Happy birthday to me! I’m spending my birthday traveling to Pennsylvania for training in the National Guard. As I write this, I’m sitting in the USO in Charlotte, NC, which is a very nice facility. I was happy to see that it’s stocked with not only donuts, but lots of fruit and other healthy choices. I’m having some coffee, and in a bit, I may have an apple before I go out to eat lunch prior to my afternoon flight.

Today, I turn 51, and I can’t stop thinking about where I was 5, 10, or even 20 years ago in regards to my health. I’m in better shape, healthier, lighter, and much more fit than I was at any of those other points in my life. It’s crazy when I realize just how large of an impact the food choices I made affected my life. I owe my good health today to the food I eat, in large part due to the support and love from my wife, Sherry. Aside from her cooking, she’s always been there to motivate me when I needed it, and always there to remind me to be good when I need to (and also to remind me to live a little when I’m tempted to miss out on an experience in my efforts to be “good.”).

My most sincere wish on my birthday is that people who read this blog are inspired to change their diets, to take on a healthier way of eating, and to hopefully motivate people to persevere and to stick with eating right. It’s not always easy, but it is always worth it.