Why talk about health?

This can't be a serious question, really. Because why not talk about health? With good nutrition and exercise, we can live a happy HEALTHY long life.

I just got into a discussion with my husband last night. We were talking about how cutting certain things out of our lives and changing our lifestyle wasn't all that hard. Cutting sugar? Not too bad. We still drink one soda (if that) a day. Oops, but other than that, it's quite easy. Cutting carbs? Not too bad either. I have to admit that I love bread, and pasta, and all that Italian goodness. Working out? I know for a fact that we can spare 10 minutes AT LEAST out of our day to get a good exercise routine in. I usually try to exercise for an hour while my toddler is napping, or being good and not all over me. And I can sometimes even do more.

And I get it. Sometimes money can be tight. But eating healthier isn't all that more expensive. Really, it isn't. Just check this study out. And let's be honest, even if it was a little more expensive, wouldn't you want to fork out a little more knowing that you're putting good things into your body instead of crap? A healthy diet is a colorful one. Let me tell you, those box dinners are FAR from healthy and colorful. I also understand that sometimes it's just easier. And who doesn't like easier? I know I do. That's why you can prep and freeze dinners and meals to use later on if you're in a bit of a time crunch. Prep and freeze instead of breaking out that delivery number or getting out the dreadful box dinner.

More than 1/3rd of Americans are overweight and obese. MORE THAT ONE-THIRD.  And they are predicting it will rise even more within the next 20 years. How does that not ring the "Holy crap, we need to fix this" bell?! I'm far from a healthy weight and I know that, and not ashamed to admit it. But you know what, I'm working on it. I'm working on being healthier. And I hope to lose a lot of this weight within the next year. Having a daughter, and living in a country with such a high obesity rate, makes me want to change. I don't want to die prematurely because of my diet/weight. I want my daughter to grow up in a healthy house, with healthy habits.

And guess what. I do love my body. I really do. That's why I'm making a change. I have a bit of extra weight, I always have. But, I want my body to be healthy. I want to be able to run for miles. I want to be able to play lots of sports. I want to be able to be completely comfortable. It's so politically incorrect to say, but NO obese person is healthy. I'm sorry, but no. Sure, you can have good cholestrol, blood pressure, etc. But all that weight is dangerous, especially on all your amazing organs. That weight can, literally, be the death of you. So why not try to fix it? And obesity can cause a lot of problems many don't think weight can affect, such as: Sleep Apnea, Cancer, Osteoarthritis, Read this. And there's a lot more problems it can cause.

You can love and accept your body, and still realize that things need to change.

I hope to make a change. A big one. One that can change my whole life, and outlook on it. And I think a lot of Americans should too. We, as a country, need to eat better and exercise more. If not for ourselves, at least for the future generations who are relying on us to set a good example.

For other good articles read: this and this.

Tune in for the next post and I'll be sharing some of the awesome things I plan to start making (: