Six months ago, at age forty four, I suffered a heat attack while at a friend’s anniversary party. I was taken to the hospital in an ambulance and I was operated, luckily I survived. After this near death experience I chose to completely modify my life style, I started to eat healthy food and to practice regular physical activity.

Up to the day when I had a heart attack I smoke a pack of cigarettes a day, I drank alcohol regularly and ate fatty foods. I refused to exercise because I always felt tired from work or from partying at night, my energy levels were low. My wife is a healthy person, she watches what she eats, she exercises and she doesn’t party regularly. She always insisted that I changed my habits, start eating healthy food and working out, but I never listened. I knew she was right but I just didn’t want to make the effort to change.

After suffering a heart attack I feel like I don’t longer have the choice not to change my habits, because if I don’t I will probably have another heart attack and the chances of surviving become smaller. I have started to eat healthy food and I exercise at the gym four days a week. I discovered that healthy food can be tasty and I am even learning how to cook some recipes. I have quit smoking cigarettes, and have reduced my alcohol consumption to a glass of wine per day, which according to my doctor is actually good for my healt.

More on this topic at: Nutrition and health