Column #108

Being prepared is a key factor in success and survival. Sure, luck helps but prepared folks usually have better luck. For those of us on the East Coast of Florida who were trying to prepare for the worst, luck was with us when Irma overshot the turn and went up the western side of the state. But Irma’s near miss still flooded downtown Miami, Fort Pierce, Jacksonville, and elsewhere, downed trees, and caused structural damage and widespread power outages. The west side suffered even more.

Unfortunately because of Irma’s westward shift the Keys and Key West took a direct hit from Irma’s category four winds. But even in Key West, many homes and residents who stayed survived the storm because they were prepared. Elevated homes, thick cement walls, metal roofs tightly fastened to the tops of the cement walls, hurricane glass windows with shutters, supplies of food and fuel, and hefty generators were the prerequisites for their survival.

The Hemingway House, built in the 1851 is a prime example of preparedness. It has 18-inch thick walls and has survived many hurricanes. It made national news because all the residents of the museum, including six-toed cats and caretakers, survived unscathed.

For every event the range of preparedness varies considerably. People are either proactive, reactive, or inactive.

Proactive people who prepare for events in advance in order to control the outcomes are generally happier. Reactive responses after an event force crisis-mode decisions, causing stress, low self-esteem, and anxiety. Inactive people do nothing, achieve little, and are basically lost.

Preparing for hurricanes and being proactive about one’s long-term health and well-being have many similarities. We may laugh at the folks in the Florida Keys whose “overbuilt” homes look like forts on stilts instead of homes. But they were prepared in spades. When it comes to your health, where do you stand?

Most of the people I know are inactive about protecting their long-term health. They do not exercise, get enough sleep, or eat a diet that follows “The Real Diet of Man.” Usually they abuse their bodies in other ways too. Drugs, cigarettes, and excessive booze top the list. They believe their declining health is normal and changing their lifestyle will not only take away all their fun, but is a waste of time.

Reactive people are hardly better than inactive people. As they get sicker, most still follow their doctor’s advise to take drugs and/or undergo the operations which often have negative side effects. Many try exercise, therapy and/or follow the discredited, but politically correct, USDA diet that recommends reducing calories, fat, salt, and red meat while consuming more fruit, nuts, and whole grains. They do this while not realizing these reactive steps often fail to cure their ailments.

When it comes to preventing and addressing chronic diseases proactive people are exceptional. They:
●    march to the beat of a different drum;
●    teach themselves about nutrition, biology, and food chemistry;
●    know how to recognize the many scams marketed by the “organic” health food industry;
●    are disciplined to a high degree;
●    accept new flavors and develop new habits;
●    exercise regularly;
●    get sufficient sleep;
●    strive to reduce stress.

The survivors who rode out Irma in the Florida Keys were extremely proactive. They did not stay in manufactured homes and structures vulnerable to tide surges. They did their homework and took appropriate measures. They made most of the rest of us in Florida look unprepared in comparison.

To your health.

Ted Slanker

Ted Slanker has been reporting on the fundamentals of nutritional research in publications, television and radio appearances, and at conferences since 1999. He condenses complex studies into the basics required for health and well-being. His eBook, The Real Diet of Man, is available online.

Don’t miss these links for additional reading:

Damage Heavy on Key West, but Booze Still Flows

Hemingway House's 6-Toed Cats Survive Hurricane Irma Assault on Key West from Dallas Morning News

Key West V-Zone Construction Code

Proactive, Reactive, Inactive by Emily S.

Education: The Key to Better Health