Wednesday, November 05, 2008

Do You Have Time?

You know sometimes I just get so serious... rabidly serious about nutrition and health. Sometimes I get so serious I know I irritate the heck out of the people around me. I am quite conscious of needing to tell myself to lighten up or I will push people away instead of drawing them in where maybe I can help them. But there are moments when I reflect on what I've been thru in my own journey to conquering illness and on what I see in the hospital as a respiratory therapist and at those moments I know deep in my heart it is serious.

There's nothing light about losing the quality of your life thru illness; especially illness that you could have prevented. Preventable illnesses are incredibly tragic. Illness takes away a lot of the choices in life. In fact, it occurs to me one of the worst things about illness is the loss of human potential and the implications that has on the quality of an individuals life, as well as, the loss to society. I'd say at least 90% of the misery I see in the hospital is preventable. And if you check out the World Health Organizations website or read a number of books "The China Study" by T Colin Campbell, "Eat To Live" by Joel Fuhrman,M.D., "The AntiOxidant Miracle" by Lester Packer, PhD to name just a few; you will find I am exactly correct.

One morning earlier this year I was having breakfast with my sister. We were talking about what I'd just learned in one of the courses I was taking for my Masters degree. I was very excited about it. I said it was a crime everyone didn't know what I had just learned. My sister said no-one cared. I replied but if folks knew how much real control they have over their health and thus their quality of life they WOULD care. It's cos they don't know that they seem to not care. Am I being naive ? I hope not. Your life depends on it.

Just the other day a casual friend remarked she just HAD to lose weight. She's right. She's headed for a really bad life if she doesn't. She asked me how to lose weight. I gave her a few suggestions. She replied she couldn't do that to each suggestion. She doesn't have time and it's to expensive to buy healthy food. Ok so let's get this: she wants to lose weight but she won't change anything that she's doing. If she sticks with the decision she doesn't have time she will join the ranks of thousands of other people with chronic illness. What she's missing is that time is running out on her not having time to take care of herself.

Another friend stated she's losing weight by eating a high protein diet and generally eating less. But can't find time to exercise. Hopefully, she's eating just enough protein and not overdoing it. Excess protein is not a good thing. Eating less could be a good thing. But it's not really about eating less; it's about being aware of what you are eating, eating mindfully, eating a varied diet of vegetables and fruits and being sure to get all the nutrients her body needs. I hope she is. And she'll have to come to the realization exercise is a part of the deal. Good health isn't just about eating right and it's not just about normalizing your weight. The body needs to move as much as it needs for you to give it the right nutrients. What she's missing is that time is running out on her not having time to exercise.

These two folks are representative of the folks I keep bumping into in my quest to help others live a healthier life. I'm not picking on these two folks, really I'm not... it's just that they are both on my mind cos not only do I care about both of them greatly; they really are representative of the folks I keep bumping into.... folks with a time problem. Hey I know about time. There was a time when illness put me flat on my back. I know how time escapes you and how illness steals it from you. Illness stole quite enough of my time. It's not a fun way to learn about priorities. I'm NOT going back there. I hope they don't land themselves there. And I hope you don't either.

The other night after a futile effort to save him I saw a middle-aged man die. No-one middle-aged should be in the condition he was in. No-one of any age should be in the condition he was in. I will spare you the gory details which I can't expel from my mind. Time ran out on this guy. Time does that.

I see it all the time. The results of the standard american diet and a sedentary life. Overweight people. Massively overweight people. Gaping ulcers on their body. Diabetes. Leg amputations. Dementia. Heart disease. Re-do re-do cardiac bypasses. COPD patients who can't breathe but still manage to suck on cigarettes.

I see results that were preventable.
And folks who don't have time to eat nutritiously or exercise.

The clock is ticking folks....

How many times have you said to yourself I should eat better? or I should exercise more? or I wish I had more energy? How many times have you actually attempted to lose weight, get stronger, live healthier..... and failed? Don't kick yourself. Most of us have grown up living the typical american lifestyle; eating the typical standard american diet. It's not easy to change a lifetime habit and it's to your credit you have tried even if you failed. You just need a little support and guidance.

In early 2009 I'm going to give you an opportunity for support to change your life for the better; to put yourself on a healthy, positive path. Stay tuned.....

Join my email list and have my blog posts (and upcoming program announcements) emailed directly to you in a timely manner..... so you don't miss anything! Send your email addy to quantumwellness@charter.net put join email list in the subject line please!



Wishing you wellness and joy!
Pam Murphy,M.S.,RRT
Holistic Health Coach
314-397-0686 CST

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