Be Stronger than your Excuses

I love the way celebrity chef Seamus Mullen looks at the notion of health.

As a person struggling with Rheumatoid Arthritis who almost died in his thirties, he had to push away the perception that he was doomed by this disease.

He knew he could manage his illness better than what he was doing.

The starting point for him, in his words, was this:

“The first step to becoming a healthy person is believing you can be healthy.”

Mindset. Never underestimate the power of mindset.

He went on to totally transform his health, getting back to living and enjoying life, weaning himself off of his medication, and pretty much kicking Rheumatoid Arthritis into remission.

His prescription for getting this done? Lifestyle medicine.

What is lifestyle medicine? It’s simply understanding how to live your life in an intentionally healthy way. And using the power of your mind to think of that approach as rewarding, and not a sacrifice, or something that has to be endured.

Lifestyle medicine, as a prescription, should be the starting point for all of us, especially when we are facing health challenges. But even when we feel healthy, we should be mindful of that maintenance, and recognize that we want to take control of our health before something catches us off guard.

Practicing “lifestyle medicine” should feel expansive. Not limiting.

Seamus Mullen embraced this notion of lifestyle medicine. He transformed the way he ate, the way he moved, and figured out ways to manage his stress (especially given his role of a chef - a notoriously stressful profession).

To get there successfully, part of his journey was overcoming “transactional health.”

Transactional health is an interesting notion. It’s the system many of us put ourselves through of rewards and punishments. It’s the voices in our head telling us what we need to do.

When it comes to the food we eat … these are some of the voices that can be chattering away:

If I'm on a diet and I cheat, I’ll have to work out extra hard the next day. Then it will be ok.

If I keep track of my calories today … I can cheat tomorrow.

If I’m good during the week, I can let loose on the weekends.

I worked out today … so it’s definitely ok for me to treat myself to a chocolate chip muffin.

These are the notions of transactional health. When you do something to assuage your guilt, your emotional investment in your longer term goals can relax.

We are programmed this way from the beginning. As children we’re treated to treats … a lot. Treats are rewards … that console us when we’re upset, and reward us for good behavior. We celebrate all our key holidays and special occasions with treats and indulgences. They are comforts in our life.

Unfortunately, though, these treats on occasions have become treats on a daily basis - and more a way of our day to day life.

Now, I am the first person to acknowledge that none of us are perfect, and yes we do want to enjoy those things that we love from time to time. And that’s ok.

But it is worth a few moments of thought.

Think about those things you “love” that you know are not good for you. Think about when you eat them … and when you crave them.

Are they part of your regular routine? Are they tied to celebration? A reward for perceived sacrifice in your week? Maybe you eat those foods, mindlessly, out of pure boredom.

Try to minimize those splurges as much as you can. Remember, you have acknowledged that they aren’t good for you … although clearly they satisfy a short term mostly psychological need or desire.

Conversely, eating to promote a healthy lifestyle shouldn’t feel like a sacrifice. It should become a way of life. That’s the key realization that my clients have discovered for themselves. No more Weight Watchers, or the many other “diets” that typically only deliver short term results.

We have to discover a way of eating that is delicious, bountiful and that we look forward to.

And once we get into this groove, this way of eating, and supporting it with an active lifestyle, starts becoming easier. And second nature.

Here’s an exercise to get you started thinking about a more thoughtful, and less transactional approach to your health and nutrition:

After a week, look at your journal. What do you notice? Can you identify any unhealthy patterns? How did you feel when you overindulged … or indulged in foods that you knew were not so healthy? How did you feel when you ate whole, nourishing foods?

Sometimes we might eat something that may not agree with us … and our body might not notify us until hours later or even the next day or two.

Be aware of that and try to tune into how you’re feeling. Notice any feelings of discomfort (bloating, gas, aches, lethargy, fullness) as well as positive feelings (like energy, clarity, etc.)

Especially for those more challenging foods that we love, but know are not good for us - if we can think forward to how they make us feel - that may be the motivation we need to curb our impulses.

The act of journaling heightens our awareness of what’s going on with our bodies … and can make us think about what we eat next time. Or maybe help us decide that it is time to eliminate something that just doesn’t make us feel good.

So journal your way into action. Notice - then act. Set some new ground rules.

Maybe when you go through this exercise, that notion of transactional health will begin to dissipate.

Every little step in the right direction counts in a big way.

Let me know what you learn!