Make a committment to your future

As of right now I am interning in a hospital through my dietetic internship program. To be honest, the majority of the conditions patients come in with could have either been prevented or lessened by just living a healthier lifestyle. Not all conditions are preventable through diet and exercise and I do realize this, however, diet and exercise can help to manage the condition so it does not get worse or require medications.

Long story short, I see a lot of these conditions: high blood pressure (hypertension), COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease-typically smoking driven), overweight/obesity, Diabetes (usually uncontrolled), and heart conditions.

Most of the patients I see tell me that they know they are eating unhealthy and that they aren't following the recommendations set forth by the doctor or dietitian about diet and exercise...and I just want to ask WHY NOT and give them a swift kick in the butt. We could talk about will power and this and that all day, but seriously...if you have a severe medical condition, IS THAT NOT ENOUGH to make a CHANGE? When are we going to wake up and figure out that our nation is not getting any healthier unless we CHANGE. What is it going to take for the light bulb to go off?An epidemic? ALREADY HAPPENING!

When we're young (which I am) we don't think about how our behaviors today may affect our future...but quite honestly, that gets you nowhere and if you really believe this, then you are probably ignorant or just don't understand the word "consequence". So many patients will say "I wish I had listened to my doctor, or put on sunscreen, or ate better, or exercised" blah blah blah. You don't want to be saying "I wish" later on in life, instead you want to be saying "I'm glad I did everything I could".

Seriously, every day you must make a committment to yourself in order to have a healthy and happy future. Keep reminding yourself why you are exercising and why you choose healthier options; it's because if you put in the work now and for your entire life, you will have less medical complications later. Some issues are genetic and some issues are bound to happen that are out of our control, however, focus on what you can control and you will never have to say the words "I wish I had ____".

If you have a family member or loved that one that needs a swift kick in the butt, have them read this and talk with them about it. And if YOU need a swift kick in the butt, email me :) and I will do it for you. cait.croteau@gmail.com

Thanks guys...and I hope you are all having a healthy and happy Sunday!