You Are Wat You Eat

Sadly, you don’t have to look very far in America today to see that we have a major obesity crisis. This problem has also trickled its way into the lives of those who have chosen a career path of public safety. Law enforcement officers and fire fighters are the ones many of us look to for safety, yet a growing number of these people are among some of the most unhealthy people around. One study found that the average life expectancy for the average American police officer is a measly 57 years old.

I have been involved in law enforcement for almost a decade, and my father retired in 2005 after a 37 year career. The truth is public safety professions are among some of the unhealthiest around. Not only are the jobs inherently dangerous to begin with, but they are also constant sources of negative health and wellness influences for those involved. Poor nutrition influences, irregular sleep, and chronic high amounts of stress are just a few of the areas unique to these professions as I have seen firsthand. I would like to touch upon the area of nutrition and how this affects our productivity and safety on the job and down the road.

Because of the fact that we are always “on the go” as cops and firefighters, we often find ourselves eating fast and convenience foods that are what I like to call “dead” food. Most of these foods are high in fat and calories and virtually empty on nutrition. The bottom line is that these foods zap energy levels and contribute to everything from poor sleep to heart disease. Not only are these foods empty on nutrition (minerals, vitamins, enzymes, and essential fatty acids), they are full of chemicals, insane amounts of sugar, and processed ingredients that cause your body to loose what little amounts of nutrition you do have. It’s sort of a double whammy. The result? Poor sleep, low energy, weight gain, decreased mental alertness and a significantly increased risk of developing some form of disease down the road. The body will only put up with such abuse for so long before it begins to send signs and signals of a much uglier problem.

One of the most powerful ways to increase energy while on the job and battle the bulge throughout your career is to begin eating more nutrient dense foods. Fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds are high mineral and vitamin content foods that will provide your body with the raw materials it needs to function optimally. Instead of a bag of chips and a can of soda, reach for an apple, a handful of almonds, and a bottle of filtered water. The science and research is crystal clear. What you eat directly impacts your mental acuity, levels of energy, sleep quality and ability to burn calories.

One of the easiest ways to obtain the nutrients you need is by taking a daily high quality multi vitamin/mineral. One that provides around 1000mg of vitami
C, 300-500mg of magnesium, 600-1000mg of calcium, 200mcg of chromium, 200-400 IU of vitami
E and 100-200mcg of selenium is optimal. A product like this is meant to help fill in the gaps of an imperfect diet. It does not give us the green light to eat what ever we want. Think of it as daily life insurance.

As a health practitioner, I often meet with people who put synthetic oil into their vehicles and only use the highest octane fuel. When I ask them why they do this the response is always the same. They explain that the higher quality products improve the performance of the vehicle. Our bodies are no different. If you continue to eat processed, refined, high sugar foods and expect to “perform” well, you are only kidding yourself. In a profession where safety is of the utmost importance, it is critical that we begin changing the way we eat. This isn’t just about fitting into the uniforms we began this career with. It is about being safe, living well, and ensuring that when we retire from this career we have many more healthy years to come.

Best of health,

Aaron Hermanso

Certified Holistic Health Practitioner
Certified Nutritional Consultantnhttp://www.longliveyou.comn