Old or young, your health matters

It’s episode 2 of the 2 Per-Specht-Ives Podcast, with your hosts David and Joshua Specht. The father and son duo talk about the importance of health.

Dave is a health coach who helps others achieve their potential through nutrition. As a Type I diabetic, Josh has to be more intentional about his health choices. The pair each discuss generational views and actions when it comes to living healthy.

Your generational lesson: When it comes to health, mindset is everything, have something to work towards, have built-in accountability, and have an environment that supports your goals.

Your Gen. X Advice: David advises the younger generation that while your body is operating at its most efficient that if you make small changes to work towards the better version of yourself, as you mature your body will keep up instead of hold you back. 

Your Gen. Z Advice: Josh tells the older generation already seeing side effects of not making healthy choices, make the small changes to positively affect your health with goal of leading by example.

David says the majority of health is in the kitchen, meaning what you put in your body affects how it functions.

While that wasn’t always his mindset — in his younger days, he wanted it fried with cheese and bacon added — but passing the 40-year-old threshold, the dominos started falling in his health that caused him to change.

Josh said while his generation is more health conscious, many pick and choose, and often choose the unhealthy option because of convenience. He says, “The microwave generation grew up on the microwave”.

He adds that being younger means there’s a subconscious decision to eat whatever they want. 

David says it’s about routine. He notes how he was held accountable and checked during his service in the U.S. Air Force and once he left, he added 50 lbs. because his routine changed and there was no accountability. 

He says working towards a goal is crucial. Need-to isn’t the same as want-to. He has seen people who had open heart surgery want to change because the “why” was really strong during that crisis, but they backslid later because that motivation waned. 

Josh said that accountability plays a key role in health transformations. David concurrs, saying that people who don’t support your decisions will either pull you back into your old lifestyle, or you will have to cut them loose. Josh gives the alternative that you have to figure out how to remove that unhealthy thing you share with your group of friends.

Finally, both add balance and focus are key. They conclude that doing everything in moderation and consciously staying on your health journey and acknowledging the process leads to success.