Health is Wealth

Picture this, the year is 2030, and the hottest social media platform isn’t Instagram or Facebook.  What if there was a social network which would showcase your consumption?

Every energy drink, White Claw and burger would show up on your feed.  Not only that, the media you consume would be displayed in a distributed ledger all across the world.  Transparency for all.  

Friends and family would be able to click on your profile, view your habits, and either congratulate you, or encourage you to be more intentional.  There would be challenges to see who is the most intentional with their consumption habits.  Insurance companies could give people discounts to reward them for their healthy habits.

While this may sound like something straight out of a utopian(or dystopian) society, I don’t believe this is as far-fetched as you may believe.  There are analytics for everything, so why wouldn’t some company try to track our consumption habits?

Anyways, this month’s theme is focused on being intentional with consumption. Would you be comfortable sharing this information with the world?

I would not feel comfortable.

Here’s a quick breakdown of my consumption for the day:

1. I ate a Krispy Kreme donut for breakfast, supplemented with a Red Bull.
2. I ate Jimmy John’s for lunch, (after mailing the Travel by Intent boxes, promoting healthy eating).
3. Finally, I had two slices of Whole Foods pizza for dinner.
4. To top off dinner, I had two White Claws.

The exciting part of it is that I know I can be way more intentional with how I choose to fuel my body.  The frustrating part is that I feel like I should know better.  Am I just too afraid of being uncomfortable?  Do I not have discipline to eat healthy? Am I being too lazy?

I think the easy thing would be to commit to the Whole 30 and try to dramatically change my habits, all at once. Time to throw out all the junk food, only buy healthy food and drink, and go from there.  Unfortunately, I just don’t think that’s realistic.

Personally, I feel like change is just a series of small changes, on a daily basis.  Little changes over time can compound into great changes.  What’s one thing you can do today, to honor your body?  There’s 24 hours in a day, do you seriously think that you don’t have enough time to prepare food and nourish your body?  You may be busy, but just remember that you only get one body.  We might as well respect it and support this vehicle which allows us to experience life, for the rest of our lives.

Below are a few of my favorite healthy foods and drinks:

• Chamomile Tea – contains chemical compounds that may reduce inflammation.  Some studies have shown that it can lower blood sugar levels as well.
• Avocados – Healthy for your heart, avocados help maintain healthy cholesterol levels.  “Lower risk of depression because they help prevent build-up of homocysteine, a substance that can impair ciculation and delivery of nutrients to the brain.”
• Blueberries – Antioxidants help protect your body from molecules that can damage your cells and contribute to aging and diseases. They also can neutralize some of the “free radicals that damage your DNA.”
• Water –  Drink more water, it’s that simple. Water helps your body’s digestion, improves blood oxygen circulation and can even prevent certain illnesses.
• Brussel Sprouts –  They are high in fiber, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.  Additionally, they can help decrease inflammation, along with the potential of reducing risk of cancer.

I’m challenging myself to drink more water, substitute energy drinks for tea, and take more time to eat intentionally.  I don’t have all the answers, and certainly know that it’s a process.  One step at a time, and just remember that you’re on the right path.