I take nutrition seriously. In grade school I noticed the whole world ran better and life made more sense when I ate breakfast. Now that my body has experienced the force of gravity for longer than I want to admit, nutrition is even more important to me.
Being “smarter than the average bear,” you’d think I would have had nutrition down by my mid-thirties. Instead, prolonged periods without sufficient rest, too little quiet time and an inadequate diet led me to heart failure. I’d been boosting my performance with hours of overtime, rigorous strength training, and substances additional supplements, but my soul was starving. I thank God daily for giving me the chances to change and for leading me in the right directions.
Three decades later, with a declining metabolism and well-abused joints, finding the right balance between fuel and burning calories remain a top priority. To ensure I’m running at peak performance – okay – and to avoid ever experiencing a black-out again I’m careful to 1) hydrate 2) eat 3) exercise daily and 4) take supplements.
Even with careful attention to my diet, I discovered that my thyroid still functions quite well, but a vitamin D deficiency left me sluggish and tired. A supplement righted that within days. It seems odd that with all our scientific advancements our food alone doesn’t always provide us all our necessary nutrients, so I appreciate medicine that quickly identifies most deficiencies.
The same principle applies in our spiritual lives. As a dear friend recently told me, “All the notes I take while studying and all I hear in church don’t amount to much until I put it all into practice.”
Determination, the strictest routine, worship services, motivational speakers and affirming audios help us achieve overall good health, but they simply aren’t enough. We all need exercise and a good diet (that includes attention to what to avoid). Supplementing our natural bodies by caring for others and maintaining a strong spiritual connection with our maker is also important.
I usually provide a good example of what not to do. Doing as I do will mostly get you into trouble. God’s grace is seriously my only hope. This world is so full of shiny and sparkly stuff, I often forget He is always with me. But almost as often I quickly remember He is always near – usually soon enough to avoid hurt or harm.
The best supplement ever, a relationship with the Holy Spirit, being besties with God is essential to a peaceful, satisfying and harmonious life.
“In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God’s promises. Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with patient endurance, and patient endurance with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love for everyone.
The more you grow like this, the more productive and useful you will be in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. “ 2 pet 1:5-9 NLT
Oh! How our bodies do change over the years!
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True that, Dawn. I actually think of it as cheap entertainment – some days 😉
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Good post! You challenged me! I need to get back to eating right. With the stress of the past 2 years, I have really slacked. I am exercising more, but need to get back to right eating, I know its important, but….sometimes it is hard to do.
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One hand washes the other, DawnLiz. Personally, being surrounded by my kids’ peers pushes me to stay strong. 😉
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Change takes more than knowing; it requires doing.
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I quit too soon. I want to add – I know far more than I do, so I don’t change much.
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Quite right, Oneta.
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Nutrition and fitness are subjects close to my heart. After having a stroke at age 49, health care became a major issue for me. In my case my high blood pressure is hereditary. Both my parents were slim people as are my brother Stephen and I yet we both have high blood pressure. It took a long time for me to get it under control but I still have spikes especially with my stressful job. In order to Fight the Power I cut back on salt, sugar and red meat. I don’t drink soda and since I’m lactose intolerant dairy is off limits except for yogurt and kefir.
Thanks to the New York city transit system breaking down every day I get plenty of opportunities for exercise.
I Love to walk so I combine walking with photography.
In terms of vitamins I take liquid vitamins since I have problems swallowing pills. I also get Vitamin B injections when possible. Menopause played havoc with my emotions and physical health but thankfully the crazy part is over without me slapping somebody silly. Next year I will be 59 and look forward to retirement. When I turn 60 in February 2019 I’m gonna hit that dance floor and turn out! It will be Lit!
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Your tenacity and your devotion to Stephen have inspired me for about two years, Deborah. I will be sure to dedicate a dance to you in February!
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Thanks. I kept my Photography Blog Roaming Urban Gypsy. Stephen and I were Pirates for Halloween.
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With limited internet access I can’t often comment, but I follow Roaming Urban Gypsy too. Link created here 😉
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Thanks. My laptop died last month so I put my writing blog on a hiatus. When I had the stroke I lost part of my eyesight and typing on my cell phone is a difficult task. Whereas I take photos which go up to the Google Cloud then create a Blog post. Easy breezy.
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I must often use the WordPress app on my old, old cell, so I know the challenges you face. I enjoy your photography whenever I am able. ❤
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Thanks. Yes The WordPress app for Android is good but limited. Can’t copy and paste. Extended writing is difficult so I will pickup my writing blog whenever I can afford a new laptop. I don’t need eye strain.
I’m Thankful for photography which allows me to stay in the Blogging community. I also have fun with Instagram which is made for Photography.
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