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Health & Fitness

Something to Think About

Life is full of choices. Do the choices that you make to support or not support you and your family's health really matter? Read on to see!

The following is a quote by Michael Pollan that I came across the other day, and something about it just made me stop and shake my head and wonder what are we doing to ourselves as individuals and as a society:

"3/4 of our $2 TRILLION-PLUS health care costs goes to treat chronic diseases, most of which can be prevented by a change in lifestyle, especially diet."

What are these chronic diseases that can be prevented? Heart disease (our #1 killer in America), high blood pressure, diabetes, elevated cholesterol, weak bones, and some forms of cancer. We are a nation on the edge of a full blown catastrophe, and yet we continue to eat and eat and eat as if there are no consequences. And what we choose to eat is leading some researchers to admonish that our children may be the first ever generation to not live as long as our present generation. Chronic disease is taking a toll, not just on us, but more importantly on our children. And that statement is very sad, depressing, and SHOULD BE our call to arms to change things.

It is happening, slowly, and in small ways, but it is not enough. We all need to step up and decide that no one will be able to help us, or our children, if we do not choose to help ourselves.

What to do?

1. Vow to lose weight. Learn all that you can, however you can, about better nutrition, wholesome eating, meal planning, food labels, food additives, the dangers of processed food and fast food. Make an absolute push to "clean up" how you and your family eat. Do it as if your life depends on it! (and it does)
2. MOVE. Get exercise most days of the week. A little....or a lot. The point is to get off the couch, turn off the TV, and move your body. Energy begets energy. You have to expend energy to get energy! And for heaven's sake, make if a family affair! Teach kids early on about the benefits of exercise. BE GOOD ROLE MODELS!
3. Get involved. Push for better and healthier food in schools. Push for better community planning of green spaces, sidewalks, and bike lanes. Go to your school board meetings, vote for candidates who share your vision, start a grass roots effort in your area.

I think this blog today may sound preachy. But I will post it because I believe in living a healthy life for reasons outside of simple weight loss. And I am passionate about good food, and a clean diet, and feeding my family right. 

I will leave you with another quote by a friend of mine, Toni, who made me feel better about the huge bill I just rang up at Whole Foods. I was lamenting the cost of eating healthy, and she just simply said:

"Pay now.....or pay later." 

(I think I would rather pay now!)

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