I think I speak for us all when I say that our generation isn't the healthiest of eaters. Actually, I write this as I am scarfing down Blaze pizza (at least I'm drinking water with it) in-between studying for finals. The problem is, we're slowly killing ourselves. The amount of junk food that we put into our bodies isn't good...at all.
Recently, I was reading an article from the Daily Mail that shook me up a little bit. The article stated that 3 in 10 people are currently being diagnosed with colon cancer, and that wasn't even the worst part. The worst part was reading the statistic that according to experts, millennial's (aka us) are FOUR times more likely to develop the disease than past generations. They suggest that instead of having a colonoscopy in your 40's, now 20-year-olds should partake in the screening as well.
Of course, this scared me. It scared me for numerous reasons actually. For one, my grandmother died of colon cancer about 4 years ago. Not only do I have a family history of the disease, but I have this 4x more likely millennial curse riding on my back too. Of course, I am not the only one. So many of us have family members or friends who have suffered at the hand of cancer.
So I decided that I had to pan out and look at my personal life choices. I am a healthy 20-year-old who loves to exercise. Do I drink enough water? Eh no. Do I eat healthily? Relatively...but I have a lot of late night pizza runs and ice cream dates with myself. Basically, many of us can relate. However, there are probably reasons that our generation is struggling with this frightening cancer statistic.
Things are more expensive now, healthier foods in particular. A lot of us are so stressed with school, jobs, family, etc...that we don't have the time to enjoy a sit-down meal, much less spend all of our savings on a kale salad with tofu. We are a fast paced generation that sometimes put our health on the back burner.
My suggestion to not only myself but my readers...is to make the time. Harder said than done of course, but I truly believe that making sure I am hydrated, sleeping enough, eating maybe a little healthier, and exercising will help diminish those statistics. I actually have started a little planner. I write down the days I am going to go to the gym, my plans for the day, and I might actually start planning my meals too. Going the extra mile for my health is worth it, so I don't become that 3 in 10.
