Many years ago, when I was eleven years old, my parents bought a Corning Cooktop stove, a fancy new appliance whose coils remained white even when they were hot. You simply had to take it on faith — or not. No matter how long I stared at that new stovetop, I could not convince myself that the white coils were hot. And that is why I still remember so clearly, this many years later, the perfectly oval burn on the tip of my right index finger. I touched it only once, but that was enough. It was all it took. I couldn’t take anyone else’s word for it. 

I needed to see for myself. It had to be like that. It’s the way of the world. You have to experience the consequences of your actions in order to really understand. You can’t take anyone else’s word for it. You have to find out for yourself. This week is a good time to stop and think about the bounty of gifts you have been granted, and to observe their consequences for your own self.  

A few years ago, some friends from work had a conversation about our grandmothers’ expressions, beliefs, and other sage advice. You may wonder whether these old-fashioned expressions have outlived their usefulness. They have not. As relevant as ever, they represent the collective wisdom of our ancestors, the ones who were maybe just a little bit healthier, a bit more resilient, and then lucky to have a tiny survival advantage when a virulent epidemic or oppressive regime exerted its influence on their small village. These words of wisdom aren’t just words; they are our inheritance, our bounty, our gifts. These words made the difference. 

Here is some of the advice my co-workers shared: 

#1 “Go play outside.” 

This is a good reminder for children of all ages. A local family practice doctor I used to know regularly posted on-line messages to remind people to go outside and get some sun, even in cold weather. Let’s be honest: Where I live, in Northeast Ohio, it’s probably the case that there are only a dozen or so days a year that you REALLY can’t walk outside. It’s not about the weather; it’s about the clothes. 

Many of my friends post pictures of their families playing games of kickball out in the yard before Thanksgiving dinner, and it is beautiful. It makes me happy to see people turn out for the local Turkey Trot. And I like taking a yoga class early Thursday morning before all the excitement starts up in and around the kitchen. 

#2 ”Eat your vegetables.” 

Now isn’t that the truth? The more we learn about nourishing phytonutrients, antioxidant power, and fiber’s own nourishing properties, the wiser these words become. Remember, too, that spices (like cumin, cinnamon, turmeric, and paprika) and herbs (like parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme) are also powerhouses of nutrition. 

Remember what Michael Pollan says, “Eat food. Mostly plants. Not too much.” And then don’t worry about it for one day. 

#3 “Breakfast is the most important meal of the day.”

That’s my bias, too. What a difference it makes to walk out the door in the morning with a bellyful of something nourishing to jumpstart my day. You probably know already that one of my favorite breakfasts is a sweet potato with a generous spoonful of peanut butter melting in. But I also like salmon jerky, hard-boiled eggs, a bowl of beans, and leftovers. 

#4 “Chew your food slowly.” 

The more slowly you eat, the more time you have to appreciate the fact of the food on your plate. And the taste of that food. And what it took to get that food to your kitchen table. Not to mention the fact that it takes around 20 minutes for your brain to receive the message from your stomach that you have had enough. So it pays to be patient. 

#5 ”Use it or lose it.”

Your body was designed to move. Whoever coined the phrase “Sitting is the new smoking” has read the research showing that remaining still in a chair all day, whether at home or at work, is terrible for your heart. Whose idea was it to decrease the amount of gym and recess at school? Definitely not mine. 

#6 “Every day needs some down time.”

Whether it’s yoga, meditation, massage, prayer, reading, knitting, hiking, fishing, tossing a ball (with a puppy or a child), pottery class, classical music, or pedicures, you must make a little time to do something you love. Figure out what floats your boat. What makes your socks go up and down. What makes your world turn. It’s not optional. It grounds you in the world. It makes you the best you that you can be. You’re not a human doing; you’re a human being. Somewhere along the way, you started pressing your gas pedal all the way to the ground all the time, even though you know you don’t get your best mileage with your engine racing. It’s time to give yourself permission to take yourself off the rails sometimes. 

#7 “The more colors on your plate, the better.”

As long as I can remember, my mom always said this. She didn’t know about phytonutrients, or antioxidant power. She just had a remarkable amount of common sense. Eat the rainbow. See #2 above.

#8 “You need to work it, honey.”

Reading these words is good, but that’s not what makes them so great. What makes them special is their fundamental influence on your health and wellness. So pick just one or two to start. Your ancestors bequeathed these gifts to you. It’s up to you to run the experiment and see how they work for you.