What’s Your Basic Health Strategy?  

There must be a million books and articles that have been written on diet and fitness programs. Many folks try various diet plans, often with short-term involvement and very limited success. 

I wouldn’t recommend diet programs to others because I’m hardly qualified with a health-related background and credentials. I do read articles occasionally on health research. Part of my interest probably stems from having a mother who was committed to taking proactive health measures.  

Mom was a firm believer in the health guru of the ‘50s and ‘60s, Dr. J.I. Rodale. Each month, she would receive a copy of his Prevention Magazine. Founded in 1950, Rodale’s magazine promoted disease prevention rather than relying on cures. Among his recommendations were avoiding nicotine and caffeine, returning to traditional whole grains and vegetables, and taking nutritional supplements. Every supper that Mom served us for at least a decade started with an empty plate filled with 10 or more pills or capsules that we had to consume before starting our meal. Most of these were certain vitamins, minerals, and supplements such as bone meal. I remember the bone meal pill, particularly because it was difficult to swallow and had a foul taste.  

I wonder today whether, or how much, the long-term consumption of those nutritional supplements in our formative years contributed to our generally good health. That’s the trouble with following health recommendations; you don’t have another you available as a control measure to determine the actual difference that a particular change has really made.   

Although some behaviors, like smoking, seem well established scientifically as serious health hazards, many people smoke, in one form or another. Rational self-preservation would seem to argue strongly against such proven bad habits, but humans aren’t pure logic machines. We have, at best, only “bounded rationality,” and we can often raise arguments to support what seems to others to be risky pursuits. 

Beyond some well-established conclusions, health research can occasionally seem confusing or contradictory. A health recommendation can appear to be supported scientifically for years before later researchers reject or modify it. Most research studies focus on one or several health-related inputs or outcomes, such as obesity or heart disease. Weaknesses in research design, intervening or contextual factors not taken into full account, and other problems can limit the scope of research conclusions. Better meta-analyses of many relevant, individual studies can suggest general recommendations for the public. This more careful reporting often has very limited visibility and impact, however, in the media flood of profit-seeking product claims. Health-related articles in social media so often lead to advertising pitches for something that will solve our individual health problems.           

I believe that more Americans desperately need a slightly more strategic approach for making better personal health choices. It would take just a little information gathering and question asking. After a visit to a GP, can we summarize our overall health attributes, positive and negative, in less than a page of bulleted list entries? What are our greater health threats, based on our family and personal history? These might be heart disease, forms of cancer, diabetes, etc. What food and health choices have been shown multiple times over decades of research to have positive outcomes related to these threats? Finally, how might we practically include these choices into our normal, day-to-day personal routines?  

In my own case over the last 15 years, I’ve made lifestyle changes associated with food consumption. I still have a few poor habits, but I’ve slowly added healthier foods and supplements on a daily or regular basis.     

Recognizing the benefits of Mediterranean style cooking, I select many different leaf and root vegetables and slowly cook these using extra virgin olive oil. Seasoning these cooking vegetables, I use spices including ground ginger, cinnamon, and turmeric mixed with black pepper. These vegetables are prepared in volume enough for helpings over about two weeks, stored in the refrigerator, and heated and added to pasta, rice, or other main meals. I also consume daily at least one cup of hot green tea sweetened with honey. Occasional snacks for me include grapes, various berries, bananas, and particularly tree nuts. My choices for daily nutritional supplements are two formulations containing prebiotics and probiotic strains, a joint repair compound containing glucosamine, chondroitin and MSM, and a simple multivitamin tablet.  

My diverse outdoor pursuits, as well as my personal health goals and threats, probably aren’t some of yours, so I can’t really suggest many health-related choices for others. I would emphasize, though, that we have but one life to lead. Why shouldn’t we try to make more responsible health choices over time for the benefit of those who care deeply for us? 

The Greeks argued for a golden mean, between opposing extremes, for many life choices. I don’t want to be at either dieting extreme – being a diet fanatic or someone who ignores all health research and recommendations. I choose a middle path of casually monitoring health-related news and adding to my routines occasionally what seems a practical and healthier difference.  

What about you? In the spirit of making a toast with your favorite beverage, I would say, “To your good health, my friend!”