Everyone knows we need to eat the right foods to maintain a healthy lifestyle as well as getting plenty of exercise. My first recollection of the different food categories was drilled into my head many years ago in elementary school and I didn't heed what I learned - I only memorized the categories to get a passing grade.

I was twelve years old when the first McDonald's restaurant opened near where I lived and I thought that was the greatest. There was no inside seating, only a walk-up window, and their hamburgers, fries and shakes was fine dining to not only me, but to my parents as well.

During my working years I was always on the run and meals came when I found time to eat. Often meals were fast food from a drive-through widow and other times I searched vending machines for the most tasty looking snack, always to be washed down with a Coke. My favorite middle of the night restaurant was Waffle House.

I was in my mid-fifties before I learned a bag of cookies can be re-sealed. I had always thought once a bag of cookies was opened the entire contents, including crumbs, had to be eaten. Yes, I did know ice cream once opened can be put back in the freezer so a half-gallon of ice cream makes two serving for me.

Every night I have a large snack before going to bed and my snacks fall into three categories - salty, sweet and cold, and I try to alternate nightly between the three. Chips and dip and cheese puffs fall into the salty category, cookies are my sweet snack and ice cream is a great cold snack.

Now, don't get me wrong as I love other foods and especially vegetables, but I have come to the conclusion I need a balanced diet and this is the way I balance mine. When I eat carrots I feel I have earned to right to balance them with a candy bar. These are some other "balanced" foods - green beans (cookies), broccoli (cheese puffs), corn (ice cream), sweet potatoes (chips and dip), squash (Little Debbie cakes), milk (Sprite).

By eating this way I feel I have a balanced diet since I am getting some of each category of food. Actually, I don't think what a person eats has as much to do with their heath as their genes. If you have good genes enjoy your junk food and snacks and if you have bad genes - well, go ahead and eat what you enjoy and God Bless.