Living a healthy life is not all on the individual. There are hundreds of outside factors that can influence the foods we eat, how active we are and the stressors we encounter. Part of living a healthy lifestyle is about recognizing these factors and actively working around them. I have seen many of my patients get hung up on barriers and rather than doing what they can they do nothing. Some of the largest barriers I have observed include:

1) Our Exposure

Most of us are only exposed to unhealthy media and advise.  From fast food advertisements on every channel and every corner to television shows that encourage and validate negative thoughts and behaviors. This constant bombardment with inadequate and incomplete information lead us to believe that many of the unhealthy habits we have are healthy when they are anything but. If you are on this site then you are already actively seeking out different exposures. Good for you!

2) Our Stress

Stress is physical and impacts our health in more ways than our society would like to give credit! Stress often begins with our perception of a situation which leads to a full cascade of hormonal and chemical reactions in our bodies that can if not properly managed can and will lead to disease. Although we can not always change the stressful situation, we can change how we perceive the stress thereby  altering the chemical response that happens in our bodies.

 3) Our Neighborhoods

This can mean different things for different neighborhoods. If you live in an a low income area were the streets may not be safe and the closest fresh produce is several bus rides away, your issues are different from those who live in middle class neighborhoods where the streets may be safer but there are still no bike lanes and there are no local farmers markets to get locally grown, seasonal produce. Obviously, the first scenario is more grim but it is important to not overlook the inadequacies in both scenarios. There are ways you can improve your situation, but it may take some serious creativity.

4) Money, Money, Money!!!

Can you afford a healthy lifestyle? Our society has made it seem as though health is a luxury only available to those who can afford to shop at whole foods and a gym membership. As you will find ALL of the healthiest habits have little to no additional cost associated with them. Just as a quick example incorporating more vegetables can be purchased frozen and in bulk at a fraction of the cost of buying them fresh, avoiding eating out, fast food and cigarettes saves money. There are thousands of ways to increase your activity without ever entering a gym. Stress management techniques such as talking with friends, learning to meditate and deep breathing  etc are also free.

5) Our Attitude

Most people defeat themselves before ever making an effort. We can come up with 1 reasons why we can’t do something rather than figuring out what we can do.  Often the goals we set in our minds seem so big that achieving them seems impossible. Small achievable goals can often times be more impactful than great big changes. If your attitude tends to get in your way, try making your first goal to work on daily positive thoughts. For more information on baby step click here