We've all heard the cliche you are what you eat.
In the computer industry they say: GIGO garbage in - garbage out.
You're probably asking yourself what this has to do with health.
That is a fair question and here is the answer - EVERYTHING.
Our bodies are complex organisms.
They are composed of trillions of cells which combine in their unique way to produce you and me, and the billions of other people on our planet.
If you look at any process that produces or manufactures a machine you will find that the finished product is a reflection of what went into the making and maintaining of the machine.
I don't think anyone out there would change the oil in their vehicle with used oil.
Would anyone make a new batch of french fries with last weeks grease? We all know better.
So why is it when it comes to our bodies we continue to insert junk? Don't get me wrong.
I am not trying to bash the fast food industry or anyone else for that matter.
Just look at reality.
If you put something in your mouth, that element becomes part of you in some way, shape or form.
Some of those cells stay with you, maybe for a lifetime.
Many of us have no clue what these substances can or will do to us.
I remember hearing how healthy the Asians were as a race.
Now look at their newer generations growing up on fast food.
They are clearly not as healthy as their ancestors.
If you can't pronounce an ingredient, or if you don't know exactly what it is then, why would you put it into your body? Even if one element is ok, who has done the research to know how it will interact with all the hundreds or thousands of other elements we consume regularly? You may say "Show me the data".
That is also a fair statement and if I did have the proof I would probably be writing in a medical journal and be blasted by all the junk food lobbyists who are trying to protect their profits.
The truth is there is also no data showing that these elements are healthy and will not cause potential problems.
Our health organizations do what they can.
My question for each of us is "Why take the risk"? Sure, one polyunsaturated hydrogenated slab of whatever probably won't kill me.
But if I take one today, another next week, then a few more the next day, it all adds up.
The question each one of us needs to ask ourselves is this: Why take the chance? Do you want to live a long life? The obvious answer is yes, but are you doing what it takes to live a long healthy life? That is a key point.
While I want to live a long life, I want to be healthy all the way to the end.
There was a character in Greek mythology who won a bet with one of the god's.
The character got immortality, but the god played a trick on him: while he would be immortal he also grew old and decrepit.
He forgot to ask for a youthful body at the same time.
The choice is in our hands.
Are we worth the few extra dollars to be healthy, or are we only interested in the immediate gratification of our food choices tasting good? Remember not everything that tastes good is good for you.
The choice is in your hands.
Make it wisely.
In the computer industry they say: GIGO garbage in - garbage out.
You're probably asking yourself what this has to do with health.
That is a fair question and here is the answer - EVERYTHING.
Our bodies are complex organisms.
They are composed of trillions of cells which combine in their unique way to produce you and me, and the billions of other people on our planet.
If you look at any process that produces or manufactures a machine you will find that the finished product is a reflection of what went into the making and maintaining of the machine.
I don't think anyone out there would change the oil in their vehicle with used oil.
Would anyone make a new batch of french fries with last weeks grease? We all know better.
So why is it when it comes to our bodies we continue to insert junk? Don't get me wrong.
I am not trying to bash the fast food industry or anyone else for that matter.
Just look at reality.
If you put something in your mouth, that element becomes part of you in some way, shape or form.
Some of those cells stay with you, maybe for a lifetime.
Many of us have no clue what these substances can or will do to us.
I remember hearing how healthy the Asians were as a race.
Now look at their newer generations growing up on fast food.
They are clearly not as healthy as their ancestors.
If you can't pronounce an ingredient, or if you don't know exactly what it is then, why would you put it into your body? Even if one element is ok, who has done the research to know how it will interact with all the hundreds or thousands of other elements we consume regularly? You may say "Show me the data".
That is also a fair statement and if I did have the proof I would probably be writing in a medical journal and be blasted by all the junk food lobbyists who are trying to protect their profits.
The truth is there is also no data showing that these elements are healthy and will not cause potential problems.
Our health organizations do what they can.
My question for each of us is "Why take the risk"? Sure, one polyunsaturated hydrogenated slab of whatever probably won't kill me.
But if I take one today, another next week, then a few more the next day, it all adds up.
The question each one of us needs to ask ourselves is this: Why take the chance? Do you want to live a long life? The obvious answer is yes, but are you doing what it takes to live a long healthy life? That is a key point.
While I want to live a long life, I want to be healthy all the way to the end.
There was a character in Greek mythology who won a bet with one of the god's.
The character got immortality, but the god played a trick on him: while he would be immortal he also grew old and decrepit.
He forgot to ask for a youthful body at the same time.
The choice is in our hands.
Are we worth the few extra dollars to be healthy, or are we only interested in the immediate gratification of our food choices tasting good? Remember not everything that tastes good is good for you.
The choice is in your hands.
Make it wisely.