Many people have a health condition that is genetic, environmental, or passed on as a disease from another human. Fitness is pretty much the same. But diet is a choice we make every time we buy food, or decide to eat. I personally will choose peanut butter and jelly sandwiches over a tossed salad any day of the week, because this is my tastes. But which is healthier? That depends on the lifestyle of the person choosing. In this case, it's me. I ride a bicycle twenty miles a day, and do a lot of heavy lifting, so I need a lot of protein and fats to keep my muscles going. I should eat more salads, but I don't like them unless they have meat, cheese, or some other solid food in them. But I do eat salads! I eat them because they are good for me. Usually, I take a one pound package of imitation crab meat and add it to one pound of tossed salad, then throw in some cheese and smother the whole thing with a half bottle of low fat salad dressing. This is not a side dish. This is my main meal and it usually last for two or three.
Meat is something I love. The world is cholesterol conscious, and I try to adhere to a simple plan: Don't eat a ton of fat. Keep the meat lean if you can. Bacon is far from a lean meat, but I love the taste, so I chop up tiny bits of the fatty meat and fry a quarter pound at a time. Then I sauté a large onion and put a couple of cups of rice on the stove to boil. I toss in a can of kidney beans and mix up a batch of Indian dish. It's tasty, filling, cheap and healthy. That's how I like my meals, tasty, filling, cheap and healthy. I do not eat just to sustain life, but to advance my life in every respect.
Exercise is important, but I was not born cripple, ailing, or obese. Every person has their own thoughts on the best way to keep themselves fit, and I could not possibly give advice that could be followed by everyone, so I won't try. But Each person must try to do their best at keeping themselves in motion as often as possible, just for longevity sake. It's a simple fact of life. The more you do nothing, the more nothing you will get. Dancing, bowling, jogging, bicycle riding, walking and many other activities will help the mental state as well as the physical. Mental depression will slow down the body and keep a person sitting in front of the television with their brain turned off. And usually stuffing their face with a bag of potato chips and candy. This will kill you ten to twenty years before you have to go. It will always be your choice on what you eat, unless you have a special diet dictated by doctor's.
Health is a relevant term that has no numbers or statistics to compare. But we all seem to think we know who is the unhealthy and who is healthy. Smoking, drinking, city living, tap water, candy, pastry, red meat, and many other vices have led to a person living to be 100 years old. So what is so unhealthy about that? Maybe it's as much in our minds as it is in our bodies. Maybe a clear conscience and an active constitution is more relevant than what we actually do. Possibly, crossword puzzles, inter-social activities, knitting, loving, and laughing, have more to do with longevity than eating or exercising. Maybe God gives up credits for our attitude. Just some thoughts on health.