I recently I wrote about overcoming a ho-hum, humdrum life. Sometimes, the ho-hum, humdrum is just about a lack of energy and good health. Because as we head into the Thanksgiving and Christmas season, our schedules can get busy and we are going to need a little more energy. Your energy affects your focus, your mood and motivation. Diet and exercise play a large role, too. How’s your energy?
How Healthy Are You?
On a scale of one to ten with ten being you are at your best healthy self, where do you rate? Do you have the energy to finish out your day strong? Or is this your scenario?
–By the end of the work day, I come home exhausted and tired. I don’t have the energy to do anything but sit down and watch tv till it’s time to start dinner. My job isn’t physically taxing, but it’s mentally draining. So during the day, I am consuming caffeine and soda, thinking that it is keeping me going, giving me the energy I need. But in reality, it is just giving me a headache the next morning because my body is trying to get over the caffeine and sugar overload. So I give it more and start again. Is sitting down in front of a television or drinking another coffee or soda going to fix the lack of energy to finish the day strong? LOL. SCREECH! Hit the brakes on this scene.
What I need is actually the opposite of what I’m doing. I need to get up and DO something. Just keep moving. Falling asleep in your chair is not healthy. It’s not the answer. (There is a reason why they make beds.) So why don’t I just get up? Why am I so tired?
Ever heard the saying, “A body in motion tends to stay in motion, a body at rest tends to stay at rest.” Yeah, that’s the ticket.
You know I would probably be healthier if I just turned off the TV. What if these big screens were the cause of all our sleep problems? –Not to mention the lack of decent programming. I know it is ruining my sleep, not to mention my mind! I’m ready to throw the thing out the window, but I would probably throw out my back as well.
Diet and Exercise
Diet and exercise play an important part in your energy. If you aren’t giving your body fuel, it doesn’t operate well. Are you eating right? The holidays are full of extra calories and munching on goodies. And a little bit is ok. It’s all about moderation. You shouldn’t eat the whole pie at Thanksgiving dinner. One slice will do. It’s about self-control. Moderation and self-control are not popular words during the holidays, but it is a fruit of the Spirit.
In contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.
Galatians 5:22-23
I’m not the best at eating healthy. I tend to skip meals like breakfast or work through lunch but I try to make up for that by taking supplements for nutrients I may be lacking.
I know at my age, I need supplements of vitamin D, K2, C, B12, and calcium. Do a little research on vitamins. Make sure you are drinking plenty of water, something I’m also not great at. The caffeine in my coffee is dehydrating. I should be drinking more water and less coffee. Cut out sugared drinks. I stopped drinking sodas about 2 months ago. Sugar is as addictive as caffeine.
Notice I don’t have much to say on exercise. –Yeah, I’m not a fan of “organized exercise” for exercise sake. But that’s just me. –Exercise is important. You have to find an activity that works for you, something you like doing and have fun with it. I’m thankful God made me small with a high metabolism! But I think if I just keep moving, I’ll be fine. God didn’t make us all to have Ken and Barbie bodies. But He does want us to take care of the bodies He gave us.
Challenge Alert
Therefore, I’m issuing myself a challenge and I’m inviting anyone who wants to join me: I’m going to stop watching TV for the next 30 days. That’s right. It’s the holiday season! There are other things I could do. I’m either going to get up out of my chair and work on making some Christmas gifts or I’m going to read some good books, clean my house, visit friends, do any number of other things for the next 30 days. Now, I’m sure my husband is still going to watch TV. This is football season, after all:). This challenge is about me and my habits, my health. I won’t expect him to do something so drastic, but I’m sure he’ll support me.
Action Steps
When you change your habits, you change your life. So let’s make some changes starting now.
Write down in your planner or calendar your food and water intake for 21 days. Pay attention to what you are putting in your body. Check out the Food Pyramid. Adjust your diet to follow these guidelines. Research vitamins and supplements. See what you can add to improve your health. Did you know that in the winter, it’s good to add vitamin D to your diet to help your body deal with the lack of sunshine? If you are into caffeine, like me, slowly decrease your intake over the next 21 days. Replace it with water.
You can also write down some activities you could do instead of watching TV. Make some freezer meals to give to friends or family. Send cards to shut-ins. Visit people in the nursing homes. Play board games with your spouse or kids and grandkids. Get creative!
If you’d like to challenge yourself, too, drop me a line in the comments. I’ll send you an email and we can set some goals and do this challenge together, because here’s nothing better than having a friend to help keep you accountable.
Let’s make this the healthiest year ahead of us. We’ve lived through two years of COVID fears. Let’s eat right, sleep better and improve our energy and keep moving. I’m ready to live my best life ever, how about you?
Thanks for following along. Happy Thanksgiving. We have so much to be grateful for!
God bless. –Barb