Don’t Be Part of the Problem


I know it sounds simple, but that is because it is. Simply put DO NOT BE PART OF THE PROBLEM. Obesity costs the health care system $147,000,000,000.00 every year, most of it from diabetes drugs. That number will escalate even further as the joints of the obese begin to wear out sooner than their more active counterparts. Begin with exercising an hour a day.
“OMG an hour a day! That is a lot!” you say. Not really. We get a cumulative effect working for us. Here is a tip: Park in the first spot you see when you pull in to the parking lot of your grocery store. That’s right, as far from the door as you can park. Better yet, take a bicycle to the store. You are then limited to how much you can fit on the bike and so you will make a wiser choice in what you actually buy. Twinkies: Nope, no room. Steak: we have room for that. Veggies: always room.
Here is another tip. Don’t buy anything that has to be boxed or canned. If it is in a box or a can it probably has enough sodium for a small horse.
Now try this one: READ THE LABEL. If you have trouble pronouncing anything, that’s right ANY THING, on the ingredients list, DON’T BUY IT. Peanut butter should only have peanuts and maybe, MAYBE, salt. No Hydrogenated anything.
Take a walk after meals. Mow your own lawn. How many fat people have a problem with illegal immigration, but have an illegal mowing there lawn for them? In Arizona, the number is pretty high. Here in NJ its pretty high, too. (I mow my own lawn, thank you very much).
Garden. Two fold benny here: 1) you burn calories weeding, tending the soil, and picking your crop. 2) You get fresh vegetables and fruit. You also get the added benefit of treating this country as the bountiful land that it is. In the south there is a lot of “Rah Rah, Love this country” and then eat your weight in fried food every day. I love this country, but we produce approximately 3600 calories per person every day, we subsidize it with the Farm Bill (By the way the Farm Bill for 2008-2012 [H.R.2419] costs every American household almost $2600 and is $286,000,000,000.00) and then we pay again when the poor have to go to the Emergency room for indigestion. (Most people only need 1500 calories per day, an addition of 3500 extra calories results in a 1 pound weight gain. If you ONLY consume 2500 calories per day you will gain about 1 pound a week without any exercise.

So go do something active today, and then do it again tomorrow and the next day. If you are “too tired” do it anyway. You body will adapt (its pretty amazing that way) and you will have more energy tomorrow. Go be active. Go be active. Go be active.

In good health and good humor.