I can’t tell you how many people I’ve heard echo that sentiment. When asked about their lifestyle and the food choices they make, their response is, “well, something is going to kill me in the end, I might as well have fun in the meantime.”

I think people often don’t realize the enormous power they have over the way they feel and the state of their health. For many, life is something that happens to them and they do their best to make the most of opportunities and enjoyment without worrying about long-term consequences. They believe that they are given a certain number of days here on earth, and they are going to make the most of it, even eating whatever they want because it tastes good and they crave it.

Well, sorry to disagree. After giving up coffee and chocolate for Lent, I indulged in Easter Sunday, the official end of the “fast.” Ooh, that first cup of coffee tasted good, and so did the second. Sure, I enjoyed it at the time, and what the heck, I deserved two pieces of chocolate cheesecake for dessert after going so long without sweets, but let me tell you, Monday morning I felt like I was hungover. I was slow and beside myself all day.

I know what sugar does to the body, but I didn’t care, and boy did I pay for it the next day. My brain chemistry was so messed up that I began to wonder what was wrong with me. Fortunately, I had enough common sense to make healthy food choices on Monday, so that on Tuesday I was able to think clearly again and realized how badly I had upset my body’s balance with that “to hell with that” mentality day. . I kept thinking about all the people who spend every day like this, because I’m sure they’re not going to deprive themselves because “they’re going to die anyway”.

It saddens me to know that so many people live like this day after day. Unconsciously or consciously, they ruin their health by the poor decisions they make. Yes, you are going to die anyway, but why not feel good until that happens? Even if you’re older and feel like you’ve earned the right to eat whatever you want, wouldn’t you rather be pain-free and full of energy while you’re still here? I know of several elderly parents who are currently taking between 7 and 29 different medications for a wide variety of conditions, many of which could be remedied through nutrition, but damn, they have earned the right to eat whatever they want, and They will enjoy as long as they can. Therefore, they prefer to rely on doctors to prescribe another pill each time a new symptom and new pain appears, rather than simply changing their eating habits.

I plan to live a long time (God willing) and will do everything I can to make sure my body has a chance to stay healthy and feel great. Sure, I’ll indulge here or there, but I’ll most likely bounce back quickly because my body is mostly in a healthy balance. The way I see it, I’m going to eat what sustains me, because “I’m going to live anyway.”

If you, on the other hand, live in the reality of “I’m going to die anyway”, I have a little challenge for you. For a month (which is like the blink of an eye in the grand scheme of things), commit to making healthy choices. Reduce, or better yet, eliminate coffee and soft drinks and drink half your body weight in ounces of water every day. If you weigh 160 pounds, drink 80 ounces of water. Eliminate most sugar and white refined carbohydrates. Choose alkaline foods (you can find acid/alkaline food charts online) and try to get some exercise every day. After 30 days, see how you feel and decide if you would rather live to live than live to die.