My mother and daughter celebrated birthdays this week. Naturally, the first thing that comes to mind when someone celebrates another trip around the sun is, “Where has the time gone?”
The 15-year-old can’t wait to be 16 so she can drive (frankly, nor can I). And the 77-year-old can’t believe she’s 77, until the mysterious aches and pains provide a reality check.
On our special day, we recognize our existence in numbers, our years of life. With any luck, we can also reflect on our years, feeling content with the quality of life lived thus far.
The World Health Organization defines quality of life as “an individual’s perception of their position in life in the context of the culture and value systems in which they live and in relation to their goals, expectations, standards and concerns.”
There’s an individual sense of control and freedom in defining a life well lived. The hard part is not letting the days slip away while we wait to live fully.
This presents a conundrum. Should we live in the moment and eat the croissant and bacon today, or opt for the (arguably) less mind and mouth-pleasing broccoli and beans for quality of life tomorrow?
I ask this question with reference to food because we know diet is a keystone in the prevention of chronic disease. To be clear, the absence of disease does not predict quality of life. But as you might imagine, if functional abilities, such as locomotion, cognition or the capacity to maintain social engagement are degraded by chronic disease, then quality of life suffers.
Do you know what else causes suffering? The thought of living the rest of my life without being able to enjoy guilty pleasures. What kind of life can you live without ice cream and potato chips?
Overly dramatic? Sure. It doesn’t have to be all or nothing. But have you ever wondered what it means to “limit unhealthy food” such as sugar-sweetened beverages, ultraprocessed foods or saturated fats? Where is the tipping point that allows us our guilty pleasures without compromising quality of life?
I hate to break it to you, but after a long search through the scientific literature, there is no consensus, no line in the sand saying one muffin a day is fine, but two is too much. At best, scoping reviews find associations between higher consumption of healthy foods and quality of life.
This uncertainty leads us back to square one. Everyone wants quality of life, but for most, present self chooses pleasure with little consideration of future self.
Let me leave you with this point to ponder: Studies consistently show that, above all, consumption of fruit and vegetables is strongly associated with quality of life. When less healthy foods are the first thing we eat, we edge out room for the foods that promote quality of life.
Thus, if your meals and snacks start with fruits or vegetables, or other health-promoting foods such as lean proteins and fiber-rich grains, then you edge out room for guilty pleasures.
In the absence of numerical guidelines, let a belly full of fruits and vegetables help establish a limit for delicious, albeit, less healthy foods. It’s a win-win situation for present and future self.
Nicole Clark is director of La Plata County Extension Office. Reach her at nclark@lpcgov.org.
