“Primumu Non Nocere”

Ok, I said this would be practical and right off the bat, I’m feeding you Latin phrases I can’t even pronounce. We could start off with “Carpe diem” but as appropriate as that is it is just too easy.

“Primumu non nocere” means “first, do no harm.” Hippocrates, a Greek physician practicing around 300 B.C. , systemetized the study of medicine and is today known as “the father of medicine”. He may be best known for establishing the oath bearing his name. The phrase, “first, do no harm”, is attributed* to the Hippocratic Oath, which has become a basis for many oaths taken by new physicians.

As far as diets go, this has been a recurring problem for me. Treadmill for 30 minutes followed by, “Sure, I’ll have a milkshake!” A banana for breakfast, and later I’ll “Super size that value meal.” An hour at the gym rewarded with chocolate chip cookies for bedtime snack – my Achilles Heel!

But, we’re not supposed to dwell on a negatives. Society now seems to say to stress the “Do’s”, not the “Don’ts” - the positives, not the negatives. But, it’s just a matter of fact; Good physical condition and French fries, cookies and sodas don’t go together.

I wish I could count all the times I’ve asked someone “How did you lose all of that weight?” only to have them reply, “I just cut out cokes.” (which for us here in the South just means “sodas” or “pop”). Or, “I stopped eating potato chips.”

Low-Hanging Fruit
Think about pool (billiards). After the break you don’t look for the most difficult combo or bank shot – you look for the sure-shot, the low-hanging fruit. We’re going to go after that low-hanging fruit starting today.

What is your Achilles tendon – your worst offense? Is it cokes, Little Debbie’s (the Swiss Cake Rolls are my favorites), handfuls of chips while watching the tube, milkshakes from Chic-fil-a, Micky-Ds Value Meals? Think about this; most of these foods have tons of calories and they are completely empty – worthless. They taste great (no doubt) for a few minutes and then there is no benefit to them.

Say goodbye! Adios! This isn’t the fuel God intended for our lives. And, with that one step, we’ll begin to make progress.

Action: First, do no harm. If you’ve made progress either by exercise or thoughtful eating, don’t offset it with a quick decision to endulge. Make a decision right now that those things are gone!

“Primumu non nocere!” (And, carpe diem, too!)

* Actually, this wording is not in the Hippocratic Oath, but a similar phrase carrying the same meaning is; “make a habit of two things – to help, or at least to do no harm.”