Changes for your waistline

By PJ Henri

In our early history, we didn’t have gyms or fitness programs to help maintain a somewhat healthy lifestyle and we didn’t have the trendiest diets to keep the fat off.

We were survivors, built to run and hunt and tend to the land for food and shelter. Being constantly active was necessary for survival and we ate whole, natural foods that came from the earth. 

Unfortunately, times have dramatically changed. Being active has become an unpopular choice rather than a necessity and our diet has become more manufactured than natural.

We are becoming even less active and our food sources are becoming even more manufactured.

This combination of inactivity and unhealthy food choices are a recipe for disaster, leading to record high numbers of physical health problems such as:

• obesity
• diseases such as diabetes and cancer
• mental issues such as depression and low self esteem.

We have unknowingly cursed ourselves with an unhealthy lifestyle.

How do we lift this self-imposed curse of an unhealthy lifestyle?

This lifestyle we have come to accept as the norm is merely a matter of poor choices or a lack of good choices and can be easily rectified with awareness and the desire to start making better choices.

We can lift this curse by becoming aware of what is going on in our lives and paying attention to the choices we make.

For example, when you are about to eat, take a moment to ask yourself if the food is the best choice for you.

Even if you don’t know the answer, you can at least begin by trying to make the best decisions about the foods you eat.

tMost people can appreciate that processed foods and fast foods are unhealthy, so you can choose to eat these foods less often and add more fresh fruits and vegetables to your diet. 

When it comes to your activity level, there are so many ways you can choose to be even a little more active. You can  choose to park farther away from your destination point and walk the rest of the way.

We live in an beautiful place, you can get out and go for walks and/or hikes. A great one would be to get your kids away from whatever screen they are attached to and go outside and play with them. 

You don’t have to worry about changing your life completely overnight. You can make small changes and take small steps at first. With every step you take and change you make, you will make progress.

You will start to see and feel a difference in the way you look and feel.

If you decide to get really serious, you can join a fitness class or hire a personal trainer. If you don’t have the answers, get them from a qualified professional so you can get real sustainable results and avoid injury.

There is so much more information about the negative effects of living an unhealthy lifestyle versus the benefits of living a healthy lifestyle as well as steps to take to start living a healthier lifestyle.

The main goal of this article is for you to become more aware of the choices you're making and consciously start making better ones. 

Remember, the moment you decide to start changing your life, life changes.

Stay strong and dream on.

PJ Henri, a certified personal trainer of 30 years, is the owner of PJ Henri Fitness. He can be reached at 778-363-5979 or [email protected].

This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.