Trump’s appointment of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as head of the HHS has sparked fierce debate about everything from fluoride to vaccinations to raw milk. However, these feuds miss the mark when discussing the key contributors to a long and healthy life — common sense.

In the current cultural moment, where politics serves as a proxy for entertainment, people seem to forget that policy is not a solution to this country’s biggest problems, including our health woes.
While RFK Jr. may help clean up the corruption at the three letter agencies, return scientific research to the gold standard, and finally get the food pyramid right, no amount of law or congressional hearings will replace the foundational pillars of good health — frequent exercise, healthy eating habits, adequate sleep and sunshine, and healthy relationships with friends and family.
We should not look to politicians as our saviors. While I am as excited as anyone about the next four years living unburdened by what has been, elevating Trump and his new cast of outlaws to “Avenger” status is misplaced hope. No one is coming to save us.
Hopefully, a new administration will create an environment in which we are freer to make positive healthy choices. But the choices are still ours to make. Grass fed steak over hot dogs. Roasted sweet potatoes over potato chips. Stairs over elevator. Even a nice piece of high cacao dark chocolate over a Milky Way.
It’s simple everyday decisions like this, stacked day after day, that lead us to a path of health and vitality.
Choosing to be healthy is a matter of setting priorities. Declining the alcohol when everyone else is imbibing. Learning how to cook at home. Purchasing healthy items on a budget.
Success in health is obtained just like success in any other area of life whether it be financial or professional — through time, preparation, and sacrifice. And like any other challenge, those sacrifices offer great rewards when made consistently.
Rewards like not being addicted to pha...