The Future of Health is Mindfulness

According to the most recent CDC Health Statistics, a whopping 73.6% of American adults aged 20 and over are overweight or obese.

Though most would argue that this is a problem, which no doubt it is — I’d go a bit further and argue that it’s a symptom of a much larger issue. That being one of chronic disconnection and distraction.

You see, many of us today eat foods that are convenient, chemically addictive and cheap. We do this (knowingly or not) because they are convenient, chemically addictive and cheap.

As a result, the majority of our adult population here in America (ironically touted, the land of the free) exists as slaves to a food system that is driven entirely by profit and in complete disregard of longterm consumer health.

To make matters worse, we move a million miles a minute — while multitasking nonetheless — and our product-driven culture praises this behavior. In response, a radical rebellion of thought and action is needed, which will require us to actually slow down, smell the roses, cook our own food, and ask ourselves questions that encourage deeper awareness and habits of self.

So, make a cup of tea, find a comfortable seat and take a few moments to think about the following. If you journal, journal. If you take notes, take notes. And whatever your process is, don’t get too hung up on the answers you come up with. It’s less about the answers than it is about the awareness that comes in the process of exploring them.

Here we go:

1. What am I drinking?
2. What am I eating?
3. How am I moving?
4. How am I breathing?
5. How am I sleeping?

Now, depending on your experience right now, these questions (as simple as they may be on screen) might be a bit overwhelming. So much of what we do on the day-to-day is unconscious. We think the same thoughts; eat the same foods; drink the same liquids (or not) etc. And we feel about the same on the day-to-day because of this repetition.

The first step in changing anything, therefore, is to get clear on what’s currently happening. Without this, change is impossible.

Because when you start to think about your health, you start to think about your habits — and vice versa. Naturally, this process of reflection begets more reflection and what many of us will come to realize is that we’ve wracked up years and years of mindless “choices” that in reality, weren’t really choices at all.

As you can see, mindfulness — or mindful awareness — and health are overlapping concepts. They are arguably also the two most heavily resisted areas of human experience. So, it should come as no surprise to learn that they are in fact, inextricably linked.

Therefore, if you want to change your health, change your life. And if you want to change your life, change your health.

You don’t need to subscribe to an expensive diet program and you don’t need to spend an exorbitant amount on self-care supplements or products. You just need to become aware of your habits and get honest about how they are impacting your quality of life.

Because in our own unique ways, we are the guides that lead our actions to align with the kind of people we are becoming. But in order for this to happen, each of us must intentionally intercept our old patterns of conditioning.

If you want to be someone who drinks green juice, works out and sleeps well — don’t wait and wish. Show up today; drink green juice, work out and prioritize a supportive nightly ritual. Break it down according to the questions above, start to embody the answers that would help you feel better and lean into the process.

Because there is no end goal. The goal is to live a happy, healthy and fulfilling life — and that comes with conscious thought, aligned action and (you guess it) habit repetition!

Want to learn more about the habits of mindfulness, health and nutrition?

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