Garbage in garbage out.  That old saying refers to any number of topics such as learning, philosophy or politics.   But it’s particularly true in relation to the food we eat.  What we consume, we literally become.   We take the energy and nutrients out of food and use them to build, fuel and repair our bodies.   So, it makes sense that you’re only as healthy as the food you eat.  

I’ve experienced this first-hand on my recent journey to become fit.  Perhaps I’ve grown more sensitive (not that anyone has ever accused me of that) or more attuned to my body but it seems I’m either “on” or “off” based on what I eat.   These days one bad meal and I’m a bit of a wreck.   I’ve learned the hard way that if I don’t eat well and keep to my regular schedule I’ll pay for it in some way, shape or form.   Therefore, I try to be conscious and thoughtful about what I put into my mouth (my wife argues that it should be the same for what comes out of my mouth).  I can tell you I’m enjoying the benefits from this new habit.

This is a huge change from my former self when I used to eat pretty much anything and everything.   Back then it wasn’t that I didn’t care it was more like I didn’t think.  I’d indulge in whatever fast or processed food was going.  I’d base my food choices on what I felt like eating not what would make me feel good or what was good for me.  These emotion-based choices led to several less then desirable results.   The first was the amount of fat I carried.   Like most men, I carry my fat around my waist – the ol’ spare tire.  Much of this fat was subcutaneous fat.  That’s the fat that likes to get nice and cozy with your internal organs.  It’s the sort of stuff that can cause all sorts of health issues like hypertension, diabetes and put you at greater risk for heart attacks and strokes.   I was at least thirty pounds overweight.   

On top of that, poor food choices caused several stomach ailments.  I’d often wake up in the night with an upset and bloated stomach.   I’d have vast volumes of gas, so much that I could nearly perform Beethoven’s 5th symphony nightly.  I used to live on a steady diet of antacids which I’d hope would put out the fire burning down there or at least settle things down.  That kind of became the norm and became a way of life.  In fact, I didn’t realize how bad it was until it was gone.  

Then there were days when I’d simply drag myself around with no energy whatsoever.  I’d be like a wet washcloth.   On top of that I’d have brain fog.  You know those days when your brain just isn’t firing on all cylinders.  These were lost days where I accomplished little and didn’t really care.  It wasn’t until I changed my diet that I could trace all this back to how I was eating.  Garbage in, garbage out.  

I’d like to tell you that I suddenly saw the light, that this change of diet was all part of a master plan but that simply isn’t true.   No, most of this change has come through hard work, coincidence, and happy accident.  The big change of course was making the decision to get fit.   I had gotten to the point where something had to change, or change was going to be enacted upon me – like a heart attack or worse.   The timing of this decision was a happy accident.  The pandemic and necessary lock downs pretty much banished fast food and “eating out” from my diet.  Add to that some hard work as I researched how to get fit, and through that, how to eat better.   I knew that exercise was good for me but that it wouldn’t be the cure-all for my health.   I quickly realized that no matter how hard I worked I couldn’t out work a bad diet.  If I was to get fit, then diet was going to play a large role.   Coincidentally my wife, who is a fantastic cook, jumped on the wellness bandwagon with me and that has helped immeasurably.   Now we eat healthy meals nightly.   

Shifting away from manufactured and processed foods has made a huge difference in my life.   Not only have I dropped a ton of weight, nearly 40 pounds, but I also feel fantastic.   I may not have any clothes that fit but at least I feel great.  My stomach problems have pretty much disappeared, and the entire household is thankful that the curtain has closed on my gaseous symphonies as well.  I have great energy most days.  I still have the odd day that I drag but that’s more from working out too hard than bad food.   It’s only through change that I realized how bad I felt and how good I could feel.  It was like having a low-grade fever only I had low-grade lousiness all the time.  

When it comes to eating now, I don’t really worry about the big bad things like sugar, salt, or fat.  I rarely read the ingredients on labels.  That’s because most of what I eat now doesn’t have labels, or sugar, salt, and fat.  For the most part the food I eat food is whole and natural.  Fruit, nuts, seeds, vegetables, some whole grains, and a little meat make up my diet.   Seeing this written out makes me look like I’m a long-haired hippy communing with nature to an endless loop of Grateful Dead tunes, but it isn’t like that at all.  I’ve just become more aware of how important my choice of food is and the way my body responds to those choices.   Rather than eating what I feel like I now eat what makes me feel good.  

The truth is I’ve known for years that good nutrition is important for good health.  But knowing and doing are two different things. This change in diet has taught me a profound lesson that has had real life results.   I also know that there is much more to learn when it comes to nutrition and health.    I’ve only scratched the surface but what I know without a doubt is that when I put garbage in, I get garbage out.