By definition the noun health means sound in body, mind and spirit, and to be free from physical disease or pain. This definition easily creates a kaleidoscope of images in the mind. These mental pictures can range from delicious and balanced meals made with organic fresh foods to the perfect physique with strength and stamina at any age. Seldom are we reminded by these portraits that good health is a free gift from God the giver and sustainer of life, or that food was created by God for man.Food was one of the first currencies used, and has left an enduring mark throughout world history. The Ancient text records for us in Genesis 25:32 that Esau sold to h his birthright (special rights, responsibilities, and privileges of the first-born son) to his brother for the immediate satisfaction of food. Today modern currency is often spoken of in terms of food. We call ourselves breadwinners because we work hard to bring home the bacon or make enough dough, and the business world calls market- share a piece of the pie.It's ironic that we respect how the capital investment of money affects our wealth and quantity in life, but overlook how the capital of food impacts our health and our quality of life? Sadly we readily invest in wealth, but generally not in health. Our time frame for money is distant but for food it is so near that for many of us it is only as far as the next potato chip or cookie. We look short- term for taste convenience and not long-term enough for good health and its future benefits. Think about this, we buy lottery tickets hoping to win big rather than buy healthy snacks and knowing we win big for our heart's health. We readily buy books on investment management, but rarely books on dietary fat and dietary salt reduction. We vigorously seek new avenues of wealth in green technology and ignore test proven green salads and vegetables and their super food health benefits.
What if we were to make a national commitment to investing in health, which would become the normal expectation for any responsible adult? The experts who provide guidance counseling toward better choices,- dietitians, health coaches, and other qualified healthcare experts,- would be valued universally as we do financial planners and investment strategists. What if we made a commitment to the idea that health is irreplaceable wealth and looked at weight loss as profit or weight gain as a stock we can't afford to hold on to? Or if we viewed lower blood sugars as we do lower interest rates on auto loans? For many of us a drop in weight and blood pressure would be a major success.What if we realized that we are rewarded for choosing better nutrition or for having a portfolio of healthy lifestyle choices with fewer and lower health care costs and virtually no physical restraints imposed on us by poor health, we might believe health is wealth to be enjoyed now.
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