Make a conscious effort to remain healthy

by Tina Y. Gerber

Aging is a fact of life! Physical changes can occur in almost every organ and can affect senior’s health and lifestyle. When I was young, I made a conscious effort to be healthy. I knew then, as now, an active lifestyle directly benefits your overall health and well-being. Whether you participate in line dancing, table tennis, pinochle, billiards, or bowling, or perhaps you prefer walking, swimming, cycling, or strength training to help with flexibility and balance. The time is now.

Today, with bad knee(s), it’s not good for me to push myself but stay active, within my limits, has continued benefits! Even though we cannot stop the aging process, being aware of these changes can reduce their overall health impact. I know pushing myself hard could lead to more complications down the road.

I told myself when my knee recovered, I wanted to participate in a local run or walk. This, of course, never happened because my knee(s) have yet to heal. Some days, I can barely walk down the hall, even when using my cane, without taking several small breaks. It was obvious, I needed help and so I turned to God.

God “seemed” far away when I struggled with my eating choices and was attempting to pursue a more active lifestyle, even though God was readily listening to my words and answered my prayers.

We must remember, God wants to know us, and He wants us to trust in Him. Through Him, we are safe. Through Him, we will not perish. My blood sugars have dropped from 26 to an average of just under 10 over the last month! Now that’s progress! Some days readings have been as low as 6.6!

I have completely deleted soda pop from my diet, and white bread and other addictive foods. I no longer struggle or have cravings. I have found a new freedom, never before experienced with my eating habits. Do I have hope, one day I will participate in a walk or marathon? Absolutely!

Staying healthy as you age is, perhaps, not as difficult as you may think. My husband and I have decided one of the best ways we can stay healthy is by focusing on our food choices and regularly taking vitamins. Food habits play an integral role in impacting your mood, immunity and mental clarity. Martin is a chef, and knows the importance of consistently making and eating the right food choices. However, over the last two years, we got lazy and made excuses for not eating properly and/or both of us have gained weight. With retirement around the corner, I want to be able to chase my grandchildren and create some amazing and beautiful memories.

I started to eat half of what was served on my plate. I noticed within three days I was feeling much better. Previously, it felt my insides were suffocating! My blood sugar readings were out of control. And while my husband prepares the food I love, to show his love, we have adopted an attitude of gratitude.

Now, in addition to focusing on food and relying on God’s Grace of course, we started to make physical activity a part of our normal routine. We found, regular exercise allows us to sleep better. It has helped decrease the swelling around my knee, and perhaps, I am not so grumpy and tired. The multiple health benefits of exercising and watching our intake helped me take better control of my diabetes. My arthritis flare-ups are less and my headaches have decreased dramatically.

If you eat healthily, take vitamins, and start to exercise safely and regularly, you will feel younger and live longer.

#column #healthampfitness #tinaygerber