Health & Fitness
Choose Optimal Health
What is optimal health? Is it possible for you? Would you like to improve your work performance or lower your cholesterol or slow down the aging process? Impossible? Maybe not!
by Cindy Behm
If you could have optimal health would you want to have it? What would that look like? What would be the benefits? Is that possible for you? What roadblocks do you see to getting there?
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Most people do want the best health possible, right? I sure do. So what does that look like? For me, optimal health is not only feeling my best, but having lots of energy, able to do what I want to do physically, avoiding preventable diseases, and having a quality of life for a long time.
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So what does one need to do to have optimal health? You probably know the answer. Eat right and exercise. No secret there. Just let me say that the root cause for most people not having optimal health is the fact that they are overweight. Obesity is the main cause of a whole host of preventable ailments. What can be prevented?
Here are a few:
Heart attack or stroke
High cholesterol
High blood pressure
Elevated blood sugar
Insulin resistance
Diabetes
Liver and gall bladder disease
Lower risk for varicose veins
Help you breathe better
Sleep apnea
Lessen or eliminate asthma, bronchitis, and other lung problems
Lower risk of getting arthritis
Markedly lower your risk for may types of cancers
Just think about how much money is spent on going to the doctor and paying for medications to help with preventable diseases! You can avoid these by losing weight.
Here are some benefits:
Live longer
Improve quality of life
Slow down the aging process
Give you more energy and vitality
Improve your mental outlook and increase your happiness
Improve work performance
Improve your sleep
Increase chances of becoming pregnant (if that is what you want)
Losing just 10% of your body weight can make you 50% healthier! Now that is a big payoff! People should have a body mass between 19 and 24. Check out your BMI.
I may have you convinced that you need to lose some weight, but doing it is another thing, I know. My husband and I are using the Take Shape for Life program to move toward optimal health. That is why we were able to train and hike the 14er in Colorado. (I wrote about that last month.) I love the program so much that I decided to become a Health Coach to help others. Do what works for you. If you do want help, let me know.
Whatever you do, pursue Optimal Health and enjoy the best quality of life possible.
