Recently, I started going back to school for Medical Assisting.  My intention is to work in a medical office that is more holistic and alternative in practice...where my skills as a health counselor can be utilized, while continuing to offer my services as Food for Living.

I’ve only been in class four days, so far.  We’re a small group - seven students of diverse backgrounds.  We range in age from early twenties to mid-fifties.  So far, we seem to click as a group and I’m looking forward to getting to know my classmates better over the next seven months as we work and learn together.

Since I’ve worked mostly from home for the past 4 ½ years, I haven’t really had the opportunity to eat with a group of people I don’t know well…until now.  We get a half hour lunch break at school and, so far, we usually eat together as a group. 

Since my business and interest relates to food – or more specifically, to plant-based foods, I pay attention to what other people eat.  So I get a little concerned when I see someone eat a bag of Doritos or a snack bar for their lunch.  Oh yeah…I can’t forget the soda, too.  OK…I will admit that I did see an apple or two and maybe a banana in there somewhere, but that’s the closest thing to anything healthy I’ve seen so far.  And if this is lunch, I wonder what was eaten, if anything, for breakfast.  I'm not sure I even want to know what dinner consists of. 

A couple of the students do pack a more “traditional” lunch of a sandwich.  But from what I’ve seen, the sandwich is lunchmeat and cheese on white bread – a little more substantial than a bag of chips, but not exactly going to get them on the road to health either.

I'm concerned that the habits some of them have developed over the years will be causing them some problems in the future.  For now, their bodies are able to take nutrients from elsewhere to ensure that their basic metabolic needs are met and their bodies can function.  But eventually they will exhaust this reserve since they’re not replenishing it with healthy foods.  I mean where are they going to get the minerals and nutrients their bodies need when their reserves are depleted?  

You are what you eat…and if you’re not eating real food – living food - containing energy, minerals, nutrients and antioxidants – you will eventually get sick.  It may start with more frequent colds, some skin problems, fatigue, etc.  But eventually, the chronic diseases will take hold.  And at that point it will be much more difficult to change the diet and turn things around.

If you don’t make time to eat healthy now, you had better be prepared to make time to be sick later.

If you’ve read any of my previous blogs or if you receive my newsletter, you know what foods you should be eating:  whole grains, nuts and seeds, fruits and vegetables (especially the leafy-green veggies), beans and legumes, and maybe some sea vegetables.

It’s not rocket science, and it’s not difficult to take a few minutes to pack a healthy lunch.  

Who knows, maybe I’ll be able to set a good example and offer some suggestions to my classmates…if they are interested.  They do seem to be curious about what I’ve been bringing for lunch every day so far. 

These are people going into the health field.  It would certainly be inspiring, if not helpful, if they would start with their own health.  Just a thought!