This is a small dose of uncomfortable truth that I’m going to type as loud as I can because I want to share what I know and inspire some healthy lifestyle changes for anyone who might be able to use them, and because many of us live in denial of our deteriorating health under the guise of we’re all gonna die one day, right?

I recently read through a list of the least healthy countries in the world and the specific health conditions that are the most prevalent to each and the reasons are pretty clear. Although its not always the fault of the citizens (sometimes circumstances and governments are to blame) we do harm ourselves, sometimes knowingly but often unknowingly. The United States didn’t make the list I read but we’re not doing great either. Most of our lifestyles could use some TLC in the following areas:

Hydration and water quality

Most of us don’t drink enough water. Not drinking enough water is bad, but before guzzling whatever water is within reach the quality of that water should be paid some attention. Municipal sources of water have been shown to contain fluoride, chlorine, pesticides, and heavy metals according to the EPA, so its a good idea to filter your water if you live in a city.

If you happen to live in the country and have a well you should have your water tested regularly for contaminants, and possibly filtered. The interesting and often convenient things about well water are that in general, groundwater is kept clean by natural filtration through hundreds of feet of earth. This water is stored in underground aquifers and is much heathier and more hydrating than surface supplies of water.

Bottled water isn’t ideal because of the microplastics that can leach into the water – also not so good for the planet. Some companies have been packaging spring water in recycled boxes and cans lately so there are slightly better options to purchase on the go. I personally prefer spring water but if you want to opt out of buying water and just restore the mineral content and improve the taste of your chemically treated and lord willing filtered tap water, you can always add a little bit of sea salt to it.

Nutrition and food quality

Eating overly processed food that has low nutrient value and contains artificial chemicals makes it hard for our bodies to get enough of the nutrients that are required to have adequate energy and function properly, and even harder to fight off disease.

Food quality has been declining for decades and continues to do so. With large scale factory farming being our main supply of nutrient depleted, pesticide laced, chemically engineered and overly processed food products, as opposed to local farmers growing and raising natural food for individual communities, the decline in quality has become unavoidable. High inflation has recently made all food less affordable, but organic even more so. All we can really do is our best to eat a well balanced diet, as natural as possible and if at all possible grow your own food or buy from a local farmer’s market. Eating lots of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean and ethically sourced animal protein and healthy fats are key, and taking a good quality multivitamin can supplement wherever you’re falling short.

Bad habits, dependence, and moderation

We all have things that we enjoy but don’t necessarily need to consume regularly. With that said, diet soda, regular soda, foods high in sugar, caffeinated drinks, alcoholic drinks, cigarettes and vape devices all contain substances a lot of us are either already addicted to or could become addicted to at some point. Put simply, all of these (excluding the cigarettes and vapes) in moderation are generally considered safe, but we need to be aware of how much we’re consuming and whether we can function without them or not.

Weight loss and natural medicine

To put a fine point on it, weight loss is a quagmire. If you are staying within your daily calorie allowance, exercising, eating a balanced diet and still not losing weight you should see a medical or naturopathic doctor to have some tests done.

In fact, it would be wise to see a doctor regarding any health concerns as soon as possible because neglecting a problem only allows the problem to get worse. Thyroid issues, hormone imbalance, nutrient deficiencies, digestive disorders, chronic pain, and mental illness can all contribute to a person being overweight or underweight. Health conditions always have root causes and should be looked into by someone who is willing to treat the cause in an attempt to heal the disease entirely, as opposed to treating the symptoms with drugs. Medical doctors tend to prescribe medication without running tests or asking too many questions, even in non-life threatening cases. They don’t often attempt to find the root cause of your problem, so be sure that blood work is done and a full panel if possible. You should be in good hands with a Holistic or Naturopathic physician but most insurance companies don’t cover functional medicine so keep that in mind as you might have to budget for it.

Exercise can be daunting, but… 

Walking is a great way to exercise. Its easy and so good for your mental and physical health. Dance, Pilates, yoga, biking, swimming, and running are all great ways to move your body as well. I think we’ve become slightly disenchanted by exercise for several reasons, a few being not having the time to commit to a consistent routine or maybe it just feels like a daunting and exhausting chore that we have to do but really don’t want to do. There are also so many strange fitness ‘influencers’ online inspiring some people, but making the rest of us feel inferior because we don’t all spend hours at the gym everyday pushing ourselves to the point of throwing up, passing out or risking injury trying to become the most fit person that ever lived. If you are easily influenced by that nonsense just be careful, and remember that you don’t have to go hard or go home. To quote Chris D’Elia “Go medium, and sometimes stay out.” 

What it boils down to is that with neglect there is decay. Its not that hard to make healthy food choices, stay hydrated, work on being less dependent on substances like nicotine or caffeine and get some exercise whenever you can. Simplify your life and you can simplify your health.