Fit For Life: We Have Enemies

Sunday, February 25, 2018

Matt Espeut, GoLocalWorcester Health +Lifestyle Contributor

Why is it so hard to stay fit and healthy?

Part of it is people lack discipline, self-worth, and don’t make themselves a priority.

Then there is a lot of mental blocks that put people in an unhealthy state as well.

Anxiety, depression and low self-esteem all play roles in putting you in a negative state of health both physically and mentally.

Ignorance and not knowing what to do, or who to trust to lead you to your goals also plays a major role in setting people back and keeping them unhealthy.

Hopefully, after reading this article, you will have enough information to turn things around.

It isn’t until you fight the resistance and know your enemies that you will be able to plan your success.

We have a lot of resistance surrounding us.

Opponents, we all have them it’s our job to unite and battle the things that hold us back.

Let’s talk about some ways we can fight back and reclaim our health and well-being.

First, let’s talk about the obvious opponents or enemies that hold us back.

The couch.

It calls us, it manipulates us, and makes us feel good when we kick up our feet and put on some mindless television.

Unfortunately, it also wastes valuable time, and doesn’t help us burn fat and build muscle.

It actually does the opposite.

Being sedentary is linked to many health issues. It limits blood flow, circulation and causes muscle atrophy which leads to an unfavorable shift in BMI, causing your muscle mass to decrease which in turn elevates fat to muscle ratio lowering your metabolism, or your body’s ability to burn fat.

Your couch is an ally to this process, so limit your time to an hour or less per day and get some movement in.

Big food and pharmaceutical companies are also considered enemies to our health.

They produce products that harm us all for the same reason. Profits. Big profits.

They actually feed off each other, and in return, politicians and doctors benefit by being close allies to these monopolies which makes it a tough battle to fight.

Let’s look at the viscous cycle or the circle of death that we are all up against.

First, big food puts garbage food on the shelves in your local supermarkets and claim its healthy for us.

Food that is loaded with sugar and chemicals.

Food that is so processed that our bodies aren’t biologically designed to digest it or utilize it to help rejuvenate us on a cellular level.

Then they market the hell out of it to fool us into believing its good for us.

Processed food or foods high in sugar and chemicals actually feed disease and dysfunction throughout the body.

Many of the diseases that ail us can be either reduced or prevented if we just ate properly.

But instead, we get acid reflux, inflammation or digestive issues, then we head to the pharmacy or even worse, to the doctor.

Then we take some sort of pill or medication that will mask one symptom while causing other issues.

Then we end up with something major like diabetes, heart disease and cancer, because the problems get compounded, and our habits still don’t change.

All this is allowed because drug and food companies pay politicians huge money to lobby and lift bans on harmful substances. They pay scientists for favorable results, manipulate federal agencies such as the FDA, and ADA, and court doctors to expensive dinners and retreats to prescribe their medication instead of looking at independent research, and doing what’s right for the public.

There have been stories on the topic that reveal many politicians and lobbyist actually work and profit directly from food and drug companies.

Talk about a conflict of interest.

This is a problem that won’t ever be fixed, so we need to step up and avoid bad food on our own.

Companies like General Mills, and Mc Donald’s are in it for their bottom line, and not your best interest, therefore it’s important to understand and be informed, so you make the right choices on your own.

This is where we need to take responsibility and exercise our discipline.

At my facility, Providence Fit Body Boot Camp we not only get you off the couch, but we get you moving, building muscle, and burning fat, so you can reclaim your health and well-being. We also educate you about nutrition and how to make healthy choices, so you won’t be tricked into eating unhealthy foods touted as nutritious.

We don’t just work on your body but realize that its creating the right mindset to achieve optimal results.

Anxiety and depression will work against us to make the right choices, such as stress eating and sedentary behavior.

Therefore, it’s even more important to belong to a community of like-minded people to help lift and encourage you to be the best version of yourself and battle the issues keeping you down.

Exercise is the best form of medication, and Hypocrites statement of “food is thy medicine” is the truth.

We try to make you realize that you are worth the time and investment it will take to make the lifestyle change that will improve your life on every level.

It takes hard work, support, knowledge and understanding that you are the most important person to be taking care of, but it can be done, and the battle can be won.

You just need to be prepared to battle your enemies.

Matt Espeut, GoLocal's Health & Lifestyle Contributor has been a personal trainer and health & fitnesss consultant for over 25 years. He is the owner of Fitness Profiles, a one on one, and small group personal training company, as well as Providence Fit Body Boot Camp, located at 1284 North Main St., on the Providence/Pawtucket line. You can reach Matt at (401) 453-3200; on Facebook at "Matt Espeut", and on Twitter at @MattEspeut. "We’re all in this life together – let’s make it a healthy one.

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