My car’s check engine light kept coming on and then turning off on its own. What the heck? Is my oil low? Is the engine going to seize and I break down on the highway? Are parts and pieces going to fail and I end up with a junker? Pretty much everything under the hood is a mystery to me and the check engine light, while yellow as in warning, freaks me out. Rather than experience a breakdown or some other major problem, my husband bought this nifty device you plug into your car in some obscure place under the dash or maybe the hood. It then gives you the code that is generating the check engine light. If you can’t find out what that code means by googling it, you can do what I did, and call a mechanic. Fortunately, the code my husband found is not of the urgent variety. Basically my car’s engine was not running at its optimal power output and likely due to poor gas. I am now filling the tank with premium fuel only. Light off. Problem solved.

Our bodies are kind of like our vehicles. A big mystery under the hood and prone to poor performance if fueled improperly. Lack of routine maintenance and attention to various systems leads to problems. Most of us know the basics of vehicle care…check the oil and fluid levels; keep tires at proper inflation; watch for signs of trouble and address it early. Our bodies, which are much more intricately built and incredibly more adaptable require routine care and maintenance too. If you keep the systems in balance and an eye on possible problems, taking corrective measures before the problem is real, you will get optimal performance from your body. Optimal performance leads to a great quality of life!

Probably the most important care you can give your body revolves around what you put in it – what goes in the fuel tank. Premium fuel is like this: complex carbs, low fat proteins, healthy fats and water. That’s it. Junk fuel is eating mostly simple carbs, high fat proteins, bad fats and living on sugary drinks. Fuel with junk and you will in fact feel terrible and your engine will be sluggish. Your body’s warning light will be glaring red and you will get sick. It doesn’t take any nifty device to tell you this. Bad fuel is bad fuel. No two ways about it.

So take care of your vehicle like you already do. Keep it running smooth and safe. Way more importantly, take care of your body. The best way to do that is to fuel it well. You can always replace your vehicle – plenty of options and new models to choose from. But that body of yours? It’s all you’ve got! Love it, be kind to it and feed it well and it will take you more miles than any vehicle ever could.