Pauline Williams-Green, Contributor
Quit Digging Your Grave with a Knife and Fork is the title of a recent book (Centre Street publishers) by Mike Huckabee, governor of Arkansas, Texas. You probably remember him as a contender in the nited States presidential election of 2008.
He is also noted for losing over 100 pounds in a year. His book highlights why focus on weight loss will probably lead to failure. Instead, he encourages us to focus on personal health and fitness. He advances 12 STOPS which would help us make smart choices for healthier living.
This week, we will look at a few of the steps promoted in his book.
Huckabee recognises that fatness comes from a lifetime of bad food choices. He advises that breaking any bad addiction requires that we bite the bullet, gird up our loins and pledge to live healthy! Just set a specific and definite date within the next two weeks and start! Share this start date with family, friends or a personal doctor. Then start, no matter what!
If we want to achieve healthy living by making the right food choices and keeping a physically active routine, we need to stop making excuses. Here are a few of Huckabee's excuses as well as how he counters them.
(1) I'm genetically predisposed towards being fat. Sure, we are all genetically predisposed to many things but we choose what we eat and how much physical exercise we take.
(2) I am big boned. This is a favourite of fat people. No X-ray has ever proven this excuse. Instead, it is a popular excuse for eating food meant for six persons.
(3) Being fat is cultural. This is certainly true. He points out that regional practices do influence our preferences for food and types of exercise. But ultimately, what we do, do depends on what we choose.
(4) Living healthily is just too expensive. But think about the doctor and pharmacy bills as well as time lost in being sick. Funerals are expensive too! No one needs to enrol in an expensive gym to develop healthy habits. Most government clinics offer the service of a nutritionist. Advice on health and fitness is available in this Health section.
Most of us know we should increase our physical activity in order to improve our fitness. Yet, this is usually very difficult because of the lack of opportunities. It is easier to drive or take a taxi. We find it ludicrous to take the stairs when an elevator is present. The other problem is 'time'. We cannot find the time to exercise in our hectic schedules. Huckabee advises that we have to make the time. We create this time by getting up 30 minutes earlier or whatever it takes. It is wise to start slow and small, such as walking for 12 minutes each day. The important aim is to be consistent.
Over time, we can slowly increase the length and intensity of our chosen activity.
Having made the decision to change our behaviour and eat healthy or exercise more, soon we are presented with the opportunity to 'make an exception'.
We will be tempted to cheat, even a little bit! The road to ruin is a short one, Huckabee reminds us. He advises us it is a big mistake to go off course 'just a little'.
He writes that the road to learning healthy living has dangerous cliffs on its sides.
If we veer off now, even for a little, we could well lose control and wreck our present goal of health and fitness. We will always have the option of an occasional diversion. Right now, we must focus on building a personal culture of well-living.
Hence, there should be NO EXCEPTIONS to making healthy food choices and being as physically active as possible.
Dr Pauline Williams-Green is a family physician and president of the Caribbean College of Family Physicians; email: yourhealth@ gleanerjm.com.