One Car for a Lifetime…What do you do?

Imagine this, you have just been given a brand new car! You were told this is going to be the last car that you will ever own. Your new vehicle is all sparkly.  The car smells like brand new leather and the untouched interior is dazzled with shine.  You are becoming overwhelmed with excitement.  Finally, the keys are handed to you so that you can  take it for a spin.  Adrenaline is now pumping through your body because you are controlling this beautiful vehicle. You start to realize that you are feeling nervous because your mind is racing about the extra precautions you will need to take to maintain it for a lifetime. After a couple thousand miles, you will need to change the oil and take it in for an annual maintenance check up. Why do you change the oil and take in for inspection? Well… it is not  rocket science! It is actually because you are preventing future unnecessary  major cost and repairs.  If you take care of the car now, you will save money in the long run and the car will have longevity. Now, let your car represent you.  You are only given one body…that’s it! Why not take care of what you have? We need to make smart choices too. When it comes to food and what we put in our body, it is just like the car needing its quarterly oil changes. 

Our bodies are a very complicated system just like a car…if you have ever taken anatomy, you know exactly what I am talking about. We have several systems that work together to: break down, absorb, and  excrete  the food that we put into them.   Our body will not work unless we supply it with what it needs to survive.  Potassium, sodium, fiber, and carbohydrates are a few of the nutrients that are essential for the body to survive.  We eat to get energy.  Without energy, we will not be able to move and will end up feeling very weak. 

For breakfast, I had a Noosa yogurt.  Gluten free, blueberry, and creamy goodness. It left me feeling reenergized.  Man, it was delicious.  Why did I eat it?  Well…its quite simple actually, I was hungry.  Have  you ever forgotten to eat for days or stopped eating for a long period of time? Why not? That’s because food is an essential part of our everyday lives.   Everything on this earth depends on food. Without food, we will die.  We eat to survive, literately. Without food, we cannot grow or develop properly.  In addition to this, not making healthy choices can also lead to premature death or serious health risks.  Our bodies respond to everything that we put into it. 

It is so easy to eat a carton of moose tracks ice cream than a balanced meal. Why is it so easy? Well, how often are you tempted to buy a $.99 bag of chips over a $5.00 salad? It’s hard to eat healthy in one of  the riches countries because it is filled with many inexpensive, accessible, and mouthwatering foods. These delicious foods are not particularly healthy for us.  For many, it is so much easier to indulge in foods that are appetizing to our wants over what are necessities. We live in a generation that is constantly on the go and demands instant gratification. For example, remember a time when you had to run into Target to grab a notebook for class. As you were waiting in the cash register line, you began to realize that you were starving. You looked to your right and saw a mouthwatering Reeses calling your name. Then you thought, do I have $.99 in my bank account? Sure you say to yourself. What is one candy bar going to do to me? Since my day is jammed packed with classes, assignments, projects, and study groups I know I won’t have a chance to sit down and eat what I know I should.  The majority of us would rather buy processed food than take the time out of our busy schedule to make a nutritious meal.