In discussing dietary habits of what seems to be that of most Americans in this modern world we live in, people can just about always come up with reasons, or rather excuses why watching what they eat is too difficult. And they most likely have a firm belief in their minds that their reasons are legitimate and therefore will not even attempt to eat healthy. After all, don’t we all live such hectic and chaotic lives now days? What with working full time jobs and raising kids and such, how in the world did out forebears do it? But here is the deal, if you have a strong desire and a willingness to commit, the “to commit” is important, you can achieve all of your health and wellness goals. With commitment, planning and a support network of family and or friends, you can overcome all obstacles which may block your path to a healthy life. Think about this when it comes to obstacles, in the military we were taught that when approaching an obstacle, you can go around it, over, or under it. And if none of those routes will work for you, then just blow that sucker up and go through it.

Of course with dietary habits, the complexity of human nature has to be considered in that a good amount of the food in the Standard American Diet (SAD) is addicting physically and emotionally. You will temporarily experience discomforts when kicking unhealthy foods for wholesome foods which are not processed nor are loaded up with refined sugar, salt and excess fat. This is just a fact of life.

To those who do not believe that some foods are addictive in nature, what do you say to those who would prefer death over a change in their dietary habits? What do you make of the folks who will come up with rationalizations or excuses about why they can not, or will not change their dietary habits? Why do so many of our fellow citizens totally reject learning about how to eat for a healthy life? It seems the subconscious mind could care less about science and logic which is nowhere near as exciting as having a social life sitting around a table full of hearty food.

It is not uncommon for people to continue giving reasons and excuses to why they continue traveling down the road to dietary suicide. Yes, eating garbage and not providing your body with proper nutrients while loading it with excessive and empty calories is suicide. It may be a fairly long and painful path getting there, but you are still killing yourself none the less. Perhaps it is a conscious thought process, maybe not. I’m sure this varies with the individual from moment to moment or day to day. It seems there is a subconscious process where our brains are programmed to dim awareness to information that causes us distress and anxiety. For a good many folks, the way they envision life after changing the way they think about food is a huge source of anxiety. We can see this daily on Weight Watchers social media Connect. Garbage foods are a slow working poison which wreak havok on our health, yet the mind fears change more than it fears the effects of consuming an unhealthy diet. Hell, all you need to do is see your physician and have him or her prescribe you a pill right? Or maybe it is no big deal that you eat bad since you got a good deal on blood glucose test strips last month…

Folks with an addictive mind will almost always create a reason to justify eating like crap. How often have you ever heard something along the lines of “If you had a life like mine, you would binge too?” Take away the junk food from food addicts and you will see a self defeatng cycle of self pity and gloom. Once a food addiction takes hold, folks will lose all self control. I ask, is there anything rational about sitting on the kitchen floor with a can of frosting and a spoon? Eating like there is no tomorrow with tears streaming down your face? Over eating, eating poorly and remaining obese in spite of health consequences are readily apparent examples of how powerful a food addiction can be in controlling the mind.

Never the less, the good thing is that all of this can be turned around when you commit to a life of health and wellness. Changing your dietary habits to where you ensure your body receives all its proper nutrition, and while also incorporating a meaningful exercise regimen to your daily routine, or at least three times per week for a minumum of thirty minutes. Healthy eating and exercise can take you to great lengths in how you picture yourself and in how you feel physically. All this goes hand in hand with a healthy attitude about life and a love of life.

If you need to make these changes to your life, you must acknowledge the conflict, acknowledge the difficulty and just do what you have to do. Make it happen as no one else is able to, or going to do it for you. You must commit! Face the facts, accept your discomfort and work yourself though it. You may not like the challenge, it will be hard to overcome, but every day where you commit to just doing it, will get easier until the change feels natural to you.