Oct 29 2008
The best defense is a good offense (?)
After yesterday’s blog about personal accountability and health, my goat and I found ourselves thinking about the best way to be good, healthy citizens in our neoliberal society.
Of course, one should avoid smoking, drinking, illicit drug use, and extreme sports. Those are pretty universally dangerous things.
The next thing we are told to do is exercise and eat well. But what type of exercise should we do? Is stretching and strengthening the muscles enough? Should we run? Lift weights? All of the above?
Regardless of how we straighten that mess out, we still need to figure out what to eat. All the diet plans have completely different criteria. Some say to eliminate fats while carb-loading; others say that carbohydrates are evil and to eat as much protein as possible. Some suggest (surprise!) moderation.
If you manage to come up with a good diet and exercise routine, you’re still bombarded by all the supplements on the market. Which miracle pill/root/herb will help you get into prime condition? I’ve heard of every solution from incorporating special berries into my diet to eating a particular kind of cactus.
Despite the sensory overload that is accessible health literature in this day and age, my goat and I have one big question: Just which plan are we supposed to follow to adequately care for ourselves?
