If you raised your hand, subscribe to this blog and join our Facebook group, "Healthy as !@#$." The combination of these two actions will provide you with all the knowledge and tools you need to find the path that leads to achieving the goals outlined in the first paragraph. However, in full disclosure, knowledge is not enough. Knowledge removes obstacles and hands you a toolbox, but the rest is ENTIRELY up to you. We are not your coach or your mom or your nanny. You are.
To get from where you are now to achieving said goals requires ACTION. This is usually the point where we lose 80% of our readers. But that's OK. We aren't interested in wasting knowledge and tools on those who are not DOERS. If you are in the 20% who are still on board, WELCOME! You are about to embark on a fantastic journey to excellent health and wellness. Are you sure you are in the 20% and not the 80%? Because, there is a simple test you can take to determine that, if you are not sure...and I'm going to give you the opportunity to take this test before the end of this post, so you can in good conscience decide what proportion of the population you are in - the 80% who cannot actually rise to the task or the 20% who can.
This is not one of those sites that make you jump through hoops to achieve questionable health outcomes (with an insidious agenda to capture and sell your contact information) and then make you pay money before you know what you are actually paying for. We don't care about any of that. We don't want your money or your demographic data. We don't even care who you are...as long as you care about who you are and who you want to be. Our goal is 100% altruistic. We believe it would be unethical not to share the health and wellness knowledge and tools with you, and it would be equally unethical to charge you money to gain access to your best possible self. You deserve it, if you truly want it. It's your right!
That being said, it is entirely up to you to decide whether to travel this path to optimal health and wellness. Again, are you in the 20% who can? We don't know or even care. The question is DO YOU CARE? Because we are only here to give you the knowledge and tools. You then must incorporate the knowledge and apply the tools. 80% of you will balk at this and continue on your current, comfortable, familiar path. And there is nothing wrong with that. You need to decide who you are and then BE THAT, wholeheartedly and unapologetically.
Are you ready to determine what proportion of the population you fall into? Don't read any further if you are not, because you may be in for an eye opening shock. 80% of you still reading this likely firmly believe you are in the 20% who can revolutionize their lives and achieve ideal health and wellness. But that's mathematically impossible, and the following test will firmly ground you in reality. Ready?
In order to achieve the goals outlined in the first paragraph, you have to be able to commit to ALL of the following statements:
1. I will adhere to a 95%-100% whole food, plant based diet. This is the dietary pattern that has been shown in population studies to optimize physical health and longevity. If you have any thoughts or feelings of doubt or resistance as to your ability to adhere to this type of eating pattern, stop reading now...you are in the 80% who are not willing or able to change. And that's OK. We don't want to waste your time or ours.
2. I will exercise moderately for at least 150 minutes every week. Exercise intensity is determined uniquely for every individual and any type of exercise will do. But what matters is putting in the time. 150 minutes is the minimum required amount of time. That 150 minutes can be divvied up however you like - all in one go or broken up into several episodes. Again, if upon reading this requirement for ideal health and wellness, you experienced any doubt or resistance, stop reading now...you are in the 80% who are not willing or able to change. And that's OK. We don't want to waste your time or ours.
3. I will minimize or eliminate recreational alcohol and drug use, respectively, from my life. There really is no healthy amount of alcohol use. However, "experts" have defined low risk of harm from alcohol use as: no more than two standard alcoholic drinks on any one occasion for women; no more than three standard alcoholic drinks on any one occasion for men; no more than seven standard alcoholic drinks during any given week for women; no more than 14 standard alcoholic drinks during any given week for men. If you read the previous criteria for risk of harm from alcohol use and found yourself trying to calculate how to maximize your alcohol use within those safety parameters, stop reading now...you are in the 80% who are not willing or able to change. Also, there is no safe level of recreational drug use. If you cannot eliminate recreational drugs from your life, embrace the fact that you are relegated to the 80% who cannot achieve the health and wellness goals in the first paragraph of this post. And that's OK. Again, be your authentic self, wholeheartedly and unapologetically. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that. You just are not in the 20% of people who can revolutionize their lives for optimal health and wellness. No judgment.
That's pretty much it. If you can embrace those three criteria, you are in the 20% of people able to achieve ideal health and wellness. Are there some additional nuances? Sure. But those three criteria explain 95% of the variability between those who have ideal health and wellness, and those who do not (a fancy statistical way of separating the proverbial wheat from the chaff).
You may be wondering why not smoking or using nicotine is not one of the three criteria for ideal health and wellness. If you have to ask, you are obviously not in the 20% of people who can revolutionize their lives for optimal health and wellness. Of course, this post assumes the reader does not use nicotine. By now, everyone should understand that smoking and nicotine use completely preclude having good health. If you currently use nicotine in any form, I am surprised you are even here - quit using nicotine today and return to this post in 10 years, when your body has sufficiently detoxified itself from the damage nicotine causes that you can review the three criteria again and see where you stand. Cool?
So, if you are still reading and you think you are truly a part of the 20%, subscribe to this blog and join our Facebook group. It's here and on the Facebook group that we share additional knowledge and tools for ideal health.
Ciao!
