“Health ALERT!” Blog #146
Can I clear my head and sit in silence today?
Does my body and my mind crave discipline?
Am I alert to living a holistically healthy life?
The other day I went in for my annual physical and something my Doctor said has stuck
with me. He said, “I see so many people every day who are on a myriad of medicines, over
weight and daily depressed.” He said, “yet….they eat poorly, they do NOT exercise and they
have no plan to change how they live, so I can’t help them with that!” I listened quietly and
agreed with him. Thinking about this more I feel I am of this belief: “it is not how long I live
that matters, but the quality of “how“ I live my life each day that matters! Then peace
of mind will come naturally.”
Somewhere in the world right now, there is a small town with a few thousand people who
have pretty much figured out the secret to living a balanced life. Here, in this town,
hundreds of individuals have already reached the ripe old age of one hundred! They walk
around and live life looking like they are sixty and feeling healthy too! Sickness is rare.
Stress takes a back burner. The sun shines more than it does not and the main staple of
food for these people is rice, beans and corn tortillas. Oh yes…. and exercise daily with lots
of walking. Now working well into a persons nineties is just something that is taken for
granted. Most of the people who are approaching one hundred, look forward to each and
every day. There are no televisions, radios or cell phones. The average home has a few
rooms. The average family has a mother, father, their children, grandparents and great
grandparents, all living together happily under the same roof. People who live in this town
go to bed when the sun sets and rise when the sun comes up. There is a lot of fruit grown
and a lot of fruit eaten. A couple times a month a chicken is butchered to add to the rice
and beans and tortillas. Dinner is eaten late in the day and many stories are told as the
day winds down before the sun sets and the last hammock has stopped rocking. People
in each family care about one another and the wisest words of wisdom are shared by the
elderly and revered by the young. This is a place where all is right with the world. There is
little to worry about and less to fear. Here the people are healthy, happy and content in
their small town of Nicaya, Costa Rica. The people who are already one hundred years old
and beyond are treated with overwhelming kindness. There is little stress here, and most
of all people share a beautiful secret, these people live lives with a strong sense of
purpose. Feeling needed, they want to contribute to the greater good of each of their
families. They also drink a lot of hard water that has high concentrates of calcium and
low rates of heart disease! These people eat light dinners very EARLY IN THE DAY and then
relax.
Elderly not only live with their biological families and extended family but they get frequent
visits from their neighbors who story tell with much laughter throughout the day. They
believe the more a person has possessions in life, the more a person has to worry about
and watch over them. In so my words, a simpler life is an easier, less stressful, healthier life.
Now if I were to decide to incorporate even a few of these great “life lessons” into my own
life, I could and would and should be much healthier.
People who live in Nicuya are a quiet, reserved faith based people. They do not talk about
it but they live it. Believing in a higher power (God), they love their neighbor as themself.
They work hard each day for the meager food they eat and are so thankful for everything
they have. No one takes their health for granted, but seem to automatically understand
that “less is more”. There are so many lessons we can take away from the Costa Rican
culture of the people who live in Nicuya. Scientists and researchers have studied these
amazing people who live on a tiny little peninsula in the Northern region of Costa Rica. Still,
after many years, there are so many mysterious parts to their culture. Yet one thing is
sure, with no radios, no televisions and no cell phones, they keep themselves busy without
boredom day after day and live to be very old and very healthy. There is much
opportunity to find stillness and in the quiet of ones’ heart, one learns about what is really
important in life. Perhaps the takeaway I leave you with today is how easy is it to simplify
our eating and living habits. It’s important to learn about what resides in my heart. These
people have more time for quiet solitude and in doing so, discover untapped potential in
the very core of each of our beings. Jesus Christ has given me a unique character with
opportunity and intelligence to become all that I can try to be regardless of my age. I
pray, asking for direction now. Immediately feeling the hand of God rest quietly upon my
heart. I know HE helps me, shows me and guides me in the highest divine direction. I am
at peace.
Mother Theresa said it best when she stated:
“People are often unreasonable, illogical and self-centered, forgive them anyway. If you
are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives - be kind anyway. If you find
serenity and happiness, they may be jealous, be happy anyway. The good you do today,
people will forget tomorrow. Do good anyway. “Give the world the best you have, and it
may never be enough. Still, give the world the best you’ve got anyway.
You see in the final analysis, it’s between you and God, It never was between you and
them anyway.
Is there a health alert I can correct with prayer today?
NOW LISTEN TO SONG FOR TODAY - CLICK PLAY BUTTON IN VIDEO BELOW