Healthy Living Dee Marie

HEALTHY LIVING

ARE YOU MAKING HEALTHY CHOICES?

YOU ARE THE SUM TOTAL OF YOUR DECISIONS.

Healthy living has been on my mind for quite some time. I will be 50 years old in 2024 and being honest, I have work to do. Growing up I was a super skinny girl and couldn’t eat enough to gain weight. I wasn’t satisfied skinny, and now that I’m older, I’m not satisfied overweight. So what truly is the issue? It’s about choice!

When we think about being healthy, the first thing we consider is our outer appearance and that dreadful scale. We think about dieting and exercising, always looking for the quick fix so we can fit into the outfit. Although I do believe eating right and exercising is something we should do in our daily lives, we also have to think about the heart. Now what do I mean by that? The Bible says in Proverbs 4:23 NIV, “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows through it.” I’ve read this verse many times, but this time it hit differently.

The heart is at the core of everything we do. It circulates our blood, makes sure oxygen is flowing properly. It’s connected to our main arteries. It’s affected by what we eat, what we drink, how much movement we get. It also dictates our relationships, our emotions, our mood. It is the center of everything as it relates to human beings. So when the Bible tells us to guard our heart, God is serious. This all comes down to our choices.

When I began this article, I mentioned how I was not satisfied being skinny or being overweight. The truth is the satisfaction can’t come from my outer appearance, it has to come from the heart. Being healthy requires discipline that surrounds the heart. Discipline with eating, exercising, relationships, emotional availability, and so much more. The issue is we have to make the choice to live a completely healthy lifestyle. With anything that requires change or discipline, it’s going to require work. I challenge you to take some alone time and consider everything you’re doing that surrounds your heart. What are you eating? What are you drinking? Are you smoking? Do you exercise? Do you have heart disease? Do you have high blood pressure or high cholesterol? Is your job stressful? Are you in a dead-end relationship? Are you in an abusive relationship? Do you need therapy from past trauma? Do you deal with anxiety or depression? Those were a lot of questions, but everything I named surrounds your heart. If we are honest with ourselves and begin to get serious abount guarding our hearts, our lives can only get better. We want to live to see our children’s children. Let’s make a decision to make better choices. We are the sum total of the choices we have made thus far, but the good news is, if you haven’t made good choices, you can start today! We can’t change the beginning, but we can change to create a new ending. Purpose in your heart to pay more attention to what you’re watching, what you’re reading, who you’re surrounding yourself with, and what diet and exercise you are partaking in. Ask God to show you how to make healthy choices. I guarantee He will!