Summer time creates the discipline and mindset of healthy living in most American millenials. It is that time of the year where we’ll anticipate the events and experiences in which we’d be engaged. It’s a period of vacations, internships, fun, exploration, classes, wearing light clothes or whatever else? Interestingly, one can realize that, that time of the year draws nigh. How? I’ve been curious as to why folks develop disciplined healthy lifestyle few months prior to summer. Gyms and all fitness facilities experience a mass proliferation in attendance. All you hear is, “I have to keep the best shape because summer is approaching.” The question is: are we doing summer period a favor or are we deceiving ourselves? And in the end who benefits, summertime or us?

Cultivating the right habits should be independent of a certain season. Be it fall, winter, spring or summer. I get the fact that we’d want to exhibit our flat tummies and packs (abs) at the shores of those beach resorts and recreational centers we visit for others to admire or for us to feel confident about our bodies. But why would you engage in wrongful habits all year round only to keep in shape for a certain time? Then afterwards, the rest is history. The unhealthy lifestyle is resumed and continues unabated.

Health is the most important aspect of life. A sound mind thrives in a healthy body. For whatever you intend to pursue; be it an education, career, job or dream, you’ve got to be healthy first before you can even reason out your plans. We live in a country where most individuals have problems with cholesterol and usually die from heart related ailments due to elevated accumulations of low-density lipoproteins (LDLs). Why then, do we still patronize what exacerbates this plight? I’m not the most conscious dietician out there, but I’m just wondering why we all gravitate towards what isn’t good for us.

Late meals are bad, yet it is the habit of many folks, especially college kids. Junk foods and high carbohydrate diets are delicacies. Sweets, chocolates and fried foods cannot be taken out of the discussion. There are various public education avenues that emphasize diet and portion sizes. Notable are choosemyplate.gov, Dr. Oz and some others, which extensively expound on the ratios of the diverse food groups and their quantities we need for our bodies. Yet what do we see? A well-informed citizenry who spend tons of dollars treating and struggling from what they know everything about and how they can prevent these cankers. I know it’s somewhat difficult to live healthy nowadays with Wendy’s five for $4 package and Burger King’s ten piece nuggets for $1.49 and others. But hey, prevention is better than cure and you’d rather be safe than sorry.

My whole point is that healthy living should be independent of summer. If you want to fit into those clothes or admire those who wear them, keep a disciplined lifestyle as a habit. I know is none of my business as to whatever you want to do with your life but well, note that it is more difficult to lose weight than gain it. So, which would you choose then? I’m not against working out or you engaging in fitness and diet programs. All I’m saying is, if you are not proud of your potbelly, why have it then in the first place?