"Hi! How are you?" So many of us hear something
like this practically every day. Most of us answer simply by saying "Fine." But
how are you... really?! Are you paying attention to your health, or do you mainly notice
it when your condition is undesirable? When we get sick, we have no choice but to pay full
attention to our body's needs. But why wait until we are sick to do something about our
health? It costs more money and time to correct an illness than it does to maintain good
health.
We all know how to handle the body's basic needs. We know
how it feels when it is time to eliminate waste, or when it is time to eat. The body has
many more signals to tell us about its needs. Sometimes they are very subtle and we may
only notice them if we take the time to stop what we are doing and "listen" for
a while. Occasionally, the urge to eat is not just a need for any kind of food. Perhaps,
the body may be in need of a particular ingredient. For example, many people mistake
hunger for a desire for water. Maybe the body is craving salt---for maintaining
electro-chemical balances---and we interpret this as a desire for potato chips, which also
contain a LOT of fat.
The body sends signals throughout itself which are used to
pass information about the status of organs and various functions. This is also used to
keep the brain informed about the body's overall condition. If we learn to listen and
understand the messages, we may be able to maintain good overall health by supplying the
body with what it really needs. Normally, if we can take care of these needs soon enough,
the body will be able to maintain good health. However, we may not be listening to the
subtle messages, and so the body talks a little louder. We may start getting tired, weak,
or sluggish. If we still do not listen, the body will make sure we have no choice but to
pay attention by lying sick in bed. Finally, the body may be getting what it needs, but
now it is going to take a while to return to good health. Time is very valuable to most
people these days and now it is being consumed by seeing to the body's needs. Then there
is the money: A trip to the doctor and possibly lost wages from missed work. It does not
need to be this way!
How much value do you put on good health? Is it worth the
effort to maintain it? Do you know what the body needs when it is asking for help? This is
the only body you have; there are no trade-ins. Good health should be sought by everyone
and, once it has been achieved, we must do all we can to maintain it. We cannot afford to
neglect the body's needs. It is the only true vehicle we have in which to travel while we
live here on Earth. So please, start listening to your body. It can make your life much
more enjoyable!
