“Look to your health; and if you have it, praise God and value it next to conscience; for health is the second blessing that we mortals are capable of, a blessing money can’t buy.” – IZAAK WALTON
I ENJOY THE WEALTH that my physical health offers. There is an Italian proverb which states that: “He who enjoys good health is rich, though he knows it not.”
Today when so many adults and children are digging their graves with a knife and fork and numerous other individuals are exposing their bodies to opportunistic diseases by their careless lifestyles, it would be prudent if each individual understands the invaluable physical treasure with which he/she has been blessed and cherish it.
Many years ago I was saddened by the death of a very good friend of mine who prematurely threw his life away by habitually nursing a disease which he could have destroyed by disciplining himself.
Rather than making himself physically wealthy by fighting against the threat to his health and stimulating his body’s natural resources by positive actions, he knowingly gave it away with little regard for his family and friends who kept on warning him. What a tragedy.
Having looked at your mental, emotional and social wealth in previous articles, giving a close-up view of developing your physical wealth may be helpful. Your physical wealth can be enhanced if you respect, feed and exercise your body.
Respect your body
See your body as a special gift to you from God and one which should be treated with great respect. Treating your body with respect gives it a great feeling of worth and value.
In exchange, your body will respond with the kind of positive signals that would also make you feel highly-prized and treasured. If on the other hand you treat it with disdain and disrespect it will protest and create frustration for your entire life. Your physical frame houses some priceless assets like your brain, heart, liver, kidneys and lungs.
Respect it therefore by acknowledging that it works very hard to keep these assets functioning at their optimum even when you are asleep and therefore requires you to give it some times of relaxation. If you continue to push your body beyond its maximum limit it gets angry and sometimes compulsorily demand rest by making you sick.
One person once remarked that “so many people spend their health gaining wealth, and then have to spend their wealth to regain their health”. Respect your body by valuing the pivotal role it has to play in fighting to keep you healthy. If you also cooperate with it you may gain far greater physical wealth that cannot be measure in dollars and cents. But what about feeding your body?
Feed your body
For many years I thought that maintaininga healthy and wealthy body is a common-sense matter. There are tons of authentic information about various foods that will both frustrate as well as fascinate your physical frame.
Simply disciplining your eyes and feelings to make the smart choices and then selecting the right foods and discard the others should be a daily exercise. It is common knowledge that you are what you eat so digesting what will add to your physical wealth is of vital importance. Starting from young, it is said that healthy diets improve academic and other related performances.
“A balanced diet and physical activity,” Matt Cartwright said, “are vital to academic performance. A healthy diet has a direct link to increased cognitive function and memory skills . . . and improved mood. These advantages can help students stay focused and complete their coursework.”
I agree with Michelle Obama’s wise wealthy counsel when she said: “We can make a commitment to promote vegetables and fruits and whole grains on every part of every menu. We can make portion sizes smaller and emphasize quality over quantity. And we can help create a culture – imagine this – where our kids ask for healthy options instead of resisting them.” Wise and consistent food intake is vitally necessary but what about exercise?
Exercise your body
Eating healthy and exercising your body shouldgo hand in glove. The rich benefits to your brain, heart, muscles, eyes, lungs, just to name a few body parts, cannot be measured in dollars and cents. It is common knowledge that regular physical exercise keeps non-communicable diseases like diabetes and hypertension at a distance as well as putting up an impregnable guard wall against numerous crippling heart related issues.
Walking, running, cycling, swimming, skipping and aerobics are just a few forms of exercise in which you can get yourself involved at least 45 minutes three days a week. Physical exercise produces energy.
A health enthusiast pointed out that “the higher your energy level, the more efficient your body; the more efficient your body, the better you feel and the more you will use your talent to produce outstanding results”. It was John F. Kennedy who spoke of the wealth that physical exercise offers to one’s intellect when he said: “Physical fitness is not only one of the most important keys to a healthy body, it is the basis of dynamic and creative intellectual activity.”
Research has also shown that physical activity helps in alleviating stress and tension that build up within the emotions. It was Kris Carr who gave a startling revelation to this affect by stating: “If you don’t think your anxiety, depression, sadness and stress impact your physical health, think again.”
All of these emotions trigger chemical reactions in your body, which can lead to inflammation and a weakened immune system. Get going and be physically wealthy with meaningful exercise.
God in His wisdom has loaned you a body that is well engineered and with all things being equal is designed to last for a minimum of 70 years, provided you take good care of it. Keep your health in sharp focus and remember, “It is health that is real wealth and not pieces of gold and silver.”
• Haynesley Griffith is a marriage and family life consultant. Email: [email protected]
