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It can increase your energy levels.
This is true even in people with
persistent fatigue and those suffering
from serious illnesses.
Daily physical activity is essential
daily to maintaining healthy weight
and reducing the risk of chronic
disease, like diabetes and heart
disease.
Moderate exercise can also provide
antioxidant protection and promote
blood flow, which can protect your
skin and delay signs of aging.
It may even help you live longer.
So get moving! Find the kind of exercise
that suits you and do it daily. If you do not
like to do it, chances are you may not do
it.
A special note to the ladies .
Ladies we are prone to overworking
ourselves. We are the nurturers and our
tendency is to take care of everyone but
ourselves. Embrace the phrase “self-care.”
Self-care is not frivolous. It is absolutely
essential to living a meaningful life.
When you fill your cup first, you can give
to others authentically and deeply. You
see, the health of everyone and everything
in your life starts with your own personal
health.
Designate self-care time:
• Get a massage
• Get your nails done
• Get a facial.
• Take a hot bath
• Do a hot towel scrub.
• Meditate on the Bible
• Investigate what’s not working
• See what you need more of
• Get enough rest
Our bodies need rest ; times of refreshing,
but the ladies must be as intentional
as the men and make it happen. With
these times securely placed in our lives
we will be better able to care for those
around us. Our bodies are strong but it
is complicated and delicate; and quite
prone to stressful situations. During our
menstrual cycle; at least a week before our
flow begins, and in the week that we are
flowing, we should be especially gentle
with ourselves. Even our exercise choices
should be less rigorous during this time.
Ladies can I give you a tip? I have
noticed that when I have salty foods
leading up to my menstrual flow, I have
an uncomfortable time of it. I eventually
realised that staying off salt 2 weeks before
my ‘menses’, was much better for me. So
if you find yourself craving crisps, chips,
fried chicken or anything that tends to
be salty, be aware your flow maybe on
its way. If you must give in, drink lots of
water so that you remain hydrated. Salt
encourages the body to retain water, and
that’s not good for menstrual periods.
So if you ‘crave’ salty foods, have lots of
water.
I implore you however, eat the foods
that nourish the female body especially
during your menstrual cycle. Foods like
blueberries, kale, mushrooms, garlic,
coconut oil, flax seeds, quinoa, organic
Greek yogurt, red wine, dark chocolate
and lemons, are some of the power foods
for women that make a big difference in
our health and vitality.
Men, I have not left you out, here are a few
tips for you from menshealth.com.
• Strengthen your core and save your
back.
• Never eat out of the original container.
How many times have you dipped into
a pint of ice cream only to find yourself
staring at the bottom of the container
15 minutes later?
• Check your prostate.
• Do not rely on your cholesterol number
alone to determine whether you are
at risk for heart disease or determine
that you need to lower your risk. Your
age, your blood pressure whether you
smoke or not and the taking of blood
pressure medicines are also taken into
account.
• Do all you can to sleep on your side.
Back sleepers often have blocked
airways and that can lead to a host of
trouble.
• Drink green tea; the antioxidant-rich
drink may help prevent prostate cancer
and lower your risk of heart disease.
• Get rid of that belly fat. The visceral fat
that settles around your abdomen, let’s
toxins seep into your vital organs.
Healthy mind healthy body
As well as exercise and eating well, we
need also to guard our mind. Our mind
consists of our thoughts, emotions, beliefs
attitudes, images and memory.
Our mental state can be conscious or
unconscious. We can have emotional
reactions to situations without being
aware of why we’re reacting. Each mental
state has an associated physiology, a
positive or negative effect felt in the
physical body. For example, an anxious
mental state causes you to produce stress
hormones.
Could this be why the Bible tells us,
“Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying,
pray. Let petitions and praises shape your
worries into prayers, letting God know
your concerns. Before you know it, a sense
of God’s wholeness, everything coming
together for good, will come and settle you
down. It’s wonderful what happens when
Christ displaces worry at the center of your
life.” Philippians 4:6-7 MSG
Science has finally caught up with the
Bible. In verse 8 of this same passage of
Scripture we are told what to think about
and what to focus on. Science, agrees
that if we focus on those things or bodies
will produce hormones that make us
feel good, that cause us to relax, put our
bodies in rest, repair and digest mode; we
will be at peace.
Meditate on the Word of God. Mindful
meditation is a way of staying present,
disallowing negative thought patterns
from bringing you into a downward spiral.
As spiritual beings in a material world,
it’s easy for us to get wrapped up in the
situations and circumstances happening
around us and allow Continued on pg 32
January - March 2018
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