1123 - A Dubious Milestone

You've heard this before: "Just when you start to see the light at the end of the tunnel, you realize it's an oncoming train." In this case, the train was a heart attack. Fortunately, it was considered mild, but it was cause for reassessing my reality, if not my mortality. (Editorial note: if this was "mild", I really don't want to experience "severe!")

In a previous post, I mentioned the "stars aligning" when I was fortunate enough to land my current position. That was true in many areas pre-1123. But now, there are a new set of rules by which to live. No, I don't mean cutting out red meat, getting more exercise, reducing cholesterol - those have been under control for years. (Hey, as my only source of red meat, even my cardiologist approves my "one burger a month" regimen.) What I mean is the degree to which attention is paid to my health - a significantly raised sense of awareness.

For years, I thought I was doing well at exercising and what I thought was relatively healthy eating and weight control. Even while I was getting cholesterol under control in recent years (without medication, thank you!), I was falsely thinking that I was a pretty healthy guy. Never any serious health problems (as long as you discount the 5 broken ribs and a punctured lung since that was due to clumsiness, not heredity.) What 1123 made me realize is how health habits are like compound interest: if one starts early, the effort is minimal for excellent success. If one starts later, it takes a much more drastic effort to come anywhere close to matching the success.

Honestly, I have a point: the lenses through which I view my health have changed. Since cholesterol is now not much of a challenge, I am now focusing on sodium content. Have you read a label lately? I am of course being careful about getting back to all my sports (running, tennis, golf) by simply walking harder and longer each day, in a calculated way - 1123 is history and I want to keep it that way. Weight is being reduced further. (Beyond the additional health benefits, let's be realistic: most of us still look better with our clothes ON, don't we?)

The only variable in this scenario is family history. I had a college professor that put it this way: "Healthy habits are one thing, but a large factor that must be considered is whether or not you picked your parents well." Heredity isn't the reason for abandoning good habits - in fact, it should be the motivation to adopt the healthiest of habits.

All of us have room to improve. It's all about choices. When our kids were young, we used to tell them that the types of choices they made in life determined how many choices, or options, they would have in the future. Make a good choice and it helped to ensure future options or choices to make. Make a bad choice and the future may not hold has many options or avenues to pursue. Sort of like an ATM for choices.

The next time you sit down at a restaurant, make some simple choices: a fajita salad instead of a deep fried chimichanga; eat 4 or 5 chips with salsa then down the rest of your water; instead of a milkshake, have a fruit smoothie; shop in different aisles at the grocery store (meaning the healthy section) - you will be amazed at the options. My favorite guilty pleasure: corn dogs. Well, I haven't had a traditional C dog in years, but Morningstar makes a veggie corn dog that has ZERO cholesterol and only moderate fat content. I place it on the BBQ grill until it's perfectly crispy and slightly browned, then lather it up with old fashioned French's Mustard - it's just like being at the carnival.

It's all about choices. Good choices allow you to enjoy the experience without sacrificing your health. The more of these kinds of good choices you make, the more you will get to make in the future. The fewer good choices made - well... the alternative is the oncoming train.

If you don't know your cholesterol number, get it checked. If you know it, lower it. Walk around the block. Ride a bike. Hug your family members. Tell your friends.

Stay off the train.