The other day a friend of mine told me I just HAD to watch the movie "Click" starring Adam Sandler. Seeing that I was, as he put it, "into all that personal development stuff" he said he thought I would like it. Well, since Adam Sandler has never struck me as a "personal development guru", this was enough to intrigue me enough to watch the movie...
The show is actually quite good, and has a great moral to it (although let me be quick to point out that it's delivered with plenty of Sandler's usual vulgar bathroom humor...so don't say I didn't warn you). Long story short - it's a modern-day "It's a Wonderful Life" where the main character realizes that his career is not worth the price of his family...good feel-good kind of stuff.
However, this was not the part of the movie that stuck most in my mind.
It was actually just one little line in the script that came and went so fast that it wouldn't register with most people. But it was profound...
It goes like this...
Sandler's character, Michael, it seems, has a penchant for Twinkies and other junk food. His strange new friend named "Morty" (Christopher Walken - the one who gives him the magic remote control that can "fast forward" to the future), makes a simple, yet powerful observation about his eating habits...
He says, "Michael, THAT FOOD (speaking of the junk food) is contributing to your DEATH, not your LIFE".
What's especially poignant about this statement is that later in the movie, it's revealed that Michael's new friend "Morty" is a really an Angel...
...He's the Angel of DEATH.
Don't worry, this is not just another lecture on junk food. It goes deeper that that, I hope. The reason that this statement from Morty, the Angel of Death, hit me (other than the fact that I was eating popcorn and drinking a soda when I heard it...yes, I do have "free days to enjoy my favorites") was that I realized there is NO neutral middle ground or "coasting". Every small thing that we do either takes us closer to the life that we really want - or closer to destruction.
The fact is - all food that you take into your mouth has either a positive effect or a damaging effect. Fruits, vegetables, and other healthy foods help the body, while junk food destroys it - slowly.
However, the reason so many people fall victim to "it's just one twinkie" is that it takes so long to notice, that most of us think that nothing bad is happening. Since we can't see the plaque lining up in our arteries, or since we don't feel bad, we figure we've got "good genes" (or some other lie that we tell ourselves) and we're somehow going to cheat the truth. But that's not how it works. By the time we realize what we've done, it's often too late. We can end up 50 lbs overweight with a heart condition, cancer, diabetes, etc.
And on a side note...this way of thinking can also work against us in ALL other key parts of our lives, if we let it happen:
- Like when we hang around "toxic" negative people. Little by little, we take on their attitudes and before we know it... we're one of them.
- When we yell our kids for the 10,000th time, and withhold our praise for the good things they do. Slowly but surely, the walls go up and our behavior helps to turn them into the "nightmare" teenagers that we feared...yet created.
- When we simply TALK about achieving higher financial success, but never get around to DOING anything about it.
We spend our lives working to make someone else's dreams happen, only to end up bitter and resentful and on a fixed retirement income.
The GOOD NEWS is that you can chose to change your behavior and attitude about food and exercise (and all parts of your life if you chose) which will lead to inevitable success.
How? By consciously making the small, seemingly insignificant right decisions day-in-and-day-out. This is what the successful minority DO and unsuccessful majority WON'T DO.
The truth is, there is enough "how-to" weight loss "gurus" and "plans" in the world RIGHT NOW for anyone to become incredibly confused. People don't need more "How-To" weight loss programs. They need more "DO" solutions. Think about this for a moment...66.3% of Americans are overweight and that's estimated to shoot up to 75% in 2015 if we don't change our ways. Look, it's EASY to do the things day in-day out that it takes be successful at weight loss. Problem is....it's also EASY not to do them. Which do you choose?
So what's it going to be? Put yourself in Adam Sandler's characters' shoes...are you going to continue to do the things that lead to your destruction? Or are you ready to make the necessary changes that will ensure you stick around, happy and healthy, for a very long time?
Choice is yours....
The saying "You are what you eat" is true to a certain extent. Your quality of life, is directly related to the kind of food that you consume. Food is converted into fats, nutrients and ultimately energy by the body. Only with a level of energy can you lead a higher quality life. It's hard to do anything without energy.
If you have a low energy level, you find that you don't feel like playing with your kids, go out on social events, play sports, etc. You just want to do less because you feel tired and lethargic all the time. Your career and work may even be affected because it's hard to concentrate and focus when you have low energy levels. So how do you increase your energy levels?
One way to make sure that you stay healthy, is to get plenty of rest, and drink plenty of water. The recommended amount of water that a mature adult should drink is 8 glasses of water each day. Starting from today, do a count on the number of glasses of water that you consume. Do you meet the recommended requirements?
Also, there is no need to go all out of energy drinks or sugar drinks to boost your energy levels. 8 glasses of cool, plain water will do just fine. You may wish to drink at least one glass of fruit juice to supplement your vitamin needs.
Your body needs certain amount of vitamins each day to remain healthy. That means your diet must somehow contain at least a small amount of each type of vitamin (A, B complex, C, B, E, and K). A lack in one of these vitamins cannot be good for the body. You may take a multi-vitamin pill to make up for what is lacking in your daily diet. Just one pill a day is good enough. Taking more will not help improve your health.
Eating healthy means having a balanced diet. Your daily diet should contain a larger portion of greens, and less fatty meats. Meat that contains a high amount of cholesterol are known as Red Meat. Red Meat includes duck meat, beef, mutton, etc. Instead of taking such meat, consume more poultry.
Cut down on the amount of oil intake by eating food that is baked or steamed. Such cooking methods use less amount of oil, and there is a lower amount of cholesterol. If oil is really necessary, try to use vegetable oils.
When you eat right, take plenty of rest, and exercise regularly, you will find yourself charged with higher energy levels, and your metabolism rate will also improve. This happens naturally. Your quality of life, will be directly impacted as you feel healthier, and can lead a fuller life.
Both Darlene Nicholson & Gen Wright are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Darlene Nicholson has sinced written about articles on various topics from High Cholesterol, Dieting and fast weight loss. From a sickly little girl to a healthy chef to the stars, Darlene Nicholson transformed herself into The "Kick in the Butt" Healthy Lifestyle Expert and creator of the popular DVD "The Healthy Grocery Store Tour". Grab a copy of her free ebook "4 Steps to. Darlene Nicholson's top article generates over 6600 views. to your Favourites.
Gen Wright has sinced written about articles on various topics from Terrier Dogs, Acne Treatment and Lose Weight. - More information and. Gen Wright's top article generates over 1220000 views. to your Favourites.