Change what you can - not what you can't
Michael Bronco
I recently read that nearly two thirds of Americans are dehydrated. Now, I'm sure that this statistic was supposed to sound alarming, but quite frankly, it almost sounded funny to me when I first read it. I picture seventy five percent of the population stumbling around searching for water while the remaining twenty five percent keeps it hidden.
Seriously, what are we doing folks?!
Dehydration is serious - Very serious. It leads to a whole host of health problems including death in some cases. I find it rather striking that seventy five percent of our society chooses to allow this condition to exist. And that's exactly what it is, a choice.
So, the question for me becomes: What percentage of our national ailments are self-imposed? I'd be willing to bet that nearly all of our health problems could be eliminated if we simply put some effort into it.
Some very highly esteemed neuroscientists and physicians estimate that ninety five percent of children who are on medication DON'T NEED TO BE! I would argue that it is the same for adults.
Consider how much time and energy we spend complaining about things that we can’t do anything about, and how much we worry about things that we have absolutely no control of whatsoever:
-The rising cost of fuel (understandable), politics, the media, the guy who just stole our parking space, somebody else’s kids, the hitting slump that A-Rod just got himself into, Britney Spears, Hannah Montana, what happened last night on American Idol, the hard working folks from South America, what someone else is wearing, the weather, traffic, how great (or not so great) some celebrity looks in a bikini, the tattoo she just got on her back, anything made in China (which is everything) - and the French, who don’t even live here!
And we can’t spend just a little of that energy putting some water in a glass?
Our health, individual and collective, is our responsibility. To simply accept our symptoms and ailments as status quo is lazy. And to pop a pill to avoid dealing with the causes of these symptoms is dangerous.
And that's exactly what's going on here. Dehydration can cause serious headaches, among other things, so when someone goes to the Doctor to complain about the headaches, what happens? Typically, a battery of tests are ordered (expensive tests, I might add) including a CAT scan. At the very least, a round of aspirin will be prescribed, if not some other pill. Very rarely will the focus be on nutrition and lifestyle habits as the cause or solution.
Now, don't get me wrong, medicine definitely has its place, but should it take the place of being active and eating right?
And I am vey skeptical of the whole genetics thing.
The males in my family for example, tend to have high cholesterol. Me included. Two of my brothers lowered their cholesterol considerably by changing their diets, and I in fact, lowered mine from an alarming 300 to 132 in two months with diet alone. So, is it genetics, or genetic behavior that matters?
Then of course, in the rare cases where diet and exercise don't work (and I do mean rare) medicine should absolutely be used to improve the quality of one's life.
Now, I made a vow to myself that when I wrote for this newsletter, I would do it in order to help people and not to be critical. It is important however, to include, from time to time, criticisms when they are well placed and have a point. So to that end, I will be critical here.
We need to focus a little harder on what is right in front of us and stop worrying so much about things we can’t control. The way I see it, we only have a limited amount of time and energy. Why not use it making a real difference in our lives.
And what are some of the things that we CAN control? Things that will make an immediate impact on our well-being and overall health? Things that really are important?
Here are ten off the top of my head:
1. Drink more water – see below
2. Eat more fruits and veggies –potato chips are NOT a vegetable.
3. Eliminate processed foods – Potato chips ARE a processed food. So is pasta by the way. And cereal. And bread. And soda. And gummy bears....you get the point.
4. Drink less alcohol – 1-2 servings per day is the limit. Anything more than that is too much. Just in case you didn’t know, a serving of wine is 6 oz.
5. Stop complaining about the French – Complaining is lazy and stressful. Both are a threat to our health. Lazy and stressful – not the French. Try meditating instead.
6. Floss – poor dental health is directly linked to heart disease and mental disorders. And it looks bad.
7. Get more sleep – Too little sleep is linked to serious health issues including weight gain. Plus, people just aren’t fun when they don’t get enough sleep.
8. Go for more walks - This is still the best exercise in the world.
9. Don’t skip breakfast – The verdict is in. Those who eat breakfast are healthier than those who don’t. And skinnier.
10. Spend less time on the phone – Talking on the phone is a waste of time. And lack of time is a universal complaint. Quality time with with friends and family is a thing of the past. We need to change this.
If we, as a nation, actually took these ten examples seriously, the results, I guarantee you, would be staggering. Our national and personal health care costs would be virtually non existent!
Think about that.
And just for the record, I need to work on two of these myself. Hint: It’s not walking and it’s not breakfast. Send me a note if you think you can guess what they are. Maybe I’ll send you a prize or something.
In the meantime, get to work on the list. Put your blinders on and focus on you. I’ll do the same.
Drink up.