What Does Complacency Mean:

Merriam Webster dictionary definition of Complacency:  A feeling of being satisfied with how things are and not wanting to try to make them better.  Are you complacent?  Most of us, including myself, generally are.  We don’t want to make waves, so we just “go with the flow”.  Unfortunately, when it comes to our health, that doesn’t work.  As a young boy and into adulthood, I ate the things I was raised eating.  You have either heard or said, “I am a meat and potatoes kinda guy”.  That is what complacency does to us.  We have been satisfied with this mentality.

Now that I have reach my golden years, I have started making changes to how and what I eat.  Forty or fifty years ago, we were told that a healthy breakfast consisted of fruit, cereal, milk, bread and butter.  My guess is, that if you are reading this, that is not your typical healthy breakfast anymore.  Remember all those great cereals?  Frosted corn flakes, cheerios, fruit loops etc.  How about milk?  I buy a quart of milk, about every three or four months, when I need something to dunk my donuts in.  Bread is a real issue for me.  I love the comfort of bread, especially making PB and J sandwiches.  I walk down the peanut butter aisle at least three times having a mental battle.  Do I or don’t I.  I usually don’t, because I know, I will eat that jar of peanut butter and a loaf of bread in three or four days.

Lunches don’t seem to be a big problem.  Even if you go to a fast food place, most have a decent salad.  In fact, that is probably their healthiest entry.  Just don’t drown the salad with the dressing.  The fast food industry has done us a big favor.  The have changed the kind of oil they use for frying.     This new oil leaves an awful after taste.  It was really hard to resist that super-sized order of French fries.  Now, it is a breeze.  Here is a tip, if you order a burger.  Ask them to substitute a leaf of lettuce and pitch the bun.  We could go on here till the cows come home.  But, it is these little changes than you can make, that makes a big difference.

Dinner:  What used to sound good to me was six to eight ounces of meat(beef, chicken or pork) and two big scoops of mashed potatoes and gravy.  Mmmmmm.  Oh, and an ounce or two of vegetables.  That is(was) the typical American dinner.  Not anymore, my friends.  That will kill you for sure.  If you are a traditional meat eater, try this instead.  Draw an imaginary line across your plate.  On one of the sides, divide that in half.  On the quarter size area, put a nice four once piece of meat or fish.  The second quarter, put a small portion of potatoes or rice.  You might want to try sweet potato or brown rice.  On the big half of the plate, load up raw or steamed vegetables.  Don’t worry, you cannot overdue the veggies.

With these few changes, you will have broken down your complacency.  If nothing else, you will shred some unwanted weight and after a few weeks, you will probably start feeling better.  Your  body is a wonder of life.  It can heal itself.  It just needs a little of your help.  Be kind to your body and it will last a long time.  I hope you have enjoyed this .  If you have share it on your fav media and give us a “like’’”.  Have a wonderful day.