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Focus on the positives to maintain a healthy lifestyle

Pabio November 13, 2024

Rachel is 47 years old. She came to the Wellness Clinic for a consultation to consider working with us. She had become very worried because her weight had increased by about two kilos per year over the past five years and, at the same time, her blood sugar and blood pressure had increased.

As someone who had never had any health issues, this worried Rachel. Her doctor was adamant that if she wasn’t able to control her risk factors through lifestyle changes, including weight losshe was going to have to put her on medication for high blood sugar and high blood pressure – and, as a precaution, give her a statin for high cholesterol.

Rachel was clearly frustrated. “What am I doing wrong?” she asked. “I don’t smoke, I’ve reduced my red meat intake, I’ve limited my junk food intake, and I’ve cut down on desserts.” She insisted that she truly considers herself a healthy eater. She even takes extra vitamins and supplements.

While it is true that Rachel abstained from certain foods considered poor choices for healthy living, she did not focus on the positive habits and behaviors needed to be healthy. It’s not just about abstaining from junk food, tobacco and excessive consumption of meat and dairy products. It is also essential to take positive steps to improve health and prevent or cure adult diseases.

One of the reasons typical diets fail is their emphasis on “don’ts.” It’s about eating less, not eating certain foods, or even eliminating entire food groups. These programs can be quite restrictive, and eventually deprivation and frustration sets in.

Food organized in a refrigerator. (credit: RAWPIXEL)

Not all of these diets are sustainable. Sustainability is the number one factor in whether a diet will work for you or not. But what happens when we turn the situation around and focus on what we should do rather than what we should not do? The results can be quite astonishing!

There’s no doubt that refraining from poor health behaviors is essential to improving your health, but at best, it’s half the equation.

Good fuel for our body

For our body to remain healthy throughout its life, it must receive the proper fuel and nutrients. Let’s say we take a few minimal steps on the “don’t do” list, like cutting down on ultra-processed junk food, reducing animal protein consumption, and making soft drinks or any sugary drinks treats that are rare, if at all. So, now that I’ve stopped doing the wrong things, what positive things can I do? Here are positive steps you can take to improve our health and well-being. Add the following foods and drinks: • Beans: 2 to 3 servings per day.

• Berries: at least one serving per day (frozen ones are fine).

• Fruits: 3 servings per day.

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• Vegetables: 5 to 6 servings per day, including at least two servings of cruciferous vegetables (cauliflower, broccoli, green leafy cabbage).

• Ground flax seeds: one tablespoon per day.

• Nuts and seeds (unsalted and unroasted) in limited quantities.

• Use lots of spices, including turmeric, curry, cumin and black pepper.

• Whole, intact grains: Brown rice, oats, quinoa and barley are among the best choices.

• Make water your drink of choice and aim for around eight glasses a day.

The MORE you stick to whole foods and stay plant-based, the better. Diet products are not complete foods. They can leave you unsatisfied, and many of the artificial sweeteners they use have been shown to cause numerous health problems. And know that, although it seems counterintuitive, they can even cause weight gain!

There are other very positive behaviors we can adopt to improve health and quality of life.

• Can you start exercising? Even a 30-minute daily walk brings great benefits. If you have a fitness tracker, you can try monitoring your daily steps. The minimum is 7,500; the best is to get closer to 10,000 (an average of around six to eight kilometers).

• Add some resistance training a few times a week and the benefit is even greater.

• Can you incorporate better sleep habits? Seven hours of sleep is a minimum; eight is usually better.

• One last positive behavior to adopt: It has been shown that good social integration prolongs life. So, get together as much as possible with family and friends.

THERE’S something else that happens automatically when you focus on eating all the right foods and eat them in abundance: There’s not much room left for bad choices. It’s called “crowding out” and I’m a big fan of it. All good foods are high in fiber and contain plenty of water, so you always feel full and satisfied. Ask any plant-based whole food eater: they rarely feel hungry. This is in contrast to traditional diets where weighing, measuring and counting calories are the norm and can lead to obsessive behaviors.

Do you remember Rachel? She started focusing on positive actions and achieved a positive result. Her prediabetes disappeared, her blood pressure became normal, she lost weight, and she avoided all the medications she didn’t want to take.

Ultimately, your health, well-being, and longevity will end up in a better place – and all without worrying so much about what not to do. Focusing on the positive aspects of diet, exercise, sleep, and social behaviors will “add hours to your days, days to your years, and years to your life.”

The writer is a wellness coach and personal trainer with over 25 years of professional experience. He is a member of the International Council of the True Health Initiative and the Board of Directors of Kosher Plant Based. He is the director of The Wellness Clinic. [email protected]