Like most others, I catch myself being surprised by the amount of sickness and disease we are surrounded by these days. People say things like, “I can’t believe I have another sinus infection,” “I wish I didn’t get these headaches,” and “My metabolism is slowing down, and I am gaining weight.”
We are continuously surprised and disappointed when we get sick, start to put on weight, or feel like our bodies are breaking down. Heart disease is still our number one killer, cancer rates are still on the rise, and almost half of Americans are obese.
As the state of health in this country continues to plummet, it is easy to blame our bodies. Why aren’t we healthier? Why don’t we have more energy? Why is our sleep getting worse? Why do we feel so lousy? We can look in the mirror and ask our bodies… why are you failing me?
We all remember the famous quote from John F. Kennedy… “Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.” He did this to inspire Americans to contribute. He knew that if people did their part, participating in civic and public service, the country as a whole would improve. Common sense would lead you to realize that wishing for a better country is one thing, but actively working to improve this country is something each person could commit to individually.
So… here’s my advice to you… “Ask not what your body can do for you, ask what you can do for your body.” You likely have all your parts, your heart is beating, your lungs are working, and you have muscles allowing you to lift, bend, and twist. Your body takes in food and turns it into the cells you need to remain alive. You have a blood vessel system that if laid out end to end would measure 60,000 miles long.
We often forget just how magnificent the human body is. Just think about all it does for you every single day, without you having to even ask it to do so. You breathe. You blink. Your heart beats. Your food gets digested. And it all just happens. Your body is absolutely amazing!
There is one caveat… you have to give your body what it needs so that it can continue to perform. We require nutrients, regular movement, fresh air, and sunlight. When your body is deficient in required nutrients, it eventually breaks down and stops working properly. There are also things that are toxic to the body, such as artificial flavors, colors, and sweeteners, highly processed foods, pesticides, polluted air, high levels of stress (anyone had that lately???), and even negative self-talk and thoughts.
Because of the toxic world we live in, it is no wonder we aren’t much sicker. It’s surprising our bodies work as well as they do. We treat our bodies like garbage, we ignore them, and basically run them into the ground. And then we have the nerve to wonder why we get sick, feel run down, have little energy, sleep poorly, and ache all over? Really?
If you failed to put gas in your car, and it stopped running, would you blame the car? Or better example… if you mixed soda with the gasoline in the gas tank, and your car ran rougher and slower, would you blame the car? No… and no. You would have to blame yourself.
So… stop asking for more out of your body. Stop blaming it for how you feel and function. It’ll do what it needs to, but you’ve got to take care of it. You do what you need to do, give it what it needs, eliminate what it doesn’t, and it’ll do what it is designed to do.
And what better time to boost your health… during a pandemic, where the oldest, most overweight, and those with chronic illness issues, such as diabetes, are still the most likely to suffer with complications from this virus. Despite the public, the media, and yes, sadly many of our healthcare providers, failing to emphasize the importance and impact taking charge of your health really would have, improving your overall health through lifestyle changes could be the most important thing you could do to protect yourself.
I say again… Ask not what your body can do for you, ask what you can do for your body!