There Is Nothing We Can Do

I went to Whole Foods the other day. In Austin, you are bound to see some interesting folk regardless of where you go, and I’ll admit to being a difficult person to surprise. But a certain lady caught my attention. She was on a motorized cart, and despite the balmy, cloudless 70 degree weather, was bundled up very warmly. No evidence of hair escaped beneath her wool hat, and her skin had the pale look of someone who spends their time exclusively indoors. Some type of tube snaked out from underneath her clothing and into a device attached to the back of her seat, which was covered by a tie-dyed blanket (this is, after all, Austin). Despite her obviously unhealthy state, she wore a smile as her son helped her shop for her groceries around the store. 

I can only guess at what this woman has been through – her lack of hair could have been a side effect of chemo or radiation therapy. The tube was appeared to be some sort of aid to her digestive system, suggesting very serious intervention had been needed just to allow her to perform bodily functions most of us take for granted. I don’t want to speculate too much, and I don’t bring this lady to attention to ridicule her in any way. If anything, my heart goes out to her. 

I do wonder if at some point along her decline she had made some simple changes she could have avoided being in the place she is currently in. I wonder if she ever considered changing her diet, starting an exercise routine or looked into smart supplements. Obviously, she’s considering the diet component now; anyone willing to pay the extra price for the generally healthier fare offered by Whole Foods (not always – always be careful when you are shopping, even at “health food stores”. has to believe that diet plays some role in something. Why even bother with the higher prices otherwise? I certainly applaud the attempt to eat correctly, but is it too little too late? At this point, it seems that its going to take more than even the most potent phytonutrients to turn things around. 

Of course, I don’t know that for sure. And I don’t know enough about this lady’s story to say anything for certain. But seeing her underscored my belief that I never want to hear the words, “there is nothing more to do.” There is compelling evidence, both in Doug’s books and elsewhere,  that says you do have a choice, you do have control, and the things you put into your body can influence your health for the better or worse. Just don’t wait until the situation is dire to start making the right choices.