Being Healthy Isn't Complicated

Being Healthy Isn’t Complicated 
Being healthy comes down to two things:  Diet and exercise. 
First a little history: 
We began as hunters and gatherers.  Our days were spent looking for food and shelter.  This took up a lot of energy and our stress was getting enough food and running from or fighting the bear.  There wasn’t a fat Neanderthal in the bunch. 
Then about 10,000 years ago we started growing food and domesticating animals.  We stopped following the herds and settled, building homes and communities.  Resources became more stable, and we had regular shelter.  We still had to work hard to keep our food sources going, but this lifestyle freed up more of our time and we used that time to do other things.  Stress was associated with food and social standing.  If you look at old paintings, you see the peasants were usually thin and the nobles were the chubby ones. 
About 260 years ago, the industrial age began.  We invented machines to do much of the labor humans did.  Life became much easier, and we had much more free time.  Stress was still food, shelter and social standing.  Again, looking at old photos, tells us who was physically using their bodies and who wasn’t  
In the 1970’s began what is called, the “Digital Age”.  We are moving toward technology replacing humans at almost anything.  This means we are doing less and less physically and feeling the effects of stress more. In the 70’s and 80’s there were usually one or two “fat kids” in the class, but most kids were thin and running around until the streetlights came on.  This was also the time when food began changing.  High fructose corn syrup was introduced to the American diet as a replacement for cane and beet sugars, leading to the epidemic of diabetes and obesity in America. Social media has led us to watch others exercising instead of sweating.  This is when our stress began shifting to our jobs, finances, politics and still social standing.  Just watching news or scrolling can lead to major impacts of stress. 
Thus, we have created our own demise... 
You are not powerless.  You have power in the choices you make every day, at the store and in how you use your body.   
While the rest of the world is over-thinking everything and pointing fingers at who to blame, just do the easy thing.  Eat REAL food and MOVE your body. 
REAL food is anything you could hunt, raise, grow or forage as a cave man.  They didn’t have McDonald’s, Honey Bunches of Oats or Sonic.  Cook more.  It has been proven that those that cook most of their food, live healthier.  I’m a big fan or cooking one or two things that will last me all week, like a soup or casserole.  Something I can reheat for dinner or pack for lunch.  With the local farms and warmer weather, there a so many great choices of meat, veggies and fruit! 
MOVE.  This can be as easy as walking around the block or jumping jacks in your living room.  Try to get a total of 30 minutes of movement in a day.  Breaking it into short durations of 5 to 10 minutes is a great way to break up your day and makes it less over-whelming. 
Missouri currently shows 35% of the population considered obese.  In the US, 42% of the population is obese. Missouri is a state of hard-working folks that have challenges in accessing healthy food and dealing with adverse weather conditions.  This has a major impact on our efforts to be healthier. 
It takes a little more time to meal plan and prepare.  It means wearing clothes that allow you to be comfortable in the outdoors.   
Better choices can lead to better sleep, less brain fog, less anxiety and/or depression, less body pain and aches, more energy, better self-esteem, healthier outcomes at your doctor appointment, and better quality of life as you age.  Seriously, it's a long list of benefits.  The only downside is it is the tougher choice.   
The weather is changing so get out there and take advantage of it!  
P.S. - I’ll be here to take care of those sore muscles from all that fun. ​