When I was in my 40’s I worked for a managed care organization as a chronic disease educator. I coached individuals with obesity, heart disease and adult-onset diabetes. The root cause of these conditions generally relate to lifestyle – sloppy diet and inactivity. At that time I considered myself to be a healthy eater with an active lifestyle. I felt that I ate better than 98% of all Americans. I was healthy, no chronic health conditions and a normal BMI. But when I analyzed my diet I realized I ate like crap. I was a cheese-aholic, hardly ate any greens and my daily sodium consumption was almost 3000 mg. per day. And “little miss active” turned out to average only 1000 steps per day. I can’t believe I’m sharing this with the whole wide world – but it’s true. From that day forward I made a committment to my body and myself. I cleaned up my diet, got moving and never looked back.
What’s with Western medicine anyhow? Why is it that you’ll never hear a single word about nutrition from your doctor until you get the chonic condition? That’s just ass backwards to me. Seems it should be the other way around to prevent conditions from happening in the first place.
Something I tell patients often is “Knowledge is power. The more you know the more you can control.” Learn everything you possibly can about health, wellness and chronic conditons. Then make a commitment to apply what you have learned into each and every day for the rest of your healthy life.
A healthy outside starts from the inside. Commit to your health today not tomorrow or the next. – Diana Zatt
