Day 27 - Taking Care of Your Body
So then, honor and glorify God with your body. 1 Corinthians 6:20b (AMP)
Today, I’m just offering my thoughts and my personal goals. I’m certainly not a fitness or nutrition expert, so it’s not my intention to give any advice, only things to think about.
Let me put this out there: I really need to eat better and exercise regularly. I have used ALL of the excuses: I hurt too bad to exercise, it’s cold out, I don’t have time, this isn’t that unhealthy, it’s just one snack, and so on… I will call my excuses exactly what they are – avoidance, and in some cases, pure laziness. I think, in general, that the typical American lifestyle is mostly sedentary and revolves around meals, which makes it harder to live a healthy lifestyle. But I digress.
It’s of utmost importance that we take care of our bodies – what goes in them, and how active they are. This is even more critical for those of us with chronic diseases. Having a chronic illness doesn’t excuse us from a healthy life style, it actually necessitates it. I don’t want my illness to control my life and dictate my time on this earth, so I’m aware that I must make decisions that improve my health. Here are my goals:
Eat Better
I love to eat. Like really eat, and a lot of my meals are dictated by cravings. I’m not one to count calories, but I have begun to take note of the sodium and carbohydrate counts in the food I consume. With a family history (on both sides) of high blood pressure and cholesterol, it’s important that I limit foods that contribute to those conditions. I do believe in moderation, though. It’s okay to cheat once and a while, and it’s definitely okay to have a cookie or two here and there. The problem is when unhealthy snacks are around, we tend to eat them regularly, because, well, they’re delicious.
My goal to eat better in 2019 includes increasing my intake of vegetables, decreasing the amount of processed foods in my meals, and opting for healthier choices when dining out. (Fun fact – grilled chicken items at fast food restaurants may not be as healthy as you think. Check out the sodium numbers before choosing that grilled chicken sandwich.) I’ve also started avoiding the snack and cookie aisles at the grocery store. If I don’t buy them, I can’t eat them. And I know myself well enough to know that pack of Oreos will not last a week.
I also want to increase my water intake (this is literally a goal for me every other month, because I seem to do good for a while, then drop off). And even though I loooovvve Coke, it’s time to cut that out too. I’m making it a point to look at sugar content before purchasing any beverages, and finding healthy drinks that I actually enjoy.
Exercise
I used to enjoy exercising. I went to the gym nearly every single day in college. I’m not sure when the enjoyment ended, but it happened abruptly. Somewhere between P90x and getting married, I just stopped exercising. I guess I convinced myself that my weight was stable and that was an indication of my health.
I know that was false thinking, and after my autoimmune diseases came roaring in, I realized just how unhealthy my lifestyle had become. There have been days over the past 6 years that I wished I actually felt good enough to exercise. And now that my medications have everything under control (Praise God!), my desire and goal this year is to be intentional about exercising. And I won’t be doing it just to lose weight, but to be healthier in general. I will be taking our dog Stanley for longer walks, walking to the park instead of driving, and reminding myself to get up from the couch. And I’m making a commitment to exercising beyond walking – we have a rowing machine collecting dust that’s calling my name.
Beyond eating healthier and exercising, I want to attain a “wholeness of health” in mind, body, and spirit. I want to be an example to my son and others that being healthy is achievable even with diseases. My desire is to honor myself, my family, my ministry, and God by taking the necessary actions to live a healthy life.