I recently made a decision to exercise vigorously (running
or jogging) for at least 17 minutes each day.
I have never been much of a disciplined health fanatic but I figured it
was about time that I start. I’ve
started to realize that health maintenance is a significant component in living
well and having a happy life in general. Additionally, as I realize that there
is likely no after-life and that this is the only life chance I will ever get, it
behooves me to value my health even more.
My health journey these past few days has been an exercise
in shrewd decision making with an emphasis on eating healthily and squeezing in
nightly trips to the convenience store—err, gym.
Day 1
I arose bright and early the first day of my diet bound and determined
to find health. You can imagine how surprised I was when I discovered that my
feet had brought me into a local Cinnabon. I suspected that the 2 inches of gooey
frosting dredging the bun would surely be offset by the prodigious health
benefits offered by the splattering of cinnamon. Cinnamon is a spice that is
known to help ward off Type 2 diabetes.
For lunch I marched straight for McDonalds’. I was sure to
be conscientious about how much I consumed and refrained from supersizing every
single of the 6 items that I purchased. I even avoided the allure of French
fries drizzled in oil and salt (which I congratulated myself for later). While
I was aware that sodium was a valuable electrolyte, too much of it could result
in interstitial edema.
Later that day, I decided that little health decisions added
up. I heard that looping around the parking lot 7 times in your car to find a
parking space right next to the entrance was not only a waste of gas and time, but a waste of potential
exercise. Thankfully, someone who had parked at the entrance of the store was
pulling out just in time for me to park there; sure I did need the extra
exercise but I figured there would be plenty more times over the course of my
life where I would be able to walk or go to the gym.
Day 2
It's like the more common comment old people make: If I knew then what I know now, I would have taken better care of my teeth. We get into habits and the habits have consequences. These consequences often have long term detrimental effects, like premature death. But we are programmed for the here and now, not the someday... oh, we can appreciate it and we can strive to operate on that someday basis, for a while, but then there is chocolate.
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