This Blog is from February 21, 2022, just over a year ago. I felt it necessary to share this again. It seems the pace with which our society is turning upside down is speeding up. Unhealthy living is not only acceptable, but somehow it is being praised. This is just insane to me.
Chances are, if you are reading this, this blog will not pertain to you. But I can guarantee that there is someone in your life, whether family member or friend, that needs to read this.
A couple weeks ago, the CDC director stated that over 75% of deaths of the “fully vaccinated” were those with an average of 4 comorbidities. An average of 4 comorbidities! Wow! Assuming the vaccines do give a layer of protection, can you imagine how many people died in 2020 who were living with an average of 4 comorbidities before there were vaccines? What was that percentage? 90%? 95%? Higher? We’ll probably never know.
So, what is a comorbidity? This is the definition: the simultaneous presence of two or more diseases or medical conditions in a patient. OR a disease or medical condition that is simultaneously present with another or others in a patient.
These are the major ones that lead to a lot of problems: Cancer, kidney disease, liver disease, lung issues, diabetes, heart conditions, and obesity. Add old age to a compromised immune system, and you have a recipe for disaster.
Obesity is the one I am concerned about.
We have all heard it before; Americans are the fattest people, as a group, on the earth. Not too shocking. Have you looked at a drive thru line on the weekend (and most other days) at your local Burger King, McDonald’s, Wendy’s, Chick-fil-A, or Taco Bell? Long! Wrapped around the building most times. [Side Note: Shout out to Chick-fil-A and how they have mastered the drive thru. I’m amazed every time.] Yes, I eat at these places occasionally. I wrote a whole blog about it a couple months back.
Point is, the food in these “restaurants” is terrible for you. The fat content is obscene, and the high carbohydrates numbers are crazy. Sure, it all tastes delicious! But at what cost?
I have been around the fitness industry for nearly 4 decades now. I have always tried to eat somewhat healthy, I drink a lot of water, take my vitamins and, in general, live a healthy lifestyle. I have my vices and struggle at times to make better decisions concerning diet. Let’s face it, food that is bad for you taste awesome. Food that is good for you can taste good, but a lot of times it can be bland, and if you’re like me eating the same things over and over, healthier food can get boring.
Is nutrition even taught in schools? I mean an in-depth curriculum? Certainly, it should be taught in high school, but I believe in elementary school too. Kids should know what you put in your body affects your life. I don’t know if you’re allowed to say it any longer in this ultra-sensitive society, but back in the day there was a saying, “you are what you eat”. I don’t need to explain it, but it was and always will be a true statement. Kids need to know this.
Kids need to know that a high fat, high carbohydrate, highly processed food diet is what leads to so many diseases: heart disease, diabetes, cancers, and on and on. They need to know which foods are good for you and which are not good. And they need to know so they can make better choices as they get older. Otherwise, they wake up one day in their mid 30’s and 60 pounds overweight, on the edge of diabetes and losing their breathe walking up the stairs. Sadly, I think I just described a good portion of our population.
Quick story. I’m at the gym one day probably 5-7 years ago. I ‘m in the sauna at the end of a workout just relaxing for a few minutes. There are several guys in the sauna, a couple guys who I knew. They start asking me some nutrition questions. I answer their questions, and this begins a 15 minute discussion with everyone in the sauna. It was actually very cool and I was more than happy to share what knowledge I have acquired over the years. At the end we all get up moving to leave when a guy who was sitting next me asked in a very serious tone, “So does that mean no pop tarts?” At that moment, I was shocked by the question, but I realized quickly he wasn’t joking.
We have been misinformed for so long. A question about the nutritional value of pop tarts isn’t shocking. “Fortified with vitamins and minerals”. A LOT of people would consider that health food! And it’s not their fault. They were never taught. They were inundated with misleading advertising since they were born. This is why I think it should be mandatory in all schools. Reading, writing, arithmetic, and nutrition. Physical education too. Kids need to put down their damn phones and move a little more. Actually, a lot more!
I’m appalled that over the last two years I have not heard one government official say anything about simple homeopathic ways to improve your immune system, so that if you do contract this virus or any other disease, you will be better prepared. Losing weight should be number one! Following a CONSISTANT fitness program is a very close second. Vitamins are super important. Nobody eats enough of the correct foods to get the recommended vitamins we all should have. Start out with these: Vitamin C, a B complex vitamin, Vitamin D3, and Zinc. All fantastic to help your immune system. [NOTE: Vitamins with coatings bother my stomach. I can only take Zinc in low dosages like 15mg., otherwise, in both cases, I am sitting on the “throne” and not having a pleasant day.]
I will end with this. It is absolutely wonderful when a person is confident in their own skin. If a person is happy with the way they look and feel, who could ask for much more? But confidence does not equal healthy. Living for the moment is great when you are young, but decisions of all kinds, including dietary, will affect who you are later in life. AND it will affect those in your life whom you love and who love you.
Peace & Love Always,
The Beast Life