CHENANGO COUNTY – There is a strong connection between your physical health and mental health. What sort of shape are you in physically, emotionally and mentally? How fit are you? How’s your physical and mental health?

A healthy lifestyle can prevent the onset or worsening of physical health conditions such as diabetes, obesity and other chronic health problems, as well as mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety. The connection between how we feel physically is intertwined with how we feel emotionally and mentally. There is no separating physical health from mental health.

Most of us have heard about the basics of good health. So what gets in the way of practicing wellness? Why do we too often make lifestyle choices that don’t really support health and wellness? Why is it so difficult to get unstuck?

Maybe the answer is we too often think it must be “All or Nothing.” All or Nothing thinking can get us into a lot of trouble in life and this is just one of those areas. Perhaps you think it requires radical lifestyle changes all at once. Maybe you think this will require you to train for a marathon race or give up your favorite bag of chips. But first, consider baby steps instead.

Here are some suggestions but again, don’t try to do this all at once:

1) Eat healthy foods whenever possible. Increase your nutritional literacy. Start to really think about what you are putting in your body. Eat slowly and enjoy. Try to share meals with people you like; it’s much better for your digestion. Don’t withhold the not so healthy foods, just eat those in moderation. Balance is key.