What do you think is the number two health stats cause of death each year?

According to the National Institutes of Health, obesity, and overweight together are the second leading cause of preventable death, close behind tobacco use.

So our calorie-rich food has become an insidious instrument of death. We are literally digging our grave with what we put into our mouth. Obesity caused by a bad diet and lack of exercise kills some 400,000 people in this country every single year according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Only smoking-related diseases account for more deaths with a total of 435, 000 annually.

Think about it, while our ancestors battled disease, famine, and starvation, we are killing ourselves with excess. On top of that, we no longer get exercised by having to out and gather or chase down our food. Instead, we are sitting hunched over a computer, a tablet or a mobile phone every day.

A recent article in The New York Times cited several studies showing that sitting for extended periods of time at a desk, in front of a T.V. etc. leads to weight gain and increases the risk of obesity, diabetes, heart disease and a variety of cancers and early death. The body literally shuts down following prolonged periods of sitting causing a metabolic disaster of such proportions that even getting a full hour of exercise each day can’t offset the impact. Yikes.

We have a serious health care problem right now and most of it is self-inflicted. We aren’t taking proper care of our own health.  It is time to wake up and start questioning the status quo.

Many foods have become highly addictive and can create a super-normal stimulation to our brain. We also can get sucked into the pleasure trap. There are many layers to uncover in our patterns of eating. The bottom line is that our survival instinct kicks in and our primitive brain wants those calorie-rich foods in order to survive. So ask yourself, are you eating consciously or unconsciously?

You are the only one responsible for what you put into your mouth and how often you move your body. Think of your body as a mass of energy. Energy is your life force and vitality.  What you eat or drink either feeds and strengthens your energy or reduces and represses that energy. How you move and rest either circulates and replenishes that energy or depresses and decreases it. Become conscious of what you eat, what you read, what you watch, who you spend time with, and how you move your body.

Think for a moment and decide on even one adjustment you can make, to live a healthier lifestyle starting today. If you are stuck in any area, please reach out for help.

To your good health.

Charlene