2801: Why Be Healthy in the Present When the Future's Uncertain? By Jackie Torres with Tiny Buddha

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[00:00:40] Why Be Healthy in the Present When the Future's Uncertain?

[00:00:44] By Jackie Torres with tinybuddha.com

[00:00:46] And I'm Dr. Neal.

[00:00:48] Welcome back, a very happy Tuesday to you.

[00:00:50] Welcome to Optimal Health Daily, where I simply read to you from the best health and fitness blogs for free.

[00:00:56] I cover fitness, nutrition, stress management, weight management, and more.

[00:01:01] Just like an audiobook, but from a bunch of different authors.

[00:01:04] And always with permission from the sites, of course.

[00:01:07] So, let's hear today's article and continue optimizing your life.

[00:01:14] Why Be Healthy in the Present When the Future's Uncertain?

[00:01:18] By Jackie Torres with tinybuddha.com

[00:01:22] Quote,

[00:01:23] The future is completely open, and we are writing it moment to moment.

[00:01:28] Pema Chodron

[00:01:30] The idea of an open future can be thrilling.

[00:01:32] What lies before us often feels as though it's just waiting to be written by a mix of our personal willpower and luck.

[00:01:39] Lately, however, the reality of uncertainty has been frightening me.

[00:01:42] The lack of anything certain to grab onto has destabilized me in a way it never has before.

[00:01:48] You see, as we move around the calendar year, the day darkening quickly and the temperatures dropping,

[00:01:54] I am circling back to what was a season of tremendous loss for me last year.

[00:01:58] In a matter of months, I lost four people who were important to me.

[00:02:02] Three of them so suddenly that there was no opportunity to plan,

[00:02:06] to refocus my vision of the future without them, and grasp onto it.

[00:02:10] These losses, one by one, transform the meaning of uncertainty from thrilling possibility to a cold, frightening truth.

[00:02:18] For a long while, my only response to this new understanding of uncertainty was fear.

[00:02:23] I was paralyzed with fear.

[00:02:25] Why plug along with my professional life in that goal-oriented, forward-thinking style of mine?

[00:02:30] Why save money? Or conversely, why buy anything?

[00:02:34] And, of extreme importance to a health-conscious person like me,

[00:02:37] why make so many investments in my health?

[00:02:39] Why plug along on an exercise machine, or chug bottles of expensive green juice,

[00:02:44] or eat raw, or sweat, or stretch, or spend the better portion of my salary on kale and sprouted bread?

[00:02:51] Weren't these activities just my efforts at grasping?

[00:02:54] At giving myself the illusion of control over an uncontrollable world?

[00:02:57] By awakening to uncertainty in such a jarring way,

[00:03:00] I was living both in fear and with a newfound interest in fatalistic indulgence.

[00:03:06] Coffee after dinner? Sure.

[00:03:08] Chips and salsa and ice cream for lunch?

[00:03:10] Hey, you only live once. Why not?

[00:03:13] Push-ups? What's the point if it could all end tomorrow?

[00:03:16] My daily meditation practice?

[00:03:18] What's the point in investing so much in my own mental peace and happiness given so much uncertainty?

[00:03:23] Unsurprisingly, this fear-fatalism combination

[00:03:26] started to have consequences on my health.

[00:03:29] Sluggishness from drinking all of the coffee I wanted and doing less exercise,

[00:03:32] and high blood pressure from the anxiety and the coffee.

[00:03:35] I'm sure that many more serious health issues might have come about

[00:03:39] had I let this fear-induced indulgence carry on.

[00:03:42] Instead, I turned a corner.

[00:03:44] I returned to my healthy ways with a force like never before.

[00:03:48] Here's how I have transformed uncertainty from a paralyzing reality

[00:03:51] into the fuel behind my healthy lifestyle.

[00:03:54] One, I started to consider investments in health and well-being

[00:03:58] as an act of compassion toward others.

[00:04:01] Of course, running, meditating, and eating bowls of green vegetables

[00:04:04] may not ensure my future entirely.

[00:04:07] However, if I want to start living my most compassionate life today,

[00:04:11] and given uncertainty, I do want to start today,

[00:04:14] striving toward a healthy, balanced life may be the place to start.

[00:04:18] By being calmer and stronger, I may positively influence those around me,

[00:04:23] starting with my own child and family members,

[00:04:25] and extending to those I work with or interact with online.

[00:04:28] Even if I were to be hit by a bus tomorrow,

[00:04:31] being peaceful and healthy today

[00:04:33] may be one of the most compassionate things I can do

[00:04:35] for those around me today.

[00:04:37] There are other ways that make mindful and healthy eating in particular

[00:04:40] a good place to begin living a compassionate life,

[00:04:44] even in the face of great uncertainty.

[00:04:46] For example, as part of a way of consuming more kindly and healthfully,

[00:04:51] I've been taking a moment to express gratitude

[00:04:53] to all who have contributed to my meal.

[00:04:55] This deeper consideration has led me to make choices

[00:04:58] that are mindful of the living beings involved

[00:05:01] in making my plate of food possible.

[00:05:03] I'm not vegan, but I'm leaning into a more plant-based diet.

[00:05:06] I buy mostly organic and from smaller vendors at farmer's markets

[00:05:09] to support smaller, more environmentally sustainable operations.

[00:05:13] These changes have been a result of the fuel of uncertainty

[00:05:16] and my desire to make the gentlest mark on those around me

[00:05:20] at this very moment.

[00:05:22] Two, I let myself be amazed by what my body can do

[00:05:25] and how good my body can feel in this very moment.

[00:05:28] Sure, it might feel good in the moment to lie around on the couch,

[00:05:31] but it can also feel amazing to dance samba, body surf,

[00:05:34] run with the wind whipping your hair,

[00:05:36] or hike to the top of a mountain,

[00:05:38] taking in the scenic view you've earned after a good climb.

[00:05:41] In other words, physical activity is not necessarily a boring,

[00:05:45] mindless down payment on a future that is not guaranteed.

[00:05:48] It can be a practice in extreme mindfulness,

[00:05:50] enjoyment, and wonder at this very moment.

[00:05:53] There's nothing that reminds me that I am alive more than moving,

[00:05:57] dancing to my favorite song,

[00:05:58] discovering a new, delicious stretch in yoga,

[00:06:01] or running in nature.

[00:06:02] The uncertainty of tomorrow has become my ultimate fuel to move

[00:06:06] and feel alive today.

[00:06:07] I am grateful for my overall health,

[00:06:10] my motor skills,

[00:06:11] my muscles,

[00:06:12] my joints,

[00:06:12] and my sense of rhythm.

[00:06:14] I have it all today

[00:06:15] and may not have it tomorrow,

[00:06:17] or next month,

[00:06:18] or next year.

[00:06:19] There is no time to waste.

[00:06:21] I want to move now.

[00:06:23] Three,

[00:06:24] I realize that uncertainty works both ways.

[00:06:27] The thing about uncertainty is that we really just don't know.

[00:06:30] We might become sick

[00:06:32] or develop pain or a disability at any moment.

[00:06:34] We might live a short life,

[00:06:36] but our lives may also be much longer than we expect

[00:06:39] in those moments of fatalistic indulgence.

[00:06:42] Although we're stacking the odds for a long,

[00:06:44] healthy life against us

[00:06:45] when we eat chips and ice cream for breakfast,

[00:06:47] odds are statements about probability,

[00:06:49] not certain predictions of our individual futures.

[00:06:52] We may, if we're lucky,

[00:06:54] beat whatever odds we've set out for ourselves

[00:06:56] and live for decades longer than we expect.

[00:06:58] Given such uncertainty

[00:06:59] and the possibility of a very long life,

[00:07:02] wouldn't we want to live a long, healthy life?

[00:07:04] Our healthy activities today can contribute

[00:07:06] to a better quality of life later on,

[00:07:09] better physical functioning,

[00:07:10] fewer chronic health conditions,

[00:07:12] and better cognition.

[00:07:14] Working to make sure that I'm in the best shape possible

[00:07:16] in my older years,

[00:07:17] if I'm lucky enough to get there,

[00:07:19] may also be an act of compassion for my family.

[00:07:21] I'll be able to engage more fully in family life

[00:07:24] and demand less care for shorter periods of time

[00:07:27] with a healthier body later on.

[00:07:29] Again, there are no guarantees,

[00:07:30] but that's the point.

[00:07:32] As Pema Chodron suggests in her book,

[00:07:34] Comfortable with Uncertainty,

[00:07:36] it's okay to let the fact of uncertainty scare you.

[00:07:38] It certainly scared me.

[00:07:40] But once I got a little reprieve from the fear,

[00:07:43] once it subsided enough for me to breathe,

[00:07:45] I realized that uncertainty can serve

[00:07:47] as the ultimate fuel for my best,

[00:07:49] healthiest life today.

[00:07:51] With the lessons of uncertainty in mind,

[00:07:53] I will be dancing samba,

[00:07:55] drinking green juice,

[00:07:56] and running along the beach at whatever chance I get,

[00:07:58] enjoying each healthy action more and more

[00:08:02] as I'm gifted another day of this amazing life.

[00:08:09] You just listened to the post titled,

[00:08:11] Why Be Healthy in the Present When the Future is Uncertain?

[00:08:14] by Jackie Torres with tinybuddha.com.

[00:08:17] And I'll be right back with my commentary.

[00:08:20] Dr. Neil here for my commentary.

[00:08:22] What we're starting to learn,

[00:08:24] and it's shocking to think how long it's taken us

[00:08:27] to learn this,

[00:08:28] is that the number of years you spend on this planet

[00:08:31] isn't as important as the number of healthy

[00:08:34] or well years you spend on this planet.

[00:08:37] So if you live a long life,

[00:08:39] let's say you live to be 100,

[00:08:40] but 90 of those 100 years,

[00:08:42] you're miserable.

[00:08:44] What kind of life is that?

[00:08:45] And so what we're learning is quality of life

[00:08:47] seems to be even more important than longevity

[00:08:50] or how many years you live.

[00:08:53] Now when I counsel patients

[00:08:54] who have kind of this same fatalistic attitude,

[00:08:57] like I'd rather keep smoking

[00:09:00] because that brings me a lot of pleasure.

[00:09:02] Even if I die tomorrow,

[00:09:04] I'd be much happier smoking today.

[00:09:06] Or you only live once,

[00:09:07] so I prefer to eat ice cream for lunch and dinner.

[00:09:11] When dealing with folks like that,

[00:09:12] I do find it to be very effective

[00:09:14] to remove them from the equation

[00:09:16] and to say,

[00:09:17] would you feed your kids

[00:09:19] the same foods you're putting in your body?

[00:09:22] Would you feed your elderly parent?

[00:09:24] These foods.

[00:09:26] And that usually makes them stop.

[00:09:27] And you can see it in their eyes.

[00:09:29] Their wheels start to spin.

[00:09:31] You can see that resistance wall coming down.

[00:09:34] And they go,

[00:09:34] no, I guess not.

[00:09:35] Well then why are you doing it to yourself?

[00:09:38] That usually gets them back in the moment

[00:09:40] to really stop and think.

[00:09:41] And so I love the approach of the post I just read to you.

[00:09:44] Think about how your behavior

[00:09:46] is affecting those that you love,

[00:09:49] those that care about you.

[00:09:50] Because maybe we're acting selfishly

[00:09:53] and we're forgetting

[00:09:54] about all of those people

[00:09:56] who want us to live a long,

[00:09:58] healthy, and well life.

[00:10:00] Really quickly before I go,

[00:10:02] if you enjoyed today's article,

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[00:10:14] Thank you as always for being here.

[00:10:15] Thank you for listening every day.

[00:10:17] Thank you for being a subscriber

[00:10:18] and sharing this show with someone.

[00:10:20] I'll be back here tomorrow

[00:10:21] where your optimal life awaits.

[00:10:23] Here we go.

[00:10:23] I know yours entire life about

[00:10:23] But we do need them to change