The great con.

 – Ryan Monastra is a Physiotherapist and Director at Back in Action.

If you’ve followed my writing the past couple of episodes, I’ve been talking about four of the keys to a long and healthy life. The first two are a positive mindset, and high levels of physical activity. Today I want to talk about the great con. The great con is that which we’ve been sold by a myriad of retailers over a sustained period of time. The great con is that it’s difficult, and expensive to eat healthy food. You see the third key thing that will give you a long and healthy life is a balanced diet that is high in plant based food.

The diet industry in the US alone is worth into many billions of dollars, the UK is no different, and here in good old NZ we’re taking our place among the most overweight of nations. However did we get here? For the record, it’s not as simple as calories in versus calories out, if it were, dieting would be pretty simple. And human physiology is anything but simple. But the end point of advice, graciously, is simple. Eat real food. The kind your grandmother would recognise as food. If it doesn’t come in a packet, chances are its ok. If it does, you’re dancing with the food technology wizards.

The reality of human existence is we tend to spread a little as we get older, it doesn’t matter if you’re a multi-millionaire with enough cash to afford a full time paid dietician and chef, various exercise professionals to keep you in shape and all the time needed to eat the right food, get the right sleep, and do the right exercise. The research shows overwhelmingly – as do countless examples in our celebrity obsessed culture – that with the passage of time, most of us gain a few kgs.

You know the reality is that in terms of mortality risk – the fit but heavy person does better than the unfit, but light person. So if you’re one of those blessed with a constitution that retains the same weight from adolescence to the grave, you don’t get away with being lazy. Equally if you’re in the heavy frame club, don’t despair – there is good evidence that the work you put into eating well and exercising regularly pays dividends – the dividend is in life expectancy – more of it, and more quality of it.

So my message to you is simple – eat real food – chances are if it will (bio)degrade if it sits on your bench for more than a few days, then it’s probably pretty good for you. And the more colours, the better – especially the purple ones. If you’re struggling for tips – try googling ‘whole food diet’ and see how you go – if not seek out a local dietician who can answer your questions. We have the amazing Mrs Sarah Percy on our team if your appetite is whet!

You’re welcome to give her a call!
Read:

• The silent epidemic of negativity
• The other silent epidemic

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The other silent epidemic

– By Ryan Monastra (Physiotherapist and Director at Back in Action)

Last month I shared with you about the silent epidemic in our society of negativity and how one of the four key secrets to living a long and healthy life was a positive mindset. Today I want to let you know of another silent epidemic. It’s not a major problem. And true to the nature of what I shared last month – it’s not permanent, nor is it global. And it’s easily changed by you and by me. The epidemic is the inactivity epidemic.

And I didn’t put it first for a good reason. Mindset is more important. With a positive mindset you’re already moving.

There’s some scary stats around if you care to go looking, of the cost of inactivity. Not just the financial cost, but also the misery cost, the social cost, and a host of others associated with not getting ourselves moving enough. Diabetes rates sit at around 1 in 5 NZ’ers presently, but the rate of pre-diabetes is estimated somewhere closer to 1 in 4 – meaning that at some point in the not too distant future, 1 in 4 of us will have diabetes. Heart disease is equally as scary. I remember learning a word in school certificate when I first explored this disease as a fifteen year old. The word used to describe heart disease in western nations was ubiquitous, meaning: everyone has it. It’s lucky I swing towards optimism.

But if you look at the research around all the major killers in health – Heart disease, Stroke, Diabetes, Cancer, Suicide (as a symptom of depression), there is a clear and consistent helper. Increasing physical activity levels has a limiting effect on all these diseases. And yes you did read that correctly. Despite unashamedly selling exercise, the truth is, what we need most, is simply to move more. Well to move more and sit less. In fact those two exact variables have been independently linked to mortality by researchers in Loughborough in the UK (which is just down the road from where I lived for a couple of years while I was over there).

So if there’s one thing you can do today that will have a lasting impact on your health, having already mastered a positive mindset, then it would be – set your habits to fidget a bit more, go out for that walk, do those few squats, throw away that remote. Do anything. Anything. Anything that gets you moving. The best activity is the type you enjoy – if you read this column last time it probably won’t surprise you to know that humans are motivated towards pleasure/positivity – so find some activity that you enjoy – and in the words of some big gear company “Just do it”.

If you need any further advice on how to get moving a bit more, just chat to any trusted health professional. If they’re worth their fee they should be able to give you some helpful tips that don’t cost the earth, and will save you plenty that’s valuable.

There’s two more keys to a long and healthy life. Stay tuned. Or give me a call!

Read: The silent Epidemic

Eat your colours

Many of us were told to “eat your greens” when we were growing up but actually eating a range of colours is the key! Think red (tomatoes, radishes), purples (beetroot, red cabbage), yellow (corn, scallopini), orange (carrots, pumpkin), white (mushrooms, cauli, onions) and green (spinach, broccoli, kale). The different colours of vegetables highlight the different nutrients in them so for greatest vitality eat a vege rainbow.

If you would like more information on how you an put more colour into your diet book a session with Registered Dietitian Sarah Percy onsite at Back In Action.