What does it take to be healthy? A little exercise, good food, extra vitamins? Apparently, you can't have it all.

The good life in the land of abundance has drawbacks. We don't exercise enough. We eat too much. What's good for us costs more money than what's not good for us.

A few years ago my doctor said I was a perfect candidate for a knee replacement. Inflammation and arthritis had taken a toll. Either that, or he needed a new Mercedes.

I decided to take a different route. The alternatives were straightforward. Do nothing and stay in pain. Take a shot of lubricant to the knee (known to reduce pain for those with bad knees). I chose the latter. Within a couple of months the knee had improved.

In the meantime, I told my father of my ordeal and the potential need to have a bad knee replaced. He sent me a six month supply of some joint concoction of vitamins and minerals developed Dr. David Williams.

My rule of thumb is not to ingest what I can't pronounce and most of the ingredients appeared to be herbs, vitamins, minerals, and the like. Besides, it came from my father. Besides that, he paid for it so it was free to me.

After a few more months the knee actually began to feel even better; little pain, no limping. When it came time to reorder the joint supplement from Dr. Williams, I discovered he developed and sold a whole variety of health products.

It didn't seem to matter what was wrong. He developed a product for nearly everything. Heart, stomach, eyes, prostate, skin-- blood pressure, high cholesterol, too much money in the checking account. There didn't seem to be anything he couldn't reduce.

One by one I tried a few of his supplements. Remarkably, a number of his recommendations seemed to improve my overall health, including a cure for arthritis. I was sold. I was healthy. I was less wealthy.

Therein is the problem. Should I eat, or be healthy? I can't afford both.

Food is the enemy. Food is what gave me pain and pleasure, but spurred on the arthritis. The pleasurable food gave me gastrointestinal problems. The even more expensive food that is considered good for a body gave me less money.

Good food and good supplements provide for good health. The choice is clear. The choice is between good health and no money, or keep the money to buy food I like that that doesn't like me, hence not so good health.

There is no middle road. Even food that's bad for me costs money, but just not as much as food that's good for me. That costs even more. Have you priced vegetables and fruits in the produce section of your supermarket?

Supplements, those unappetizing mixtures of vitamins and minerals and whatever else dug out of the ground, cost money, too. The right ones, in the right combinations help people to get healthy.

Supplements are drugs for people who want to feel good but don't want to break the law and go to jail. My supplement habit has become so addictive that I'm eating less, and working more (to pay for my addiction), therefore losing weight.

Do I feel better? Yes, but I've come to recognize that I can't have it all. Good food, good supplements, good health? It's just too expensive. I have to give up something.

Maybe I'll give up television.