Why Healthy Makes Sense to Me...

I enjoy health. I enjoy being healthy. It just resonates with me... you know, just how some people love music, the arts, sports or working with their hands? That's me with health.

So let's define health. I like what the Medilexicons' (say what?) medical dictionary says about health, it's "The state of an organism when it functions optimally without evidence of disease or abnormality."

I really like that phrase, "functions optimally." In other words, to me it says, to live well. I want to live a good life. I want to enjoy my kids and later, my grand kids. I want to grow old with my husband and travel and laugh.

There is no telling what the future holds for any of us. We can do all things healthy and still end up sick or victims of life-altering tragedies. God holds those mysteries in his hands. But I know as long as I am breathing and fully functioning, I will do my best to take care of this body he has entrusted me with.

                    

Here are some reasons why healthy makes sense to me...

Side note... I have many times of treats and indulgences. I have days, weeks of terrible eating slumps. I'm in no way a health-eating Nazi... never want to appear that way to anyone. But my passion is to strive daily to eat/live well as best I can... to learn to live with my mistakes and rejoice over little victories!

1. I like feeling well... it's addicting. I like waking up with no aches, pains or sluggishness. When I am heavier and eating a junky diet, I can't bend over without feeling strangled or run up my stairs without being out of breath. I don't like those feelings... at. all. Once you get a taste of feeling healthy, you want it to stay as long as possible!

2. I like acting well. I will admit it, I can be a grump sometimes. But I have concluded those grump times are usually associated with my poor eating choices. Who likes being a grump? I'll go out on a limb and say, not many do. Healthy eating habits bring about a better frame of mind and to me, is nature's anti-depressant/anxiety remedy.

3. I like looking well... for my husband, of course! I guess I still want to somewhat resemble that young girl he fell in love with years and years ago. Inevitably there will be wrinkles and some gravity issues, but we still have a lot to work with. A poor diet contributes to the buildup of free radicals which progresses the aging process and the development of a number of age-related diseases. Experts suspect the antioxidant compounds found in whole foods are largely responsible for holding back the march of time.

4. I like fulfilling my God-given responsibilities. I love being a mom and wife. I love keeping a home and making it a haven for my family. I enjoy being social and having friendships. But the times I am not well, those things take a back seat. I tend to shy away from people when I'm sick . My home and family responsibilities get pushed aside and I become focused on me instead of them. There is this shift that happens when you feel sick. The duties and obligations get second or third place as this "unwellness" becomes first. I don't want that. I want my family to have the best of me as much as I can control as possible. Again, we are not guaranteed 100% health, but we can try our best!

5. I want to honor God with my body. The Bible is full of passages about our bodies. We can honor God by the way we care for our bodies. We are a reflection of him and our bodies are not our own, they are God's. But there are sins we can commit when it comes to our bodies whether it be through inappropriate use of drugs, sexual sins, over or under eating, alcohol or smoking abuse, or even idolizing our bodies above God. But a healthy balance of eating well, exercising and above all, keeping Christ the center of our health and overall living is truly an pleasing sacrifice to him!

Eating healthy is sometimes a nice thought, but a harder practice, I know. If you are on the fence, take some baby steps. Eliminate just one thing! Or go out and buy a bag of apples and start eating one a day. Throw out those bag of Ding Dongs... do they even make those anymore? Just one thing!

Do it.

Little things make big differences when it comes to health.