For the first time in history, children are expected to live shorter lives than their parents. In his prize-winning Ted Talk, “Teach Every Child About Food”, Jamie Oliver tells us, “We, the adults of the last four generations, have blessed our children with the destiny of a shorter lifespan than our own parents. Your child will live a life ten years younger than you because of the landscape of food that we’ve built around them.”
In 2020, in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, I lost both my parents within less than eight weeks of each other. Covid-19 did not take my beloved parents from me, but instead, they died of preventable illnesses brought on by poor lifestyle choices and destructive eating habits. My father suffered from heart disease for over thirty years, and my mother battled high blood pressure, obesity, and depression for as far back as I can remember. Neither of my parents made necessary lifestyle changes to improve and extend their lives. Research shows our genes determine only 20 percent of how long we live and how healthy we are; the rest is lifestyle and environment. If 20 percent of my health is based on genetics, that leaves me with an 80 percent chance to make lifestyle changes for a healthier and longer life. This renewal project has been needed for a long time, but the timing cannot be more perfect than now. Last year was spent teaching in person while simultaneously teaching online. My work life left very little time for my own personal health and well-being. Watching my parents suffer from poor health in their last few years of life and eventually die before either of them had reached the age of eighty, I realized that I needed to make some changes to take care of my own health and well-being. Through my project and blog, I will be able to reflect on my current lifestyle practices and eating habits and work towards living a longer, healthier, and happier life.
Living in the Zone 