Strong Finish for American Heart Month
Let’s finish strong celebrating heart month! After all, without a healthy heart we may become part of the grim statistics: heart disease is still the number one killer for men and women in or country.
– Are you waiting for the doctor to tell you it’s time for a stent?
– Are you waiting until your doctor has you on at least 10 different meds?
– Or is it a pacemaker that you’re hoping will treat or reverse heart disease?
What’s keeping us from making the lifestyle changes that will keep us from being part of the statistics for heart disease, come next February?
Old habits are hard to break (we travel down the road of least resistance). Why? Think about these variables…
• How long have you had the habit?
• How often do you perform the habit?
• How immediate and/or tasty is the payoff?
These things can make breaking a habit and replacing it with a good one very hard.
What’s the solution?
I recommend that people take baby-steps when they are changing a behavior.
1. Select ONE bad habit to change at a time.
2. Notice what cues or triggers the bad habit.
3. Pay attention to how the reward makes you feel.
4. Be intentional about implementing a new healthy habit, next time you’re cued.
5. Realize the reward will come in a different form.
6. Repeat, repeat, repeat!
7. Select another bad habit to change…..
All health experts agree that nutrition alone is the most important factor that can impact heart health. Yet we resist changing our nutrition habits for the reasons stated above. Maybe you haven’t heard… Food IS Medicine!
- Choose the solution.
- Take the first step.
- Start today. Replace one bad food habit with a good one. Repeat….
Good health is a marathon, not a sprint.
What unhealthy food habit are you going to change and replace with a healthy choice today?
Do you need help? Be sure to tune back in for part 2 of this blog for practical tips you can put in place.
Ready to chat? Contact me today to get started down the path to better health through nutrition and wellness.
