It was 3:00, a.m. when the phone suddenly rang out in the
darkness. Upon answering, a voice cried out, "This
is your brother, Dad just died of a heart attack. The paramedics
are on the way." I was completely shocked. I had seen
my father a few days earlier, and there weren't any indications
that he was ill. In fact, he appeared to be in peak form.
Confused and grief stricken, I began to search for the cause
of his death. I suspected that it was his "no activity"
lifestyle and high fat diet that finally caught up with
him.
The next day, the coroner's report confirmed my suspicion:
His death was the result of atherosclerosis, a narrowing
of the arteries from deposits of cholesterol and fat. The
truth was painful! Especially, when the experts concluded
that his premature death could have been completely avoided--only
if he had the appropriate medical care. It became very clear,
that it was his bad habits which ultimately robbed him of
his life. Now, he's gone and never to return.
Regretfully, when I look back and ask "Why didn't
he save himself?" The answer was obvious: He was in
denial, he lacked knowledge about health, and would not
accept that he had a life threatening problem.
Yes, bad habits can kill, but it is possible to change
your lifestyle. However, it requires an entirely different
mindset: First, you must take personal responsibility for
your own health. Second, develop the awareness that you
need to make definite changes in your life. Third, educate
yourself and learn the fundamental premises of good health.
Forth, research the health risks that are associated with
aging; and Fifth, inquire into your family's history of
diseases and pathology. Armed with these facts, you now
have the basics to make informed decisions about the nutritional
and exercise requirements that you need.
Nevertheless, changing life long habits is not an easy
task. Typically, desperate family members quote medical
statistics and use scare tactics to try and change their
loved ones. It simply does not work. To make matters worse,
pressuring and nagging creates even more resistance. If
anything, it erects a wall of denial which can defy all
rational explanations regarding good health. The usual reaction
is "that could never happen to me!". When it does--it
can be fatal!
Then, what is the answer: To get someone to change their
deeply entrenched habits requires their conscious commitment
to take personal responsibility for their own life. There
is no other way! The problem is, that the onset of most
diseases of aging are silent killers. They are slow, progressive
and insidious. There are no warning signs, no pains, nor
any pronounced symptoms that would hint to an impending
disaster. This is typical of heart disease, stroke, and
cancer in individuals over the age of fifty. For that reason,
it's no surprise that many people do not make the connection
that today's lifestyle habits can potentially lead to premature
death. Therefore, if you are risking your health by poor
habits--this is what you can you do to change....
Primarily, you need to understand the nature of habits,
and what makes them so difficult to change. Clinical Psychologist,
John F. Tristany, Ph.D. defines habits as, "deeply
ingrained, learned patterns of behavior that are continually
reinforced by environmental, emotional, and psychological
factors." He continues, "habits are maintained
by the Pleasure Principal: the desire to gain pleasure and
the absolute need to avoid pain". To understand how
the pleasure principal is applied to changes in exercise,
diet, and lifestyle--it must be compared to the sedentary
individual. For these people, physical activity is alien.
Exercise, aerobics, and muscle fatigue are interpreted by
the brain as pain provoking. The result is pain avoidance,
withdrawal and alternative pleasure seeking. This is where
searching for passive stimulation such as overeating, drugs,
alcohol, and sex are anchored to the pleasure principal;
and therefore, reinforce inactivity.
Dr. Tristany believes that this principal is reversed for
active people. He states, "physical exertion is emotionally
associated with good health, strength, and body image. The
pain impulses linked to exercise become positively associated
to one's physical identity and to the euphoria of sexual
attractiveness. Thus, the habits of a healthy lifestyle
are rewarded by the pleasure principal through social recognition
and physical feelings of well being.
The same principal applies to eating behaviors as well.
Most people react to dieting as a negative experience to
be avoided. Food restriction is felt to be depriving, frustrating
and painful for most. Giving up those sweet and creamy foods,
stemming from old family habits, is truly a painful experience.
Conversely, those who value fitness--associate pain with
consuming fattening foods. They experience discomfort just
thinking about being overweight or potentially compromising
their health. These examples may seem simplistic; but if
you think about your food preferences, you'll begin to recognize
how this principal affects your attitudes, thoughts and
behaviors.
Understanding your philosophy of life is the next critical
step towards changing your habits. Lifestyle patterns such
as attitudes and fixed habits of inactivity fall into this
category. As defined by Clinical Psychologist....
Click here for part two
of "Habit To Die For".
>>
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