The Ship We All Ride In
on May 27 in Health by T.M. CoalIt seems to me that most of us are out of touch with the principles of health and well being. Nowhere on common TV can one find anything much on the topic of disease prevention and care for the human body. There is really a pitiable lack of such information. So to make up for the lack, I have decided to write a bit about the care of our physical bodies.
All too often I have heard people say, “Eat right, exercise, and die anyway.” So to begin let us as “Is any benefit at all to healthy living?” I mean if it is just a inconvenience or pointless cross we humans bear, then why even pick it up at all? Actually the above saying is based on horrible logic. Yes, life is short but why use this as an excuse to make it even shorter? Also is pays no heed to how much better a healthy life is than an unhealthy one. It is not just about the quantity of life, it is about the quality.
Let us look at an example. Two people get on bus 1248 going to the mall in Felex Square. Each of them are 43, have two children, a wife, a dog and just to make it freaky let us say they are both named Timmy.
Timmy 1 has paid no heed to his health. He has smoked since he was 16, though he was well aware of the risks. He has done nothing but partied, played games, and neglected to keep both body and mind fit and frisky. He has a hard time climbing hills, is packing a spare tire due to all the bad foods, and spends most of his days bummed out due to ill health and low self esteem.
Next we go to Timmy 2. He is the exact opposite of Timmy 1. He smoked when he was 16 but once he learned the risks he bit the bullet and quit. Though he still may have a beer every now and then, he has learned the value of self control. Almost every day he takes about 45 min. to train his body. He does cross words and tries to read something challenging to keep his wits about him as often as he can. He loves to hike and does it all the time with his kids, and he is still pretty fit for his age due to discipline and a good diet. Timmy 2 spends most of his days full of good energy and wishing he could still hike up his favorite hill in 8 minutes instead of the 12 it takes him now.
Suddenly, the bus slams into an oncoming semi whose driver was cracked high on cocaine and everyone in both vehicles die instantly. Now when we look at the lives of Timmy 1 and Timmy 2, was being healthy a better choice? Sure it didn’t make Timmy 2 immortal but his life up to the point of death was of much greater quality than Timmy 1. He had energy, stamina, a higher sense of self esteem, as well as a deeper sense of accomplishment before he fell asleep. Beyond this Timmy 2 left behind a great example for his wife, and kids who still have a life to live.
So you can see that living a healthy life has deep rewards and benefits, which are gained from a relatively small amount of effort. However I am not done proving the goodness of health just yet.
Do you know what gives rise to consciousness? The question is really a rhetorical one because I am sure you know the answer, it is of course the brain. Now, the brain is far too complex to be fully understood by the greatest of human minds but even the simplest observer can figure out it is a part of the body.
That being said, what do you think makes the material that makes what we call “brains”? It is the same proteins, minerals, oxygen, etc. that make, and remake daily, the rest of our bodies. Where do they do these come from? Our diets. We literally become made of what we are eating, that saying isn’t just an old wives tale.
All the food we put into our mouths is broken down and shipped to every part of us. The proteins make our skin, muscles, hair and nails. The minerals and vitamins meanwhile create bone and ensure that the billions of cells and the electrical signals, that allow them all to talk to each other, are working and speaking correctly.
Then, if we eat junk food which has no nourishment, pumps endless amounts of dye, artificial flavor, preservatives, etc into our body, and fail to drink water (which is 65-70% of what we are) what condition do you think our body will be in? It’s like we are buying fifty cent toys and then wondering why they break.
Cancer, heart disease, diabetes, depression, kidney and liver problems, eye disease, the list of problems caused by poor diet and lack of exercise are absolutely endless. If we will just make ourselves knowledgeable of diet and then use that information coupled with exercise, we can save ourselves a great deal of pain and money, yes MONEY! Because we will not be in the hospital half as much.
You do not have to kill yourself to achieve these benefits. Even as little as 15 min of walking a day can make a person feel infinitely better because it increases blood flood thus improving oxygen levels, boosts metabolism which increases energy and calorie burning, as well as fires endorphins which lift mood. Above this is the fact that you are doing something to make yourself smarter, and better looking which is a self-esteem booster.
We do not have to kill ourselves to eat well either. You didn’t create your eating habits overnight and you will not make new ones over night. The important thing is just to start and try. Just eating an apple or other fruit before every meal will take off pounds and improve well being. Little by little if one changes and tries they will see small degrees of improvement which over time will form a new lifestyle that will improve every area of life.
Your body is the vessel that contains your life. If you harm it, then you are harming your life as well. Do not forget friends that you are mortal. One’s health is like a bank and every action draws from it or puts into it. If you continually spend it, one day you will find your body broken. No one can out run the effects that follow their actions.
If you have any questions on health or how to plan a good diet there are many good search engines, just plug in the words “healthy diet” or “simple exercises” and you’ll have before you a wealth of information. However, I know that sometimes it is hard to know how to look or to bring one’s self to trust the sources they see. In such a case as this just write me. I posses a great deal of knowledge on diet, exercise and general health and would like nothing more than to help any and all who write me. I will be adding more articles on health so this site will be more beneficial for the body as well as mind.
As you go friend remember what saith the father of modern medicine, “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.” -Hippocrates
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