A Priceless Possession

Sharon Jane Akinyemi

Sharon Jane Akinyemi

By Sharon Jane Akinyemi

Imagine if we sent our troops to the Middle East to fight terrorism, without preparing them for the fight. If we waited until they got there to brief them of the enemy’s tactics or to train them how to use weapons and armour, they’d be in deep trouble.

A wise soldier puts on his armour before he goes into battle. A wise man/woman takes charge of his/her health by doing the preventive instead of the curative. Obviously the rate of exposure to killer germs and diseases in our society is overwhelming, and calls for topmost attention and preparation. We must not be caught unaware.

How important is your health? What amount of money would you be willing to pay to buy health if you could? Would it be worth a million naira to you? It’s a relative question, isn’t it? If you are reasonably healthy, you may want to spend your money on something else. If you only suffer with a complaint or two, perhaps you are tired once in a while but overall you’re doing fairly well, you might not be willing to shell out as much as someone else. What is wellness worth?

Ask patients in cancer wards that same question. Most would agree that they would pay any amount of money to regain their health. Ask the parents of a terminally ill child. A million naira is a small ransom to pay to cure the disease that has taken their son or daughter hostage.

Health is a priceless possession, more important than the houses, cars, furniture, jewels, and other assets our culture so highly valued. Strength and stamina-gifts most of us receive at birth-can be maintained or lost during a lifetime, depending on the receivers stewardship.

The world health organisation (W.H.O) defines health as a state of complete physical, mental and social wellbeing  and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. Sometimes we don’t realise the value of something  until we lose it.

A friend  we’ll call Mariam was this way. She possessed a remarkable immune system, one that was faithful to protect her in spite of her assault on it. A frightened diet of coffee, pastries, ice creams, alcoholic drinks and fast foods combined with sedentary job to pile on the kilograms (in spite of the concentrated bitter herbs she wouldn’t stop because it “kept the weight off”). But she never got sick. Friends and families begged Mariam to change her lifestyle. At that time, it didn’t matter to her. Today it does, however. She now has cancer. Mariam is facing death, and she’s urgently searching the Internet for somewhere, anywhere, to find healing.

If good health were a place called Wellbeing, would you be willing to travel there if it were a thousand miles away? Five thousand? Ten thousand? Mariam would, because when you lose something important, you desperately want it back.

It becomes the pearl of great price to you. If you are in Mariam’s  shoes, wanting to recapture your vigour, remember the Chinese proverb, “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” Vibrant health may seem out of reach for you now. You believe you are too far gone. But we know you are not. People at death door have regained their health and even gone to levels they haven’t previously  experience .

I (Sharon) know this from experience when I lost my health some years back. It was a severe case of arthritis due to excess weight. I had to study extensively to learn how to rebuild my body through nutrition and lifestyle changes. When I began my restorative exercise regimen, I could literally only walk a few steps before I was forced to stop and rest. I have travelled great lengths to regain my health. And I’m still on that journey.

 In my future articles  on Body Confidence, you will benefit from my experience of losing and recovering my health. The Body Confidence programme that I now use for my clients was  developed out of years of researching medical journals and health books, brainstorming with physicians and nutritionists, attending medical conferences and courses, consulting with experts, and experimenting on myself and other patients.

A healthy attitude is one that finds a balance between current pleasure and future benefits. It allows freedom for flexibility  and occasional indulgences without sacrificing health and wellness. A healthy attitude says,” it’s my body and my choice. I’m choosing this.”

If you need a little more motivation  for making some positive changes in your eating and weight, here’s a powerful fact that could dramatically extend your life.

Did you know that eating a very nutritious diet of 30% fewer calories can add 30% more time  to your lifespan ? In addition to supercharging  your overall health. This means that if you expect to live to the average age of 75 years, you can increase that amount to approximately 97 years just by eating less.

I strongly agree that eating less is a proven method to increase longevity. I encourage you to forget about all the reasons you have failed in the past. Today is a new day and a fresh start. My purpose for this article is to help you find solutions, not excuses. It doesn’t matter what challenges are holding you back. If you want to achieve victory, you must find solutions to those speed bumps.

Important Steps To Immune Your Health

• The quality of your nutrition must get better.

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•The amount of food you eat should be done in moderation.

•The way you move and exercise should be purposeful.

• The way you relax and sleep keeps you from undue fatigue.

•The way you respond to stress and worry is important. Don’t get too emotional.

•Take  advantage  of  seasonal fruits. E.g Mango. Mango is a seasonal fruit and presently it is sold in every nook and cranny of Lagos and other parts of this country. Just look around where you live you will certainly find some.

On  14 March, 2012, Diana Herrington, posted an article on the 10 benefits of mango, written by  Randy Fritz. Here are some of the benefits:

• Mango Prevents Cancer: Research has shown antioxidant compounds in mango fruit have been found to protect against colon, breast, leukemia and prostate cancers. These compounds include quercetin, isoquercitrin, astragalin, fisetin, gallic acid and methylgallat, as well as the abundant enzymes.

• It  Lowers Cholesterol: The high levels of fiber, pectin and vitamin C help to lower serum cholesterol levels, specifically LoLow-Density Lipoprotein (the bad stuff)

• It Clears the Skin: Can be used both internally and externally for the skin. Mangos clear clogged pores and eliminate pimples.

•Eye Health: One cup of sliced mangoes supplies 25 percent of the needed daily value of vitamin A, which promotes good eyesight and prevents night blindness and dry eyes.

•It Alkalizes The Body: The tartaric acid, malic acid, and a trace of citric acid found in the fruit help to maintain the alkali reserve of the body.

•It Helps To Treat Diabetes: Mango leaves help normalize insulin levels in the blood. The traditional home remedy involves boiling leaves in water, soaking through the night and then consuming the filtered decoction in the morning. Mango fruit also have a relatively low glycemic index (41-60) so moderate quantities will not spike your sugar levels.

•It Improves Sex: Mangos are a great source of vitamin E. Even though the popular connection between sex drive and vitamin E was originally created by a mistaken generalization on rat studies, further research has shown balanced proper amounts (as from whole food) does help in this area.

•It Improves Digestion: Papayas are not the only fruit that contain enzymes for breaking down protein. There are several fruits, including mangoes, which have this healthful quality. The fiber in mangos also helps digestion and elimination.

•Mango Is A Remedy For Heat Stroke: Juicing the fruit from green mango and mixing with water and a sweetener helps to cool down the body and prevent harm to the body. From an ayurvedic viewpoint, the reason people often get diuretic and exhausted when visiting equatorial climates is because the strong “sun energy” is burning up your body, particularly the muscles.  The kidneys then become overloaded with the toxins from this process.

•It Boosts Immune System: The generous amounts of vitamin C and vitamin A in mangos, plus 25 different kinds of carotenoids keep your immune system healthy and strong.

For questions and answers, let’s connect @ www.facebook.com/BodyConfidenceFitnessClub

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