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Health & Fitness

If We Only Had The Time...

I have this reminder on my Smartphone to take my daily multivitamins. Most of the time I don't need them because I'm basically like my own alarm clock. Then again, I wonder if I really need to even take a multivitamin. Perhaps it's something out of guilt. It seems that every other minute there's a new guideline out saying that we should eat an "x" amount of servings of vegetables and fruits each day. Somehow it seems to me that I cannot possibly eat that many fruits and vegetables in a day so I'm thinking that a multivitamin somehow makes up for the so-called guidelines. I do everything I can within reason to follow the so-called rules and exercise, but the guidelines are constantly changing and are quite confusing so I take a daily multivitamin.

 The opinions on servings of healthy food just flood the media. It's mind-numbing just thinking about how the Twitterverse, blogosphere or simply the universe, that there are so many opinions on the subject.  It's confusing to say the least and beyond frustrating to say the most. There's no wonder that so many folks give up attempting good health.

Certainly  I understand why so many out there cannot maintain a healthy lifestyle - what with the busy lives they run. Whether it's taking on so many activities or as parents, carting kids from one activity to the next. Honestly, time can be any person's worst enemy so who has time to make that organic gluten-free veggie lasagna? It's much easier to hit the fast food joints or warm up that highly processed frozen dinner.

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Yes, the experts ranging from health professionals to self-organization mavens have the strategies for you to "make it happen," but realistically it's much easier said than done. It's not to say that it's impossible for all busy folks to organize their busy lives to make them healthier, it's just that some people need more motivation than others. We are far from a "one-size-fits-all-world." Plus, some folks feel that there's a degree of condescension when some expert is "telling them what to do with their personal lives."

Speaking of that whole "busy thing," I have this reminder on my Smartphone and I ask why? Well there are those busy days when I simply say, "I forgot." Herein lies the problem because I don't think anyone should be that busy or preoccupied that a machine needs to tell them when to take a multivitamin. So I'm thinking if I just do not become busy or preoccupied then the problem is solved. Then I'm thinking that if simplifying my schedule or life, then folks who are too busy to maintain a healthy lifestyle should also drop their myriad of activities.

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Yes, if we just drop our activities, free our time up, then we can all meet those government guidelines and become healthy. Then at least in the U.S. we will collectively become "Scandinavian Healthy" thus bringing health care costs down. Problem solved! I just figured it all out! Maybe I should present this conclusion to some health conference and proclaim, "Dear World Health Experts: I found out that we can all be a healthier nation by becoming far less busy. This way We The People will have time to eat our "x" number servings of fruits and vegetables and have time to make healthy dishes every night like that fresh organic gluten-free veggie lasagna. You see folks, we now have more free time because we gave up taking Junior to soccer practice and eating fast food each day. So you see, we have free time! But wait a minute, now that we have this much free time, there's a great football game on in five minutes and then I have to catch the next episode of Downton Abbey. OK, so after that I'll make the organic gluten-free veggie lasagna for the family, but wait a minute, I have to stay in all weekend to watch the new season of House of Cards and no one is going to stop me, so we can all wait 'till Monday night for that organic gluten-free veggie lasagna. I know Monday is quite a ways and I could forget, so I'll set my Smartphone to remind me to make the meal, but wait a minute, I have to catch the next of episode of The Following. You know what "World Health Experts,"  I'll just warm up that frozen lasagna that I've had in the freezer and feed it to the family. Hey, get off my back it was going to expire anyway and what's wrong with you all? Don't you want to know how House of Cards ends up this season?"

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