One of the hardest things for us to do for ourselves as individuals is to take
care of ourselves. It is much easier for us to concern ourselves with others
and to push our own needs aside. There
are simple things we can do that can make all the difference in keeping our heart,
veins and arteries healthy. 1)
Rest -
Benjamin
Franklin, one of the early wise men in our country said: “Early to bed, early to
rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise.” Why did he say that? Because
our physical bodies need an appropriate amount of sleep to keep it healthy.
Going to bed late at night on a regular basis deprived our bodies from the sleep
it needs to metabolize. It is during the precious hours of the night that
our bodies process and work on everything that we have put into it. Our rest
time is a blessing to our bodies. It relaxes us, refreshes us, and prepares
us for the coming day. 2)
Water -
Our bodies
are made up of mostly water. In order for it to continue to work properly,
we need to drink 6 to 8 glasses of water a day. Tea or coffee is not water;
they are diuretics and take water away from us. Caffeine is not water.
It does nothing to help provide for our bodies. It works like white bread,
which is nothing more than empty calories. 3)
Healthy Foods -
Not
a diet! Fad diets are not lasting. A healthy lifestyle is what a
person needs. This means eating fruits, vegetables, beans, legumes, rice,
whole grains, dairy and proteins (healthy, low fat meats). 4)
Exercise -
Waking
several miles a day is more than enough to get your heart going. One half
hour of constant movement whether walking, jogging, swimming, bike riding, step
aerobics or other types of exercise will give your heart
a good workout to keep you healthy. 5)
Reading the Word of GOD
-
Spending 20
to 30 minutes a day reading the Word can do wonders for your spiritual life and
when done in the morning can make a difference in how your day goes! 6)
Prayer -
Lifting
up prayers to GOD brings about
miracles! He cares about what
you care about! 7)
Stress Relief -
Stress
kills! To decrease stress try 4, 5 or 6. Also look at what in your
life is causing stress and work out a strategy to relieve it. 8)
Find time for you, do something fun or relaxing! Remember
that a happy heart is a healthy heart! |