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Good Health Does Not Happen…It’s a Conscious Choice!

It was a hot, humid morning when I met Walter, much like many Florida days but this one was different for me, one of those days I won’t soon forget. It was my first summer competing in triathlons. The Disney World triathlon was my last for the season, and was quite a change from the cold Freeport Maine “Lobsterman” triathlon completed a few weeks before.

The morning started out hot, and the sun was out early and so were we. Struggling through a mile swim, and recovering somewhat on the 26 mile bike, I started out on the last leg, a 10K run. Two laps through the park and I would be done, at least for the season.

I struggled that summer, trying to put meaning as to why I was doing triathlons. I never was much of a competitive endurance athlete. I focused most of my past energies towards more explosive sports. Basketball, football, weight training and martial arts, to name a few. Sure I did some biking and running. But mostly for training or for fun, not for competition.

But Walter changed my thinking that day. As I approached from behind, I immediately knew there was something unusual about him. He had a constant pace, not really fast but purposeful and with a slight limp, much like many of the other runners I had seen.

However, Walter was different. I noticed immediately. Eighty-four! That was the number drawn on his left calf. Wow, 84!

You see, in triathlons, your age is written on the back of your calf in black marker. A sign for many that you’ve just been passed, or are passing someone of your age group. But to me, Walters numbers meant so much more. Almost twice my age, Walter was too old to be my competition but he immediately became my idol.

Wow, 84! This guy just swam a mile, biked almost 26, and is now beginning a 6.2 mile run. All on a hot, humid, sun drenched morning before most of us get out of bed.

I didn’t talk long with Walter that morning, but did learn from our brief conversation that he started training when he retired at 65. An age when most of us start talking about slowing down. When most start planning our health care, assisted living, and maybe start experiencing heart conditions and high cholesterol.

But there was something special about Walter. Yes his doctor told him he needed new knees, however that didn’t stop Walter . He told me he was going to use the ones he had as long as he could. Save the operations until he was old. When he was ready to retire.

Walter gave me a gift that day. Something you cannot get through written words. A gift that can only be experienced. I have always been healthy. Always had a passion for fitness and health. I loved sports. Loved to compete. Loved the feeling of being in shape. But much of my motivation was out of fear. Fear of growing old. Fear of losing my youth. Fear of losing control as nature took its course.

That man from Atlanta taught me there was more. Our brief, chance encounter made me realize we do have choices. I’ve always known this. I’ve always tried to make a conscious effort to make good choices along the way. Choose to be fit, choose to be healthy. Make choices to improve the quality of my life.

But Walter had shown me what these choices can do. Walter was a living, breathing example of a collection of all his choices. Walter chose to be healthy. He chose to be fit. When others were winding down their careers, Walter was just beginning to start another. Start another lifetime of being healthy, being fit and being happy.


I’m constantly reminded of the choices we all make concerning our health. The 65 year-old man that cannot climb the stairs. The forty-two year-old woman wasted by cigarette smoking, or too much sun. The 10 year-old child struggling with his weight, inflicted with childhood diabetes. They’ve all made choices. Most without even realizing it. Sure there are some who cannot help what nature has dealt and I pray for those less fortunate. Many of us are held captive by our genes.

But most of us do have choices. Most of us make these choices daily without realizing their effect. Bad genes or good, our choices made have a direct effect on how these genes operate. And, Walter showed us its never too late to start. Never too late to reverse years of abuse.

Make a conscious effort to make the right choice concerning your health. Illness is not something that happens. Illness is usually something we create. Illness is a collection of all of our bad choices. I know there are some of us that don’t choose cancer. Don’t choose diabetes or the flu. But for most of us, the sum of our choices can lead to a path of self-destruction, facilitating an unhealthy outcome.

You do have control of your health. You do have dozens of choices you can make every day. Start today! Start making conscious, healthy choices that improve your health and the quality of life for years to come.

Choose to be fit, choose to be healthy. Take small steps. Practice and prepare, and build off these as your health improves.

Choose activity instead of inactivity.

Exercise is one of God’s greatest gifts. Choose to take the stairs instead of the elevator. Stand at work instead of sitting. Get up a half-hour early every day and walk. Or go for a walk after a light dinner. Movement is exercise. Find a way to be more active. Find a way to move.

Strengthen your core and legs. A strong core alleviates most back issues. Strong legs support your core and rehabilitate knees and strengthen your back. Start now for years of pain free living.

Stretch for good health and posture. Loss of flexibility is probably one of the first signs of aging. Every wonder why some mature adults have no problem tying their shoes, or picking up a golf ball while others have trouble putting on their pants. Its because they remained active. They never stopped doing what had always come natural to them. Our bodies are not suppose to fail the way we’ve become accustomed to. The way we allow then to. Find a way to keep, or better yet increase, your range of motion.

Want one of the best exercises available to increase your flexibility? Squat for good health. Being able to perform a full body weight squat is probably one of the best exercises you may do to strengthen your back and knees, lengthen your hamstrings, support your core and build your glutes. So learn how to squat properly and squat daily and don’t stop. A few short minutes each day will add years of healthy living.

Choose to eat healthy.

Add more fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds into your diet. Eliminate sugar, reduce your starch and add more fiber. Drink water. Next to air, it’s the one single most important life sustaining substance. Without it, you cannot live. With too little, you cannot lose weight.

Eat lean protein in small portions. Choose chicken instead of beef. Eat fish and egg beaters or egg whites. Select lean choices of red meat on a limited basis. Add a healthy protein drink as a quick meal replacer.

Make conscious choices about what you eat. Start a food journal. It’s a great way to become conscious of everything you eat.

Eat until you are fulfilled but not full. Most Americans eat way more at each meal than is necessary. Eat small portions 5 or 6 times a day. Small, frequent meals stabilize your insulin levels, allowing you to feel better, have more energy and loose weight.

Reduce or eliminate sugar! Sugar is perhaps the most addictive, destructive substance in the American diet and is fast becoming the most toxic additive in the world. The rise in sugar consumption is directly related to the worldwide increase of diabetes, obesity and cardiovascular related disease. Adult onset diabetes is becoming a thing of the past as more and more children develop the harmful disease, years before they become adults.

Eliminate table salt! Table salt is another additive that has worked its way into almost every type of processed food know to man. Salt, or sodium is an electrolyte, and without it we cannot live. But too much can be disastrous! Potassium and chloride are the two other important electrolytes necessary for human life. A proper combination of these three electrolytes are necessary for good health. Nature has done very well at balancing the proper ratios of these electrolytes for human consumption, and potassium to salt ratio is found in nature at 3:1 favoring potassium. But in the average American diet, a salt to potassium ratio is 10:1, a huge imbalance leading to an epidemic of high blood pressure. Eliminate table salt, Your heart will be glad you did.

Add essential fatty acids. These are the fats that are essential for optimum cellular health. In their absence, we age quicker and disease sets in sooner. Add them to your diet and your cells become rejuvenated, healthy and strong. So eat salmon, mackerel, flaxseed, nuts and avocados whenever possible. And eliminate hydrogenated oils, or artery clogging trans-fats from your diet. Don’t delay, start today.

Choose to eliminate toxins in your life.

If you smoke, stop! Smoking is one of the most destructive habits that is detrimental to our health. Again, let me repeat this. If you smoke, STOP!

If you drink, drink less. I know, we’ve all read those studies that say how good wine is for you health. But read the research. Look into who was behind those studies. Weigh the benefits with the inherent risk and decide for yourself. Drink casually but drink less. You will feel better and give your body the needed break.

Read labels. Look around your house. Laundry detergent, perfumes, body lotions and dryer sheets. Pesticides, lawn products, cleaning products and deodorants. Toxins are everywhere. You cannot avoid them but you can choose to reduce your exposure. Change to natural, biodegradable, wherever possible and get rid of the rest. If not for yourself, do it for your family.

Chemicals collect inside every tissue waiting for an opportunity to attack. Don’t give them a chance, choose to eliminate toxins wherever possible.

Eliminate stress, loose weight, reduce your blood pressure and cholesterol. Develop a passion, love thy neighbor and show up on Sunday or follow a belief system. Better your sleeping habits and improve your gum health. These are some more of the many examples we all have concerning our choices and the control we all have.

Lastly, change your beliefs concerning your health. Start realizing we do have choices and we do have control. Start today as its never too late.

Walter showed us how.

As I winded down my run that day, I could not help but think of Walter. About how well he had done that day. I guess it does not matter. Each day was a blessing for him. Each day he woke with passion and a purpose and was prepared to live another day. He was healthy, he was moving and he was strong.

Walter showed us how. Now its your turn!