How are you? I am concerned about you. I ask because frankly a lot of people are not doing great right now. I realize you are probably busy, stressed out and dealing with a thousand things but I thought it would be good to show you some things that might be worth noting and doing something about ...
50% of U.S. adults are diagnosed with chronic illnesses. According to the Centers for Disease Control, more than half of us have been diagnosed with a chronic disease. Many of us have more than one. It is likely a great many more of us are chronically ill and just haven't been diagnosed yet.
68% are overweight or obese. One important factor is that chronic illness is metabolic disruption. Right now, 2/3 of us are carrying around excess weight. This increases our risk of many chronic diseases, especially inflammatory metabolic and hormonal conditions like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, autoimmune disorders, Akzheimer's, many types of cancer and complications with Covid.
70% of are taking at least one prescription drug. The most commonly prescribed daily drugs are for high blood pressure, cholesterol, depression, digestive problems and other conditions predominantly driven by lifestlye-related factors. All prescription drugs have side-effects and can interact in ways that negatively affect both the body and the mind.
80% of are mentally or emotionally "not-flourishing". They are "just getting by" or worse, "leading lives of quiet despair.
97.3% are not maintaining healthy habits:
- decent nutrition - not eating a reasonably balanced, nutritious diet
- adequate exercise - a weekly total of 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise
- not smoking
- healthy body composition - under 20% body fat for men and under 30% percent for women
- getting enough quality sleep
- effectively managing or moderating stress
- maintaining strong supportive social connections
How many people do you think would be reliably doing all 7 of these? It would probably be less than 1% of the US adult population and something needs to be done about that, soon!
Maybe 1% are healthy, happy and on track to stay that way? Too few of us have a decent shot at maintaining a high level of health, happiness and vitality.
So once again, I ask you, "How are you?" If you answer fine that would be the social norm.
Social norms dictate proper actions and help us know what to expect. They can bind us together and beat back chaos but they can also lead us astray. They can make us deny what's true about ourselves and the world around us and make us forget who we are and why we are here.
So let's consider waking up and showing up and remembering what we are really made of. Lets' work on taking back the sense of vitality and freedom and birthright. Focus on YOU. This includes what you do and do not choose to eat, as well as how you choose to move, sleep, work, rest and play. It could also include how you manage your energy, attention, mood, money, time, relationships, healthcare, media and view of the world.
Do enough of those things differently from most of the people around you and at some point you are going to get weird looks. You will also get pushback and here is why; In the context of a predominantly unhealthy culture, making healthy choices require deviating from widely accepted expectations. It requires deviance.
Being healthy = being socially deviant.
Deviance, reconsidered. Simply someone who doesn't go along with society's status-quo norms and standards. But what are some of your culture's most broadly accepted norms and social standards that are undermining your health and making you miserable? What if you can plainly see that they are oppressing and killing off a bunch of people you love, messing with your community, your country and maybe even putting your entire home planet at risk? Then, I would say, you might be wise to consider the way of the HEALTHY DEVIANT!
Taken from The Healthy Deviant by Pilar Gerasimo
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