Life in my little household has been a bit hectic lately: hubby has been in and out of heart hospital, he’s had insulin dependent diabetes for most of his life through unfortunate genetics, and it has not been kind to him. Some of my friends are battling parkinsons and cancer, and my loving cat Brutus will visit the vet this week, suspected kidney failure.
There is plenty to keep me busy but is also reminds me that you should never take anything for granted. Not ever. Because the things you love can be taken away from you faster than you can blink. And this includes your health. People have lost money and homes, and recovered. But once you lose your health you will have lost everything.
And this very thought takes me to something I see every day: the main Basic Orange studio in Queens Drive is right behind McDonalds. I drive past most mornings at 8 am, and the queue of cars waiting for a Maccas takeaway is almost spilling over on the street. Every day. And let me mention the “lady” who drove out of McDonalds the other day in her oversized car. Big girl. Almost ran over a pedestrian because she was so busy shoving hot chips into her mouth. Then turned around and gave another handful to her toddler strapped in the back seat. If you are reading this and know you are that person, I hope you are ashamed of yourself. It is one thing messing up your own health, that is your choice, but to also mess up the health of your child? Criminal.
I know this does not apply to you, you don’t visit Maccas and have a good diet and exercise plan. Right? But pretend for one moment this was not the case: you DO visit fast food places on a regular basis, you are overweight, and couldn’t care less about exercising. It will not be long before you become sick as well. You could get diabetes, high blood pressure, anxiety, the list is endless. But it will be something.
Not a big deal I hear you say. We have medication, good hospitals, kinda-free health care. But you forget that a condition like diabetes (or cholesterol, or high blood pressure, or obesity) accumulates over time. Before you know it you will have lost your vision. Maybe an arm or a leg, people with diabetes don’t have the best circulation in town. Next to fail will be your heart, and the rest of your organs don’t want to miss out, they will not be far behind.
The point I’m trying to make here? My husband had no choice about his diabetes, fate decided for him. But you, you do have a choice. Do you want to end up a sick person because you were too lazy to exercise, or do you want to live your life to the full?
I know that should you become ill you will follow a healthier diet and exercise regime. You have no choice. But why wait until you reach that stage? What did you say? Because it will never happen to you? Yeah right, join the queue, it’s a long one. Never, ever take your health for granted. Take care of yourself now, for soon it will be too late.
