Good health's worst enemy – oblivious indulgence
Diana deRegnier
February 26, 2009
The problem with sustaining good health is not so much that we don't know what's good for our bodies but that the damage made by bad choices doesn't show instantly. We have a basic understanding that good nutrition, exercise, restful sleep and fresh air are essential for optimal body function. We know this so well we forget it. It becomes like a "Gone with the wind" thing. "Fiddle dee-dee! I can't think about that now. I'll think about it tomorrow."
If I eat a large slice of chocolate ganache torte, my thighs don't instantly swell as I squirm with delight.
If I'm not getting enough exercise, my arms and legs don't turn blue to remind me to get up and move.
If I were ever to smoke a cigarette, my chest wouldn't turn visibly ashen, a cough won't develop until I'm addicted.
A wave of Vitamin D deficiency is overtaking America. See "Shedding light on vitamin D deficiency 'crisis'" by Brian Alexander, msnbc.com contributor, Feb. 2. 2009 http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28894095/. Symptoms sneak up as lethargy and melancholy. We don't stop to think, I feel this way because I'm always indoors, in a car and or in a gym rather than out in the sun – the best way to absorb the nutrient.
When my muscles ache and I haven't over-exercised, I can't add simple numbers and the right word eludes me, I'm not just aging, I have been getting five hours of sleep when I need seven.
Being human is our gift and our temptation. Other animals are selfishly in touch with their bodies – in the way we all should be. They eat, drink, exercise, relax and sleep as their instinct dictates. Many of us have lost touch with our intuition. We ignore and rebuff signals. We push on through to get it all, do it all, have it all!
When we fail to nurture ourselves with the requisites for wellness, the repercussions are at first fleeting, then cumulative and easily disassociated. It is easy and convenient to overlook the damage when we don't have a red flag to remind and reprimand us for body neglect. Too many of us wait for a heart attack, stroke or cancer to stop us cold from patterns of neglect and overuse.
So what do we do now? How can we change our way of thinking about ourselves, treat ourselves as if we are a child entrusted in our care? Good health takes conscious choices. Surely we would want the best for a child; to present the best image, teach lessons of responsibility and self-regard.
February is International Boost Self-Esteem month. Self-Esteem has gotten a bad rap in our society. It is a good thing. We need to care for ourselves before we can help others. We need to set an example of self-care for others to learn how to treat us and how to treat themselves. We are child, parent and role model.
With increasing medical technology we could live very long lives, decades more than our predecessors. How well we live those years depends on how we treat our bodies along the way. Now more than ever we need to practice good nutrition, moderate exercise, satisfying work, positive social interaction, ample rest, sleep and relaxation.
Genetics, environmental factors, others' behaviors and fate will play a role as well, but our responsibility and power lie in our own behavior. The body we have is the only one we get – at least for this lifetime. (For more on that topic see my article on Jim Tucker,Ph.D., "Life before life: A case for life after life" on United Press International ReligionandSpirituality.com http://www.religionandspirituality.com/view/post/11488818730800/.)
Diana deRegnier writes from the San Francisco Bay Area. Her articles appear in Web sites and print publications around the world, including UPI Religion and Spirituality, SF Examiner.com, AmericanChronicle.com, ScientificBlogging.com and SpiritLinksNewsletter.org.
If I eat a large slice of chocolate ganache torte, my thighs don't instantly swell as I squirm with delight.
If I'm not getting enough exercise, my arms and legs don't turn blue to remind me to get up and move.
If I were ever to smoke a cigarette, my chest wouldn't turn visibly ashen, a cough won't develop until I'm addicted.
A wave of Vitamin D deficiency is overtaking America. See "Shedding light on vitamin D deficiency 'crisis'" by Brian Alexander, msnbc.com contributor, Feb. 2. 2009 http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28894095/. Symptoms sneak up as lethargy and melancholy. We don't stop to think, I feel this way because I'm always indoors, in a car and or in a gym rather than out in the sun – the best way to absorb the nutrient.
When my muscles ache and I haven't over-exercised, I can't add simple numbers and the right word eludes me, I'm not just aging, I have been getting five hours of sleep when I need seven.
Being human is our gift and our temptation. Other animals are selfishly in touch with their bodies – in the way we all should be. They eat, drink, exercise, relax and sleep as their instinct dictates. Many of us have lost touch with our intuition. We ignore and rebuff signals. We push on through to get it all, do it all, have it all!
When we fail to nurture ourselves with the requisites for wellness, the repercussions are at first fleeting, then cumulative and easily disassociated. It is easy and convenient to overlook the damage when we don't have a red flag to remind and reprimand us for body neglect. Too many of us wait for a heart attack, stroke or cancer to stop us cold from patterns of neglect and overuse.
So what do we do now? How can we change our way of thinking about ourselves, treat ourselves as if we are a child entrusted in our care? Good health takes conscious choices. Surely we would want the best for a child; to present the best image, teach lessons of responsibility and self-regard.
February is International Boost Self-Esteem month. Self-Esteem has gotten a bad rap in our society. It is a good thing. We need to care for ourselves before we can help others. We need to set an example of self-care for others to learn how to treat us and how to treat themselves. We are child, parent and role model.
With increasing medical technology we could live very long lives, decades more than our predecessors. How well we live those years depends on how we treat our bodies along the way. Now more than ever we need to practice good nutrition, moderate exercise, satisfying work, positive social interaction, ample rest, sleep and relaxation.
Genetics, environmental factors, others' behaviors and fate will play a role as well, but our responsibility and power lie in our own behavior. The body we have is the only one we get – at least for this lifetime. (For more on that topic see my article on Jim Tucker,Ph.D., "Life before life: A case for life after life" on United Press International ReligionandSpirituality.com http://www.religionandspirituality.com/view/post/11488818730800/.)
Diana deRegnier writes from the San Francisco Bay Area. Her articles appear in Web sites and print publications around the world, including UPI Religion and Spirituality, SF Examiner.com, AmericanChronicle.com, ScientificBlogging.com and SpiritLinksNewsletter.org.
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