Moderates

Oscar Wilde once said, "Everything in moderation, including moderation". Moderation is indeed the key to good living. I remember helping out in an old folk's home when one of the residents told me how he wished he had enjoyed more good food when he was younger. When he was younger, he was told to save money, so he ate plain food and only in rare occasions, splurged on nice meals. Now in old age and health impaired, even if he had the wealth to afford, the body simply cannot enjoy those food he loves. Then on the other extreme, my ex-colleague who goes out to party every other day, was plagued with painful gout a number of times. Yet after each round of gout when he got better, he would shortly go back to enjoying good food and drinks. He professed a YOLO (you only live once) attitude. A couple of years back he was suddenly stricken by a rare disease where his muscles rapidly degenerated (doctors say he only has a couple more years to live). Some may speculate it could be his diet that brought about the disease but there's no hard evidence for that.

When it comes to diet, there seems to be so many "experts" on the subject. Some say wine is good for your heart, others say any form of alcohol is harmful to your body. Some must have their coffee daily but others totally avoid caffeine due to its drug-like effects. Some are opposed to carbohydrates from staples like rice, noodles and potatoes as it makes them gain weight. However, the carbohydrate deprivation drives them nuts after some time, and they end up consuming even more carbohydrates with a vengeance. Some claim to start every meal with fruits but end up getting diabetic as fructose, commonly found in fruits, is a complex sugar that the body struggles to break down. Media are biggest culprits for spreading food fads that if you view it from a historical context, it all just seems so fickle as one moment something that appears good for your health, at the very next moment is bad for you. Firstly, many people don't realise everyone's body and living conditions are different; for example, eskimos require lots of fish fat in their diet to survive the cold climate but that same diet can't be applied to someone living in tropics. Secondly, whatever we can consume, we should do so in moderation; taking too much of a good stuff will inevitably turn it into a poison; in the opposite manner, restricting your diet (unless required due to a medical condition) will also make your body more susceptible to certain diseases (due to lack of certain nutrients). We should be mindful of what we eat; food that we enjoy, we can definitely consume them in moderate amounts and realise there's no meaning in following food fads.

From a philosophical point of view, moderation can be extended to other aspects of living as well. People who have too one-sided view of anything, from food to religion can be simply branded as extremists. For example, we should work hard in our jobs but when we get to the point of being a workaholic, then we end up losing precious time that could have been spent with loved ones (family and friends); going further, when rest has been sacrificed and health has been harmed, we could end up being sick which is counter-productive. Work is important but it's also important to make time for personal well-being which includes physical health (time for eating, exercising and resting) and mental/social well-being (time for reflection and interaction with loved ones). In other words, work should also be moderated and learning how to set boundaries is important.

There are definitely more areas where moderation should be employed than could be possibly shared here. In life, there's a time to work, a time to play; money should be saved in moderation because when you think about it, money is only useful when spent appropriately. Therefore, having a little enjoyment from time to time is expected as long as it's within your means, remembering that we can't know for certain what tomorrow brings.