Ventura County Star , CA
May 10 2009

To Your Health: Childhood impressions have had a lasting effect

By Sevak Khodabakhshian

As a health adviser, I dedicate this column to you. Wherever in the
continuum of life’s journey you find yourself today, I raise a glass
to your health.

More on the toast and this biweekly column later. First, let’s give
you a little background about me, your newest columnist and health
adviser.

Growing up in the 1970s and ’80s in a first-generation
Armenian-American family in the Los Angeles suburb of Glendale, I was
confronted with a constant mix of conflicting messages about healthy
behaviors, from often conflicting cultures.

The early development of my health consciousness was regimented by my
mother’s insistence on us eating salad with a home-cooked meal every
night (thanks Mom!) and by my dad’s restriction of most condiments.

My awareness of health was also shaped by my father’s insidious chain
smoking. Sitting in the living room in the evening at our house
frequently meant competing for fresh air amid a layer of lingering
smoke. (Unfortun-ately, my father still smokes today, though
fortunately not nearly as much ‘ no judgment, Dad; I know it’s hard.)

Other childhood impressions came on an unconscious level. In addition
to smoking, wherever you found first-generation Armenians, you also
were likely to find Armenian pastries and, of course, thick
espresso-style Armenian coffee.

To this day, I have to talk myself out of pastries (once in a while
without success) during the occasional visit to Starbucks, where I
usually enjoy the healthier 240-calorie Spinich-Feta Wrap. With 15
grams of protein, 0 grams of trans fats and only 3 grams of saturated
fat, it really is a healthier alternative to the pastries, most of
which top 500 calories and more than 7 grams of saturated fat.

Now, I know what you’re thinking: How can a health adviser drink
coffee and eat pastries? Another one of my dad’s favorite sayings
comes to mind: Everything in moderation.

Dad may not practice everything he preaches, but he has a way of
making me remember certain truths that still stick today. In
moderation, most indulgences (smoking notwithstanding) can be enjoyed
without significantly compromising one’s health.

There were other positive influences as well; my mom was always
cutting up fruit, so naturally I learned to enjoy fruit at an early
age (thanks Mom!)

Much like serving salads every night and obsessively using lemon on
nearly everything, she accompanied most meals with plain yogurt and
fresh raw herbs ‘ especially mint, basil and tarragon.

You can get these herbs at most grocery stores. Try them wrapped in
whole-wheat lavash (traditional Armenian flat bread available at Whole
Foods or Trader Joe’s) with a thumb-size (approximately one-ounce)
portion of feta cheese and a slice of tomato for a delicious
less-than-250-calorie snack.

Fortunately for me, my wife grew up in a vegetarian household and is
naturally attracted to these same foods.

Don’t worry. I’m not going to preach eating tofu every night for
dinner with raw herbs. Though I’ve come to look forward to my wife’s
fried tofu with stir-fry vegetables, occasionally I will treat myself
to an In-N-Out cheeseburger (protein-style) with fries and iced tea.

There are very few absolutes to which I hold myself or anyone; among
those I personally try to observe are: no sodas (diet or otherwise),
no nondairy creamer (it’s straight hydrogenated-oils trans-fats
definitely a future topic) and mostly no artificial sweeteners
(Splenda is the only one I use, though the verdict is still out).

Also, I exercise regularly and keep a positive mental attitude.

So by now you hopefully recognize that, like you, I also am challenged
by keeping a good balance.

I hope you will join me every other Sunday for our journey into a
discussion of health, wellness and human motivation. Inspired by my
personal and clinical experiences, research and occasional anecdotes,
I hope to share my insights for your benefit.

Therefore it seems a fitting prelude to future topics to end with a
toast, one I frequently heard growing up in our family. To you, I
raise my glass and say, `Here’s to your health!’

– Sevak Khodabakhshian is a health adviser, wellness consultant and
licensed chiropractor on the leadership team at Thousand Oaks-based
Omega Health Systems, a company dedicated to individual and corporate
services designed to help clients maximize their health. Comments,
questions or suggestions can be e-mailed to
TheHealthAdviser@ohs.us.com.

acountystar.com/news/2009/may/10/childhood-impress ions-have-had-a-lasting-effect/