A Piece of the Pie

One of the unofficial symbols of our great country is apple pie, and we reference striving for a piece of the pie frequently. I thought this would be a nice perspective as you read on.

I had the fortune to see our government in action this week as part of an advocacy delegation from the Academy of  Nutrition and Dietetics, representing Georgia. I'm a passionate citizen and proud to be American so this was especially exciting to see our government in action and to see the buildings that stand for democracy!

However, with the deficit and cuts that need to happen, someone's passionate cause is going to be cut, I hope it's not mine! I had the opportunity to meet with Congressman Rob Woodall, who inspired this post. He made a very appropriate comment in our discussion to the effect of (not word for word): We have home owners or renters insurance that we work hard to not use. We have auto insurance that we work hard to not use. We have fire and flood insurance we work hard to not use. When it comes to health insurance, we tend to think about how to use it. I have seen this in my entire work life of more years than I like to admit!  To be clear, the rest of this post contains my thoughts and challenges to you.

What if we worked hard to take care of our bodies the way we take care of our homes, our cars, our possessions? What would happen if we had health care insurance that was there in case of "an accident" or an event?  What if insurance helped pay for prevention of disease for a fraction of the cost of treatment of disease? Or what if we just equated our annual physical to our 30,000 mile check up? I imagine more people would seek the same quality care that they now seek in the treatment of disease, in prevention. I imagine people would make choices for health and be empowered and in control of their bodies!

So, you may ask, how do I take charge of my health? I know I'm supposed to ...., but I'm too busy or tired or whatever your excuse. We take care of our bodies one step at a time. We empower ourselves by making one commitment to health at a time. We take charge of our health by changing our expectations, defining our values, and living our life to both of these! It only takes a weight loss of 5 - 7% to vastly improve your health! That could be 1/2 pound to 20 pounds, but not necessarily ALL the weight we "need" to lose! Besides, it's not about weight as much as it's about healthy eating, healthy living, and healthy CHOICE.  

Start be assessing your nutrition. Do you see vibrant colorful foods at every meal? Does your food taste fabulous? Fabulous in that when you have an appropriate amount, you're finished instead of desiring more? Do you fuel your body efficiently, the right mix of gas and oil? And do you know which food is gas and which is oil? Do you eat food or rely on non-food to fill a void? What can you do today to build a phenomenal meal or snack that energizes you, is affordable, and convenient? How can you tweak your routine to be in control?

When is the last time you moved your body? Although it is important to find time to move and participate in exercise or recreation that you enjoy, it is equally as important to move your body throughout the day. We did it as kids, it was called play! Now, we don't get recess, neither do the kids but that's another day. Can you pace the floor while you're on the phone? Can you take a 10 minute walk break every two hours?  Can you practice some chair yoga to provide a mid-day de-stress and energy break? How are you going to make this all happen, in your busy life?

I find it interesting to note that many people "don't have time" to exercise, yet the busiest, most powerful and influential people in the world make time! It's time to take the reigns and begin to make choices. You can choose to fuel your body with healthy foods or less healthy food, however, no longer do you live by the I can or I can't eat ____. If we're honest with ourselves, the American way of eating is much more aligned with the "I can't" than the "I can". You can choose to move or not. Be aware, the old adage use it or lose it applies here! 

I don't know anyone who is perfect, do you? Stop living your life to standards that you don't expect of others. Start living your life today consuming vibrant healthy fuel for your body that tastes great. Start living your body and moving it more, no matter how rusty and creaky it is! Start taking care of your body the same way, or better, than you take care of your possessions. One of my favorite quotes, "if you don't take care of your body, where are you going to live?"