Dear Dad,
At a wedding last week I spoke to a man who had spent his career as a prosthetic limb engineer. As we sat under the cavana with a warm breeze gusting off the Atlantic Ocean I wondered about the amputees he serviced and the inspiration that could be derived from there experiences. Were they shark attack victims? War hero’s? Extreme athletes?
He answered my inquiries, “Over 95% of the amputations I dealt with were due to diabetes.”
Sigh.
Uncontrolled diabetes inhibits blood flow which reduces the healing power of your body and leads to greater risk of infection. At the same time, diabetes damages nerves and reduces the ability to feel sensations in the extremities. Diabetics who get cuts in their feet are at risk of not healing efficiently which leads to infections. Then, damaged nerves don’t sent the correct signals to the brain which allows the infections to go undetected. Infections fester, ooze, eat away at tissue, and amputation becomes a life saving option.
For our discussions it’s important to acknowledge a major distinction between type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Type 1 diabetes is genetic whereas type 2 diabetes manifests due to lifestyle choices: eating and exercise. “In the United States, the CDC estimates that 5.8% of diagnosed diabetes cases are type 1 diabetes, while 90.9% are type 2 diabetes.” The increasing rate of type 2 diabetes serves as a useful proxy for the overall declining health of the general population. A recent CNN article acknowledged that a large portion of adult cancer risk can be offset by lifestyle choices.1
With so much health information and knowledge available how is it possible that our we continue to fall victim to health catastrophes. In some respects, personal health is the optimal example of a self-made or self-destructive outcome. Better health can be achieved with personal responsibility and discipline, knowledge and time, consistency and persistency.
As White Goodman once said:
“I earned this body and I built this temple, out of nothing more than a little can-do-attitude and some elbow grease…And yes, a large inheritance from my father Earl Goodman.”
Truth is that White was right. Health is yours to build and own, though many times it takes a little help whether a large inheritance from your father… or more practically an external nudge to propel your knowledge into action.
As I’ve written before, making better health decisions aren’t always as simple as mustering up the will power before eating a meal. Yes, individual choices based in knowledge and made consistently over time are the final backstops to achieving better health; but, well before any fork is raised everyone is confronted with a food culture out to derail the best healthy objectives.
So, how can we wisely participate in a food system that was built against our interests?
I believe it starts with understanding and developing a basis of food wisdom which is deeper than mere knowledge. Knowing facts like the importance of correctly balancing carbohydrates, protein, and fat, are important but understanding concepts like the farm to table process, why food companies want you to eat more, and how to read an ingredient list will better equip you to make positive change.
For me, I studied nutrition, read research studies, and had a built up a large knowledge basis about eating healthy, but it even then it took a catalyst to propel me forward.
COVID drastically changed my perspective on my role in the food system and the best way to feed myself. Reporting of empty grocery store shelves and looming food shortages gave me pause. I was fully reliant on grocery stores stalking their shelves to survive and I didn’t like it. Moreover, I grew up in a family of farmers. I knew real food is grown in the ground. That I could grow my own food, or more realistically could seek out a farmer close by. I did not have to rely on large chain grocery stores who at the end of the day saw me only as a customer and wanted to sell me more calories than I should eat.
Since then I regularly frequent, farmers markets, roadside farm stands, and have started my own garden. And love it all. Of course stopping at Wegmans or Trader Joe’s is still part of my regular routine but the mindset shift to seek out home grown fresh fruits, vegetables, and other ingredients has made me healthier by providing more vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients while eliminating most of the processed chemicals. I have found the best way to strike an energy balance between the volume of food that I can eat and the calories that I need each day. Lastly, acknowledging the process of growing real food and supporting the farmers who work hard at it has give me a greater appreciation for food.
What is your catalyst? For some, the idea of a long active life is strong enough motivation. Others might need a health scare of their own or somebody close to them. Maybe eating to be healthy for a child, grandchild, or spouse. As the old saying goes, “never let a good crisis go to waste.”
Dig deep and find what will catalyze the knowledge of these letters into action…and while you’re thinking about it, go to a farmers market!
With Love,
JSR
https://www.cnn.com/2024/07/11/health/cancer-cases-deaths-preventable-factors-wellness/index.html