We tend to put the truly necessary things off and put less important activities and tasks first. Staying alive and functional should be in first place but so often the actions needed to up our chances of longevity are relegated to the bottom of the list.
In order to survive and thrive we need food, water, rest, activity and camaraderie. If any if these are missing, we will suffer, therefore these things should be tended on a moment by moment basis. If we spend time and resources in other ways and let these things go lacking there will be a deficit in our lives.
Our food should be nutritionally dense without added sugars. When we choose highly nutritious food we get a surplus of vitamins, minerals and enzymes. Enzymes are the on switch for every chemical reaction in your body. They are proteins that speed up biological processes. They allow us to absorb more nutrition from the food that we eat, which allows us to build, repair and maintain a healthy body. They increase our energy by helping us absorb more oxygen, fight infections, speed healing, reduce inflammation, remove wastes, dissolve blood clots, regulate hormone function and slow aging. [1]
We are able to produce many enzymes in our bodies but real food gives us an extra punch of enzymes. We need these extra enzymes. That why it’s so important to choose our foods carefully. A diet where most of our calories are empty calories leaves us deficient in these life giving proteins.
David has an excellent article on hydration, “How Much Water Do I Need?” It will address your questions about water. There is a trend now that more is always better. That’s not always the case. I encourage you to search for this article and read it. Read the “Home” page to discover how to do that. You will also discover many other functions available to you on the blog that will facilitate your health initiative.
Adequate, quality rest is so often relegated to last place because we can “get by” with less. While we can survive, we cannot thrive without it. Once you understand the difference in how you feel “getting by” and resting well you will begin to make sleep a priority. The quality of everything else in your life is affected by your quality of sleep.
Activity, or exercise that has been approved for you by your physician, is critical to your well being. It’s one of the necessary components of good health of our body and mind. Exercise changes our brain chemistry. That’s why it can improve your mood and turn a bad day into something wonderful. Different types make different changes in our brains. I love heavy weights. They boost dopamine and acetylcholine and make my mood soar. A walk outside will raise your levels of GABA which is a calming neurotransmitter. Running and biking and other aerobic exercise boosts serotonin which is your feel good neurotransmitter.
Camaraderie, or friendship, is necessary for us to thrive. It has to be real. “Frienemies”, or people who claim to be our friends but secretly undermine us, will not fill this need. The relationship has to be genuine. At David’s Way we promote “making your world small”. Part of this is cutting out the dead wood of people who do us more harm than good. Those kinds of relationships will drain you and destroy everything that you work for in your health initiative. Make sure that you only allow the good guys into your life. If family members work against you, limit the time that they have access to you. Life is not long enough to waste on artificial affection. Surround yourself with those with common interests who treat you with respect and settle for nothing less. Remember who you are. If you want others to treat you with respect, respect yourself by giving yourself the care that you deserve and enjoy the benefits of a healthy body and mind.
Extreme self care is not always easy but it’s much easier than trying to live in a sick body with mental dysfunction. Do your part for wellness and regardless of what may befall you that is actually beyond your control, you will weather those storms better. Live well, take care, thrive. You deserve the very best.
(1) http://www.revivechiropracticstudio.com/blog/enzymes-for-better-health-how-to-get-them
