Someone Just Tell Me What To Do!

Do you feel overwhelmed by the amount of [conflicting] information about health and weight loss? We get so many messages every day from friends and the media about what to eat and how to exercise. I used to find myself just wishing someone would tell me what to do, because I constantly felt like I was guessing.

Low carb, high protein, low fat, all organic, nothing white, nothing after 6pm, fast 2 days a week, only eating prepackaged foods delivered to your house?! What's the best way?

First of all, be highly skeptical of the claims of anyone who stands to make money on your health choices. If a company is telling you that their product or their food is the key to health and wellness, you cannot trust what they are saying because they are simply a business trying to make money and your best interest is not their priority.

Second of all, listen to your body. What makes you feel good? Figure out how much exercise energizes you and makes you happy, rather than exhausting you and making you grumpy. Experiment with different types of diets to see which one works best for you (and by "diet," I mean way of eating, not Atkins Vs. Weight Watchers). Some people thrive on a mostly vegetarian diet (me!), and some people require more meat to be satisfied (my husband!).

Thirdly, use your common sense. You know prepackaged foods with artificial colors and flavors are not good for you. You know eating McDonald's does not support your long term health. You know you should be eating more vegetables and fish and less red meat and fried foods. None of this is particularly mysterious.

Lastly, find support. Reach out to friends or a personal trainer or health coach or your spouse and tell them your goals. Ask for help. Formulate a plan to incorporate more healthy choices into your life, and get your family involved. Long term change is not easy or immediate, and you'll need help remembering your priorities to make new habits.

Beginner Cheat Sheet

The fact of the matter is that while we are all individuals with unique needs, there are some basic changes that will improve everyone's health. Incorporate the following steps into your life at a rate you feel comfortable, and in whatever order strikes your fancy. You will feel better and be healthier...I promise!

1. Drink more water, and try to make water the only thing you drink. The more you have, the more you will want.

2. Get some exercise every day. For some people that means a 5-mile run, but for others that means a 20-minute walk. Don't compare yourself with others--do what is right for you. Different body types really do require different levels of rigor when it comes to exercise. If you're short on time, do something for 15 minutes in the morning, and then again in the evening. You know you have 15 extra minutes.

3. Make half of what you eat every day be vegetables and fruit (70% vegetables, 30% fruit). In the beginning, don't even worry about what else you eat as long as you are maintaining this ratio. You will naturally crowd out other, unhealthy foods as you move toward this goal.

4. Take a multi-vitamin every day.

5. Eat closer to the source, and organic whenever possible. Think about how far the food you are eating had to come, and how many things had to be done to it, to get it in the form in which you are eating it. The fewer steps, the better.

Best of luck, friends!