Monday 18 November 2013

Losing weight: It’s easy!

A bit of pineapple, a bit of dried fruit and some melon, that’s right! That’s what I’ll have this morning before I have my cereal. As I pick the fruit and add them to my plastic container one lady says to me, are you on a diet? “My diet is permanent” I reply, “I envy you” she utters. Well that’s it! That’s the secret to losing weight fast, that’s how you can maintain a desired weight and not have to worry about gaining, it’s not spasmodic, it’s permanent. Every day I witness women, men and children who’ve gone way over the border line. Some reckon that following a cabbage soup diet with dry wafers for a month or so will help, but what happens is that they deprive their bodies of the much needed nutrition found in a variety of healthful food. Others reckon it’s getting some kind of gadget, suction or supplement treatment that will help remove the flab, but what happens when the treatment ends? It’s rhetorical. The obvious happens; we waste thousands of Rands or Dollars pilling up with machinery, corsets and treatments that are a means to what end? Catch the rhetoric? So what did I mean by ‘permanent?’ Health is a lifestyle; that’s right! It’s what I put in that influences what goes out, in all respects of the wordJ. If I sow wheat, I should get wheat as the result, “whatsoever a man soeth, that shall he also reap.” So what do you suppose I should get for filling my body with junk? Junk in = junk out, fat in = fat, cholesterol and disease out. You get more out than you actually get in.


So what actually works?
1.    Eating whole grains (brown rice, brown bread etc.), greens and whole fruit not only helps the body to excrete the extractable easily, but also helps reduce chances of getting chronic and inflammatory diseases like strokes, diabetes type 2, heart disease, colorectal cancer, arthritis, gum and tooth disease helps maintain healthier blood pressure levels and helps to keep your weight down.
2.    Exercise, exercise and exercise! Instead of using the elevator or escalator to the 5th level of the building, use the stairs when going up and going down the next level, that’s what keeps me energetic throughout the day! Instead of driving, try walking, it will not only save you petrol/gas, it will save your life and induces weight-loss. Eating healthy coupled with exercise is the best combination and will never disappoint.
3.    Drink plenty of water not less than 8-10 glasses of water a day. Apple juice, coffee, tea and fizzy drinks just don’t do it, water, water, and more water!
4.    Spend time in the outdoors early in the morning, and late in the afternoon to get fresh air and sunshine. The best and safest time to bask in the sun is between sunrise and 9am and again between 4pm and sunset.
5.    Moderation is key, it’s called balance. Keep all things at a moderate level; eat enough, but never too little or too much, exercise enough and never too little or too much, the same with sleep catch the drift?
6.    Rest, we live in a fast-paced society where there is hardly any rest. Get rest every day, that’s not an option – that’s if you don’t want wrinkles and mood swings and the rest literally, you get more from rest than you get from not resting.
7.    We’ve lost confidence in humanity, we’ve lost confidence in love and in anything that requires us to trust, but amidst all the strife and all that happens around us, there is one whom we can place our trust in, that’s the Creator. Trust His providence, His love, and His care. It’s has been proven, daily prayer does wonders to our lives. It does wonders to those who are physically, mentally and spiritually worn out. Try it, it works!
There you have it, lose weight, it's easy!!

Friday 8 November 2013

Thank God for Water!

We often take it for granted that water is important until we find ourselves in a crisis. I mean what could possibly go wrong? A lot can go wrong! On my way to work one morning, I try to be as comfortable as possible, I grab one of my books and start reading. After 10 minutes of departure, a lady we were travelling with starts choking...'what's happening' we exclaimed? 'Is she having an epileptic fit?' one asked, 'she can't breathe' another muttered, 'could it be an asthmatic attack I asked?' *totally clueless*. To my surprise, she was actually having an asthmatic attack. 

One of the ladies hurriedly asks 'is there anyone with water?' The vehicle was dead with silence, I grabbed my backpack and took out a bottle of water. She drank the water as I uttered a silent prayer, 'Lord please help her,' I said. After a few minutes she was able to breathe well again, sounds extreme hey?! but after that incident, it really made me think, had I not been late, had I finished my water, what would have happened to the young lady? I usually drink about 2 glasses of warm water with lemon juice in the morning, then later on as I travel, I drink some warm water from my water bottle. That morning I was too pressed to drink more water as my focus was on getting to work, little did I know that my leftover water would help someone. 


So what's the point? 
1. Tjoo!! Thank God for water!
2. Drink water at regular intervals and keep hydrated (at least 8 glasses per day).
3. Always carry a bottle of water with you.
4. Value water and use it wisely.