I’m a year older: Alcohol, carbs or caffeine why must I choose?

My treasured mojito

Apparently I’m getting older.  I just celebrated yet another birthday (for which I am grateful) and immediately the day after, my knees started to hurt and pop loudly.  The knee popping startled me as I had just “passed” my annual physical with flying colors.  Yes, I’m very Type A personality and view the annual physical as a testament to my abilities. Despite my tests results coming back in the extremely normal range, my doctor noted that I am getting older and that it’s probably time to cut back. Cut back on what you ask? Everything!  Eek!

I have a dreadfully demanding job as an executive manager mother of a five year who is often out on the road.  Cutting back on what brings me momentary flights of fancy saddens me.  Do I really need to cut back on the cocktails? Seems a bit unfair that I would have to cut back on the so-called “bad” stuff despite being very healthy overall.  The irony is that my main work focuses on prevention of health risks.  I love sweets and luckily for me my son doesn’t. I find pasta comforting. Caffeine gives my step a peppy pep. Just because I am getting older I should not have to give up the good stuff.  Through all my life trials and tribulations I believe that I have earned some small indulgences.   A speaker at a recent health conference I attended at eight in the morning noted we can each individually prevent accelerated aging. Well, yes and no.

Let us consider the following.  If you are pregnant at the age of 35 you are labeled high risk. You are sitting on the cold cot, you look over your obstetrician’s shoulder and see your medical file notes you as elderly. Talk about accelerated aging.  Society, as well as the medical establishment, ages us.  We are lumped into large age brackets to categorize our health risks, television viewing habits and purchasing power. Once we turn a certain age we are told to cut back on salt and sweets.   I suppose sour and bitter is ok at all life stages. That in itself is very telling. I am cool with sour.  I love my cocktails with a hint or two of a sour taste. Bitter? Well, I’d rather leave that to others to inject and exude.

When we are young all we can think about is getting older believing we will be able to then do what we want. We get older and we can’t do what we want because our bodies start to rebel against our very own actions of indulgence.

The other day as I made my way to the hotel’s fitness center at 6am I was tired and cranky wishing that my body had a naturally fast metabolism.  Just a year ago, my body burned off fat more expediently and efficiently. Now, a year later, I have to push myself a little harder on the treadmill in order to crank up the metabolism. However, my knees are starting to be curmudgeons displaying a newly acquired distaste for running.  I got to the treadmill and found a plastic cup that had some leftover white wine in it. Now that is my type of fitness machine.  I put the cup to the side and cranked up the speed. I worked up a great sweat and upon finishing my workout went and got myself a large latte.  Aging may make my knees cranky but I am not giving up my caffeine. Not just yet.

As for choosing, I am willing to cut back on carbs as a form of harm reduction in order to keep my primary care doctor happy as long as I can still have a cocktail or two. The thing is, carbs are tasty but they do make me sleepy and I have a bit too much to do. I have to run here and there and take care of a toddler. Sleepiness does not play a role in my life.  However, as a Latina, I do believe in the medicinal attributes of a good rum.

Cheers to you all!

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