Is what you eat killing you? – You are going to die anyway

I can’t tell you how many people I’ve heard echo that sentiment. When asked about their lifestyle and the food choices they make, their response is, “well, something is going to kill me in the end, in the meantime I might have fun.”

I think that people often do not realize the enormous power they have over the way they feel and the state of their health. For many, life is something that happens to them and they do their best to make the most of the opportunity and enjoyment without worrying about the long-term consequences. They think they’re given a certain amount of days here on earth, and heck, they’re going to make the most of it, even eat whatever they want because it tastes good and they crave it.

Well, I beg to differ. After saving coffee and chocolate for Lent, I indulged in Easter Sunday, the official end of the “fast.” Oh, that first cup of coffee tasted good, and the second too. Sure, I enjoyed it at the time, and what the heck, I deserved two slices of chocolate cheesecake for dessert after going so long without candy, but let me tell you, Monday morning I felt like I had a hangover. I was slow and in a bad mood all day.

I know what sugar does to the body, but I didn’t care, and I paid for that the next day. My brain chemistry was so upset that I began to wonder what was wrong with me. Fortunately, I had enough common sense to make healthy food choices on Monday so that by Tuesday I was able to think clearly again and realized how severely I had upset the balance in my body with that “fuck it” mentality day. I kept thinking of all the people who spend every day like this, because I’m sure they are not going to deprive themselves since “they are going to die anyway.”

It saddens me to know that so many people live like this day after day. Unconsciously or consciously, ruining their health by the bad decisions they make. Yes, you are going to die anyway, but why don’t you feel good until that happens? Even if you’re older and feel like you’ve earned the right to eat whatever you want, wouldn’t you rather be pain-free and full of energy while you’re still here? I know of several elderly parents who are currently taking between 7 and 29 different medications for a wide variety of conditions, many of which could be remedied through nutrition, but damn, they have earned the right to eat whatever they want, and ‘they’re going to have fun as long as they can. Therefore, they prefer to rely on doctors to prescribe another pill each time a new symptom and new pain appears, rather than simply changing their eating habits.

I plan to live long (God willing) and will do my best to make sure my body has a chance to fight to stay healthy and feel good. Sure, I’ll indulge myself here or there, but I will most likely recover quickly because my body is for the most part in a healthy balance. The way I see it, I’m going to eat what sustains me, because “I’m going to live anyway.”

If you, on the other hand, are living in the reality of “I’m going to die anyway,” I have a little challenge for you. For a month (which is like the blink of an eye in the grand scheme of things) commit to making healthy choices. Cut back, or better yet, cut out coffee and sodas and drink half your body weight in ounces of water every day. If you weigh 160 pounds, drink 80 oz. Of water. Eliminate most of the sugar and refined white carbohydrates. Choose alkaline foods (you can find acid / alkaline food charts on the Internet) and try to get a little exercise on a daily basis. After 30 days, see how you feel and decide whether you would rather live to live than live to die.