Have you ever said… “Everybody’s Doing it…”?

I want to go do that ….  Everybody’s going.

I want to do that certain thing …  Everybody’s doing it.

I want to try that… Everybody’s doing it.

Well, maybe they are.  So, what?  Does that have anything to do with Anything?  No.

Why do you want to go… or to do… or to try that…

How do you make a decision?

          Because of what other people are doing??

Why do we eat the food we eat?  Do you think no one is feeling the effects of the way they eat?

Why do we NOT exercise?  Do you think other people are “getting by” not exercising?

What is it that we stress about?  Do you see others who are stressed and think they feel no effects from it?

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Most of us have quite a few people in our lives that we randomly watch.

You may see people who seem to have little to no energy. 

You may see people who have chronic illnesses. 

You may talk to people who can’t seem to get a good night’s sleep.

You may notice people who seem to “catch” every bug that comes around.

There might be people in your circle who have unexplained symptoms that the doctors can’t seem to diagnose (this was my case for several years).

There might be some who have chronic pain, or painful joints that don’t want to work.

Have you ever wondered why? 

Do you think “it’s in their genes”? 

Do you think these ailments Just Happen to latch onto some people randomly?

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Do you think these ailments have no cause?

Everyone is different; we know that.  But there are reasons people are ill.

It could be they have been exposed to a lot of toxins without their knowledge.

It could be they have eaten improperly, and neglected caring for themselves for a long time.

It could be they’ve been exposed to excessive stress, maybe long-term stress, causing loss of sleep.

It could be they work nonstop, giving themselves no time to even take a breath… or “recover” from so much constant activity.

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Nutrition: 

Most people in America eat the Standard American Diet… which has continually gotten worse over time, full of more and more over-processed “non-food”.  This diet has very poor nutrition, and lots of “poison” from additives and from the way the food is cared for, and prepared.

Eating this typical diet, without any other negative reasons, can cause heart disease, diabetes, dementia, Alzheimer’s, cancer, and any number of other chronic diseases.  Pretty simply put, these foods cause inflammation, and inflammation causes disease.

On the other hand, good nutrition can change our life.  It can give us energy, help us think better, help us feel better, help us feel more relaxed, help us sleep better.  It helps our body talk to us to let us know what food helps it to be better (and what food makes it feel worse).  It can help our bodies to heal from illness.  It gives us strength in addition to energy.

Exercise:

Our bodies were made to move.  They were miraculously and wonderfully made, to move.  If they don’t get enough movement, our muscles won’t work properly; our blood won’t circulate as well; our oxygen won’t go through our bodies as it ought; we won’t be able to breathe as well.

Exercise helps us sleep better; it helps our food to digest better; it settles our nervous system.  It helps our mind to work properly—no brain fog!  It helps every single bodily system to work better, which ALL work to keep us healthy, and WELL.  It also helps us to be Happier!

Stress:

We were not made to be stressed like we are.  We’re designed to be at peace.  We’re instructed in the Holy Bible to be at peace. 

Why are we not at peace?

How many of our population hurry and scurry from the time they get up until they go to bed… without taking breaks during the day (thinking: we have to get that done!)

How many go from one problem or stress to another all day long?

How many leave a long list of things that didn’t get done during that day?

What about grabbing a quick lunch on the go, without a break?

And if you have people who work with you or around you that you might not necessarily get along with, that causes more stress.

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ALL chronic diseases have greatly increased in the past decade.  Most have skyrocketed, including diabetes and Alzheimer’s.

Can you see why this is happening?

We must take better care of ourselves.

That includes eating good, nutritious real food.  And leaving off the junk—because it’s not real food.  And cooking at home is the very best way to eat, so you’ll know for sure what you’re eating.

Taking better care of ourselves includes a minimum of some exercise every day.  Walk for a few minutes every day.  Outside in a peaceful environment is best, if you can.  Start small, and increase as you get stronger.  There’s no doubt that you will feel better.  Being outside in the morning will also encourage your body to sleep better that night.

Better care also includes resting.  Often.  Through the day, and before bed time.  Our bodies were not meant to run full-throttle all day, anymore than our car is meant for that.  Time for Bible reading and prayer are good starters too.

Take a few minutes during the day to get in a quiet spot if possible, close your eyes and just take several deep breaths.  At least a couple times each day.

Put a 10-15 minute cushion in between your tasks, or appointments.  In case you over-schedule slightly, this will help you feel more at ease.  It will also give you time to just take a breath and look around yourself a little bit.

Have a night-time routine so your body and mind will know it’s about time to rest.  Turn the lights down, turn the tv off; turn your phone off an hour or two before bed time.

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These are a few ideas to help yourself be healthier and happier.  If you want to make some changes toward these, just choose one or two.  Make those changes, and as they form a habit, choose another one or two things.  Lots of times one little change can make a big difference in your life.

As you make changes, let your body talk to you.  Listen for it to tell you things.  If it hurts, or feels bad, it’s trying to tell you something.  Pay closer attention, and figure out what your body needs.

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When I was having health issues, I needed to change every category:

Nutrition

Stress

Exercise

Sleep

Toxins.

It was not easy, but I had to do it, so I did. 

1.       I changed my eating all at once, and ate (temporarily) only foods which could not cause inflammation, until my body began to heal.  It took about 2-½ months.

2.       Managing my stress, I found to be harder.  I eventually made time to rest, but it was very, very hard for me to even sit still for long.

3.       My exercise, also was harder for me…(I didn’t “think” I had time)

4.       Sleep… as the other changes began, my sleep began to be deeper and more peaceful.

5.       Toxins; I eventually changed everything in our house; vinegar and baking soda take up a lot of slack when getting chemical-heavy cleansers out of your house.  And now, pretty much everything is chemical-free, from laundry soap to shampoo to face cream.  (I use coconut oil as a face cleanser)

6.       Relationships is also something that can help your health or hinder it. 

So.  Don’t let Everybody’s Doing it” influence your decisions for your health.  It’s not a decision about what to eat, or about exercise, or the rest.  It’s a decision about how you want your health to be, and how you want to feel.

If I can help you in any way to make your health better, let me know.  I’d like to help you feel better and have a better life.

Thank you for reading.

Sharon