My $16 lunch.

   Today at lunch while I was checking out at Whole Foods, I paused for second as I saw my total ring up. Sixteen Bucks! I don't know why this made me think today, I looked down at my items, did I get other things? Nope, just my lunch. A high PH alkalizing water and a plate full of their healthy items from their self serve area. Pretty hefty little price tag for a quick grab lunch isn't it? I don't know why some times it shocks me when I check out, and sometimes it doesn't phase me at all. I guess sticker shock can even affect a seasoned health vet like myself sometimes. 
   I have said many times that most people would be shocked if they knew how much my family spent on groceries, supplements, and health items. I also joke that the vitamins and supplements that I sell in my office is just to subsidize my own habit. And I have preached long and hard on the worth and rewards of buying organic and higher quality. But today I want to ask you what would be my alternative? So say I didn't want to spend $16 anymore for my lunch what could I do. Eat less? I think Whole Food's self serve area runs around $8/lb, so that could cut some cost. But then my patients wouldn't like me anymore, I can get pretty hangry. So then the only alternative would be to lessen my standards. Shop somewhere else. So how low would I be willing to set my new standards? Break my core values and beliefs, to what? Save a buck? If I went to McDonald's or Taco Bell what would my total be? Maybe 7 or 8 bucks probably with tax. Is it really that much more to shop at Whole Foods? I'm not even going to touch on that the quality of food earns and deserves that price when compared to the alternative. But what is an extra 8 bucks going to do for me long term? Probably not much. Now I know some of my patients who are accountants right now are going to read this and say well if you saved $8 a day 5 days a week, that's $40 a week, $160 month, and just under $2000 a year! First, I don't eat at Whole Foods everyday. But second what is that extra 2k per year materialize as? Not much. I just had a plumbing bill that cost more than that at home and an AC repair bill at the office that cost more than that. My point is it doesn't go that far. Especially when you compare it to the unmeasurable. The unmeasurable being the impact on your health. The future healthcare costs, the likely shortened lifespan from the possible death from cancer, heart disease, or diabetes. The years that you will miss with your kids or grandkids. The poor quality of life you have before you die. The lost income you will miss from poor performance or shortened work span. These things are unmeasurable but have a huge ripple effect. So back to my $16 lunch. What's it worth? Every single penny. And even I have to remind myself sometimes at the checkout counter. 

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