Health and Food

I can definitely tell that my health is affected by what I eat. Whose isn't? Skipping breakfast makes me weak and shaky, a huge lunch makes me fall asleep in afternoon classes, and too much junk food makes me feel like junk. I am reminded of the story of the "Very Hungry Caterpillar," who ate a whole load of junk food on Saturday and felt sick. The next day he ate thru one very green leaf, and "then he felt better." I have days like that, where salad just sounds good.

How is the health of those around us affected by what we eat? I can think of a few ways. I set a goal to only eat desserts from the Cannon Center on weekends. I can stick to it and stay healthy most of the time, but when all my friends get dessert and then tell me how good it is, it's difficult not to cave to peer pressure. Their unhealthy decisions influence me to be unhealthy. On the flip side, when I see someone eating right or sticking to their goals, I am inspired to do likewise.

This is even truer in families, where everybody eats dinner together. You are to some degree forced to share the same eating habits as your family, eat on their schedule, and partake of the same food. It's important to keep tabs on what you eat personally and how what you eat affects those around you, because we can lead eachother toward health or down to physical degradation.