Volume 09, Issue 41: A Proactive Approach to Health (Part IV)

As we come to the conclusion of this series, let’s consider a few more ways of taking care of ourselves proactively, rather than waiting for health issues to arise. And as I keep repeating, we are talking about things that relate to lifestyle. I reiterate again that if we can take care of those things proactively, we can reduce our risk of a lot of health issues down the road. This is no doubt a much better approach than waiting for ourselves to get sick and then starting to take care of ourselves.

We have talked about practicing safe sun exposure, consistently eating a healthy diet, intentionally moving our bodies and investing in our mental health. Let’s wrap up with two more aspects to be proactive about in taking care of our health and investing in our future well being.

5. Drink enough water

Have you noticed that God gave us water wells, not soda, juice or coffee wells? That should tell us how important water is to our health. Drinking enough water in the right way is part of practicing good nutrition. Water plays a vital role in keeping our bodies healthy and fit. Water helps to cleanse the colon, release toxins from the body, boost our immune systems, raise our metabolism and aid in digesting food faster and more efficiently. Water keeps our internal organs healthy and balances our body fluids.

What I have learnt about the proper way of drinking water is to drink it first thing in the morning, drink most of it during the day and less in the evening, drink it on an empty stomach, and drink water close to an hour before and after meals. And you shouldn't drink your water with your food. Drinking water while eating dilutes your stomach acids. Experts have said that water is bad for your digestion when consumed during a meal. If gastric acid gets diluted, it's not able to digest your food thoroughly enough.

Scientists recommend drinking warm water over anything else. Ice cold drinks may negatively affect your digestion, and too hot drinks can scald and damage your esophagus. Warm water hydrates your body faster and better. It boosts digestion by stimulating natural digestive enzymes. Warm water makes it easier to break down food and it ensures better bowel movement, especially if you drink a glass of warm water right after you wake up in the morning.

6. Have a Health Check Up

Last but not least, having regular whole body health check ups is not a luxury when you know it's much easier to prevent a medical condition or address one at its onset than at an advanced stage. Have a whole body health check up once a year and keep a record of the results for comparison. If the check up reveals issues to be addressed, diligently follow through the corrective actions to get back in shape.

We have gone over six areas for consideration. It's time to take action if you haven't started already. Don't keep it on hold any longer. Admit where you are not doing well and start with small daily actions. If you are overwhelmed with something, break it down into smaller manageable chunks. should you be in the category of those who have their act together, don't wait to be a little heavier than you ought to before you incorporate physical activity and good nutrition in your diet. Don't wait to have aches to go for a health check up. Do these few things, and others that you know of a lifestyle.

Prevention is always better than cure. It's so much easier and enjoyable to exercise to keep fit and healthy than it is to exercise to lose excess weight. It's so much harder and frustrating to get rid of belly fat once the layer has accumulated and made itself comfortable in your midsection. It's much easier to avoid getting it in the first place through proper nutrition and exercise. It's much harder to repair years of cumulative sun damage than it is to practice safe sun exposure.

That said, it's never too late to get started on a corrective action plan. Granted, it's much harder, but it's certainly doable. With lots of determination and discipline, no mountain is too daunting to tackle. So, let's not let anything stop us from starting to proactively take care of our health.

For His Glory,

Lillian Chebosi