We must also discard superficial, harmful practices that serve to sabotage our health maintenance. For example, UnitedHealth Group Executive Vice President and Chief of Medical Affairs Reed Tuckson recently teamed with Surgeon General Dr. Regina Benjamin to launch a campaign to encourage African American women to develop regular exercise regimens. One of the chief barriers: Benjamin found many don’t exercise because they don’t want to get their hair mussed up. My response: It’s your hair or your life–literally. Don’t let false vanity put you into an early grave. (Read, “No More Excuses,†this issue.)
The more common excuse among busy professionals is that they don’t have enough time to work out or properly plan meals. My advice: Approach your health in the same manner as your career, business, or finances–with discipline and diligence. These days, you have no reason not to embrace such practices. For one, you can go online and access any number of websites to help you design meal plans, and track your caloric intake. Keep a barometer of health basics–body mass index, cholesterol, and blood pressure–and, by all means, make sure you get regular check-ups. Also, schedule workouts as if they were business meetings.
I know many of you may think it’s odd that I’m sharing such life-and-death advice in an issue that our editors devoted to a passion for food. Read our editorial package and you’ll find a myriad of entrepreneurs and professionals who embrace healthy eating. Moreover, I am not advocating that you should deprive yourself of a good meal now and again.
Whether you’re reed thin or tilting the scales, such treats should come in moderation while plotting a healthy menu should be a daily routine. Let nothing get in the way of good health. You’ll find that it’s your most valuable asset.