3018: Forming Healthy Habits: 3 Tiny Choices That Create Huge Change by Jane Endacott with Tiny Buddha

[00:00:01] Wenn jemand Charles und Melanie gesagt hätte, dass sie nach ihrem Tinder Match gemeinsam einen Channel mit Crazy Aufgaben starten, also wirklich crazy, fünf Tage auf einer einsamen Insel verbringen, eine Zipline an einem Gurt runterrasen, eine Million Views knacken, eine Wand mit Saugnöpfen hochklettern und Falschirm springen in Ägypten? Das hätten die beiden niemals geglaubt. Aber das ist das Ding mit Tinder. Es führt dich an Orte, die du nie erwartet hättest. Wohin es dich aufführt. It starts with a swipe. Tinder.

[00:00:29] Hey Sandra, wir haben uns ja lange nicht mehr gesehen. Grüß dich Nadine. Mensch, du siehst ja toll aus. Ja danke. Ich habe mein Plus fürs gesündere Ich entdeckt. Was? Komm, ich zeig's dir. Die Bewegungskurse der AOK Plus. Kostenfrei für AOK Plus Versicherte. Entdecke dein Plus fürs gesündere Ich und starte mit unserem Selfcheck. Ganz einfach online auf aok.de. Aus Liebe zur Gesundheit. AOK Plus.

[00:01:00] This is Optimal Health Daily. Forming Healthy Habits. Three Tiny Choices That Create Huge Change. By Jane Endicott with tinybuddha.com. And I'm your host and narrator, Dr. Neil Malek. Happy Wednesday. Welcome back to Optimal Health Daily, where I read to you from popular health and fitness blogs to help you optimize your health. It is time for an inspirational quote. So without further ado, quote,

[00:01:25] You must do the thing you think you cannot do. Eleanor Roosevelt. I actually happened to be watching a documentary on the Roosevelts, and there were some who pronounced their last name Roosevelt. I don't know, that always seems weird to me, so maybe I'm pronouncing it wrong. Anywho, today's a special day because you're going to actually get another inspirational quote once I get to today's post. So I'm sure you're excited to hear it. Let's get right to it and start optimizing your life.

[00:01:57] Forming Healthy Habits. Three Tiny Choices That Create Huge Change. By Jane Endicott with tinybuddha.com. Quote, It is better to make many small steps in the right direction than to make a great leap forward only to stumble backward. End quote. Seven years ago, I was a sedentary, over-caffeinated, unmindful, somewhat neurotic meat eater with a bit of a drinking problem.

[00:02:23] My meals came out of boxes with chemical compounds for ingredients and had little in the way of anything that grew outside or came from a field. I made excuses for not exercising, but in reality, I was so insecure that I didn't think I was strong enough to be athletic. I was afraid of making an utter fool of myself. And I was afraid that if I sat still long enough to look inward, I would loathe myself more than I already did. Today, I am a mostly vegetarian running nut. I'm always training and gaining strength for the next race.

[00:02:52] For the most part, my meals are fresh and made from scratch, containing less animal meat and more leaves. I still indulge in coffee and Coca-Cola, but find my comfort and clarity in tea and a glass of water. I meditate regularly for my spiritual practice. Mindfulness is a part of my everyday life, and wine is no longer a stress reliever. There are countless Cinderella stories like these out there. Stories of couch potato turned to vegan Iron Man. Stories of people who turned terrible habits into wholesome ones.

[00:03:22] People who lost weight, kicked an addiction, stared their fears in the face, and made their lives better. But for people who are still in the couch potato stage, these changes feel astronomical. You may as well ask them to leap across the Grand Canyon and land on the other side on both feet. So how does a person go from being a lump to a marathoner? I did something quite simple that anybody who wants to change their life can do without stumbling and feeling like a failure.

[00:03:49] Each day, I made one small decision to make a healthier choice. Each choice was manageable. Rather than making grandiose plans to alter my diet and routine in massive ways, I made one small choice every day to make my life healthier. This slow change began seven years ago, when a small idea was planted in my mind and began to grow. Food. I realized that my diet depended heavily on processed food.

[00:04:17] I needed a chemistry degree to understand what I was putting into my body. By watching an ex-partner of mine in the kitchen, I learned how to cook. Then every Sunday evening, I cooked a nice meal for myself. Nothing too fancy. I became curious about different recipes and new foods. I soon found sanctuary in chopping vegetables, the aroma of fresh herbs, and gently simmering a sauce. I felt a sense of accomplishment in creating a nutritious and tasty meal. And before long, I was cooking for myself three to four times a week.

[00:04:46] At lunch, I chose to eat a piece of fruit and to drink water instead of a soda. At restaurants, I chose salad instead of french fries and a veggie burger instead of a hamburger. When I got tired at work, I turned to water instead of coffee. I was still eating meat, but I was eating a lot less of it. And fruit was a regular snack. You don't need to completely change your diet. You just need to start with one healthy choice. Every small choice adds up. Exercise.

[00:05:14] After changing my diet, it took another three years to change my level of activity. I was going through major stress at work and in my personal life. I felt I needed intense physical activity that burned off pent-up energy. I didn't want to spend a lot of money on fancy equipment, so I started running. For a long time, I wanted to try running, but I was afraid that I would look stupid. One day, I thought to myself, screw it. Everyone feels stupid on their first run. On a quiet Sunday morning, I went on my first jog-slash-walk.

[00:05:42] I felt so amazing that I bought a decent pair of running shoes, and I haven't stopped running since. That single choice to simply try exercise has led me to three half marathons, a marathon, and a relay race. Running has helped me face myself in ways that I never imagined and find strength I didn't think I had. You don't need to run a marathon today or even a mile. You simply can make the choice to do something, no matter how small, to be physically active. Meditation.

[00:06:11] Around the time I started running, I also tried meditation. I heard accounts of the benefits of meditation, such as reduced stress and clarity of mind, but I was afraid of finding what was hidden deep inside of me. I chose to simply try it. I sat for periods of 10 minutes a few times a week. After trying that for a couple of weeks, I felt I needed guidance. So I searched for meditation services in my community. The first time I tried sitting meditation at the Zen Center,

[00:06:38] I realized the silence and stillness in meditation brought me ease, and I kept going back. I now use mindfulness and meditation as a regular part of my spiritual practice. It takes a lot of work to see my fears as they truly are. I've worked through jackal voices that tell me I'm not good enough. When I perform sit meditations, the stillness shows me that those are just voices, and that they're trying to protect me from life's disappointments. And what keeps me going is the awareness that I don't have to have all of the answers right now.

[00:07:07] You don't need to meditate for hours at a time. All you have to do is sit in silence for a few moments each day to be more peaceful and present. Seven years since I chose not to eat something out of a box, I live my life each day, making choices that don't feel like sacrifices. Eating vegetables doesn't feel like I'm denying myself potato chips. It feels as if I'm eating something that I enjoy. Going for a run doesn't feel like I'm torturing myself for 30 minutes. It's a choice that makes me feel invigorated.

[00:07:36] Each moment, you have an opportunity to make a choice. You can choose the same harmful habits that you always choose. Or, you can choose a better habit that treats your body the way it deserves to be treated. Today, I'm still making changes, and I am a constant work in progress. A year ago, my drinking habit changed from 2-3 drinks per day to 2-3 drinks per month. Recognizing that this was a destructive habit, I reached a place where I was ready to let go of my dependence.

[00:08:03] I came home from a visit with my family, the side that doesn't drink, and I was already on a 5-day hiatus from drinking alcohol. 5 days became 6, and then 7. I still struggle with those urges, but then I ask myself, what choice do I want to make? You just listened to the post titled, Forming Healthy Habits, Three Tiny Choices That Create Huge Change, by Jane Endicott, with tinybuddha.com.

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[00:09:58] So, get snackin' and get crackin' with the snack that packs a protein punch. Visit WonderfulPistachios.com to learn more. Dr. Neil here for my commentary. I too was once a couch potato and fast food lover. I always say that Del Taco used to be my daily house of worship. For those of you not familiar with Del Taco, it's a fast food Mexican restaurant that's like Taco Bell's cousin.

[00:10:26] In fact, I remember as a teenager asking my parents if I could be an armchair athlete. I'm serious. That's how big of a couch potato I was. But as Jane mentioned in the post I just read to you, there were small little changes that started to happen. They didn't happen overnight. I had to get that willpower. I had to be afraid of failure. I had to just start. But then one little small tiny change turned into many, many more. And I'm still not perfect and it's okay.

[00:10:56] I still work very hard at trying to keep up my healthy habits. I love donuts, french fries, and pizza. It doesn't mean I'm gonna have those every day all the time. Kind of like I used to do with Del Taco. Sure, I still have those cravings. Again, I'm human. But I just promise myself that I'll continue to do better. And I'm a huge supporter of making small changes first. It doesn't seem as overwhelming. It gives you that confidence that, you know what? That wasn't so bad. It gives you that momentum.

[00:11:24] Hey, I've kind of started doing this already. What if I added just a little bit more? I've talked about just doing one push-up a day and or one pull-up every day for the next 20 days. And I guarantee just even doing that will make you feel better. And you might even see some results. You might find by the end of 20 days, you can do two push-ups or even two pull-ups. Who would have thought? Or maybe after 20 days, you could do 20 in a row. And you just have to start. And it could be just one small change.

[00:11:54] And then let it snowball. Thank you for subscribing. Thank you for listening every day. I'll be back here tomorrow where your optimal life awaits.