Health, Wealth and Happiness
As a woman, I am well aware that health is often measured by that nasty little digital number on the top of my scale. It is insanely hard to change that idea since we are inundated with that measurement at every turn. I remember my primary care doctor having me sign a document that had my height, weight, and BMI on it along with information about how I was overweight and at risk for diabetes, even though my bloodwork had always showed my blood sugar as being on the low side of the normal range. I remember when I was dealing with all the issues and symptoms that go along with having Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome and having my OBGYN at the time tell me that I needed to not worry about how I'd get diabetes, I needed to worry about when because for one, it ran in my family, and for two, I had insulin resistance which usually goes hand and hand with PCOS. I remember the first time I stepped into my GI doctor's office. The older gentleman had more than a few extra pounds around his middle and his trousers seemed to struggle to stretch when he sat down. Yet, he proceeded to tell me that my GI issues would not be so bad if I lost a few pounds. Funny thing is, I really don't have GI issues aside from very mild GERD as the result of a lower esophageal sphincter muscle that doesn't close properly. It's so mild, I am totally unaware of it and rarely get bad heartburn.
I could go on about my many physicians noting my weight and my BMI that falls on the overweight side of the spectrum, but that's only a small portion of the inundation of weight as a measure of health. We see commercials for weight loss supplements, for weight loss centers and bariatric surgery. We hear about a plethora of diets from low carb to keto to paleo to meal replacement supplements. It's not hard to drive down a major street and see urgent care centers offering weight loss injections at low or no cost.
It is very rare that anyone or anything ever offers the whole picture of what health is. Yes, a healthy weight is part of it as scientific research does show an increased risk for diseases that can be fatal if not managed correctly. Did you know that diet is a huge part of healthy weight? And I don't mean starting a new diet or to diet, I'm talking about the dictionary definition of a diet being the kind of food a person or animal consumes. It's a very broad definition. Your diet is all the things you put in your mouth and consume from that morning cup of coffee to that Friday evening cocktail and Tuesday's tacos and everything in between. Dietary changes are a huge part of health.
Health is also getting a good night's sleep. Lack of sleep basically stresses out your body. When your body is stressed, it tends to hold onto fat, it has trouble processing the things that are part of your diet and it makes motivation quite difficult. The way we sleep is a huge part of health. Being tired also makes us not want to do much of anything, even the things we love.
Happiness and Stress are huge parts of out health. Stress leads to bad habits. I stress eat. I know I stress eat, but when I hold on to all that stress I do not have the power to change things. I can't say no to a bacon cheeseburger when I'm stressed out. Stress makes you worry. Stress can cause hormone changes. Stress also helps your body hold onto that dreaded fat. Stress can cause aches and pains. It can start down a path toward high anxiety and even depression. Happiness is a good measure of health. We tend to take care of ourselves better when we're happy. Yet, how often does your doctor ask how happy you are?
Diet, sleep and happiness are the things I stared to focus on instead of my weight. It's not easy, but when you take one thing at a time and set small goals, the days and weeks and months get easier. What are some of the things that are part of your health that you want to focus on? Once you have a list of things that are important to your health, it's not so hard finding a place to start. Health is in reach for everyone, even though it may be different for everyone.
I could go on about my many physicians noting my weight and my BMI that falls on the overweight side of the spectrum, but that's only a small portion of the inundation of weight as a measure of health. We see commercials for weight loss supplements, for weight loss centers and bariatric surgery. We hear about a plethora of diets from low carb to keto to paleo to meal replacement supplements. It's not hard to drive down a major street and see urgent care centers offering weight loss injections at low or no cost.
It is very rare that anyone or anything ever offers the whole picture of what health is. Yes, a healthy weight is part of it as scientific research does show an increased risk for diseases that can be fatal if not managed correctly. Did you know that diet is a huge part of healthy weight? And I don't mean starting a new diet or to diet, I'm talking about the dictionary definition of a diet being the kind of food a person or animal consumes. It's a very broad definition. Your diet is all the things you put in your mouth and consume from that morning cup of coffee to that Friday evening cocktail and Tuesday's tacos and everything in between. Dietary changes are a huge part of health.
Health is also getting a good night's sleep. Lack of sleep basically stresses out your body. When your body is stressed, it tends to hold onto fat, it has trouble processing the things that are part of your diet and it makes motivation quite difficult. The way we sleep is a huge part of health. Being tired also makes us not want to do much of anything, even the things we love.
Happiness and Stress are huge parts of out health. Stress leads to bad habits. I stress eat. I know I stress eat, but when I hold on to all that stress I do not have the power to change things. I can't say no to a bacon cheeseburger when I'm stressed out. Stress makes you worry. Stress can cause hormone changes. Stress also helps your body hold onto that dreaded fat. Stress can cause aches and pains. It can start down a path toward high anxiety and even depression. Happiness is a good measure of health. We tend to take care of ourselves better when we're happy. Yet, how often does your doctor ask how happy you are?
Diet, sleep and happiness are the things I stared to focus on instead of my weight. It's not easy, but when you take one thing at a time and set small goals, the days and weeks and months get easier. What are some of the things that are part of your health that you want to focus on? Once you have a list of things that are important to your health, it's not so hard finding a place to start. Health is in reach for everyone, even though it may be different for everyone.
Comments
Post a Comment