Trump’s appointment of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as head of the HHS has sparked fierce debate about everything from fluoride to vaccinations to raw milk. However, these feuds miss the mark when discussing the key contributors to a long and healthy life — common sense.
In the current cultural moment, where politics serves as a proxy for entertainment, people seem to forget that policy is not a solution to this country’s biggest problems, including our health woes.
While RFK Jr. may help clean up the corruption at the three letter agencies, return scientific research to the gold standard, and finally get the food pyramid right, no amount of law or congressional hearings will replace the foundational pillars of good health — frequent exercise, healthy eating habits, adequate sleep and sunshine, and healthy relationships with friends and family.
We should not look to politicians as our saviors. While I am as excited as anyone about the next four years living unburdened by what has been, elevating Trump and his new cast of outlaws to “Avenger” status is misplaced hope. No one is coming to save us.
Hopefully, a new administration will create an environment in which we are freer to make positive healthy choices. But the choices are still ours to make. Grass fed steak over hot dogs. Roasted sweet potatoes over potato chips. Stairs over elevator. Even a nice piece of high cacao dark chocolate over a Milky Way.
It’s simple everyday decisions like this, stacked day after day, that lead us to a path of health and vitality.
Choosing to be healthy is a matter of setting priorities. Declining the alcohol when everyone else is imbibing. Learning how to cook at home. Purchasing healthy items on a budget.
Success in health is obtained just like success in any other area of life whether it be financial or professional — through time, preparation, and sacrifice. And like any other challenge, those sacrifices offer great rewards when made consistently.
Rewards like not being addicted to pharmaceutical interventions or being able to run outside with your kids or dog. Don’t ever underestimate waking up with a clear mind and fresh spirit, excited about the day ahead of you.
Of course we want government looking out for our best interests, free from excessive corporate greed and private interests. Trump has positioned RFK Jr. to get to the bottom of some of the country’s biggest health concerns and conflicts of interest. Do GMO’s and pesticides pose any real health risks? How many vaccines do kids really need and is MRNA technology safe or effective? What are the long-term effects of Ozempic? Are psychedelics the silver bullet to cure mental health that many claim they are?
These are all crucial issues that require full transparency and research free from perverse incentives.
Still, most Americans do not need to be splitting hairs about a keto diet or intermittent fasting. Personally, such topics fascinate me. But not everyone needs a Ph.D. in health to lead a vital, fulfilling life.
It seems information overload has plagued the simplest of decisions and confused healthy habits that should be instilled at a young age to prepare vibrant and virtuous citizens. Children’s education should include nutrition courses and plenty of outdoor play time. Restoring Home Economics classes (can we still call them that?) that teach gardening, cooking, and simple chores should be a priority for the new Secretary of Education, Linda McMahon, assuming the Department of Education will still exist a couple of years from now.
SNAP and WIC dollars should limit the ability to purchase addictive and unhealthy items such as soda and candy.
It certainly is an exciting moment to be alive at a time when transformation of how things are done in Washington D.C. is viable.
But remember, politics will always be politics and the real opportunity for change is and always will be within our own homes and communities.
Alec Zeck encapsulated this perfectly in a post on X recently:
“My wife and I choose what’s best for our family. Period. Government has no say in our home. I don’t care who runs the CDC, FDA, or other corrupt 3 letter agencies. I’m in charge of my own health decisions.”
This is the time to embrace health sovereignty — while we still have the choice to do so.
READ MORE from Jennifer Galardi:
The Mainstream Media Ignores You
Food Fight: Competing Visions for America’s Health
The post Good Health Depends on Us, Not the Government appeared first on The American Spectator | USA News and Politics.
