Short on Time, Sleep and Faith

Where do you go for advice on your health? Do you head to popular magazines? Perhaps you choose to take Dr. Oz's advice? Or maybe you like to follow celebrities crazy pound dropping diets? Or, most popular, do you just Google it?

Or do you know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been bought with a price: therefore, glorify God in your body.
1 Corinthians 6:19-20

We are placed in charge of only a handful of things in life really. Our health is one of these things. Our daily choices and decades of habits can lead to ill health. In the midst of sleepless nights and sugar induced mood swings, we can find ourselves lacking in faith as well.

The human body is far from perfect. There are flaws that must pay attention to throughout the course of life. Just as we can work out too little, we can also overdo it. Late nights and stress eating can pack on more than just pounds. It is important that we take responsibility for our overall health. Easy things we can begin to implement into our lives are:

• Move everyday. Whether it's a walk, a run or class, give your body the gift of movement.
• Drink your water. Over 80% of people walk around in a state of dehydration, which is responsible for chronic fatigue and headaches. Drink up the good stuff!
• Get enough sleep. Although 8 hours is said to be ideal, you must determine what works best for you. How do you know if you're getting enough sleep? You should be able to wake up in the morning without hitting snooze.
• Power down. Too much computer and TV time leaves the CNS overstimulated, making quality sleep difficult. Try to turn electronics off 1 hour prior to going to sleep and spend 1 day per week going tech free.
• Eat a healthy, balanced diet. Just like exercise, we can go too lose or too strict with our diet. Make sure you focus on the quality of nutrients daily AND enjoy your treats in moderation. Deprivation will only lead to binge eating and have even been linked to health problems later in life.
• Be social. I'm not talking about Facebook here. recent studies show that those who actively engage in social encounters (such as lunch with a friend, small groups, double dates) avoid many of the diseases we face, such as heart disease and even stroke.
• Be spiritually fit as well. Engage in your church, read your Bible, join a study....no matter what you do, do it to improve your spiritual fitness.

There are a few ways you can start to improve your overall health. The better your health, the more potent you will be in life. You'll find life takes on a new excitement when you take on an interest.

And if you need a little motivation to get your healthy lifestyle underway, check out my sister site devoted to health and fitness: www.michellecfitness.com