Day 8 - Laughter

Proverbs 17:22
"A merry heart doeth good like a medicine..."

FOUND at http://www.christianpost.com/article/20070713/learn-to-laugh/index.html) (Rick Warren is the founding pastor of Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, Calif., one of America's largest and best-known churches. In addition, Rick is author of the New York Times bestseller The Purpose-Driven Life and The Purpose-Driven Church

Proverbs 14:30 says, “A relaxed attitude lengthens a man’s life.”

Humor is an amazing thing. It’s a tension dissolver. It’s an antidote to anxiety. It’s just like a tranquilizer, but without any troublesome side effects. And it’s free! You don’t even need a prescription.Laughter is life’s shock absorber. If you want to have less stress in your life, learn to laugh at your circumstances. Somehow, you must find the fun in the frustrating.

SPIRITUAL: Lord, today fill me with your goodness, that I may have a "merry heart".

MENTAL: Humor!

Currently I'm reading "Infusing Humor into Healthcare by Enid A. Schwartz, RN, Ms,MC for Continuing Education.

Here is one of the Chapters that discusses how Nurses can use humor to prevent "burnout":

USING HUMOR TO SURVIVE NURSING,

In this era of decreasing staff and increasing workload, how would nurses survive without humor? For example, consider the following scenario. You have seven acutely ill patients, a doctor is screaming for assistance with a procedure, a patient is in pain and constantly on her light, and down the hall a patient with dementia is yelling, "Help me, God. Oh please, help me, God" .

What do you do? Screaming is out, although that might be exactly what you feel like doing. What would happen if you took one moment, got on the intercom to the room of the patent with dementia, and said, "This is God. Now go to sleep." That happened one night at a small, rural hospital in southeast Arizona. The patient , who had barely slept since she arrived at the hospital, fell asleep and slept the rest of the night.

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My Dad taught me the value of not taking life so serious and finding humor in situations. It's help me tremendously in my life. He'd come home after work and tell us Jokes he heard (ones rated G for little ears). Also, I recall my cousins told us some hilarious stories when they were going through the process of making arrangements for their fathers funeral. Not a funny situation, but their sense of humor and laughter got them through a very difficult task. My sister and I had a similar experience of some light hearted moments when we had the very same task. I knew my Dad was watching us from above cracking up at our antics.

On Day 6 I have to admit I was struggling to muster up some "feelings of happiness" when I awoke. I recall how I laid in bed that morning... fake smiling! Knowing it works to just smile.... if anything, you can laugh at how silly you look laying in bed smiling at nothing!

Well, that morning during my blogging I wanted to maybe put a "beauty tip" in my blogs. So, I did a quick search on line and found "Dunk your head in Ice water and cucumbers"... That made me crack up. I used it to just be funny. But, It that set the tone for the rest of the day or me. Come on... a beauty tip that tells you to DUNK YOUR HEAD IN ICE WATER! Just cracks me up! If my husband thought I was crazy smiling in bed about nothing... he'd put me away if he saw me in the kitchen dunking my head in a sink full of Ice water and you'd be mailing my birthday cards to Dena Marie C/O The Funny Farm.

Lighten up! Life has so many difficult struggles. So much happening around us and TO US.

Ask the Lord to put that Joyful Spirit in you. I keep saying, and will keep on saying. We are in a Spiritual Battle! Put on the "whole armour of God"

Ephesians 6:12-13

¹²For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

¹³Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

It's real! Weight, health, family, Money, Work.... We have to wake up every morning BELIEVING we serve the God of the Universe! Knowing HE is our Hope! Knowing HE gives us Strength to face the Day.

The Song we sang in Church as a little Girl "Because HE lives, I can Face Tomorrow. Because HE lives all fear is Gone".

1 John 4:18

but perfect love casteth out fear

So, in the Lord, feel the freedom to laugh at life's situations. Walk in Joy and laughter today!

PHYSICAL: See January 6th post on "get moving". Exercise YOUR HEART (hey, I have a theme today.... Merry Heart and Exercise your Heart! must be getting ready for Valentines Day. :) lol - yes, that means LAUGH OUT LOUD! DO IT for your Health!

Eating TIP:

Eat only a portion that is the size of your fist! My Aunt went on a diet that I heard about that said you could eat anything as long as you could fit it into a half of a Pita Bread. Hummm, I think that sound about right. So, even if you choose a healthy Snack... don't put the WHOLE bag in front of you. Take out the right portion! BUT THE BAG AWAY so you won't be tempted. So, when you finish the portion it'll take effort to get the bag and give you a chance to STOP, LOOK UP, TAKE A DEEP BREATH and quote a scripture verse like "Greater is HE that is in me than he that is in that BAG"

SALUTE! To your health and Wellness

Day 7

Ephesians 4:29-32

²⁹Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths,

but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs,

that it may benefit those who listen.

We hear what WE say, right. We feed our minds with what WE are saying to others. WE feed our minds what we say to ourselves.

Psalm 19:14

Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer

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Words are so powerful. Can you think of a time someone said a complement to you that you've never forgotten. Do you recall how it made you feel at that time?

Can you recall a time someone said a criticism that has haunted you. I recall My teacher, Mrs. Candelaria in 4th grade who told me I was a terrible speller. So much for the spelling bee's I won in 3rd Grade. She said it, She was my teacher, so I believed it. I am a terrible speller. Is it because those words were planted in my head? I don't know, but how crazy I recall that teacher and what she told me 40 years later. (Ok, maybe a few more than 40.... guess my math ain't so good either, and throw in grammar too. ) HA!

SPIRITUAL: Lord, help me to day to use my words to impart strength to myself and others. Help me to choose words that bring life, healing and wellness to my soul. AMEN

Mental: (See post on Vitamins). I do believe that we can't get all our nutrients from our foods, but Vitamins are not a replacement for a healthy diet. Vitamins can be "overused" and cause problems.

Physical: This is Day 7 - find a way to increase the type and or duration of your activity or exercises today. Find ways to exercise throughout the day!

I mentioned before the importance of "Motion". Toddlers loose their baby fat, why? Because they've learned to walk! That's also why Toddlers loose interest in eating between 2-4 years old. They are too busy MOVING! ACTIVE! CURIOUS!

Take a lesson from Toddlers!

Find opportunities to day to move, stretch. You can walk in place while talking on the phone. Try walking with exaggerated movements (ok, when no one is watching you).

For example When standing at a counter or sink:

Standing Calf Raise: Stand on the floor (or with your heels hanging off a bench or step) and hold onto a bar or wall for balance. Lift up onto your toes as high as you can, squeezing the calves. Lower and repeat for 16 reps.

Or when the opportunity presents itself and your alone with a WALL (ha ha)

Wall Push Up
(A) Stand a few feet away from a wall and place hands on wall at shoulder level, a few inches wider than shoulders. (B) Pull the abs in and, keeping back straight, bend elbows and lower body towards the wall until elbows are at 90 degree angles.

SALUTE! I'm hoping to get feedback. Is this helpful to your journey to health and wellness? What should I add or remove? Please bear in mind, this is my "starting point" ... Thank you for your comments in advance

Get Moving!

Aerobic exercise: Top 10 reasons to get physical

Regardless of age, weight or athletic ability, aerobic exercise is good for you. See why — then prepare yourself to get moving!

By Mayo Clinic staff

At least 30 minutes of daily aerobic activity — such as walking, bicycling or swimming — can help you live longer and healthier. See how aerobic exercise affects your heart, lungs and blood flow. Then get motivated to reap the rewards!

How your body responds to aerobic exercise

During aerobic activity, you repeatedly move large muscles in your arms, legs and hips. You'll notice your body's responses quickly.

You'll breathe faster and more deeply. This maximizes the amount of oxygen in your blood. Your heart will beat faster, which increases blood flow to your muscles and back to your lungs. Your small blood vessels (capillaries) will widen to deliver more oxygen to your muscles and carry away waste products, such as carbon dioxide and lactic acid. Your body will even release endorphins, natural painkillers that promote an increased sense of well-being.

Aerobic activity can help you:

1. Keep excess pounds at bay. Combined with a healthy diet, aerobic exercise helps you lose weight — and keep it off.
2. Increase your stamina. Aerobic exercise may make you tired in the short term. But over the long term, you'll enjoy increased stamina and reduced fatigue.
3. Ward off viral illnesses. Aerobic exercise activates your immune system. This leaves you less susceptible to minor viral illnesses, such as colds and flu.
4. Reduce health risks. Aerobic exercise reduces the risk of many conditions, including obesity, heart disease, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, stroke and certain types of cancer. Weight-bearing aerobic exercises, such as walking, reduce the risk of osteoporosis.
5. Manage chronic conditions. Aerobic exercise helps lower high blood pressure and control blood sugar. If you've had a heart attack, aerobic exercise helps prevent subsequent attacks.
6. Strengthen your heart. A stronger heart doesn't need to beat as fast. A stronger heart also pumps blood more efficiently, which improves blood flow to all parts of your body.
7. Keep your arteries clear. Aerobic exercise boosts your high-density lipoprotein (HDL), or "good," cholesterol and lowers your low-density lipoprotein (LDL), or "bad," cholesterol. The potential result? Less buildup of plaques in your arteries.
8. Boost your mood. Aerobic exercise can ease the gloominess of depression, reduce the tension associated with anxiety and promote relaxation.
9. Stay active and independent as you get older. Aerobic exercise keeps your muscles strong, which can help you maintain mobility as you get older. Aerobic exercise also keeps your mind sharp. At least 30 minutes of aerobic exercise three days a week seems to reduce cognitive decline in older adults.
10. Live longer. People who participate in regular aerobic exercise appear to live longer than those who don't exercise regularly.

Start slowly

Aerobic activity is safe for most people, but sometimes it's important to get a doctor's OK first — especially if you have a chronic health condition. When you're ready to begin exercising, start slowly. You might walk five minutes in the morning and five minutes in the evening. The next day, add a few minutes to each walking session. Pick up the pace a bit, too. Soon, you could be walking briskly for at least 30 minutes a day — and reaping all the benefits of regular aerobic activity.

Other options might include cross-country skiing, aerobic dancing, swimming, stair climbing, bicycling, jogging, elliptical training or rowing. If you have a condition that limits your ability to participate in aerobic activities, ask your doctor about alternatives. If you have arthritis, for example, aquatic exercises may give you the benefits of aerobic activity without stressing your joints

VItamins

Experts cut through the hype about the health benefits of vitamin supplements.

By Richard Sine
WebMD Feature

Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD

There are enough myths around vitamins to make an ancient Greek blush, and it's easy to see why.

We all know that vitamins and minerals are essential to good health -- it says so right there on the cereal box. And we live in the more-is-better era of Hummers, Big Gulps, and McMansions. Which raises the obvious question: if taking 100% of the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) of, say, vitamin C is good enough to keep us going through the day, then why shouldn't taking 1,000% be enough to melt our fat, cure our blues, and let us leap tall buildings in a single bound?

Meanwhile, the $19 billion-a-year dietary supplement industry continually reminds us that we can get our vitamins from a pill. Which invites yet another question: Why should we bother choking down bushels of brussels sprouts when we could get the same effect by sprinkling supplement shavings over our Boston cream pie?

If life were only that easy. The broad consensus from nutrition experts -- or at least the ones who aren't buying Hummers with the proceeds from supplement sales -- is that while vitamins are indeed essential, big doses are usually pointless and can even be harmful. And no pill is likely to ever adequately substitute for a healthy diet.

side note

I'm really pump up! As I opened my eye's this morning, I thought about the importance of centering my thoughts for the day before I get out of bed. Not mulling over all the task to do, but... well, just centering myself. I kind of felt like a freak as I laid there Smiling - yes, making myself just smile! Well, I blogged about it so I should DO IT. Then I just decided to repeat over and over again, Thank you Lord... nothing specifically came to mind to thank him for, just... saying "Thank you" feeding my soul with words of gratitude. Then again, practicing what I'm saying to do, I put on my Work Out clothes and started the Day. When I kept fiddling around (unconsciously avoiding my exercise bike) I then recognized and admitted I was avoiding it by keeping busy. I then, again practiced what I've said. Stood Still, Looked up and took a deep breath and Said to the Lord, "Unto thee oHHHHHH Lord!". Then I walked in to the room and ... again felt the lack of desire to get on the bike.... then said, "oh, I'll put on the TV and that will help me do this for at least 5 minutes". See, again what is that about when we avoid what we know we should do? As I wrote that, it occurred to me, "we are conditioned to only do that which brings us IMMEDIATE pleasure". A confirmation that taking care of our bodies properly is a "spiritual battle". Yet, I believe that if I persist to do what I know is right, Say what I know is right and Live what I know is right.....I will hunger after those things that are right because it'll just be a part of me to do so. oh, by the way.... as usual the 5 minutes turned in to 15 then I stretch for another 10! yawhooeeee

That's what I have to say about that!