We Think About What We Know About

The red lights start blinking, the gates go down, then the train ca-chunk-ca-chunk goes by. Most people pull out their phone to check their email and social media. I do too. I’ll also look up, examine the train, the number of engines, the types of cars. I guess which are empty and which are full. Where the full ones were loaded, what they were loaded with, and to where they are going to. I do this by habit. I know more about trains than most people because I worked a few years for the railroad CSX.

It’s a harmless habit, wasting time thinking things like, “those covered hoppers might be carrying PVC from Texas to a pipe maker in South Florida.” I’ll never know if it’s true. I’ve wondered why I do it, when Facebook, Emails and texts seek my attention.

Then, I realized why. The train is part of a system, a system that I appreciate because I know what it takes to do it right - massive engineering and data systems, skilled people, and tank cars of fuel. The train is part of what makes our lives possible.

I know about the train so I think about the train.

Thinking About Food

Over the last few years, I’ve learned what it takes to eat right. I know more about food - so I think more about food.

I ate for fifty years without deep thought. My food focus was on the surface level – taste, cost, and convenience. I would claim that I preferred healthy food. I ate unhealthy food. I ate the so-called SAD – Standard American Diet. I would prefer that the S stand for Sick or Stupid. It is a diet that makes us sick. We are stupid to keep eating it. It is no longer my standard. My food “knowledge” was outdated, wrong, and making me ill. As I learned more, I thought about it more.

I moved from reacting “What do I want to eat?” to thinking “What am I eating?” Moving me from a Stupid Awful Diet (SAD) to a Thinking Energy Diet (TED). Since food should give Energy and Nutrition, and not be full of fillers and chemicals, I now look at things I used to eat as FOOd Like Substances (FOOLS). They are not worthy of being consumed.

The food system is complex. The big wins are simple. As knowledge increases so will your curiosity and need for judgement. Increasing your knowledge will enable you to learn about what works best for you - theory and practice. You can evaluate your energy levels and trends.

Use a little knowledge to change feelings. Increase your Knowledge to increase your feelings and motivation, enabling you to implement actions for healthy eating. We seek to create a positive loop of better health, fitness and energy through good food, exercise and sleep.

I think, therefore I am fit.