Act Better to Feel Better to Get Better

Eating alone will not keep a man well; he must also take exercise. For food and exercise, while possessing opposite qualities, yet work together to produce health.

-Hippocrates, fifth century


If you're like me, New Year's resolutions aren't serious until the day after Valentine's Day. All the days before that one are still feeding on the leftovers of the holidays, all those goodies that we got in our Christmas stockings, all those chocolates, peanuts and cheese straws. The post-holiday depression sets in with the gloomy weather, lack of sunshine, and the brittle, dry surroundings of winter. Everything on TV seems bright, colorful, and comforting in a time where everything outside the window looks dead.

But as Winter draws us inward, we are given the opportunity to reflect and evaluate the way we feel about ourselves - mind and body - in the most realistic sense.

When we decide to make a personal change to our life, we must agree to make a permanent change. If, in our minds, the change we are making is not permanent, the change will not hold. We will fall back into our old patterns. The change cannot have an expiration date.

Take active steps to make a change in your life. Stay motivated. Search for motivation everywhere. Seek out friends and family who support your decision to change. And reward yourself at least once a week, in some form, to stay motivated.

Every year, a day before or after January 1, I make a New Year's resolution. I try to stick with it - it doesn't always work out - but I try. No one is perfect. But everyone can make an effort to think about it, write it down, and stick with it.

My list usually consists of 5 things I want to change. This year, my list only amounted to 2 things.

1. Boycott Walmart - (and other, huge, life-sucking chain retailers)

2. Be Healthy - at all costs

So far, I'm pleased to report that I have not spent one cent at Walmart in 2009. This may seem like a small feat, but if you live in small town America, like I do, you might agree that avoiding Walmart is nearly impossible.

So that leaves me with the Be Healthy part of my list. That has not gone so well. I am not the kind of person who throws away food or candy. I try my best to give excess food and candy away, but many times, if something is SO good, I will save it. And if it's within my reach, at any given moment of weakness, it may suddenly be in my mouth.

So what I'm talking about here is how to get healthy. How one must act better to feel better to get better.

On July 18, 2008, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention posted their annual findings on obesity in our nation. Mississippi ranked highest as the number one state suffering from obesity - with 32% of Mississippians determined to be in this category. However, no state was immune. In fact, the CDC found that NO STATE reached what the Healthy People 2010 objective hopes to attain: a nation-wide decrease in obesity. They are hoping that each state will reach the goal of only 15% percent obese.

But what is obesity? It is associated with reduced quality of life, development of serious chronic conditions such as heart disease and diabetes, increased medical care costs, and premature death.

If one is not obese, should they still worry about fatty foods or exercise?



This from Superfoods Healthstyle:

A Nation and a World at Rest

... We were born to move. That's literally true. We are here today because many generations ago our ancestors were running around procuring food. The equation was simple: Move or die. In fact, it's been estimated that Paleolithic man burned approx. 1,000 calories a day and consumed as much as 3,000 calories a day. Today, in affluent Western nations, we consume approx. 2,100 calories a day and burn only about 300 calories in daily activity. A little quick math will tell you that we burn less than a third as much as our ancestors did in daily calories...

Statistics highlight the facts: Nearly 30 percent of American adults are entirely sedentary and another 46 percent don't get enough exercise. That means only a quarter of Americans get sufficient exercise.


Start moving people!

When so much of our focus on going green concerns the abstract ideas of pollution, recycling, and taking the bus - we may forget that while we must clean up our world, we also should maintain a healthy body.

This week is National Eating Disorder Awareness Week (Feb 22 -28, 2009). I would also encourage everyone to take a look at their patterns of eating - how much do you put on your plate? Are you eating nearly the same meal every day? Is there a diversity of foods in your diet? Are you binging, over-eating? How frequently do you consume sweets, soft drinks, and alcohol?

There are many food pyramids out there, and if you haven't looked at a food pyramid since health class in 7th grade, you may be shocked to notice some big changes. This is the latest "New Food Pyramid" from the Washington Post.




In any case, THINK about making a change or two, one for your MIND and one for your BODY. If you chose to act on that change, you will thank yourself next January when you're staring out the window at Winter 2010, re-evaluating your life once again.