We're idiots about our health.
I say a collective "we" because, while I recognize not everyone is an idiot, there's enough of us out there that we can take comfort in numbers. And the fact of the matter is that a significantly large portion of us are idiots, mostly especially when it comes to our health.
I was over at xoJane reading random articles (because it's more fun than working and I have no work to do anyway) when I stopped by this articlle on the joys of eating breakfast. Now, I am a firm believer that if I don't have something in my stomach within an hour of waking up, murder or vomit will happen, and the two are not mutually exclusive. But I still remember a time not too long ago when I (like the author of the aforementioned article) wouldn't think of looking at food until I could hold a conversation consisting of more than grunts.
I start work at 5:30am (although not walking in until 6am is frequently the case). My alarm clock goes off at 4:30am, and I am in the shower before 5. This is not by choice, it's the nature of my job. It is a completely unreasonable time to expect much of anything from your body. Today I am wearing socks that don't match. My underwear are frequently on inside out. I comunicate only via grunts and hand gestures until around 7, when my faculties catch up with my semi-conscious mind. So if you were to say to me, "Breakfast in the morning is a hassle, I'd rather get up and go"... trust me when I say, I understand. Completely.
It's a standing joke in our house that I will put the milk on the shelf and the cereal in the fridge. Or leave everything on the counter to spoil. Or put in bread to toast and then leave the house without it. I once tried to make egg sandwhiches in the morning, but I kept leaving the stove on so that idea had to be scrapped. These days I stick to cereal being the easiest and almost foolproof in it's simplicity. And if my hubby finds the cheerios in the fridge and the milk souring on the shelf... well, he loves me enough not to hold it against me and my sleep deprived brain.
Cause here's the thing: If I don't eat something in the morning, I am useless for the rest of the day. I've been doing these awful hours on and off for 8 years now, and it used to be that I couldn't look at food until at least two hours and one coffee later. But I would crash, hard, as soon as the coffee wore off. And then the rest of the day was a painful, uphill climb trying to stay awake and be productive. Usually, I failed, and would tumble back down the hill at around noon only to spend the rest of my day laying at the bottom having a nap.
My mum (bless her heart) always had the simplest explanations as to why I was so exhausted all the time. "Sleep more" was her answer. I would scoff. If I complained about feeling ill, "Don't eat an entire bag of chips" was her quick reply. And heaven forbid I said I was bored and listless. "Get off your bum and go take the dog for a walk". The idea that appropriately healthy habits could be the cure for all my ailments was absurd. It was far too mundane to be true. I must have mono. Or a bowel obstruction. Or a brain tumour.
And it pains me - kills me - these many years later to have to admit that she was right. When my old therapist suggested that exercise would naturally increase my endorphins and help me manage my anxiety, I guffawed. But while I'm on a roll admitting past mistakes, let's add this one to the list too. She was also right. It hasn't been a cure-all, but exercise has helped me better manage my stress and lord help me actually turned into something fun, something I look forward to.
I'll say again, none of it has been a cure-all. Nothing ever is. But after years of crappy eating habits and no exercise habits to speak of, and the myriad of associated health problems that cropped up because of it, I think I can say with confidence: We're idiots when it comes to our health. Because I still know so many people who don't eat breakfast, or get off their tooshes for so much as a walk. And I'm lumping myself into the idiot pile because given the slightest provocation, I will still devour a bowl of popcorn for breakfast (buttery, none of this low-fat nonesense) and spend the entire day watching re-runs of Star Trek. But at least now I recognize why at the end of the day I feel so horribly bleh.
My health habits are improving, with much more room for improvement to go. I'm at least exercising on a semi regular basis, more than I ever have in my life. My sleep habits are shit, and that's my biggest struggle. But when one of my friends complains about how exhausted and fatigued they are, my first thought is now my mother's voice saying, "Take better care of yourself, you goof."
