Stop Living on Shoulds
We’ve all been there… saying some or all of the following things:
“I should be doing more of that.”
“I should be eating more vegetables … or more protein… or less ultra-processed food.”
“I should be exercising more.”
“I should be getting more sleep.”
“I should be drinking less alcohol… or more water.”
And so on.
Here’s where I weigh in—as a Healthy Aging Coach. I believe mindset may be the most critical aspect of being and staying healthy.
When we’re aware of what we should be doing—and we understand why it matters, how it’s connected to our energy, longevity, and ability to thrive—then something shifts. And when your mindset shifts from “I should” to “I choose," everything changes.
The “shoulds” start to become actions.
You start to make a plan.
You begin to do.
The Truth About "Normal"
I know it's not easy … because so much of what seems “normal” around us isn’t actually healthy. It’s just common.
Additionally, when things are going well, and you're feeling good and invincible, it's easy to cut a lot of corners.
In his book The Myth of Normal, Dr. Gabor Maté explores the rise of chronic illness in our culture.
Nearly 60% of American adults have at least one chronic disease, and much of it stems from:
Modern stress and burnout
An ultra-processed food system (which makes up almost 60–70% of our daily diet)
And a toxic environment we often don’t even notice
Supermarkets are stocked with more than 70% processed or ultra-processed foods, and restaurants - even "healthy" ones - rely heavily on prepackaged or industrial ingredients.
It feels normal because it's everywhere.
And because it’s allowed to be sold, we assume it must be safe.
But the truth is: Thousands of food additives are approved without independent FDA review, often through a loophole called GRAS (Generally Recognized as Safe).
We convince ourselves that it's normal to be staring at screens for hours a day, without moving. And that's it's normal to get by with less than 6 hours of sleep.
It's normal, again, because it's so common. But these “ways of living” also start chipping away at our long-term health.
But Here’s the Good News
There are thousands of studies showing that healthy lifestyle habits can:
✅ Prevent or reverse many chronic diseases
✅ Improve mental clarity, energy, and resilience
✅ Extend your healthspan—the years you live in good health
In fact, simple lifestyle changes are often more effective than medication in the long run.
So what do we come back to?
Eating real, whole foods
Moving your body regularly
Getting good, restful sleep
Managing stress in a healthy way
Connecting with others
Reducing your exposure to everyday toxins
These are the basics—the unsexy things we often file under “should.”
And yet, they’re also liberating—reminding us that we’re not powerless when it comes to our health.
Bottomline truth?
Your body will take good care of you, if you take good care of it.
And while not everything is within our control - illness can happen even when we do all the “right” things - there’s still so much power in the way we choose to support our health each day.
The right decisions promote longevity. It’s as simple as that.