Can you be happy and healthy?

Are you one of those people who constantly worry about your health? Do you exercise for hours, take hands full of vitamins daily and visit your doctor every time you feel a bit sluggish or have a slight ache? Sure, I know it's important to be in good physical condition, but what constitutes good? I've known people who jog ten miles a day, lift weights three times a week, pour bottled water over their natural bran flakes and practically choke on it as they chew. They will only eat fat and cholesterol-free foods, snack on carrot sticks and celery stalks during the day and sip herb tea at night. The reason for this Spartan lifestyle is for them to enjoy the highest level of health possible. Now, my question is; what good is it to have maximum health if you must spend the great majority of your time huffing and puffing, sweating and straining, choking and sipping, all because you want to feel your best? It reminds me of the Joan Rivers line: "I'll start jogging the first time I see a jogger with a smile on his face."

Don't get me wrong! I believe in staying in shape. I just don't think people should spend the majority of their time trying to achieve something that they seldom have time to enjoy. Is it really worth all that effort to be the healthiest 90-year-old in the senior citizens' retirement community? What's it gonna do, make you the best shuffleboard player in the home? How about enjoying some of the pleasures of life while you're young? Okay, so a medium-rare steak and potatoes with butter contains some artery blocking elements, but it tastes so darn good! A vodka and tonic before dinner is a great way to open the appetite, relax the muscles and ease the stress. Then, a glass of Merlot with the meal and you're on cloud nine. You say alcohol is unhealthy? So is obsessing about your health! We've all heard about the guy who was always popping pills, jogging, eating vegetable shakes and checking his blood pressure, and then drops dead from all the stress of worrying about his health. He gave up all those mouth-watering lasagna dinners, accompanied by fine Chianti, choosing instead, insipid salads without dressing. All those delectable, after dinner slices of chocolate cake that he turned his nose up at, as he sucked on frozen, unsweetened yogurt, may have been better for his ticker, but it probably made him miserable.

Wouldn't he have been better off with a moderate diet and exercise program that at least allowed him some time to smell the pate de foiegras, enjoy some buttered popcorn with his movies, and have a few puffs on a Macanudo after dinner? There must be a reason why these things are so satisfying. If it's making you feel good, it must have some salubrious advantages. You can't tell me that forcing yourself to eat some dry, powdery herbal concoction that practically makes you wretch is ultimately going to make your life more pleasant. My theory is that when you enjoy something, the brain secretes a chemical that creates a positive charge of energy, which flows into your blood and brightens your view of the world. Conversely, when you experience something distasteful, the chemical charge is designed to ruin your attitude. Hence, the bright smile on the face of someone placing a forkful of New York cheesecake on their tongue, as opposed to the hideous frown displayed by one who is gagging on a broccoli and asparagus shake.

Besides, can we actually count on the health info we've been receiving? It seems like every other week we're reading about something that used to be considered healthy, but new findings indicate the opposite. Decaffeinated coffee used to be better than its pep-inducing counterpart. Then, it was discovered that the process, which removes the caffeine, might cause health problems, therefore, those of us that stayed with the leaded version have been better off all along. In addition, we're seeing new evidence all the time that indicates alcohol, in moderation, is actually good for your heart. But the one that really blew my mind was a news report some time ago that alerted the public about the dangers of taking too much vitamin C. We had always believed we couldn't overdose on it. Uh uh, say the latest published reports, take only in moderation.

OK, there you have it. Moderation is the key to optimum health. Instead of jogging 10 miles; jog 10 minutes. Weight training will help keep your body toned even if you lift only once a week for half the time. No, you won't look like Mr. Olympia, but you didn't seriously think you would anyway. Did you?

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