The New Year prompts a lot of people to make resolutions. Now is a good time to include ones that keep you healthy. Thanksgiving is when we appreciate those things that we are grateful for. Most people give thanks for good health, however good health and quality of life are not just handed to us. We must work at it. It’s true that genes play a role in how our bodies function, and how long we live, but we can do certain things that counteract the bad genes.
For instance exercise, healthy eating habits, proper sleep, and supplements all add to a quality of life. By that I mean that chronic illness and debilitating conditions can be avoided or lessened if we include those things in our everyday lives. Prevention is always better than treatment if possible. If this philosophy was more prevalent, we would have a lot of active, energetic, and mentally sharp senior citizens.
Smokers and obese people start out the New Year with pledges to change for the better. Gamblers can be unhealthy if they lack sleep and exercise and don’t eat right. So besides beating the urge to gamble, they could aim to be more healthy.Workaholics are notorious for long hours and stress related jobs. They too could resolve to follow healthy habits.
I believe in medical tests that warn of impending problems that can be avoided. Get those annual checkups.
Serious conditions like heart disease, aneurisyms, glaucoma, diabetes, and gallstones are just a few conditions that can be detected early and treated.
Let’s turn our attention to avoiding disease-causing microbes. Some of the more common ones that make the television news are salmonella, flu and cold viruses, e.coli, and MRSA, Careful food handling, hand washing, personal hygiene, shielded coughs and sneezes are actions that we can all take. Make a resolution to do these things. Don’t eat with contaminated hands, keep food healthy and germ free. avoid cross contamination in public places, and stay home to recuperate if sick so as not to infect others.
Enjoy all that the New Year brings especially good health. and keep those resolutions to add to your quality of life.