Life Lesson Three: Take Care of Your Body.
Someone gave me this advice when I was young, but I didn’t listen. People in their twenties and thirties believe they are immoral. Here’s a piece of bad news, you aren’t. Your body is the one important thing you will take into old age. You can have all the money in the world, but if you are falling apart, it won’t matter. Medical science has come a long way, but they haven’t been able to eliminate old age. I suspect they never will. Until then, take care of your body.
I was a healthy kid. The main health issue I had as an adult involved pregnancy. My twenties were spent having babies and breastfeeding that extended into my thirties. One day I informed Rooster that if he ever wanted to sleep in my bed again, he needed to get neutered. It didn’t take him long to figure out I was serious. He made a doctor’s appointment, and we were back to doing taxes in no time. (For those who don’t know, that was the excuse we used when we wanted some alone time. The kids thought we were in trouble with the IRS.)
Take Care of Your Body
I didn’t start taking this advice seriously until I got diagnosed with diabetes. I’ve been battling this disease for ten years. First, I tried to control it with a diet. That lasted for a year or so. The thing about a strict diet is that it is hard to follow. They never seem to work long turn if you try to control your weight by dieting alone.
My second attempt at controlling my Diabetes involved exercise. I started walking on my lunch hour and taking steps around the office when I was alone. I managed five miles a day. The progress I made ended with COVID and retirement. I lost my walking routine and my motivation.
Fast forward a couple of years. Rooster got diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes, COVID ended, and our health insurance offered a free gym membership. Fighting the disease is easy now that we are making it a team effort. It only took changing our diet and exercise to increase our wellness. We have both lost weight. Our numbers are so much better. Plus, we feel good.
Take Care of Your Body
There are some easy steps to take that any person can do to make themselves healthier. The trick is to start where you are and move forward by making simple changes to your life style.
- Stop smoking, and if you don’t, never start.
- Eat all your fruit and vegetables.
- Add protein to your diet,
- Avoid carbs ─ salt and sugar aren’t your friends.
- Exercise and stay active.
Change takes time, but your body will thank you if you do these five things. Take care of your body, and it will be kind to you.
Who is Molly Shea?
Molly Shea is an accomplished fictional short story writer from Indiana who writes short stories and novels about a fictional town called Tecumseh. To read more of her short stories and adventures, click here.
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So, true.
Thank you.
I have a family history of diabetes and it’s been my biggest fear since I was eight. I was a fat child (not actually fat or overweight, but my dad liked me thinking that), but I became an even fatter teen and adult, mostly from eating trash food and not doing anything but sitting around depressedly.
Working on health isn’t fun at first, but being healthy is way better than being in dang pain. I’ve lost nearly 40 lbs and while I’m still obese, I’m not as unhealthy as I was and I feel a lot better and my family treats me better. (Not my dad though, he’s gone.)
Congrats. Keep up the good work.
Thank you.💕
I’m good with self-care except for exercise 😞
I skipped that part for years because I didn’t want to do it. I finally started walking, and i don’t mind it as much anymore.
I loved the “taxes story”.
Yes taking care of your body is the best thing you will ever do for yourself.
The kids tell it every time they want to embarrass us.
LOLOL!
They are funny kids.