Healthy Stuff

Whew! That's a relief!

Health Magazine recently busted nine myths about things we all thought made us healthy (or sick), like drinking eight glasses of water each day, or eating fewer eggs because they drive up our cholesterol. There are seven others at the link.

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ON HEALTH AND LONG LIFE

For several years my husband and I have made a conscientious effort to get our family to eat more healthful foods at meals and for snacks. The children often express their discontent with this choice. One afternoon at the grocery store I purchased paper towels that were in a new, recyclable earth-tone color. When I got home and my 17-year old son pulled them out of the bag, he exclaimed, "Oh no! Whole Wheat towels!"

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A fussy eater, my nine-year old son asked me to please buy multigrain bread. Happy that he wanted to eat so healthily, I purchased a loaf. The next morning, while making his sandwich for school, I told him how happy I was that he liked multigrain bread.

"I don't," he said. "But the kid who I trade sandwiches with does."

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An 80-year old man went to his doctor for a routine physical. The doctor was amazed at what good shape the man was in. "To what," the doctor asked, "do you attribute your good health?"

The old guy thinks a moment and then says, "I'm an avid golfer. I think that's why I'm in such good shape. I'm usually up well before daylight and out on the links walking up and down the fairways."

The doctor replies, "Well, I'm sure that helps, but there's got to be more to it. Maybe it's genetics. How old was your father when he died?"

The old guy says, "Who says he's dead?"

The doctor, taken aback, says, "You mean to tell me that you're 80 years old and your father is still alive? How old is he?"

"He's 100 years old and, as a matter of fact, he went golfing with me this morning. That's why he's still alive, I think, he loves to golf as much as I do."

So the doctor says, "Well, that's fantastic! But there's still got to be more to it. How about your grandfather? How old was your grandfather when he died?"

The old man replies, "Who says my grandpa's dead?"

The doctor is floored. "You're 80 years old, your father is 100 years old, and your GRAND-father's still living? How old is he?"

"He's 118 years old. Last week, as a matter of fact."

The doctor, by now, is a little frustrated and says, "And I suppose he went golfing with you this morning, too?"

The old guy says, "No, Grandpa couldn't go this morning because he got married yesterday."

In amazement, the doctor says, "Got married?? Why would a 118-year old man want to get married?"

Replies the old guy, "Who said he wanted to?"

[selected from Ed Peacher's Laughter for a Saturday and Clean Hewmor; edited by Mark Raymond]

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Spring is finally busting out all over here in Michigan, and the grass is turning as green as a banker's envy. We're in the midst of those famous "April showers," too. How can I tell? My roof started leaking right into our kitchen last night. Ugh.

I'll see you on Monday.

Mark

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WEB SITE of the WEEK: I was just reflecting to myself the other day (didn't even have to use a mirror) that websites have become so passé. They are old and busted. Blogs (Web Logs) are the new hotness. And here's a blog you might want to bookmark, if only for today's selection of 50 Things You Can Do With Tennis Balls at http://tinyurl.com/2t5ayx. I cut that address down for you. The original link was 96 characters long and wouldn't have fit all on one line. My wife has got me into leaning against a wall with a tennis ball between you and your back and moving around a bit to do a self-massage for aching muscles. Works quite well.

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Mark's Musings is available via email each weekday for free and is a Habeas-certified spam free mailer. Subscribe, view past issues in the Archives, or help defray publishing costs at Mark's web site. (Please, I need the money to get help so I stop talking about Mark in the third person.) To contact Mark, click here. To warm up your feet, put on a hat. You can forward or reprint "Mark's Musings" freely but please keep the credits attached. Removing the credits is not healthy, nor is it kind. Original material and commentary © 2008 by Mark Raymond. This includes the fine print you're reading now. I update this blog with a copy of this post daily, and extra thoughts, videos, and things that go bump in the night periodically on the weekends. My personal mission statement is John 3:30. Anybody know a good roofer?

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WORDS for YOUR WEEKEND: "The trouble with always trying to preserve the health of the body is that it is so difficult to do without destroying the health of the mind." (G.K. Chesterton)