Not By Diet Alone....

In yesterday's article, Will a Good Diet Alone Make You Healthy? we concluded that the answer was "No".

The individual components of Exercise, Diet, Sunshine, Fresh Air, Rest/Sleep, a good Attitude - are all necessary to achieve true Health.

We like to work on the parts we are strong in, where we are comfortable, rather than the part that needs strengthening. Sort of like with a piece of music - it's much more fun to play the parts we know, than to go back and break apart the difficult passages to get them up to speed.

It takes work, but the results and the satisfaction that comes with it always make it worthwhile.

Rev. George A. Malkmus, founder of Hallelujah Acres, teaches a "Get Healthy, Stay Balanced" program, where "balanced" means that all these components are necessary.

Dr. Douglas Graham, author of the 80/10/10 Diet and a 30 year living example and teacher of the raw food diet and lifestyle, says we are only as strong as our weakest link. How true that is!

He also says that if we have one spoke in the wheel that is either too short or too long, the ride will be very bumpy. I like that analogy because it is an accurate description of what happens when we either ignore one facet, or over-emphasize another.

A lot of people in the raw food movement have found such wonderful results from radically changing their diets from the SAD (Standard American Diet) to a raw or mostly raw fruits and vegetable diet, that they tend to stay there for a really long time.

I did, too, for a few years. Then I started adding in exercise, which wasn't hard for me because I have always loved being physically active, and since my health improved so dramatically with the diet change it was even easier.

After a few more years, when my diet wasn't something I had to work so hard at anymore, I started to take seriously the importance of getting enough fresh air and sunshine. Lately I've really been paying attention to my attitude, rest and sleep.

It's an exciting journey!

We are not fragmented creatures. God created each of us with a physical body, a spirit, and emotions that encompass one very unique and special person, of infinite value.

We should treat ourselves as such.

Phyllis Towse

What Qualifies as Exercise? Part 1

You may be thinking that you have to go to a gym and work out on the machines, or do an exercise class to get “qualified” exercise. That is certainly one way, but just as certainly not the only way.

You can get your workouts at home and save some money – first in the club sign-up fee and monthly dues, then in driving costs, and in that perhaps most precious of all commodities, time.

Dumbbells are cheap and easily found at Walmart, Target, sports stores – even garage sales.

How to know what to do with your dumbells, or what routine to do at home? There is a plethora of dvds and videos available, made by incredible fitness gurus.

Jillian Michaels of The Biggest Loser tv series has great dvd’s, and there are many others that you can check out at Amazon.com. Read the reviews to see if a certain workout will be a good match for you.

Garage sales are again a great source, as are Amazon, eBay, overstock.com, half.com, craigslist, etc. Utube has free videos of workouts online, and of course many magazines have exercises in some of their articles.

So, if you are disciplined you can get a full workout at home, suited to your schedule and your personal preferences.

But, consider this: Walking in your neighborhood is free and one of the very best exercises you can do. Take your dog for a walk if you’re not already, even if he or she is older and can’t go as fast or as far as you would go by yourself. It’s healthy for her, too.

More on this next time…..

In the meantime, go take a walk! :-)