“There is nothing permanent except change.” So wrote Heraclitus, the Greek philosopher, some 2,500 years ago. He was big on reason and logic, but he was smart enough to also know that each coin has two sides. In other words, life is full of opposites. As such, the polar opposites of “permanence” and “change” sort of require each other. Thinking of his wise words, I wondered how he might feel about the troubles we all have developing healthy habits.

Who among us doesn’t have something that they do that isn’t exactly healthy? (Goodness knows I do.) Everyone has habits or “lazinesses” that we’ve developed over time which have led us into doing things which are against our own best health interests. Too much chocolate, pop, sugary drinks, junk and/or fast foods; too much alcohol; smoking; driving too fast; sleeping too little; too much computer or T.V. time; etc…the list goes on and on of things which we know are unhealthy, yet which many of us still find hard to stop. (more…)

Hal was puffing pretty hard when he came through the back kitchen door. He walked over to the cupboards, grabbed a glass, and went to the fridge to grab the water pitcher. He poured a tall glass and drank it thristily. “A healthy habits app a day keeps the doctor away,” he muttered as he looked at his phone.

Sal, who was sitting at their small kitchen table looked up from his cereal bowl and asked, “Don’t you mean an apple a day? That’s what keeps the doctor away.”

“Well, yeah, that too,” replied Hal between breaths. “But, I was talking about my new app. It’s all about making me get better at healthy habits. Here…see?” Hal pressed a couple of buttons on his phone before turning it toward Sal. (more…)