Thoughts On Reasons To Be Healthy

Lately I've been thinking about some of the reasons why I try to eat healthy and stay in shape. Here's a list of what I came up with (not in order of priority):

1)Personal Responsibility: I was in the pediatrician's office the other day and a ten-year old was there with her father. Her father did not look that old, probably in his late 40's early 50's. He was walking with a cane and I heard him say to the receptionist that he couldn't see because he had cateracts. He was also severely overweight. His daughter did not appear to be a happy, carefree child (and she wasn't sick - she was there for her ten-year old shots). I can imagine that at such a young age she may be worried for her father. For the sake of my extended family members and children, I want to stay healthy for as long as I possibly can! I have every intention of living into my 90's, and passing people on the jogging path while I shout, "eat your peas and carrots!"

2)Prevent illness: You can only start at a young age to prevent serious illnesses like diabetes, heart disease and yes, even cancer. The old adage, "You are what you eat" is very true. In fact, when I mention "young age" I'm referring to the habits that begin as toddlers and adolescents because by the time a person is in their thirties, and definitely by the 40's, the damage has already started. However, I also believe it's never too late to start being healthy. Our bodies are building blocks of chemical molecules that will adapt and respond for our benefit to healthy changes in eating habits.

3)Prevent injury: I started exercising again to gear-up for the growing season. My profession has always involved me being outdoors and often doing strenuous activities in the summer. The older I get, and especially after having children, I'm realizing how important it is for me to exercise and stretch to prevent injury.
Even an extra five pounds of fat (not muscle) on the wrong places on our bodies can add weight to our knees and back that could cause long-term injury to those joints. Carry around a full gallon of milk the next time you walk around the house. It's about 8 pounds - if that were on your body think how much strain it could add to the body with just that small amount of extra weight!

Now I definitely don't consider myself to be in the category of "health nut," but it is something that is usually on my mind on a daily basis. I think that could be a first step to getting results, i.e. just get in the habit of thinking about health!

Feel free to add comments about your own reasons!