I was talking to a close friend of mine yesterday. Her name is Gail and her husband has throat cancer. Yes, he has been a cigarette smoker for many years and he made his choice to keep smoking in spite of the many and obvious warnings. Pete has seven more radiation treatments to go. Gail’s world and her family are in crisis. Their day to day living is consumed by the disease. The good news is that his prognosis is good. He's quit smoking and is looking at the world quite differently.
I lost my mother to breast cancer many years ago. And even though she passed away in 1989, just four months after Sue and I were married, I’m still unsettled by it. Talking to Gail has stirred up many unpleasant memories and past emotions.
The impact of cancer on a family is just devastating. If you’ve been there, then you know how life gets turned upside down. Caring for a loved one becomes a full time job and everything and everyone is affected.
After speaking with Gail I feel an obligation to share my thoughts with you. You see we all take health for granted. Health is one of those things that just “is”. Too many people think of health as an infinite resource that replenishes itself. But if the time comes that your health and possibly your life is hanging in the balance, you’ll do anything to get it back.
Here's a quote from my friend Dax Moy:
"Health like any other commodity falls under the laws of sowing and reaping. Good health requires that we “sow” good habits like regular exercise and eat healthy nutritional foods so that we can “reap” a body that will serve us throughout our entire lives."
Please don’t take your health for granted. It’s a lot easier (and cheaper) to take care of yourself now than it is to face the music later. Compare the costs of being healthy now versus being sick. A gym membership versus a hospital bed. If you need a bit of motivation, then visit an oncology ward in a local hospital. I much prefer the challenge of eating vegetables everyday and working out three times per week.
Not enough time? Perhaps you need to re-evaluate your priorities and move things around or ask for some help. Excuses are not reasons.
What can you do? There's no shortage of education. In fact, by the time you're in fourth grade you've been exposed to know what to do. As a adult, you are either taking measures to live healthy and prevent disease or you are not.
So my message today is simple but direct. I want you to live a life that actively pursues health and wellness through preventative measures.
Here’s a short list of reminders:
Exercise at least 30 minutes a day, 3 to 5 times a week.
Please go to the doctor and get a physical if you haven’t had one in two years.
If you are turning fifty years of age, get a colonoscopy.
Women make sure you have a mammogram and a pap test taken once a year.
Eat as many servings of fruits and vegetables as you can in a day, at least five to ten. If you skip these foods all day and wait to eat your vegetables with your dinner, you’d better bring a bucket full.
Keep your total blood cholesterol level under 200 mg/dl.
Drink water, avoid sugar, excess caffeine and soft drinks.
Wear a high SPF sunscreen and avoid being in the direct sun for long periods of time.
DON’T SMOKE!
Seek out foods from certified organic sources.
Learn to read food labels and cut back on processed foods and avoid fast-food restaurants.
Avoid saturated fats and learn to choose healthy fats from fish, nuts, and avocados for example.
Teach your children by what you practice, not what you preach!
And last but not least, cleanse your system with Isagenix Total Body Cleanse. The fact is getting regular exercise, eating healthy foods, and using Isagenix as a preventative measure to improve your health is about the smartest thing you can do. If you don’t believe me, then take it from Dr. Becky Natrajan, a board certified Gastroenterologist. Go to this link and view the video, “Take Control of Your Health”.
In closing, I want you to think about how you are living your life. Be honest. If this seems overwhelming, then just change ONE THING. Perhaps it is drinking one bottle of water a day. Perhaps it is eating one apple a day. Start small and every week add one new healthy habit and replace one unhealthy habit.
By taking action, you are not only taking measures to live longer, but you are performing an act of love. That’s right. The way I see it, you are giving your family the gift of “you” being around to love them for as long as possible.
May you die young...at a very old age.
