Why bother? The costs and benefits of a whole-food lifestyle

by Barb Jarmoska
Freshlife founder

If you’ve ever gone canoeing on a meandering river, you know how easy it is to relax in the boat and be carried along, paddling only as needed to keep the bow pointed downstream. For many folks, embracing the lifestyle and dietary habits of the average American is not all that different. To sit in the boat and let the current carry you along is analogous to the ease of accepting corn flakes from Kellogg’s for breakfast, a sandwich from Subway for lunch and pizza delivered to your door at suppertime from Dominoes. Effortless.

Giant corporations and fast food chains have convinced us that our lives can be simple – that we have been set free and given the time for more pleasurable pursuits than cooking and kitchen clean up. The average American (Options readers are not “average Americans”) is sitting in the boat enjoying the ride and reminding herself to stop at the pharmacy on the way home to pick up her prescriptions, one each for high cholesterol, hypertension and acid reflux. Oh, and don’t forget the Advil.

In my many opportunities for public speaking, I try to leave time for the audience to ask questions. When it comes to healthy lifestyles, most of the questions center on the cost of the choice—from the perspective of both time and money. “Doesn’t it cost more to eat this way?” And “How do you find time to cook?”

As to cost, “Yes” and “No.” Yes—this week, when you do your grocery shopping, it will indeed cost more to fill your cart with whole, unprocessed foods, including an abundance of fresh vegetables and fruits (the foundation of any whole- foods diet). No—in the long run, if you factor in lost days of work and school and the cost of medical expenses and pharmaceutical drugs, the food you need to keep you and your family healthy is a bargain. Yes—it takes time to prepare good food. Like any other sound investment, it comes back to you tenfold. In the long run, is there a better way to spend your time than keeping you and your family healthy? For me, the answer to that question is so simple. The level at which I choose to participate in and celebrate life could not be accomplished without attention to those things that keep me in the game rather than on the sidelines. The older I get, the more evident that truth becomes.

There is an intangible, hard-to-describe and enormous benefit that those of us who live a natural and whole-foods lifestyle know and understand. It is a sense of connection to the earth and to the divine source of all life and energy. Our awareness of our place and part and purpose here is heightened by the energy of the foods we put in our bodies. If you embrace this lifestyle, you know exactly what I mean.

For each of us, the reason for our choice is a bit different. I so enjoy talking to like-minded people and hearing of their reasons for making the choices they do about where to shop and what to eat and how to live their lives on the planet.

For psychologist David Junno, a promise to be here for his children keeps his commitment solid. He writes:

Dear Friends,

Let’s face it. Living healthier is hard work. There are always temptations to eat the wrong foods, and sustaining our exercise routine can feel like a chore. So how do we stick to making good food choices and keep ourselves on track with exercising? The answer is one word—commitment. But this cannot be a casual commitment. It has to be a powerful commitment, a one that can withstand temptations and lapses in motivation. For commitments to carry us through thick and thin, they have to be about what we want, not what we want to avoid. For example, when I learned that one of the first signs of heart disease was death, this got my attention. This scared me enough to decide I needed to start doing something to reduce my risk of heart disease. But to continue making effort over time I needed something more than knowing I was going to postpone death. I had just such a reason, and I want to tell you about my powerful commitment.

Fourteen years ago my father died of a heart attack. This was the same year my son was born. I experienced my father’s death as not only a loss for me, but also a loss to my children. Not only would I not have his love, support and guidance, but also my children would never have this either. My father was a good man, but paid little attention to his health. He grew-up with the idea that fat was a staple part of your diet and exercise was a foreign idea. I often thought how if he had taken better care of himself he might still be part of our lives now. So when I found out that I was at risk for heart disease, I vowed I would do what my father had not done. I would do this not just because I did not want to die from a heart attack, but also because I wanted to be there for my children as they grew into adulthood. To love, support and guide them as they faced responsibilities and challenges. To be there to see my grandchildren, and be a part of their lives. And that has been my commitment ever since. So when I face choices about what kinds of foods I should eat, or whether to go out and get some exercise, I think about my father. I think about learning from what he did, which I am sure he would have wanted me to do. I think about my children and their children. When I do this, the temptations and the obstacles get smaller and smaller.

A powerful commitment reflects an important value. Wanting to look better or have people like you are not going to be sustaining reasons for commitment. Wanting to be responsible and being the person you like are more powerful reasons for making changes.

What is your good reason for living healthier? What do you hope to accomplish that is meaningful to you? What is really important to you? What powerful commitment do you have in your life? Answer these questions and you will find an important source of strength and determination to make your efforts work. Dedication. This one’s for you Dad.

Love,

Dave

Whatever your personal motivation for choosing to eat wholesome food and do what you can to reduce your carbon impact on the earth, I honor your commitment to paddle upstream and make a difference in the world.