It’s that time of year again (actually, a bit past it)… Strava, a social network for athletes, identified Jan. 12 as the date by which most people quit on their New Year’s resolutions. Only about 8 percent, according to a study by University of Scranton, actually keep their resolutions. Since about 55 percent of New Year’s Resolutions are health-related, it seems that we all know we aren’t a healthy population. And we start the year determined. What happens? Brain wiring happens. GOOD NEWS – if you are part of the 92 percent who don’t keep resolutions – ITS NOT BECAUSE YOU ARE WEAK! It’s because your Amygdala – the part of your brain responsible for keeping you alive – is STRONG! While our conscious selves thrive on growth and improvement, there’s another part (let’s call it the “critter brain”) dedicated to preserving the status quo. Similar in function to the brains of animals that largely just need to survive, this part of your brain has kept you alive all of these years using old ways. So when you exhibit the courage to step out into better ways, that part of you feels threatened. It isn’t sure it can keep you alive doing things differently. That war between two parts of yourself is not likely to lead to health and vitality. Willpower and deprivation are not your friends when it comes to changing habits and revitalizing your life – they set up a battle you can’t win. But Habit Change CAN happen! It takes curiosity about just how healthy you can become, and the courage to step into the adventure. But once accomplished, great health can become instinctive, easy, and pleasurable, so you don’t have to force yourself any more than you force yourself now to do things that feel good – like brushing your teeth or taking showers.
So, where to begin? Don’t start with deprivation! Cutting things out (like sugar, processed foods, or binge-watching TV instead of taking a walk) leaves empty places within us. Instead, try Crowding Out. What can you find today to fill your plate that will flood your body with so many nutrients that every cell does a happy dance and thanks you for giving it all that it needs to serve you well? Filling up on nutrients our body needs leaves us less space (both physically and emotionally) for things that tear us down. It’s been said that food is either the most potent medicine or the slowest form of poison. Fill your plate with the “medicine” of wild-caught salmon, asparagus, avocados, sweet potatoes, berries, mushrooms (asian varieties preferred), or spinach, and there won’t be space left for the “poison” we tend to turn to for comfort. What new healthy food will you deposit in your body’s health account today? #health#change#growth
