As a health professional I have mixed emotions this time of year. On one hand it’s great to see people recommit themselves to healthier living. But on the other hand it’s incredibly sad to see people fall for fads, diets, pills, drinks, juices, cleanses and quick fixes time and time again. They pour their money into these products and false promises (sadly, many of the companies come from Utah) but ultimately end up back where they started and, more often than not even worse.
My plea for the coming year is simple: don’t do it! Fight the fads, save your money, and instead establish healthy habits that will benefit you long term. Too many of us are waiting for a quick-fix solution that will allow us to continue to live our current unhealthy lifestyles, yet reap the benefits of a healthy life. Do you see the problem with this? It will never happen.
So what does work? Establishing and living a healthy lifestyle. Lasting energy and health doesn’t come from a bottle; it comes from consistent healthy living.
It’s not sexy to say so, and this won’t make the front-page news, but it’s the truth. And the truth is what the public needs. They need to hear that a lifetime (or five or ten years) of neglecting their body can’t magically be reversed in a week or month.
The truth is, it’s going to be hard. You’ll experience obstacles and setbacks along the way. But don’t be discouraged by this. No one achieves success without a few, and often many, stumbles. Don’t give up, dust yourself off and keep going. If you want to achieve long-term success you’re going to have to be consistent with your health goals, not for a week or month or even 90 days, but year after year
The good news is we know what to do, and we know it’s achievable. Over the past 50 years the best scientific research has identified what habits lead to the healthiest lives. In fact we now know that by simply changing your lifestyle to include healthy habits, you can reduce your risk of obesity, premature death and all chronic disease by 80 percent. No, that’s not a typo, read it again: 80 percent!
Let me be absolutely clear on this: you do not need to purchase anything from anyone (me included) to achieve a healthy weight and lifestyle and reduce your risk of all chronic disease by 80 percent. There are many free tools and resources available that provide everything you need to be successful. Having said that, if you want some assistance in establishing these healthy habits, there are reasonable options you can pay for to help you. But for the love of Pete, please don’t waste your money on the aforementioned fads, diets, pills, drinks, juices, cleanses and quick fixes. They do more harm than good and only pad the pockets of disingenuous companies. For lasting health, learn and apply the health principles of proper sleep, exercise, nutrition and happiness (which include proper mental, emotional and social health).
There are no shortcuts. Anyone who tells you otherwise is lying.
This year, let’s all do something different. Let’s rise above and reject all fads, diets, pills, drinks, juices, cleanses and quick fixes. They’ve never worked to establish lasting health, and they never will. You can take that to the bank! This year, save your money and your health. Choose to get healthy once and for all by focusing on establishing a healthy lifestyle. Don’t just make a resolution; make a lifestyle resolution!
Rich Millar
Orem
