Healthy Lifestyle, McCain's Other DNA

Recently I noticed in our local newspaper the headlines(on a back section of Section A), "HEALTHY LUBBOCK DAY stresses importance of healthy choices." The article goes on to say that it is never too late to start living a healthy life. As you may recall in my last post I mentioned that in our youth we should start living to prepare us for our latter years. In other words make everyday living a healthy lifestyle early in life and I promise you will not face aging in such despair, as some I know. The organizers of this year's Healthy Lubbock Day hope to teach people of all ages how to make better choices to improve their health. "The choices you make early in life and in midlife really have a tremendous impact on your senior years," said Julie Toland, an organizer for Healthy Lubbock Day 2008. While I couldn't agree more, and have stated that in the past, I also encourage this activity to gather the parents of very young people in our city and encourage them to start teaching and practicing healthy lifestyle activities while they are young and then it will become a habit. Changing obese children after they learn the bad habits that make them obese, is the real hard way to do it. Seeing this event being held in Lubbock is very encouraging and I hope I would see the same in newspapers throughout our great country.

To vegetate or not to vegetate? Since I live with a convert vegetarian, meaning one who was not vegetarian until about 12 months ago, I have learned to eat these vegetarian meals and really enjoy them. While I still have to have some of that ole red meat about two times a week, I have found that the vegetarian way is very refreshing and energy building. Even when I eat read meat I only limit it to 6-8 ounces and very lean. Rib eye is my favorite steak so I do get some fat juices when I eat my red. While I don't seek out vegetarian when I eat out I watch my partner and she makes a vegetarian meal out of just about any menu or any type of restaurant. My goal is to keep fooling around with this way of eating and I know I will benefit from it. The funny thing is, cows are vegetarians but we pay good money to eat select pieces of their tasty meat. Go figure!

The age issue is truly a campaign issue for John McCain in this next presidential election. When ask about it he always says, "well my mother is 96 and still real active, so I guess that answers you questions about that." But, remember that is only one side of the DNA. He also had a father, so what about his fathers current state of health? What I found is that Mr. McCain's father died at the age of 70(one year younger than McCain is right now) and his grand father died at the age of 61. Now, Mr. McCain, what do you have to say about that? I think it is ironic that we only have two choices for president, one youngster with questionable experience and one senior with experience to burn but still will be 72 when he enters the office of the presidency. I don't like to say he is too old, I just like to say that the stresses and strain of being president of the United States is really too much for a 72 years old. Just look at the photos of all of the previous presidents before they entered the White House and then how they looked 4 or 8 years later. The aging process seems to be accelerated while in that office. While I do admire Mr. McCain for his current state of health I just know that I would not want this burden at the age of 70. But, if he gets it we will all have fun watching him and lead and he will be our hero of the "Seniors!!"

Mike Greer