Simple Lifestyle, “Good Life” can kill you
“ If you were given the choice, how long would you choose to live?”
I was cleaning my bureau and found an old invitation card for a birthday party at McDonalds. It reminded me the several occasions of bringing and picking up my kids at McDonalds or Jollibee to attend their classmate’s birthday parties. The giant fastfood chains have done very well in enticing and wooing the children with their birthday party packages, mini play corners and kiddie happy meals in a box with the little toy in it. Once a child is invited to a party he/she would also like to celebrate his/her birthday in such places and the chain reaction continues. Try to ask a child where she would like to eat out?
A few days ago, President Benigno Aquino III visited Baguio (his 1st visit since he became president) specially to grace the newest branch of Jollibee. And now my teen age daughter is showing me an article Ad, “McDonald’s Slated to Offer Ultra-Cheap McWeddings.” It is like an omen for me to write as I was about to do a research on simple living.
McDonalds and Jollibee are the biggest fastfood chains in the Philippines. They are considered luxury among the majority of the locals because a Big Mc meal is almost a day’s pay for the minimum wage earners. The kiddie/happy meals are becoming the children’s dream and for the minimum wage earners, it is a goal to be able to bring their kids to these fastfood joints. What they don’t know or have not considered is that their being not able to afford McDo meals is great for their health.
We know that fastfoods are bad foods and yet we patronize these establishments. We expose our children to these kinds of food even at their early age because it is what they want to eat or its because it is the fad and trend of the present. I heard a mother who said, “it is difficult to feed my son so I bring him to Jollibee, it is better for him to eat these junk foods rather than not eating at all.” Modern life brings us many conveniences and choices but also complications that even choosing our food calls for discipline and will power.
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| This fresh air gets boring sometimes. How I wish it had carbon monoxide for variation. |
Speaking of choices in life, each of us determines how we live, what kills us and how soon. Health problems that we inherit from our parents can be beyond our control but often times it is the cumulative effects of one’s lifestyle, what one does or don’t that determines a person’s ultimate fate. Medical advances and surgeries had conquered some of the turn of the century diseases and their causes. But modern life has new ominous health concerns that undo most of the progress towards better health. Foremost among them are: environmental pollution; sedentary lives encouraged by mechanized conveniences; abuse of tobacco, alcohol and drugs. Eating patterns which put pleasing senses above the needs of the human body and finally there are also the psychological stresses and trauma of modern life.
According to Dr. Allan R. Magie, Ph.D.,M.P.H, the major killers today are: Heart disease and Cancer caused by years of abuse of the body. Years of high-fat diet, obesity, lack of exercise, and heavy smoking and drinking along with adverse environmental conditions. Other causes of premature deaths are: High Blood Pressure, Diabetes, cirrhosis of the liver, emphysema and bronchitis. These diseases are not caught like a cold but are frequently the result of our ignorance or behavioral patterns and self indulgence.
He recommends that we have to learn to assume a much greater personal responsibility for our own health. Collective action to deal with detrimental environmental influences over which we have little or no control.
The following are simple and sensible tips to achieve good health:
· Eat three meals at regular times everyday and avoid snacks in between meals
· Watch your diet – food supplements can help on our nutrition deficiency
· Take time to get moderate daily exercise
· Regular sleep (7 to 8 hours) at night- natural detoxification of our body are best achieved when we are in deep sleep and many more benefits
· Restrict or eliminate the use of tobacco and alcohol
· Maintain recommended weight- my iridologist says that most ailments depends on weight management
· Avoid stress as much as you’re able to
A simple but sensible lifestyle is a great aid in postponing our funerals and live life to the fullest until we die.
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