Temple Health

Let me say this right up front – I am in no way an expert on health, exercise or nutrition. There are many specialists in those fields doing some great writing so why am I bothering to post about those things? First, I offer this because my blog is about how I’m working on developing a better version of myself and that includes the physical. Second, I’ve found that if I’m not feeling good physically, I don’t have the focus, energy or motivation to work on other aspects of myself. Finally, I want to give an example of how a normal, non-expert like me works on these areas in my daily life.

This is just a brief overview of 4 key areas that I pay attention to in order to have overall Temple Health (your body is a temple right?). Each could be a series of posts in themselves but for now I’ll just give the 30,000 foot view on some practices that I use to help keep me feeling good and enjoying life:

1. STRETCHING – I know. It sounds unbelievably basic. But don’t underestimate the power of a good daily stretch. I start off with about 4 minutes of stretching every morning. It’s a great way to wake up, get your blood flowing and prepare you for the day. Stretching even releases endorphins, your body’s natural pain reliever and mood booster! It also helps prevent injury, especially as you age. I was recently reminded of the importance of this as I was stretching backstage before a performance (I sing and play in a band as a church music pastor). A friend of mine was shocked that I could touch my toes. He never stretches and has a hard time reaching past his knees. He’s an injury waiting to happen.

No serious expertise is needed at intro levels. Just remember to stretch slowly and smoothly, gradually increasing the range of each stretch over time. Come up with your own stretching routine or find one you like on youtube (for an example click here).

2. MODERATE EXERCISE – Note that I said moderate. If you want to train for a marathon or the Olympics, awesome. That’s not my goal. I’m just looking for a small amount of regular exercise to promote my overall health and keep me feeling good. For me it’s running. While basketball or hiking is more fun when I have the chance, running is my go to form of exercise. It’s cheap, fast and I can do it almost anywhere. I run a 1.75 mile course through my neighborhood 5 mornings a week. I’ve been doing it for over 25 years.

When I run, I have more energy, my thinking is sharper and I’m happier. When I don’t run, I feel sluggish, my brain feels foggy and I’m grouchy. Look for something you enjoy and commit to sticking with it for 30 days. You’ll feel the difference.

3. DIET – I was eating a fairly generic American diet until a few years ago when my wife started doing some research on the latest findings in nutrition. Based on what she learned we decided to go low carb. I stopped drinking soda, started using organic stevia powder instead of sugar and cut way back on processed foods. In those early days, an unfortunate proof that I was addicted to carbs and sugar came in the form of what’s known in low carb circles as The Carb Flu. I literally felt like I had the flu for a few days as my body detoxed from all the processed junk I had been eating for years. After the transition, I quickly dropped that stubborn 10 lbs I’d been unsuccessfully trying to lose and I feel SO much better overall.Again, I don’t claim to be a nutritional expert. I’m just sharing what has helped me. For better info, check out my daughter Kennedy’s awesome food and nutrition blog at kennedypm.com. If you’re interested in more info on going low carb, a video lecture called The Food Revolution was a very helpful and entertaining introduction to low carb eating as well as the books Grain Brain by Dr. David Perlmutter and Cholesterol Clarity by Jimmy Moore. When in doubt go with things that are natural while avoiding processed foods and sugars. There’s no one right way to eat so find what works for you.

4. SLEEP – I first learned the importance of sleep in college. I was a vocal performance major and my instructor taught me how important proper rest was for my voice. So even with boisterous roommates and early classes I learned to organize my schedule to get 8 hrs a night. With a few season of life exceptions, I’ve kept that practice up ever since. It was definitely harder when our kids were little. Our son had colic as a baby and was up screaming 6 times a night for the first 3 months. My wife and I were walking zombies.

I used to struggle with feeling like sleeping 8 hrs a night was wasting too much time. I’ve come to learn that I actually get more accomplished in less time when I’m properly rested than when I’m burning the candle at both ends. I also feel better and am happier which is a bonus both for me and the people who have to be around me (Hi honey! 🙂 ). Not everyone needs the same amount of sleep so find your sweet spot and work your schedule around it. It will pay big dividends.

So which of these 4 Temple Health areas could use some attention in your life? Pick one to experiment with and go for it! It will be a great next step on your way to Becoming Yourself.

For Squeaky who inspired this post