Starting a new health journey

OK! This category is going to be a bit less advise and a bit more personal. Living LifeWorthy is about more than just making good choices and viewing life in a positive perspective. It's about taking care of yourself in mind, body, and spirit so that you can live your life to the fullest extent to which you are capable. As Christmas and my husband's 50th birthday approach, I've come to reflect on what areas of my life need to improve, so that I can live more LifeWorthy myself. While I was visiting my parents over Thanksgiving, I spent some time writing in my journal about what I am thankful for. I had all the typical things people list: family, a job, God's grace, the Thanksgiving dinner. But I had one other thing on my list that I wrote down without thinking, "I'm thankful for the opportunity to turn 34 years old next week." It wasn't until I was re-reading what I had written that I paused to think about that. If you've ever known a cancer survivor then you've probably noticed that they take milestones very seriously. Having a birthday means having had another year of life, of beating the disease. I am a cancer survivor, and I understand the value of a birthday, but while I'm no longer sick with cancer, I am not healthy either.

So here are the things I've got to change so that I can live LifeWorthy in body, mind, and spirit.

1. I don't drink enough water. In fact, I'm willing to bet that I'm chronically dehydrated.

There is no reason for this. I live in a house with running water and a reverse osmosis filter on my refrigerator. I have a refrigerator at my office that is always stocked with bottled water. There are water fountains everywhere with water that is safe to drink.

Instead, I have bought into the marketing campaigns of the soda, coffee, and alcoholic beverages companies. I have gotten to the point where I would rather pick up a cola or sugary coffee drink than a glass of H2O. The result is that when my body says, "I'm thirsty," my mind hears, "SUGAR!!!!!" I am never properly hydrated because I have stopped recognizing the signal for what it is: a need to replace the H2O that I've lost in daily activity.

2. I am obese, and it's out of control.

I have been fighting to stop gaining weight for close to five years now. Like many people, I have been putting on weight every year, at the tune of about 5-10 pounds per year. For my health to improve I need to lose about 80 pounds... which is, quite frankly, difficult. My weight started to go up after a car wreck and then a couple years later a pair of abdominal surgeries, all of which reduced my ability to be active. My life at a desk job and my family's sedentary behaviors rubbed off on me and my weight gain just kind of became something I accepted.

At my last doctor's appointment he expressed concern about how much visceral fat I have gained. I didn't know there was more than one kind of fat, but there are: Visceral fat is the fat that accumulates under your muscles, inside your abdominal cavity for example! Subcutaneous fat is the fat that lives under your skin, above your muscles. And I have BOTH! Because of that, I don't have the energy to do the things I used to love doing. I went dancing with some friends a while back and got some pretty severe side cramps just from dancing 1 song. Years ago I could dance for hours and barely get winded!

3. I am in my mid 30s, yet I still can't do my own makeup or hair on a daily basis.

Ok, so this one is pure vanity, but I never really learned how to do it right. I can do stage makeup and halloween face paint is my forté, but regular, daytime makeup that you wear to work? I suck at it.

The reason for this is that in my heart of hearts I don't believe that I'm worth the complements or positive looks that a woman who looks put together gets. That's a horrible self image, and I know it! Now, I'm not the prettiest or most attractive person in the room most of the time, but I'm no slouch either, and I am certainly worthy of looking my best for myself, if not for everyone else.

4. I still don't sleep well. Even as an adult.

I admit it: I feel fine as long as I get 4 hours of sleep. I don't seem to need the 6-8 hours that most people need. That doesn't mean it's healthy, though. Even if my body doesn't feel like it needs more than that I'm sure my brain does! Your brain depends on sleep states to "clean out" the toxins that build up during the day. The fact that I don't sleep much is probably related to a bunch of health problems, both now and in the future.

So what am I going to do about it? Find out in my NEXT BLOG

#Health #Selfreflection