Eat your vegetables son and remember what they say, an apple a day keeps the doctor away. Come on and eat your trees(That’s what my mom called broccoli as a strategy to get me to eat it when I was a kid). I use to hear that stuff all of the time when I was a boy. Unfortunately for me, I didn’t listen that much. And as far as me taking vitamins, I didn’t.

So far I’ve been fortunate over the years not to be ill and maintaining a proper diet is just one of the key factors that helps me avoid illnesses such as influenza or the more common term we all know as “The Flu”.

During my childhood and pre-teen years, I suffered a lot when it came to getting sick because I succumbed to the flu which triggered off my asthma. I would be laid up in bed for a week. The headaches followed by the feverish chills I had to endure left me asking one question, “Why was this happening to me?” I was unable to receive an answer back then, but I had discovered the answer to my question later on in my life.

I was one who didn’t take nutrition seriously. I didn’t drink milk and I turned my nose up at vegetables, especially broccoli. And at certain times if I could get away with it, the food I didn’t want would be tossed into the garbage when nobody was looking.

I ate a lot of junk food, every chance I would get. I thought I was on “cloud nine” with all the cookies, potato chips, and chocolate bars that I ate. It was all good but I paid for it during the Winter and Fall seasons though. My payment for all that good ol’ junk food combined with playing outside in inclement weather lead to me getting the flu. My defenses were down because my body was lacking the nutrients needed to fight the flu. I later realized that even though I was eating a lot, I wasn’t eating properly.

Today I am an active individual who exercises regularly and eats properly. I have the Army to thank for all of the physical training I received. I made a vow to myself to continue my physical training after I got out and I’m still honoring that vow. I haven’t had a sick day since 2003, and even then it was a slight fever that I had from getting a flu shot that lasted less than 24 hours.

I know everybody’s not the same and our experiences are different in life, but I truly believe that if we all could employ a proper diet plan that includes a substantial amount of nutrients such as vegetables, poultry, beef and whole grains along with dietary supplements and exercise, it could possibly open a doorway that could lead to us all being healthy and fit for life.