host posted on February 10, 2008 12:39
Article by Evan Kaufmann
I've been exposed to natural foods and supplements for as long as I can remember. I couldn't even tell you how many times I would pour my mixed-vitamin drink down the sink before my mom would turn around and catch me. I never really understood the importance of daily vitamins or probiotics or antifungals. I would just take what I was given, (or just ditch it in the kitchen sink). It wasn't until about two years ago that I finally had my eyes opened.
I was living in Los Angeles at the time working as a waiter at a restaurant a block away from the beach. It was great; I was living off tips, hanging out with friends, and soaking up the "beach life." My diet consisted of pizza, sandwiches, pastas, and my personal favorite… Dr. Pepper, oh and the occasional beer every now and then. So needless to say I wasn't exactly living the healthy lifestyle I've always heard my dad preach about. I knew I wasn't eating well, but I didn't understand the severity of that until one day I woke up with horrible stomach cramps that kept me in bed the entire day. I figured if I just got through that day I would be fine. I lay in bed and drank some water and tried to get as much sleep as I could. After a few hours of it, I called my mom. (Knowing she would just worry, I didn't let her know how bad it really was!) She told me to eat some yogurt and take some probiotics. I should have taken her advice but I didn't. I just lay in bed and drank some vitamin water and hoped everything would be fine the next day.
Well the next day came and no luck… if anything, I actually felt worse. I had barely slept the night before from the pain, so trying to get on my feet to go to the store and buy anything that would help me was pretty much out of the question. I wanted to roll out of bed but between my stomach being tied in knots and the energy that was drained from no sleep the night before, I figured laying in bed and feeling sorry for myself was a better option. Now, anyone out there who might know my mother, knows that she likes to worry… I tried to hold off calling her, but that night I felt so bad that I finally gave in. I told her the whole story – how I had been in bed for almost 2 days, how the problem hadn't gotten any better, blah blah blah… She did what any loving, concerned mother would do… she jumped on a plane that night and flew from Dallas to Los Angeles! (I told you I didn't want to worry her…)
By the time she got there my stomachache was feeling a little better… I was able to get out of bed but I hadn't had food for 2 days so I was pretty weak. She made a quick trip by the house to check on me and then went to pick up some yogurt and probiotics at the local health food store. When she got back, I slowly ate a small bowl of yogurt and took 2 probiotics. I didn't think much about it because I really didn't expect it to do anything. Yet, within 1 hour, my stomachache was totally gone! I remember sitting on the couch talking to my mom and her asking me how I felt. I couldn't even believe that I was about to tell her that, after almost 72 full hours of not listening to her advice in the first place, it took just 1 hour for the problem to go away! She wasn't bitter or upset that I didn't listen to her in the first place, (In case you didn't catch on with her flying across 2 ½ states because her son had a stomachache! She's a pretty good mom.); she was just happy that I felt better.
So think about that: My problem was so minor that it would probably seem like a day at the park for some people… I was 22 at the time, I had always been raised on organic food and supplements but just a few years of being on my own and eating bad caught up to me pretty fast! Just imagine for some of you out there who are 50 or 60 years old. You've got major health concerns and you don't even know where to start! Just start slow. Talk to your doctor about taking some probiotics or some antifungals… spend 15 minutes and research them. I really believe “healthy” is a state of mind. Make yourself get up a little earlier and walk around the block a few times. You don't have to join a gym or hire an expensive personal trainer to get in shape. Like I said, don't do anything without your doctor’s advice, but there's plenty of ways to take back your own health… or maybe call your mom and ask her advice!