3 Game-changing Habits for a Healthier Weight, Mind and Body

Updated February 2025

There is a reason the “diet” industry is booming. In 1962, 3.4% of Americans fit the criteria for obesity. Today over 40% are considered obese. So, what’s going wrong? Some leaders would have you believe that it is a lack of willpower and suggest imposing things like a soda tax might help. The reality is external pressures to follow some “standard” healthy diet will do little for most. Likewise, willpower has little to do with the struggles most are facing to feel better mentally and physically.

Wendell Berry, American writer, activist and farmer said it well: ” People are fed by the food industry which pays no attention to health and are healed by the health industry which pays no attention to food.”

One response to the weight epidemic in our country is to use expensive pharmaceuticals. Medication can certainly be warranted for some. However, they can cause detrimental side-effects for others. I have had clients struggling with significant side-effects after being put on weight-loss medications.

Expensive drugs, radical taxes and shaming are ineffective for most. Here are three habits that are proven to work:

Habit Number One: Eat mostly whole Unprocessed foods and less Sugar

Our current food supply drives sick people into our health systems further ramping up our already exorbitant health care costs. Changing how we approach food production and manufacturing must be part of the process to change the landscape and economy of our flailing healthcare system. Chemicals that are banned in other countries are regularly used in our farming practices. To survive, our farmers are driven to produce subsidized crops. As highlighted by Dariush Mozaffarian, MD; Director of Tufts Food is Medicine Institute, only 2% of our farmland is used to grow fruits and vegetables (our government recommends that our diet should consist of 50% fruits and vegetables). The vast majority of our farmland in our country is used to grow commodity corn, wheat and soy crops. These items are then used to create ultra-processed foods.

To dramatically improve your mental and physical well-being and support a healthy body weight, eat foods that are not in a package. Fresh, whole, unprocessed fruits, vegetables, beans, and meats that are preferably locally grown on a regenerative farm are best. Check out our blog on regenerative farming. Monitor all forms of added sugar. Females have an upper limit of 25 grams of added sugar while males can have up to 36 grams per day. To give you perspective, many expensive, fancy coffee drinks have 45 grams plus in a small size. Foods made with artificial sweeteners is not the answer as they come with their own negative health implications. Instead, work to train your tastebuds to enjoy less-sweet foods.

Food is information. Highly processed foods disrupt our gut microbiome which is involved in neurotransmitter production. Eating these foods highjacks your body’s ability to produce and balance the chemical messengers needed to successfully feel mentally well and capable of making good choices for yourself. Switching to mostly unprocessed foods will set your body’s chemistry up for success creating the conditions needed for you to be capable to work towards your goals.

Habit Number two: Engage in Strength training three times per week and find ways to move more throughout the day

Age-related muscle loss (known as sarcopenia) begins around the age of 30 and progresses at the rate of 1-2% per year until age 60. After age 60, muscle loss continues at a faster rate at about 3% per year. This matters tremendously for maintaining strength, metabolic health and the ability to achieve and maintain a healthy body weight. Lean body mass keeps metabolism running at a higher rate allowing you to burn calories more efficiently.

It appears a sweet spot for most people is to aim for three sessions per week of strength training. This doesn’t need to be complicated. Using bands, hand-weights and body-resistance exercises such as push-ups and sit-ups can be very effective. Search YouTube for routines, work with a personal trainer or take a class at a local gym to get more guidance and ideas.

“Sitting is the new smoking” is real. I highly recommend fitness trackers that allow you to monitor your total movement throughout the day. Assess your baseline and implement simple things to build up your total steps each day. This could be as simple as taking 5-minute walk breaks. Also, a short walk after a meal has been shown to help metabolism and bolster the ability to achieve a healthy body weight. So before binge-watching your favorite show after dinner, take your dog on a quick walk around the block. She/he will thank you and your body and mind will benefit.

Habit Number three: Practice Mindfulness

This habit can help in more ways than you can imagine.

Many of us have lost our ability to cope with stress. Stress hormones that have gone awry create the conditions for weight gain. Mindfulness practices are proven to curb the stress response.

Likewise, many of us eat in relation to stress. Training our brains to be mindful gives us back our power. Victor Frankl, renown psychotherapist, said it best: “Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.” The way to notice the space is to create habits that promote neuroplasticity for our brains and allow us to be present enough to notice the space which empowers us to make choices for ourselves that align with our values and goals.

Investigate mindfulness practices that work for you. Intentional walks in nature where you are using your senses to stay present and experience joy are one of my favorite mindfulness practices. I also love my meditation apps.

Mindfulness practices promote a growth mindset, improved sleep habits(which is critical to health and wellbeing), better presence and ability to experience joy.

I wish you a happy, healthy and vibrant 2024! Promise of Vitality would welcome the opportunity to support you in achieving your goals. Reach out to us today!