When we are making changes in our health and well-being, we often feel defeated and abandon our efforts after a week or two. Recall for a moment how many diets or exercise programs you’ve been on in your life… probably quite a few, right? That’s really common! Some data suggests that people have been on anywhere between 50-126 different diets in their lives!
Why is it so hard to make changes? Because of Paradigms (pronounced pair-uh-DIMES).
Thomas Kuhn defined a paradigm as a set of beliefs held by a person, family unit, or culture… and that you know these paradigms exist because of the actions taken by said persons, family, or culture. He also states that paradigms can change, resulting in a “paradigm shift”. I like to refer to paradigms as the stories driven into us since birth by those we grew up with, and great people like Bob Proctor believe that these stories are what drive our actions and behaviors. (If you are unfamiliar with Bob, PLEASE for all that is lovely and good in this world, go look him up on YouTube or the bookstore.)
Think of paradigms as an app on your phone. You install the app on your phone so you can do a certain function. For example, let’s say you download that one popular app that streams all your favorite music and rhymes with Gotifly 😉. Now, that app has specific information (called coding) that makes Taylor Swift’s latest single play from your phone
when you click on it from your app library. You didn’t have to get into the complex computer (yes your phone is a type of computer) to tell it to retrieve the song, all you had to do was push a button. But, someone had to write that coding to make that button-pushing do what you want it to do: play a song.
Very similarly, you have “coding” or
“programming” deep in your subconscious that drives what actions your body takes. It’s the automatic setting that takes away the actual THINKING part of doing things and you just DO them. We call these automatic movements HABITS. You don’t have to think about the actions it takes to put on your clothes, you just do it. Well, once upon a time when you were a wee babe, you had to THINK about how to do those things, you were taught (read: programmed) how to get dressed.
Paradigms aren’t just the basic functions of living, like getting dressed or brushing your teeth, they also drive our bigger actions, like how we perform at work, communicate in a relationship, and you guessed it, how we take care of our bodies. These programs (automatic settings) are based on things people did and said when we were very young, and they were reinforced over years by friends, teachers, social media, and the people we are friends with.
These paradigms are tricky… because we don’t REALLY know that they are there. Remember, it’s like the coding in your favorite app that tells the app what happens when you push the Taylor Swift button… you never see that coding, you just know it works. The good news is that you can start to uncover these paradigms with a little good ole’ fashioned detective work. Curiosity is the doorway to discovering your own paradigms. Once you start to ask “Why do I do the things that I do?”, the answers start to reveal themselves as buried belief systems.
I’m going to explore a few paradigms in coming posts that I have struggled with, and I imagine you can relate to as well. The only way you’re going to know if these paradigms apply to you is if you start investigating your beliefs about yourself, nutrition, movement, and wellness.
The Instant Coffee Paradigm
One challenge many people face is the speed we see results. Let’s face it, somehow, we think in our minds that if we get up and go to the gym a couple of times and eat kale with our burgers for a week we are going to drop two dress sizes and see this magical transformation of a six-pack in the mirror. We’ve programmed ourselves to believe that if we don’t have the results we are looking for (ahem, a six-pack or a dress size 4… which are very influenced by society btw) in a VERY short, and often completely unrealistic timeframe, then the diet or exercise program isn’t working, and we abandon ship.
The “Instant Coffee” story about accomplishing anything without much effort or time is… well, it’s a bunch of crap. We really have a super limited perspective when it comes to making health changes. It’s like this iceberg… we see only a fraction of the changes taking place when we start to make healthy choices. When we drink more water, ditch the processed food and swap it for quality protein, fruits, and vegetables, and get off the couch or out of the office chair and move our ass at least 5 times a week… there are LOTS of changes that start happening. Inflammation decreases, the immune system improves, the GI system improves, blood sugar and insulin levels improve, and quality of sleep improves… basically, your body starts to run more smoothly.
Making Lifestyle Changes using the Iceberg of Wellness
To help you start to shift your paradigm about the results of making healthy lifestyle changes, I'd like to show you what's REALLY going on when you begin to move your body, increase sleep, reduce stress, and improve nutrition... you know, Wellness Habits. Those activities that help your body to operate at its most optimal level.
So often, we use weight as the ultimate say in whether our efforts are working or not. There is MORE THAN ENOUGH research to show that obesity is connected to an increased risk of health complications, such as cardiovascular events (heart attack, stroke), metabolic issues like Type 2 Diabetes, challenges with joints, muscles, and mobility (which can affect quality of life), as well as mental health risks (like depression and anxiety). BUTTTTTT weight may not be the first thing that drops, especially if you have some health challenges like autoimmune conditions, PCOS, hypothyroidism, or Type 2 Diabetes.
Let's go over what this Iceberg of Wellness looks like when we make positive changes to our health and lifestyle.
Tip of the Iceberg Health Change Indicators:
- Weight
- Body composition measurements
Underlying Health Change Indicators:
- Improvements to the digestive system, including regular bowel movements, decrease in bloating, less heartburn or GI upset
- Improved flexibility, which translates to less injuries
- Blood sugar and insulin stability, which means no “hangry” attacks or slumps in energy
- Improved circulation, which means more oxygen getting to all your extremities
- Improved sleep patterns, which has many benefits to mood, productivity, weight and stress management
- Nutrient replenishment, which means better cellular function to do all the processes of your body, like fighting off sickness, repairing damaged tissue, regulating your metabolism and energy, keeping your heart beating regularly, maintaining eyesight, optimal brain function… the list goes on
- Sex hormone balance, which means better sex drive, regular menstrual cycles, improved mood, weight management, less pre-menstrual syndrome (PMS) symptoms, and long-term effects of heart disease and osteoporosis prevention
- Improved cardiovascular and respiratory health, which means a more efficient system to get oxygen to all your cells for all those important cell functions… we aren’t just getting oxygen to our muscles!
If we are only using weight as an indicator of positive nutrition and lifestyle changes, we are missing the bigger picture. Just like that iceberg, there’s a lot more going on under the surface than above. And those shifts to see the changes on the outside TAKE TIME. Sometimes, a significant amount of time… especially if the body has been out of homeostasis (balance) for years. And even then, we might need some additional help to correct those imbalances from our healthcare team.
If you’re carrying extra weight, are experiencing menstrual cycle disturbances like heavy, painful, or irregular periods, have GI disturbances like frequent diarrhea or constipation, are having frequent headaches, malaise (that general blah feeling), and it’s been months or even years since you moved your body beyond walking to and from the car… then it’s likely that your body is having lots of challenges with its most basic processes. Your body is doing its darndest to keep up with all the demands you are placing on it with long nights, alcohol, stress out the wazoo, junky food with limited nutritional quality.
This isn’t to shame you, on the contrary… it’s meant to help you realize your body is doing the best she can. Your body needs some support… and she’s trying to tell you in the only way she knows how.
The truth of it: There is no quick fix when it comes to our health. No magic pill. No superfood supplement. No fairy drink. The good news is… we pretty much have figured out how to eat and move our body for optimal health. Many people would see vast improvements in their health if they follow the current My Plate recommendations from the USDA, the Mediterranean diet or DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet and the 150 minutes a week exercise recommendations from the American Heart Association. Of course, those with special needs in their nutrition (like those with Type 1 or 2 Diabetes, PCOS, allergies, and significant GI issues) will need the guidance of their healthcare practitioners to determine the best nutritional lifestyle for them.
How do we change the Instant Coffee Paradigm?
Great question! Let’s face it: changing deeply ingrained patterns is HARD. These patterns have been in place for decades, and it’s going to take some time, dedication, and effort to evict them from your subconscious. I believe the first step we can take to make positive changes for our well-being is AWARENESS. By doing some honest-to-goodness soul searching, and not conflating or distorting the ACTUAL patterns you keep repeating, you can start to see what our current beliefs are about your body and how you care for it.
Next, you have to get clear on your GOAL. Spend time visualizing you achieving your goal, really FEEEEELLL into it. Go check out Earl Nightingale’s “The Strangest Secret” on YouTube… seriously a great listen on establishing goals. The key really is in the emotions... you have to invest your whole body, mind, and spirit in that goal. And emotions (energy-in-motion!) are the fuel for any desire we have.
Once you establish a goal, it's time to replace old beliefs with NEW BELIEFS. You do this by surrounding yourself with ideas, words, and thoughts that support the image or goal you want to achieve. Listening to motivating podcasts, surrounding yourself with people on social media and in real life who value balanced healthy living, and continuously bringing your goal to the forefront of your life will start to clear out those old beliefs that have been controlling your life for so long.
Now it's time to take ACTION! Consistent action toward your decided goal will get you moving forward. Be aware though! At first, this is going to be REALLY HARD because that action is going against the current paradigm (old beliefs). This is when most people QUIT. Trust me, I’ve been there a bazillion times. We quit because we haven’t addressed the old belief system, and it feels so much easier to go back to our old ways. When it comes to improving our health, we usually haven’t been working at it long enough to see positive changes (refer back to the definition of the Instant Coffee belief). BONUS tip: Take action with an accountability partner! It's WAY more fun!
When I work with others move towards their most Vibrant Life, I always start with these beliefs… and it’s amazing when people see how much of a difference that makes when changing their lifestyle and habits. Myself included!
Conclusion
I hope this gives you some tidbits to think about when it comes to your wellness. Your body is an amazing companion to your soul, and the better you take care of that relationship, the more you can show up as the amazing, spectacular, shining Light that you are in the world. There may not be any quick fixes to repair that relationship, but the effort is SO worth it.
And Friend, so are you. You are TOTALLY worth every second, every effort, that you put towards your health. Your JOY is worth it. Your LOVE is worth it. Your VITALITY is worth it.
Your LIFE is worth it.
Much Love,
💋Kori Rae
Comments