by Jon Dough

Created on: August 28, 2008

That's easy. Most of us already have achieved the health and wellness that we deserve.

Crass, I know, but hear me out.

Think about your daily routine. What do you do in the morning? Do you lace up your sneakers and go for a jog? Maybe you start off the day with a bag of something that has been fried and then preserved (I'm looking at you Doritos). Maybe to complement your bag(s) of fried and preserved goodness you nestle up with your morning dose of caffeine.

Yeah, maybe that's not you, but think about it. How much time and energy do you invest into your own personal health and wellness? I am not here to tell you to eat a different breakfast, nor am I here to script a lecture on exercise. No. I am only here to say that if you do not invest sufficient time and energy into nutrition and exercise, your expectations should be lowered.

We always hear about the negative side effects of unhealthy eating, about the addictive nature of caffeine, and about the benefits of exercise, but all too often we assume that we are afforded a personal exemption for whatever reason. Sure you've heard that fried and preserved foods are bad for your health, but you're short on time in the morning. Of course you know that just about any drug, even caffeine, can have negative side effects, but at this point you just can't wake up without it. Also, there's no need to worry about exercise, because you work on the second floor of your building, and you work up a sweat just walking up the stairs to your office.

Back to your daily routine It's the end of the day how do you feel? Maybe you're cranky because the junk food you ate all day isn't keeping your energy levels where you'd like them. You're probably tired because your third and fourth cups of coffee have already worn off, and your back needs some rest because sitting at a 90 degree angle all day is just too physically demanding.

Let's start this day again. This time you wake up a half hour earlier so that you have time to dust off that treadmill, and follow up your workout with a freshly prepared breakfast. Today let's assume that you stopped drinking coffee a few weeks ago, and now when you wake up, SURPRISE, you feel awake! You get to your office in the morning sweat free because of your improved fitness, and at the end of the day you go home with enough energy to be a useful human being.

So here are two examples of daily routines, and it is not my place to write that one is better than the other. Maybe your day looks something like one of them. Just know that you should not expect your health and wellness to be at optimal levels if general health guidelines are ignored. If your health and wellness are not where you would like them to be, maybe it's time to ask yourself, "what level of health and wellness do I deserve?"

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