If being healthy is our purpose, we must align our behavior with that objective. Our diet (eating habits) and environment must b connected toward getting healthy. Health is more than just the absence of disease. It involves mental, physical, social and spiritual elements. Haven’t we all heard the expression “you make me sick”? We can really become sick by constantly being around negative, complaining people. When we think thoughts of envy, malice, jealously or other negative concepts, we begin to affect our cells adversely. A merry heart (being happy) does a heart good like good medicine. Lies and deception affect our health.
We have been mis-educated about our diet and health. Look at the health of our community today and see if we are becoming healthier or less healthy. Today the African in America continues to lead in every disease category, and our children are now contracting diseases that were not seen until adulthood. We now have a legacy of parents who out live their children. We have more doctors, hospitals, and legal drug dealers (pharmacies like Walgreen’s) but less wellness. We must re-educate ourselves. We must become a community (common unity) again. Just as it takes a village to raise a child it also takes a village to create wellness.
When we, the parents left the children in care of the TV instead of the neighbor or aunt or grandma, we began to consume more fast food and junk food. When we got too busy to cook a home-cooked meal but wouldn’t allow grandma to live with us to help out because we wanted our own space, we lost. Everything has a price and every price must be paid. Today we are paying a high price, the loss of our children, our siblings. Fifty years ago, we didn’t have half of the disease that faces us today. As children we drank sugary drinks and ate white bread (both have no nutrition and I am not saying to consume either of them). But we were not overweight because WE WERE ALWAYS AOUTSIDE PLAYING!!!! We would leave home in the morning and play all day, as long as were home before dark. We were a community and everyone watched out for us. We drank water out of the garden hose instead of a bottle. We did not have play stations, Nintendo’s, no 99 channels on cable, no video or DVD movies, no cell phones, no personal computers, and no internet. WE HAD FRIENDS and we went out and found them. We rode bikes or walked to a friend’s house. We made up games with sticks. We grew up as kids, before lawyers and the government regulated our lives for their own good. No one would bail us out if we broke the law. The law of relativity always works. You reap what you sow.
Today, we don’t walk to visit neighbors or go out to play, we took PE out of school because we needed to focus on academics. Don’t we realize if we aren’t in good physical condition, we CAN’T THINK!
Whetever steps you decide to make toward change, applaud your self. The longest journey begins with the first step. Take the steps to take charge of your own destiny. Commit yourself to make this day the first day of the rest of your life. Eat more fruits and vegetables, Drink more water. Eat more baked, broiled and steamed foods and less fried. Begin eating 2-3 meatless meals each week. Walk or do some form of physical activity at least 30 minutes a day five days a week. (Dance, play softball, tennis but make it fun) Laugh more and think positive thoughts. Surround yourself with positive people. Live for something greater than yourself.
Dr Perdita Fisher, Healthier NEW You Coaching