I was talking to this Shop Girl I've known for over twenty years. You know how it is, you see the person, you make small talk with them, year after year,  but you don't really know them—you never dive too deep. You kind of only know what they want you to know.
 
Anyway, I asked her how she was today. She told me that she was going to have to go and have her gallbladder removed in a couple of days. “Wow,” I exclaimed. “That's serious. What was the cause of that?” She told me that it was basically due to the fact that she's always eaten a really bad diet. Or, better put, she said, “I eat like shit!”
 
Now, I've known a lot of people who haven't eaten a good diet throughout their life. Many of them have died way too young. A few, even within the past couple of years, have passed away. …People, that I've known for decades upon decades. Most of those people did not eat a very good diet and they consumed other bad things into their body. Hell, my father never even made it to fifty.
 
Thinking back, there was this one gentleman, who worked with us on the Zen Film, The Roller Blade Seven. He was exactly my age. Born the same year. He died from complications from prostate cancer at the age of only thirty-eight. That's very sad. But, he too ate a very bad diet.
 
I've known some people that have passed away, that have eaten a seemingly good diet, as well. So, I guess the reality is, you can take advantage of eating a healthy diet as much as you can, but sometimes it's just your karmic destiny to check out early???
 
Even me, I haven't drank a soft drink in… I can't even tell you when. It's been forever. I don't drink things like energy drinks. In fact, I've never even tasted one. I try to stay on the healthy side of things, and I have since I was very young. I first became a vegetarian when I was thirteen. So, I've spent a lot of years eating healthy. Yet, even me, my body has its issues. I'm told, it's basically due to heredity. So, what can you do about that?
 
But, the reality of the reality is, if you eat a bad diet, if you ingest bad things into your body, you're going to have negative things happen to you. And, there’s really no one else to blame but you.
 
I have this one extended family member, whose son, all he ever wanted to eat was flaming hot Doritos. Really, no joke. And, his mother let him. I couldn't believe it when I would see her give him a plate of Doritos for dinner. I mean, I really wanted to say something like, “What the hell are you doing? Make him eat some veggies!” But, I wasn't his parent. So, I kept my mouth shut. But that young man, by the time he was seventeen, he already had to have major gut surgery. I haven't seen him for a bit, so I don't know what he's eating now? But, as the old saying goes, “You are what you eat.”
 
As for this woman I know, I feel for her. I told her so. As I left the store today, I said, “Take care of yourself.” Her answer, “Yeah, take care of myself now after it's too late.” That statement is really something to think about. Emphasis on the, “Too late.”
 
So, all of this is just something for you to think about. I mean, it is you who creates your future. It is you who signs your own death certificate. If you put bad stuff into your body, what do you think is going to be the result?
 
I’m not saying anything profound here. Just stating the facts. You really should eat as good of a diet as you can. You don't have to go all out over the deep end or anything like that. But, eating healthier… There may be no guarantee, but at least it will help.

Take care of yourself!