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By D. Clay Hays How is your overall health outlook? You don't have to be “older” to feel a need to look into it but approaching the "Big 5-0" is what did it for me. Oh, I've got a few years yet but the creaks and groans of growing older forced an earlier investigation in what will likely be a feeble attempt at preparedness. After all, age 50 is the milestone where it becomes important to begin a more focused regimen of healthcare, or so we are told. (I am really not looking forward to my first prostate exam!) The investigation itself was my first mistake as I tend to plunge headlong into a subject of study once I've decided it warrants such dedication. My wife calls it "going overboard" and claims it is further evidence of my having obsessive-compulsive-disorder. I prefer to call it "aggressive research" and claim there is no better prevention for sounding foolish than to have a thorough understanding of which you speak - before you speak! So, off I go to learn what it really takes to be healthy. I had a head start though, compliments of the relentless barrage of health advice and "study results" we are subjected to on a daily basis! Throw all that in with some "aggressive research" on the internet and my journey quickly became a contradictory roller-coaster ride through the land of "They Say's". You know where that is, right? You may think not but we've all been there before. It's at work when your buddy says "You know, "they say" red wine is good for you?", or after church when Mrs. So & So says "You shouldn't put plastics in the microwave, "they say" it's bad for you.", or even at home when you're watching the news and "they say" a new study reveals drinking milk may not be good for you after all, but it has been linked to increased weight loss when combined with exercise and a healthy diet! Here's one problem I noted; just when we are convinced of one study's results, another always seems to appear with new evidence proving the former was incorrect. Even worse, I'm pretty sure I could come up with several instances where "they" convinced us with one study, then did a 180 upon discovery of a new study's results only to revert back to their original opinion after yet another study. Now I don't know whether to take a multi-vitamin, eat blueberries, chase it with red wine and cross my fingers or just shoot myself because there simply is no hope! I did learn however, recent advances in hair replacement, anti-aging products and cosmetic surgery promise to greatly reduce the possibility that my iminent death will even cause concern. And if it did begin to bother me, my doctor promises to prescribe something that will nip that in the bud in short order, so I guess I'm set? Well, it's just a great country and I have a plan! Ah but wait, there is still the smoking issue. I looked into that too and "they say" if I quit right now my lungs will begin to repair themselves right away. Well, “I say” if it was easy to quit I'd have done so already. Fortunately, my doctor says he's got a prescription for that too. This was great news because, try as I might, I cannot find a single set of study results to refute former evidence that smoking is bad! Apparently, I have to quit smoking just to ensure I live long enough to enjoy not caring if I live or die. That's a heck-of-a thing. But if I'm going to go to that much trouble, I thought, I may as well see if there is anything else I can do. Antioxidants get a lot of air time these days so I concentrated my research on them for a bit. It turns out "they say" we'll all live longer if we ingest foods with a high concentration of this wondrous, life-giving substance. Great, sign me up, what should we try first? My wife suggested we try green tea, which is just nasty by the way, but I was willing to try. I finally found the key for me was to throw a couple little green tea bags in with the "real stuff" I use when brewing iced tea. The combination seems to mask the green tea so that I don't even notice it. Then that same problem surfaced; just as I was getting used to green tea, it was out and white tea was in - more antioxidants "they say"! Then before I could even try the white stuff it was out and red tea was in! Sounds more like Christmas than a discussion on the benefits of antioxidants! The same thing occurred with fruit; first it was grapes/red wine, then blueberries were King! Now I hear they've discovered some others in South America that I can't even pronounce much less spell for an internet search, and they put all the above to shame! Of course they’re expensive, as are most things that are certified healthy, organic, preservative free and the like. We’re taking Fish Oil, have been for a while now because “they say” it’s good for your heart and we only like Fried Catfish and Tuna Fish. (It’s the South, what do you want?). I was glad to discover there was an upgrade to “enteric coated” Fish Oil, however, as the regular kind takes “burp and taste it” to a whole new realm. They cost a bit more, of course, but as “they say”, you get what you pay for. So let’s see, you take a fish and what; squeeze the hell out of it until you get oil? Then you wrap it in a capsule that can mask the smell of something as nasty as a fish until it passes through your stomach. I’m thinking it may be pleasing my heart but when that baby finally opens it’s got to be really pissing off my intestines! And what happens to that capsule that, apparently, can withstand stomach acid on the outside and nasty-ass fish on the inside? Am I the only one that thinks of these things? Anyway, I’ve added that to the multi-vitamin and blueberries before chasing with red wine and crossing my fingers. Can’t hurt? But I’m still watching for one of those capsules to “resurface”. No luck yet but I’m not dying either so I guess I’ll just have to trust that they won’t hurt me either. I look at it as a fair exchange for not having to eat Orange Roughy! Exercise - now there’s something I really need to look into because, you know, “they say” exercise is the key. I promise to get a man on it right away! In the meantime, how about you my loyal readers? Any tips on getting healthy? Later......Clay If you'd like to comment on this post please use the Contact form.
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The Quest For Better Health
