the way your clothing fits, and the numbers on

the scale which haven’t budged for so long. When you find ways to eliminate stress, reduce

stress, and do things which are beneficial and make you happy, this will lead to an improved,

healthier life. It will help you improve your overall well-being, and it will help build relationships

with family, friends, and other external relationships you are engaged in.

There’s no way to eliminate every stress you struggle with daily, but you can implement things

into your life that you enjoy, to help reduce those stress levels. You are going to thank yourself,

and your family is also going to thank you in the long run. From hobbies you enjoy, to stress

relief exercises, to taking a yoga class, there are many things you can do to reduce stress levels.

Find those which work for you, and help you maintain a balanced lifestyle, and balanced mind.

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Commit to Health: Creating a Long-Term, Lifestyle

Change –

Ultimately, you must commit to the changes. You can’t simply do these things for a few days,

weeks, or months. It is a lifestyle change, and it is something you must do for the rest of your

life. If you aren’t willing to make positive changes, positive choices, and implement positive

changes into your life, you are never going to reap the benefits and realize the results you want

to see.

Weight loss is a struggle. It is a journey. It is a multi-million-dollar industry, which diet product

manufacturers have taken advantage of for far too long. Companies know how much we

struggle with our weight, and the ability to maintain it. However, it isn’t about some diet pill,

magical weight loss plan, or one specific exercise routine that is going to lead to the results.

Think of it this way. You aren’t obese or extremely overweight because of that one

Thanksgiving dinner that you overdid it with the pumpkin pie. The obesity and the 20 extra

pounds you are carrying around your waistline, is because of habits you’ve developed and

followed every day of your life over the years.

It took time to put it on. It required an effort, and it is something you did routinely for so long.

So, how can you expect to take it off, and maintain the weight loss, after just a week or a couple

of months? You simply can’t, and if you do, you won’t sustain that loss. To undue the gain and

pounds you’ve been carrying around for years, you are going to have to commit to lifestyle

changes. Implementing healthy routines and habits into your life. This is the only way in which

you are going to lose the weight, keep it off, and do so in a healthy manner.

You can’t expect exceptional results overnight, nor should you expect them of yourself. You

must give yourself time to fail and falter, you must allow yourself permission to make mistakes,

but you also must expect the best and expect dedication from yourself. You must commit, you

must maintain, and you must make it a point to create positive changes which you will follow

for the remainder of your life.

This is the only way you are going to see the results. It is the only way you are going to pass the

positive habits onto the next generation. And, it is the only way in which we are going to help

recreate the way Americans are viewed in terms of overall health and a balanced lifestyle.

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Slow and steady are two terms you must familiarize yourself with. Giving yourself room to

falter, but making it a habit to create positive changes daily, regardless of how small they are, is

the only way we are going to make positive changes moving forward. Retrain your brain, teach

yourself new habits, and create a lifestyle you can be happy about. This will reflect upon what

your children will do going forward, and will help in the improvement of our overall health and

wellness in the US going forward.

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Conclusion –

It isn’t, and it shouldn’t be a mystery. The weight epidemic in the US has been well above the

national average for far too long. With so much education being delivered in terms of healthy

eating, proper food choices, and making informed decisions, we shouldn’t be struggling with

these staggering figures in 2017.

It’s time to make positive changes. Simple, easy, and guided decision-making, should dictate

what we do in our homes, and what we teach our children moving forward. It is far more

credible coming from you, the parent, than it is from a government official or a television show.

So, it’s time to step up, make healthier decisions in your home, and start teaching your children

how to make proper decisions for themselves moving forward.

What they see at home is far more influential than what they hear on TV, or hear from their

teachers at school. So, start making changes, implement positive nutritional choices in the

home, and make a concerted effort to teach your kids what a “balanced-meal” looks like, from

an early age. The sooner they see it, learn about it, and are given free-reign to make healthier

choices, the easier it is going to be for them moving forward. And, the sooner it is that we will

get out from behind the eight-ball, and finally improve the overall health standings in the US, in

comparison to the rest of the world.

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