Macon Magazine

80 maconmagazine.com | OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2021 A s a young man, I always made sure that I had vegetables with my meals. My father taught my brothers and me to always have "something green" on our plates. Even so, I don't profess to have eaten the healthiest in those years. I worked at Chick-fil-A and was sometimes known to pick up fast-food after leaving my fast- food job. But even if I got a hamburger, I always made sure it included lettuce, tomato and onions, and I would often get a side salad if available — alongside my fries, of course. I silently hoped that, by getting those vegetables, I would somehow negate the bad effects of the junk food I was still eating. A frequent scenario was, when I ordered a salad from a restaurant, someone around me would make a comment along the lines of, "You're thin, you don't have to eat that." Or, "You're young, you don't need salads." They were expressing a common thought that one's body size and age determine what they should eat. Back then, I would simply smile it off. Now, as a personal trainer and one who is much more knowledgeable about healthy choices, I have to address this misconception. Being young and being thin are by no means a justification to live an unhealthy lifestyle. Such thinking has long been encouraged in our society, and stems from the thought that health is automatic when we are young, and that being thin means that you're healthy, too. This is far from the truth and only leads to us taking our health for granted. On average, we are born with a decent measure of health. Our organs are fresh and new, and our bodies run with the efficiency of a new car. However, one of the key facts that we often forget is that our bodies are built by the foods we eat and the habits we adopt. I know for certain that we forget this because our society's idea of kids' food is processed chicken nuggets, pizza, fries, sodas and candy, which means that the bodies of our children are literally being built out of junk food. The junk food seems to have no immediate ill effect on FITNESS CORNER HOW NOT TO TAKE YOUR HEALTH FOR GRANTED BY SHAWN MCCLENDON Shawn McClendon is an ACE-certified personal trainer and owner of Back to Basics Health and Wholeness LLC, an organization dedicated to empowering people to take control of their health and avoid lifestyle disease. He hosts the health and wellness blog YourHealthAtTheCrossroads.com and has authored several health and fitness books. children — even though it indeed does, but often manifests differently in younger age — and so we assume that younger people can eat bad stuff all the time. We are encouraging an eating mindset that basically says, "When you're healthy, eat in a way that will eventually get you sick. Then, when you get sick, you should start trying to get your health back by eating better." Friend, just because you're young, thin and feeling okay doesn't mean you're somehow immune to the effects of an unhealthy lifestyle. Health is not simply something that you either have or don't have. Good health must be maintained and nurtured — regardless of your age and current health status. In other words, health is not automatic; it is intentional! If you currently have the privilege of good health, see it as an opportunity to learn how to keep good health. Your body has a few basic needs: water, quality whole foods, sleep and regular movement. Your body also benefits from good relationships, periods of rest and being outdoors. Make it your first and foremost goal to provide your body regularly with its fundamental needs, and you will continue to experience good health. Then, if you have the occasional "splurge" meal, it will not affect you nearly as much as if you have made splurging a lifestyle. The ongoing pandemic has made it even more important to not take our health for granted. Studies have shown that ailments often associated with unhealthy lifestyles (i.e. obesity, hypertension and Type 2 diabetes) are comorbidities often associated with severe effects from COVID-19, even in younger people. Unhealthy lifestyles also make you more susceptible to colds, flus and a host of other illnesses. This has always been true. Your health is not happenstance. Rather, it is a gift that should be appreciated and stewarded. Don't wait until you are not feeling great to decide to do something about your health. It is in your power now to take care of yourself. It feels good to feel good. Remember that.

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