Ten Commandments of Health

Health is wealth, they say. If you're healthy, you're wealthy. What good it is if you're the richest person in the world, materially speaking, but you're sickly and with lots of health problems? You don't get to enjoy your wealth because your focus of attention is getting healthy and well. But if you're healthy, even if you're not that rich/wealthy materially, you're much better in life. You have more chances to be happy and successful, in your own way. I don't mean to say that wealth doesn't play a role in being healthy. On the contrary, it does help you to be well and healthy because you have the financial resources to expend in improving your health and outlook in life. I do hope I make sense here.

This calm and cold and chilly Saturday morning, as I was reading January-February 2012 edition of AARP (Association of American Retired Persons) Bulletin in our bed, I came across this article on Walking: The Only Exercise You'll Ever Need (pages 23-27) by Candy Sagon who writes about health and food for the above-mentioned publication. She wrote that walking may be the single best---and easiest---exercise you can do to improve your health in 2012 (and beyond). In her article, she profiled Mr. Rick Genter, a 51-year old software engineer in California, who "was morbidly obese ten years ago"...but had lost 186 pounds by walking and eating right." He did walk his way to battling obesity gradually but consistently. In the article, he admitted starting out "slowly, walking 30 minutes each day on his lunch break...As the pounds came off, he began walking to work---seven miles each way---even in winter." Furthermore, Genter "didn't join a gym, hire a trainer or buy an exercise machine. He just walked." The article concludes with Sagon advising us to check with our doctor before starting any exercise program, "especially if you recently have been inactive or are substantially increasing  your activity level." This "walking" thing hit me in the head, you know. I admit, I haven't been walking that much lately because of the weather. But I try to move around in our house, daily, you see.

As I continued reading the ARRP Bulletin, on page 28, there's this article, Sitting: Hazardous to Your Health by Elizabeth Pope, another writer-contributor based in Maine. Pope, in her opening article, writes: Here's another easy, no-sweat way to markedly improve your health in the new year---STOP SITTING SO MUCH! You'll live longer." (For emphasis, I did capitalize the four words.) I know, I've been guilty of this, myself, folks, especially when I'm blogging and watching videos on YouTube on my laptop for hours. But as I've said, I try to move around the house often. I don't want to be a couch potato, you know. I'm not 100% healthy but I'm doing well, I hope.

Now, the last part of this blog post that I'm going to talk about is this thing that Jim Toedtman, editor of AARP Bulletin wrote on page 3, sort of his editorial piece. What caught my attention was the Ten Commandments of Health, developed by Dr. George W. Calver, U.S. Congress' first appointed doctor in 1928. I bet (or guess) it's the equivalent now of the U.S. Surgeon General? Anyway, here's

THE TEN COMMANDMENTS OF HEALTH

EAT WISELY

DRINK PLENTIFULLY (of water)

ELIMINATE THOROUGHLY

BATHE CLEANLY

EXERCISE RATIONALLY

ACCEPT INEVITABLES (don't worry)

PLAY ENTHUSIASTICALLY

RELAX COMPLETELY

SLEEP SUFFICIENTLY

CHECK UP OCCASIONALLY.


P.S. Give 5% of your time to keeping well. You won't have to give 100% getting over being sick.

Okay, folks, I don't know if the words enclosed in parentheses and the Post Script note are the editor's or Dr. Calver's. Nevertheless, the information above is quite informative and educational. What do you think? Well, this is all for now. I hope, I've shared with you something to ponder at to help improve your health-life. My Thanks to AARP Bulletin/Magazine for those insightful, educational and entertaining articles. (I've been a an avid reader-subscriber-member for years.) Thanks for your time. Until next time around. Have a nice weekend, everyone!-chris a. quilpa, 04Feb2012