Let's say you have two friends named Bob and Tim who have just bought new cars.  Bob follows the maintenance schedule exactly, gets the oil changed and the tires rotated.  Conversely, Tim is super busy with his job and family and only occasionally takes the car to the mechanic.  Three years later, Tim's car starts making strange clunking noises when he turns the steering wheel, rattles when driving at speeds greater than 50 mph and the breaks squeak.  Tim asks Bob if he has had similar problems and Bob, a man of few words, replies, "Nope."  After spending many hours and dollars at the car repair shop trying to fix the mysterious noises, Tim cuts his losses, trades in his "clunker" and buys another new car.  Bob has since paid off his car loan and is enjoying a reliable car.

Fact: you only get one body.  While it would be nice when we get older to trade our body in for a younger model, this isn't possible.  Make smart choices regarding your lifestyle (i.e. food, exercise, doctor's visits) and prolong your body's "new car feeling."  If you find that your lifestyle is too hectic to accommodate annual doctor/dentist check ups, a regular exercise routine and forces you to eat in a fast food restaurant drive thru, you might need to reprioritize.  As in Tim's case, he eventually had to make time, and money, to fix what was breaking on his car.  Bob spent less time and money by protecting his investment through proper maintenance.  Luckily, the human body is more resilient than a car.  If you have neglected your body for many years, you can make the decision now to live healthy.  Start eating more vegetables and fruits, drink more water and exercise at least three times a week.  After only a short period of living healthy, you will feel younger and have more energy.  Life will be much more enjoyable.

Take care of yourself, you only get one body.