I’m not making any new year’s resolutions, but I know what I need to do.
I love myself and my family enough that I want to be around for more than a few more years, and I have to do my part. As much as I want everyone to enjoy long stretches of happiness, joy, progress and success, some of us won’t live as long as others.
If you missed the news, we’re losing time.
In 2019, the average life expectancy in the United States was 78.8 years old. Then we got hit, hard, by COVID-19 in 2020. The average amount of time we could expect to live dropped by 1.8 years.
Now, according to the latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, most of us in the United States can expect to live 76.4 years. In Louisiana, the age is 73.1. That’s the shortest life span in a couple of decades.
In recent years, fentanyl — not crack — has been a significant driver of deaths, especially drug overdoses. But the three big causes of death these days are heart disease, cancer and COVID.
We can do something about each.
We can reduce our chances of getting heart disease and cancer by reducing the amount of creamy, fried, fat, fun and rich foods we eat. You know what I’m talking about. I didn’t say stop; I said limit. Pushing away from the counter and table without stuffing my mouth as frequently is something else I need to do. I can eat more salads, veggies, baked and broiled foods. I already limit my alcohol intake and I haven’t smoked since I tried it that one summer when I was about 10 years old. My blood pressure has been good, but my weight … I know I have to eat better and exercise more.
Fewer po-boys. More veggies.
Less time slouching on the love seat. More time walking.
I’m in pretty good shape when it comes to the vicious COVID-19 virus. I’ve been so afraid of Rudy Rona that I’ve been on top of every opportunity to be cautious, each time a vaccine and a booster came out. Unfortunately, not enough of us in Louisiana have made the choice to get the protection COVID vaccines provide, and not enough of those of us who have been vaccinated have had the additional protection provided by boosters.
I constantly hear people talking about COVID and the pandemic in the past tense, and that is not good.
The virus is alive, still making people sick and still killing people. I wish more people would go to more reliable sources for factual information. Even the legit places have stopped more intensive public advocacy as a part of their public health measures. The CDC had been publishing weekly data about the coronavirus each Friday. But so few people care that even the agency is taking the holidays off. It won’t publish the data again until Jan. 6.
No matter what anyone thinks about the virus, the effectiveness of treatments and vaccines, the reality is that COVID was with us throughout 2022 and it will be with us throughout 2023 — and beyond.
I’m no doctor or health professional, so please make time to see those who know far more than I do about these matters. But I’m smart enough to know that what I’ve been doing is pretty darn good when it comes to avoiding COVID, decent when it comes to cancer and not nearly enough when it comes to heart disease.
This past week, some of us have observed Kwanzaa, a seven-day, African American cultural observance started in the mid-1960s. There are seven key principles, one for each day from Dec. 26-Jan. 1. All are applicable to my new year. But three of those principles — kujichagulia, nia and imani — can be applied to my need-to-do lists. For each — self-determination, purpose and faith — to be effective and meaningful, these cannot be shallow words. Each has to be a challenge met with healthy action.
Instead of thinking about new year’s resolutions that you may or may not follow through on after the first few days or weeks, think about good choices and healthy living so you can fight the odds, and be one of the longest-living Louisianans and Americans.
A healthy state, healthy parishes and healthy communities start with each of us, individually.
I’m going to do my part. I hope you’ll do yours.
