Interesting post by Echidne on prevention. It's worth saying, though, that prevention is no longer quite the puritanical asceticism it was twenty years ago. Aggregating the foods that are thought to prevent heart attacks, the so-called "polymeal" includes salmon, dark chocolate, almonds, red wine, garlic, and of course, fruits and vegetables. That's not so bad, right? And while the recommendations may tell you to don a sweat suit and jog 90 minutes a day, new research shows that the vast majority of exercise's benefits can be had from low-impact activities, like walking. Better yet, Whole Foods and Trader Joes have blazed a revolutionary path in health food, making it taste...good. It's a staggering thought, but you can get blueberry muffins at your local TJ's that pack in flax and 10 grams of fiber and are, quite literally, delicious. The salmon you buy comes preseasoned in cajun spices, and I snack on cinnamon almonds during the day. As for dark chocolate, I trust that needs no adornment?
So Echidne's right -- prevention does have certain tradeoffs. And some of the recommendations would ensure a fairly unpleasant lifestyle. But more and more, the guidelines are being supplemented with pleasant alternatives and industry is folding healthful substances into pretty delicious concoctions. Now more than ever, preventive living is a viable cohabitant with pleasurable living. Flossing, however, still sucks.
