The saying “Health is Wealth,” has so many interpretations for different people. This term is defined as having optimal health is the biggest achievement anyone can have. Health is the biggest factor in everyone’s life, it is the blueprint for what keeps us going, how we function, and how we grow. When getting to understand the breakdown of health, it does seem complex at first, but it is also interesting. We tend to learn things we have never even heard of before, while also applying it to our day-to-day lives for healthy livng. My insight on why health is important to take care of is solely based off how we feel inside and out. Not a lot of people know this, but the body listens and acknowledges what is happening around it even when we least expect it. We as people are built to comprehend and react to anything in any way possible. An Example of how the body reacts physically to something is let us say someone is dehydrated. It will come to this person feeling light-headed, have trouble grasping information and can struggle with their stamina and strength in the future. If this were to go untreated, it can potentially cause damage to vital parts of the body and can lead to sickness. Based off this example, I have described it explains how one’s endurance gets affected entirely. When we do not have the knowledge of what keeps our health in check, it can leave us confused about how it can be taken care of to begin with and how we can control it, so no one ends up facing serious health problems later down the line.
My journey with health and how it plays a huge role in life has taught me so much about who I am. It has taught me why I have felt unhappy prior, what habits I should control, peace towards my heart and mind, and how I should be feeling mentally and physically. Throughout the process of acting on my well-being, I have learned so much from others, from family, people from social media. Who was in the same boat of understanding the value health has and having insight on how it makes you feel? Based off my topic, I was able to speak with someone who knows about the health side of things and how it has changed their life as well.
For my fieldwork observation, I designated on visiting some family who lives in Pennsylvania. I ended up visiting my uncle, Anthony, his wife Vianna, and their daughter during Thanksgiving break. I interviewed my uncle because of his background of being born in the early 1990s; things were different. The living conditions, technology, education, transportation, food, etc. He was always busy with work and school while navigating everything around him from being a kid to a young adult to today. He was born and raised in the Bronx, but later down the line in his 20s he moved to PA and met Vianna. After being together for some time, they bought a house together and started a new life. From me knowing who my uncle was when I was a kid to who he is as an adult, I would say how much a difference I have seen in his well-being and life.
My main objective for the interview was wanting to know how my uncle felt about fast food and how certain ways of living and diet play a role in how someone feels.
We had the interview in the living room as we ate food. The interview started with me asking him:
“What does health mean to you?”
He replied by saying that,
“Health to me means when you feel content with yourself, and also how you perceive things, in a good or bad way.”
My response was, “that was a good way to sum it up, I say that answer often as well. My next question is, do you feel like consuming fast food affects health.?”
He replied saying, “if I’m being honest, the answer to that question goes many different ways”
I ask him “how so?”
And he responds by saying,
“When someone thinks of the effect, they would automatically assume that any average person would just share their opinion, rather than facts. I would say having a specific feeling towards something so important can stop what the answer can be. I know when I was growing up, fast food and most junk foods were always there because it is what was affordable. It was available in different ways and quantities. It is what we were used to growing up since grandma was trying to balance being with her kids and receiving some help from the government with food stamps due to her being sick and not having a job. I appreciated everything that was done for us, and I am extremely grateful for what she has done just to keep her family happy and well taken care of. She taught me everything I know and I cannot picture my world without her. But as I got older and started a life for myself, I realized eating like that was not the best thing to do forever. As most people know as we get older, we learn responsibilities and act in what we want in life which then leads to lifestyle changes. Based off what job we have, if we have started a family or if there are any health complications, it can contribute to wanting to find the easy way out. With this case, we tend to grasp what is simpler, most of us are tired from work or what goes on and we do not want to come home and cook a full meal. So, we gravitate towards the quickest and easiest form of food, fast food. For me, altering how I eat certain foods did influence both my mental and physical health, both in a good and intriguing way.
I ask, “how was it good?”
He says, “it would be good in the sense me feeling like a whole new person. Before I started eating healthier, I often had bad breakouts on my skin, I had little to no energy and lacked the motivation to get anything done. Based off these outcomes, I decided to teach myself control and discipline, so I know to take my health seriously. In the process of changing my diet, lifestyle, and my environment, everything around felt comfortable I would say. Moving to Pennsylvania was one of the biggest factors for taking care of my health and starting my life. Here in PA, everything is completely different from New York, it seems so much easier and less stressful. The down payment for housing is a lot cheaper, I live in a three bedroom, two-bathroom house in the middle of a grass field on top of a hill. Where else can you get something like that, you know? There are high quality foods in the grocery stores for much cheaper for a higher quantity, I can plant and grow my own food inside/outside of my home, enjoy the outdoors when I can. I am always finding a way to feel comfortable in my own space, no matter what it is. It was hard at first trying to stop doing what I have done for the longest, which was eating junk food/fast food and not being in control of what makes me feel the best, while now I am making good choices to better myself.”
“I appreciate you for expressing the ups and downs of how it was to better yourself and your life. I see how much growth, dedication, and time you took to accomplish just the simplicity of just feeling overall good about yourself. Just one more question, “what would you say the intriguing part of it was?” He answers by saying, “What I found interesting is how much one simple thing can change your life forever, just understanding what made me feel lost before was just the simple fact of how I was taking care of myself. It is just wild to me how I spent most of my time trying to “feel better” but all along it was just the simple fact of understanding what my body was receiving in that moment. As for what else was intriguing to me was how I felt mentally while following healthy habits. Now that I am used to eating more of a plant-based diet and working out to my liking, I realize cutting out certain foods from your diet completely and too quickly can lead to an unhealthy relationship with yourself and food. Food keeps us nourished, balanced, and helps us develop and grow. Stopping yourself from doing what you have been used to doing for a long time eventually tricks your brain into thinking that you either do not deserve it, that you cannot have fun and/or enjoy yourself and that should not be the case with what keeps us alive and well.”
From this conversation/interview with my uncle, I have learned that perspective is most important when trying to get a point across or even just further educating yourself about something you were curious about. From my uncle’s perspective, I realized how much of an impact it can be to better yourself by making different choices and decisions. In terms of my topic, it is important to have balance with your health. Balance creates trust and comfortability within yourself to know what your body needs so you feel good. The body reacts to what it is a part of, whether it is the food you eat, the environment, etc. Overall, keep in mind to listen to yourself, and be conscious of the idea of taking care of your health from the inside out. The following piece of evidence shows “As the ultra-processed food consumption increased, the dietary content of carbohydrates, free sugars, total fats, saturated fats, and sodium increased significantly while the content of protein, fiber, and potassium decreased. The poor nutritional quality of ultra-processed foods coupled with their high availability, low cost, and aggressive marketing, which result in excessive consumption, can lead to obesity and other chronic diet- related NCDs.” (Rauber, da Costa Louzada, M. L., Steele, E. M., Millett, C., Monteiro, C. A., & Levy, R. B. Ultra‐processed food consumption and chronic non‐communicable diseases‐related dietary nutrient profile in the UK. Nutrients, 10(5), 587– (2008-2014) (2018). https://doi.org/10.3390/nu10050587) This quote explains when someone’s diet is filled with more highly processed foods, they are more likely to have health complications over time due to the body not receiving proper nutrients.
My experience with eating fast food and how it made me feel, also taught me over time how I can incorporate a variety of healthier choices and foods. When I got the hang of learning what it is to meal plan, exercise more and add more nutrient dense foods, I often took photos of meals just to ensure what I have learned and how I can look back on the things I taught myself for the better.
In conclusion, adjusting what you do daily plays a significant role in how you feel physically and/or emotionally. In this case, what you incorporate into your diet can lead to the response the body may have. Eating fast food is more convenient and easier in most cases, based on what goes on currently with your life. It is understandable for anyone to gravitate towards the easier option when things do get busy or stressful but consuming it for a period of time does have its consequences. I experienced these consequences, and it honestly made me feel the worst I have ever felt but by the end I made the decisions that made the most sense to me and that led to me understanding my health step by step, which turned into something I see myself doing continuously for a balanced and peaceful life. Overall, taking adequate control and responsibility for yourself ends up helping you eventually for sustainable health and happiness.
This image here shows a simple breakfast I made with some veggies, eggs, potatoes, and some protein. Eating like this was something to get used to but eventually, it became a habit because I knew how beneficial it is for feeling the best way possible.
This photo here is just a small part of where I had the interview, in the living room of my uncle’s house. (Featuring the mushroom :p)
Works Cited
(Rauber, da Costa Louzada, M. L., Steele, E. M., Millett, C., Monteiro, C. A., & Levy, R. B. Ultra‐processed food consumption and chronic non‐communicable diseases‐related dietary nutrient profile in the UK. Nutrients, 10(5), 587– (2008-2014) (2008). https://doi.org/10.3390/nu10050587)
Anthony Cardenas, Amarie Reyes Interview. November 24, 2022.
