When the topic of health comes up, usually the general consensus of a few things comes up when you speak to most people about it.
- Not smoking
- Diet and exercise
- No drug use
- Drinking water
- Maintaining a healthy body weight
While having all five of these checked in general is a challenge, watch me paint the picture that is the maze of modern health.
A lot of money has gone into encouraging people not to smoke, but lots of them still do. Does “not smoking” also apply for cigars? What about weed, or vaping? Are they all as bad as cigarettes?
Diet can mean vegan, carnivore, whole foods, fruitarian, vegetarian, Atkins, Orthodox fasting, and on and on. Which ones are good, which ones are bad? Did you try all of them?
What does “exercise” mean? Walking your dog? Doing heavy squats at the gym? Doing caveman movements that are more natural than the synthetic environment of the gym?
What does “drug” mean? If it’s prescription is it okay? Is caffeine considered a drug? What makes something a drug rather than a supplement or a medicine? Is alcohol a drug?
Everyone needs water, but is all water the same? When filtered water is spoken about, can people explain the filtration process and why what’s being filtered is bad? Why is tap water so bad and is bottled water really better?
How fat is “being fat”? If you don’t have abs are you fat? What about big is beautiful? What’s considered “fat” for a teenager? Adult? Older?
This is just the tip of the iceberg for an age-old problem where all of us use the same word but define it differently based on our beliefs, experiences, and most importantly: what we do/do not pay attention to.
The “My Guy” Economy of Today and Tomorrow
Ever since the internet and social media has become part of daily life, information and attention have taken on wildly different importance compared to the past. People of all ages now have some kind of information stream they consume from their phones or at their desk. These information feeds are what guide and influence what people pay attention to, and consequently build their world views. This is not to sound mean spirited or to imply that people are acting like sheep. If you recall our earlier list, all of those questions I raised are valid and it’s a lot of work developing an answer to all of them, especially if health wasn’t something you needed to pay attention to until disease or doctor warnings came along. It is a daunting amount of work for most people and it would be much easier to trust a leader to hand them the conclusion that they need to know. This is the “Matrix” of modern (and future) living. If you want to know who someone is, look at what they consume and how they talk. A person is everything they do and do not pay attention to.
The Health Maze and What it Takes to Escape Illness
Before the internet, much of what made up someone’s diet was a product of the culture around them. If you knew a specific diet, it was probably something shared from a friend, doctor, or a book that required digging up and taking the time to read it front to back. Now there is an abundance of new ways to consume information, an abundance of personalities presenting the information, and an overwhelming amount of options and doorways all promising the same thing.
…So which one do you take?
The ideal answer is you invest the time and energy into exploring as many of them as you can, build your own opinion, do your own research, and take your mistakes on the chin when they happen.
Not everyone can do that, especially if you already have a lot of things going on in life like job, family, or other topics that need your attention.
Many health blogs are trying to deliver you to a specific goal with some being more hardcore than others. My goal with my website is to help you lose weight and understand that knowing about food is knowledge you will need until the day you stop eating. Everyone has an answer on important topics because they don’t want to look dumb when in a conversation, but it’s another thing to keep up with these topics and make the habit of keeping up with them for weeks, months, and years on end. Whatever we do and don’t read about all of these topics is what determines what is seen in the fast moving world around us. It is okay to be a beginner as long as the honesty of showing up and building your own compass is getting done.
Having no knowledge of critical topics is where slow poisons creep into our lives and will be the prime limitations as to what a person’s problems will look like. Don’t let these poisons make you another heart disease statistic, you are a person deserving of a good life full of vibrant health. Sign up for my newsletter and check out my store page for how I can help you on your own health journey!
Honor your gift,
-Ed