Page 8 | Michael T. Miyoshi

Do or Do Not · 10 August 2013

One of my favorite truisms is a quote from Yoda: “Try not! Do, or do not. There is no try.”

I love this quote because it is so true. (I suppose that is why I called it a truism in the first place.) We either fail or succeed at doing something. There is no in-between. There is no trying. We simply do or do not. Period.

Naturally, this applies to being healthy too.

People say that they try to eat healthy. As they take a big bite out of their third donut. People say they try to exercise. As they sit down for a marathon in front of the boob tube.

As I think about it more, trying is really just a euphemism for lying. We merely tell people that we are trying to eat right when in reality, we just want that pesky brother or sister, son or daughter to get off our backs We say the word try when we want to lie to somebody about not really wanting to do something.

We even say we will try when we want to lie to ourselves. About health or about anything.

Of course, we are not always lying when we say we are trying. Sometimes, we really want to accomplish something. Like Luke in The Empire Strikes Back, we really want to lift the X-wing fighter out of the swamp, but we just do not have the will. We want to eat right and exercise, but we think we cannot afford healthy food or are too out of shape to even start walking. We do not. Even though we believe we have tried.

When it comes to health, we really must do. Not doing or just trying must not be options. We must not try to eat healthy. We must eat healthy. We must not try to exercise. We must exercise. We must be healthy.

There are many reasons we must become or stay healthy.

We want to enjoy a full life with few limitations. Our family and friends want us to be around to enjoy life with them. We want to be able to walk around the block without huffing and puffing. The reasons are myriad and, of course, individual, but we need to find at least one to get healthy. Yet even if we do not have that overarching reason for getting and staying healthy, health itself can be its own good reason. We need to do health.

When it comes to health, we really must remember Yoda’s words. We need to do or do not because there is no try.

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My Marvelous Mother-In-Law · 9 August 2013

My marvelous mother-in-law always treats me well, especially with the food she makes. And with the special treats she bakes.

One of the ways my mother-in-law, Bobbie, treats me well is with her cooking. She makes amazing meals. In the past, she would always have a wonderful spread with a delicious meat entrée, bread, the best salads, and of course, dessert. Breakfasts and lunches were feasts and treats as well. I always overeat at her house. And the past weekend was no exception.

Like I said, Bobbie always treats me well, but on this last visit, she bent over backward even more. She got food that fit my new eating plan. We had veggie burgers one night and pizza the next. Bobbie even got some fake chicken and fake cheese to put on the homemade pizza. I was delighted even though I do not miss meat or cheese. (And even though she worked so hard, I could do without having fake cheese again.) In reality, I would have been just as happy if she had cooked for everybody else and I had eaten the wonderful salads she makes plus any other food that fits my eating plan. I do not really need the special treatment. Then again, I am always grateful that she treats me so well, and I do not want to deprive her of the joy she gets in spoiling me with her cooking.

As much as I look forward to Bobbie’s meals (Did I mention that she makes the best salads?), I love her desserts too. She makes pies and cobblers and crisps that I cannot resist. I know I have a tough time resisting any sweets, but I can never turn hers down. Even when she is not completely happy with the results, I gobble down every delicious bite. Needless to say, I usually have much more than I really need.

Even though I really do not need special treatment, I was reminded once again that I have a marvelous mother-in-law who seems to dote on me as much as she does her grandkids. At least with the food she makes. And the wonderful treats she bakes.

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Tragedy and Misfortune · 8 August 2013

It sounds a bit morbid, but I have used tragedies and misfortune to my own benefit. Then again, I suppose we all should.

As a young man, I never worried about health and fitness. I was always active and thought I was healthy. That mindset changed when my cousin Danny died in his mid-thirties.

Danny was only nine months older than I and he was always active. In fact, he was on a run with his brother when he collapsed and passed away. Eighty percent blockage in an artery. Nobody could believe it. He was so young. So active. So vibrant. And we thought, so healthy.

When Danny died, I figured I ought to look at my own health. I started getting a yearly physical exam that year. I got a treadmill test two years in a row to make sure my heart was okay. I even had a body fat measurement. (I thought it was way off at twenty-something percent, but looking back, I am sure it was right.) And of course, I had blood tests to check my cholesterol and other important health factors.

(Those physicals and accompanying tests were a big part of why I have been looking for the best diet for so many years. When my brother told me he had diabetes, I had even more impetus to find the right eating plan.)

I may or may not have always been healthy, but I have always been active. Then, when I ruptured my Achilles tendon, I discovered that I needed to have a better plan than just being a weekend warrior. I needed to do more than play basketball or some sport for an hour or so on weekends.

Despite what the surgeon said, I was determined to play basketball again. To his credit, he told me I would need to do certain exercises to keep my Achilles strong. It is after all, muscle tissue. I listened and worked hard at rehabilitating my leg. I was able to play again, but I am still doing the exercises to keep my Achilles strong. And I have taken the doctor’s advice to heart and stopped being a weekend warrior. I do a little something physical almost every day.

We are all sad and upset when tragedy and misfortune strike, but we need to learn from them. Whether it is a relatively simple thing like a ruptured tendon or a life altering event like a death in the family, we need to take control of what we can control and face whatever comes our way. For that is how we use tragedy and misfortune for our own benefit.

All these years later, it is still sad to think about my cousin’s untimely death. But I think Danny would be proud that I have used his tragedy as a benefit to my own life and health.