There is so much absent mindedness in our society with regards to our own health that it’s a true testament of advancement that the health industry is still able to INCREASE our lifespans. I believe you need to start early and decide, do I want to be 70 years old, bed ridden or do I want to be 70 years old, sailing around the world with a spouse half your age? Well, if you want the second option… be prepared to make some sacrifices which at the beginning might be tough but once you have habits established, relatively easy!
How most North Americans view their body
Sadly, the modern North American civilization has decided that progress at the expense of your body is alright… that’s why you got medical care right? Most people still have not realized that what you do DAILY has a cumulative effect on your body as you age. The best way to illustrate this is smokers, smoking one cigarette a day or even a pack a few years, doesn’t seem to have much of an effect but fast forward 30 years and what you see should scare the crap out of you. Well, same goes for your body. Treat it well, I mean better then well… fantastic and it will treat you in kind not only when you get old but everyday leading to old age.
How I treat my body
I try to lead by example, as for me, I treat my body as best I possibly can, I rarely eat junk food but more importantly, my diet is extremely high in fiber, protein, carbohydrates and moderate fats. I cook using extra virgin olive oil, I cook about 99% of my OWN meals and I am sure to always include a large helping of fruits and vegetables to myself throughout the day. I push my body every day or two to the point of sweating profusely to help it get rid of toxins, I drink green tea and although my present location doesn’t allow me certain luxuries, I usually weight train on a pretty intense level. Cardio + Weight Training + Amazingly Clean Diet = a very HAPPY body indeed! Every week, I try to improve my diet or tweek my activity level, I don’t want my body to get use to any particular activity during specific times as that may lead to injuries.
Setting Realistic Expectations
I believe this is where most people fail, the body wants to maintain homeostasis, meaning it will fight change and not take you seriously. If you go into the gym, it will take up to two months before your body says “alright, you win, here are some muscles”. The reason for this is that it’s extremely expensive for the body to perform change, this is why our brains are hard wired to fight change the older we get. If you know some seniors, you know that many have a set routine and it’s like pulling dentures to get them to make any type of moderate modifications to this routine. If your goal is to change your body composition, such as percentage of fat to muscle then do not expect a body of a bodybuilder nor a professional athlete… expect a leaner, toner you. If you wish to have an athletes profile, you need to train like an athlete, meaning 8-12 hours a day, 5-6 days a week. They have an amazing body but they work like hell to achieve it as well.
Money has no value
Some people put out the excuse that the reason xyz person has a great body is because they have money for supplements, personal trainers and spas treatments. I will not lie to you, money does help but your body doesn’t know this. Seriously, your body doesn’t say “you are dirt poor, here is a shitty body… enjoy”. Both your body and brain still think you are out on the African planes fighting for your survival day in and out, to them, if you are running on a treadmill that means your running to the next water hole. If you are doing pushups or chinups, it means you are doing some sort of tree climbing for fruits. Seriously, your body and mind really have no clue that we live in a very modern age. The point being, when was the last time you saw a Cheetah take out their wallet and buy some Deer? Well, your body is no different, money truly doesn’t have any value nor is a valid excuse to not be the best you can be. Fifty pounds of weight is still fifty pounds of weight, whether it comes in the form of gold bars or steel barrels.
How to get started?
First thing before doing any major lifestyle changes, consult a doctor to make sure you don’t have any underlying medical issues. This is preventative, and much of the time, they may find something but working out will help reduce any issues that arise.
Second, set-up a home gym or join a club but be sure to read about health, nutrition and proper lifestyle beforehand. Do you know what a bench press or treadmill is? Do you know what a target heart rate or basal metabolic rate is?
Third, throw away, and I don’t mean store away, I mean THROW AWAY any and all foods in your entire house that are processed, this includes chips, chocolate bars (80+ % cocoa are alright), fried food, vegetable oil, tv diners (what where you thinking!) and anything else that isn’t a recognizable fruit, vegetable. I hope you had very little to throw out. No, don’t give it to the homeless neither, why pass on your shitty diet to them? They deserve better, YOU deserve better.
What’s next?
Well, I figure the above will take you a few weeks to sort out, by then, you will have read this blog on a daily basis and learned more about health so you will be well on your way to improving your health. You do NOT need to purchase any supplements, gizmos or spend a lot of money by the way, elite athletes need supplements but the average person has more then enough eating a very good wholesome food.
The Bottom Line
Change takes time but the decision to produce those changes takes seconds.
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