Value: Health & Fitness

Since high school, this has been one of my top five values. I had the good fortune to attend school when Phys Ed and Health were required to graduate. I loved both and thrived in the gym after classes. Since then, I’ve read volumes on how to eat and exercise, sometimes to my detriment as knowledge emerged about exactly what the right way to eat is. After all these years of reading and experimenting, I’ve found an approach that works for me and agrees with the most forward-looking science.

One of the books that had the greatest impact on me was Diet for a New America by John Robbins. His arguments for not eating meat were extremely compelling: raising meat is harder on the planet than raising vegetables; eating meat is detrimental to your health (this has largely been disproven in recent science); and it is questionable from an ethics standpoint to slaughter animals.

I immediately gave up meat, eventually began eating a vegan diet, and became president of a group that promoted the vegetarian lifestyle. It’s the closest I’ve ever come to being religious, and I can be sure I was also obnoxious to restaurants who accommodated my every wish. (“Can I have a pizza without cheese, please?” Yes, I really did that.)

At first, my cholesterol went down, but when I switched to vegan, it went right back up to the 290 or greater range. Looking back with the knowledge I have now, this is understandable. After all, Pepsi is vegan, but hitting your bloodstream with all that sugar creates an insulin response that we now know is a mechanism in raising triglycerides and cholesterol. And as I continued to lift weights and ride a bicycle hundreds of miles a month, I began developing joint pain. Particularly in my knees.

I started eating meat again and in two weeks, my joint pain resolved. But my cholesterol remained high. Because Pepsi stayed in my diet, and my love for cookies and other sweets continued, nothing was helping to reduce my cholesterol.

Those of you who have been told that it’s meat and saturated fat that raise cholesterol are scratching your heads right now. My first encounter that proved this to be wrong was while I was still eating vegan. A co-worker went on the Atkins diet, which to a vegetarian was the worst course one could take, and would certainly lead to an early death. I asked my co-worker to share her blood chemistry with me, and after eight weeks, all of her critical markers were DOWN!

Another benefit is lower blood pressure! The effects are dramatic and immediate when you cut out sugar. Even more than removing alcohol! (I’m not advocating alcohol. I am just making the comparison.)

Since then, I’ve become more critical in what I read, and seek out original research to back up popular claims. What I can tell you and what I hope you take from this, is that if there is one change you can make to improve your health it would be to severely reduce or eliminate sugar and high fructose corn syrup from your diet. There are so many reasons why beyond what I’ve covered here. If you’d like some resources, please contact me or ask in the comments below.