The consequences can vary from bad to worse. For me it was a trip down the highway with the sirens blaring, the lights flashing and the paramedic feeding me nitroglycerin. That trip was not fun, as a matter of fact, it was down right scary. But it did get my attention!

Being a young man of sixty five I wasn't ready to pilot a rocking chair just waiting to die. I wanted to live, be productive and enjoy life. So I decided that if I wanted to live - I'm working on Methuselah's record - I needed to make some changes in my life.

The first area I needed to change was what I put in my mouth. They say you are what you eat. Junk in and poor health out. Anyway, change for me doesn't come easy unless I have good reasons for that change. So here's a list of the reasons I came up with to make healthy food choices.

1}Say Goodby To All The Chemicals

Read the label of that food you are about to serve your family. Look at all the preservatives that are used to keep it from spoiling and better yet look at all those ingredients you can't even pronounce let alone know what they are.

If they are putting sawdust in your food why do they need to change it's name to something you don't understand. You don't suppose they don't want you to know they're putting sawdust in your food do you?

That is one reason I am all for making healthy food choices. All the different preservatives and chemicals that are contained in processed foods couldn't possibly be good for you.

2)I Want To Savor The Flavor

One of the biggest reasons for making healthy food choices for myself is the flavor. I like to taste food! I like the robust flavor of fresh fruits and vegetables. The reason so many vegetable dishes are served with the vegetables swimming in mushroom soup or cheese sauce is that there is no taste to the canned vegetables. You need something to add flavor.

Try some fresh green beans. They are loaded with flavor, delicious to savor and best of all they are loaded with good for you nutrients.

Take an acorn squash, wash it and stick it in the microwave for two to three minutes. When the skin is soft, split in two, scrape out the seeds, add a little butter to each half and you have a food that is so good for you and the best part is it tastes fantastic.

3}I Choose To Eat To Live Longer

Reports of obesity and all the health problems it causes are all over the news these days. From children to adults this problem is getting worse as people turn to fast food for their lunches and dinners.

Obesity puts a terrible strain on your heart, making it work twice as hard to function properly. Causing high blood pressure and all sorts of complications that cannot be reversed unless you lose that weight. Diabetes which is closely associated with obesity is also soaring here in America.

Eating healthy makes me feel better and have more energy. If you eat healthy, studies show that you can live longer and have less health issues than someone who does not.

I can't wait to met and enjoy my great grand kids. I choose to eat healthy. If eating healthy can make you live longer, I choose to eat to live longer.

4}I Choose To Eat To Be In Health

If making healthy food choices helps me to stay in vibrant health then I choose to make healthy food choices. All around me I can see the evidence of making bad food choices. You can too. Just go people watching at any mall or a busy street corner and you'll be overwhelmed at all the results of making bad food choices.

The great thing about making healthy food choices is that you can start anytime. Like right now! Not until that ambulance ride did it get my attention. Making healthy food choices is now an everyday occurrence. Every day it gets easier to make those choices, to say no to unhealthy food and to live a healthy life style.

5)I Want to Enjoy My Family

If Making healthy food choices allows me to live longer and be in healthy so that I can enjoy my family then I choose Healthy Food. I have eight children, eight grand children so far and a fantastic wife.

Whats important is being able to spend lots of quality time with my family to let them know I love they so.

I want to be able to spend a lot of time with my wife. With taking care of the kids and both of us working there is not a lot of time for each other. By making healthy food choice now I hope, The Lord Willing, I'll get to spend a lot of quality time with her.

Those are five reason that I choose to make healthy food choices. I could list a few more reasons but I think you understand. Making healthy food choice is a matter of life and death. I choose life! I want to live! What better reason could there be for making healthy food choices!