As someone who worked out regularly and was a triathlon competitor, I am currently 20 lbs. overweight. The fact that I have a diploma in nutrition and genetics and a wellness coach makes my current health condition embarrassing.
Health care or sick care as my MD friend calls it – is quickly becoming the number one concern in the Western world. Our life expediency for the first time in 50 years is reducing and individuals are more stressed than ever. The more enlightened are looking at the quality of their life as equal to as or more important than the length of their life.
As the baby boomers reach retirement age, they are expecting an active lifestyle — not the past stereo-typical “doing nothing” view of retirement. In fact, most want the option of becoming more physically and mentally active than they were during their working career.
In addition, our achievement of longer life has created unanticipated fallout in the economic models on which developed countries operate. Already several countries are raising their retirement age from the average age of 65. Why? They can’t support their population for the 20 extra years that many of them are going to live. Those of you who are younger and who will not be financially independent at retirement should expect to work much later. Age 70+ will become the new retirement norm.
Modern society has not only helped us live longer, it has contributed to increasing our stress levels. In a recent survey by Northwestern Life, over 40% of workers reported their jobs to be “very or extremely stressful.”
Heart disease and cancer ― are two of the primary disease killers in North America ― are more rampant than ever as damaging lifestyle choices and poor diet. But now mental health is the middle of crisis as more young people will die of suicide than any other cause. This is not okay.
There is not enough space in this short article to outline all the strategies but here is a start with links to additional resources.
1.Take responsibility for your own health condition. Blaming others will not improve your health and it might increase your stress levels.
2. Establish your current health condition. Many of us take better care of our automobiles than we do ourselves. When was the last time you had a maintenance check-up? Have an annual physical check-up.
3. Another option is to complete CRG’s Online Stress Indicator & Health Planner (SIHP) Or engage in our full online course (4 hours or powerful content) Dying to Live. It can serve as a powerful process to not only assessment and benchmark your stress and health practices but provide step by step process to improve your over all well being in five areas of your life. .
- Physical Health: Physical, Psychological, and Behavioral Symptoms
- Interpersonal Stress Factors
- Wellness Practices
- Nutritional Practices
- Occupational Stress
One of our clients has been using this assessment every year for over a decade in her organization of 6000 employees. The SIHP helps staff members determine if there has been an improvement in their health condition after implementing certain wellness strategies.
4. Think preventative wellness and nutritional balance, not drugs and medicine. Unfortunately, the majority of medical practitioners are trained to treat, not help prevent conditions. Medical training includes very little instruction on the nutritional effects on the human body. My many doctor friends agree that more must be done to include the preventative mindset in the medical community.
After my family member almost died of a heart attack, the doctors put him on a low-fat, high-carb diet. The results of this approach increased his risk factors. After switching to a low-carb diet, he now is in better shape than he was 20 years ago.
5. Set-up a plan that will work for you and your life conditions and preferences. Be realistic.
6. Take action. This is one area where just thinking about it will not help us achieve the wellness levels we all want.
7. Special Note: A breakthrough study has identified that mental health or lack of it is a metabolic disorder not a mental health disorder. That means what you are eating and your lifestyle is killing you not your mindset. It is about your Brain Energy. (More to come on this in the future)
Health and safety losses cost billions each year in lost productivity and related expenses, not to mention the intangible personal costs. You have seen on the news where seemingly perfectly fit joggers die while running. Wellness issues apply to more than overweight and inactive individuals.
Environmental stress is global; it does not restrict its effects to certain groups. Our lifestyle choices are contributing to our health and wellness condition.
This Week´s Action Steps
Health and wellness are your responsibility. After all, you will have to live with yourself for the rest of your life.
1. Take responsibility for your health and wellness.
2. Determine the ideal health and wellness condition for you. Document the differences between your current lifestyle and your new plan so that you have health goals to shoot for.
3. Establish your current health and wellness levels by completing our Stress Indicator & Health Planner Assessment and our Dying to Live eCourse
4. Acknowledge your current condition before embarking on an improvement plan. If I decided to run a marathon next week, you would surely be reading about my untimely demise.
5. If you have not done so, have an annual check-up to benchmark your medical condition.
6. Be holistic in your wellness plan. Map your improvements in all areas: nutrition, wellness, interpersonal, occupational, and physical.
7. Physical activity must be part of your plan. Recent research proves how your overall health and cognitive abilities improve by simply walking 25,000 steps a week.
8. Make your plan a challenge. Make it fun. Be creative. If time is an issue, plan activities that combine healthy pursuits with important relationships.
9. Nutrition will play a critical part in your long-term success; it must be included in your wellness plan.
10. Start from where you are. Now.
