Pizza Versus Smoothies

 

Awesome sunrise from a recent trip to Kure Beach, North Carolina

"You are what you eat." - (Roughly translated from Anthelme Brillat-Savarin who wrote, "Tell me what you eat and I will tell you what you are." in 1826)

 

I just finished my daily smoothie.  I have been having one daily for the past few months as my lunch.  (Ingredients: Heavy Cream, Almond Milk, Chia Seeds, Flax Seeds, Cacao Powder, Protein Powder, Baby Spinach, frozen berries, and Ice)  It got me thinking about why I do that and why not just have pizza every day. 

 

Yesterday I was watching a video on YouTube about the difference between Instant Gratification and Delayed Gratification.  This video talked about the long-term effects of delaying gratification.  In the video, one of the ideas was about eating junk food versus healthy food.  While the satisfaction you get from junk food may, for a short period of time, be high.  It quickly diminishes and if you continue to eat that way, will eventually go negative.  You may become overweight, not want to exercise, have less of a self-image, and so on.  If however, you make a healthy choice when deciding what to eat, the short-term effects may not be great (the taste may not compare with the pizza) but long-term, you may be better off.

 

These ideas have to do with second-order effects (and third and fourth as well).  We need to consider not only the impact of what we do in the moment but also how that will impact things down the road. 

• First-Order Effect - Eating healthy food
• Second-Order Effect - Losing weight
• Third-Order Effect - Sleeping better
• Fourth-Order Effect - More energy, able to exercise, think clearly

 

Now let's consider the pizza:

• First-Order Effect - Eating pizza
• Second-Order Effect - Gaining weight
• Third-Order Effect - Increased snoring (lower sleep quality)
• Fourth-Order Effect - Less energy, not wanting to exercise, thinking impaired

 

Does that mean we should never have pizza?  In my mind, no.  We do need to consider all of our choices but everything needs to be taken in moderation.  We can have both pizza and smoothies and still have a great long life.  We just need to make these choices and consider the second, third, and fourth-order effects when we are making our choices.

 

Besides, I love the smoothies that I make.  It's like getting to have a milkshake for a meal!