Get Real About Your Health

Possibly the most important thing you can do in your life is work to improve and/or maintain good personal health.

*As a general disclaimer, I realize that there are numerous health issues and concerns that are not related to lifestyle decisions. My comments are directed at the average person and non-special cases*

Why?

To even ask "Why" is ridiculous, but I'll answer it anyway.
While it can be argued that the most important aspect of your life is your spirituality, . .1) Some disagree. 2) If you agree you'd still have to believe that God, Allah, Buddha, Mohammed, etc, (fill in deity of your choosing) must have a reason for you to be here (physically alive) in the first place. 3) If you disagree and believe that this is all there is. Once you die your gone completely, . . well then THIS IS IT! So you'd better make the most of it.

No matter how you look at it, there is no reason to be on this planet and NOT be in as good a shape as you can be.

I really don't want to get too heavy into the spiritual side of existence regarding my point. I live under the assumption that most people want to live happy and fulfilling lives regardless of what their beliefs are.

If you feel that way, continue reading. If not, it doesn't really matter.

From a purely practical side it's a good idea to stay fit. Even if you have health insurance (and if you don't, look into it immediately!) it will still have a deductible and won't cover everything. You will pay something every time you use a health related service.
Besides, health insurance doesn't make you healthy and you shouldn't be looking at it as an alternative to living a healthier life style than you may be now. Most people I'm sure don't look at it that way either, but continue to live their lives that way anyway.
More people have been driven into bankruptcy, not because of losing their jobs or some other financially related cause, but by a major health problem. It may have directly led to them not being able to work or simply the medical costs they incurred. Health insurance is a safety net if anything designed precisely to help you avoid a financial disaster. My suggestion is to have the safety net, but do what you can to prevent the cause of the disaster in the first place.

*Obviously a major accident can have the same result. My comments are directed at lifestyle decisions*

It is always in your best interest to be in the best physical shape you can be in. You have more energy, you look better, you feel better.
The irony is that the worse shape you're in, the more work you'll have to do to get in better shape, and the harder it will be to stay motivated. The better shape you're in, the easier it is to stay in shape. It's like life is laughin' at you isn't it?

So what's the good news? Well, there actually is some. The human body is an amazing thing. It responds quickly and predictably. Almost anything you do; walk, jog, run, etc will have immediate results. You don't have to train like a marathon runner or a decathlon athlete to achieve noticeable results in a relatively short time. And the even better news? The largest and most noticeable improvements happen early on and It gets easier and easier as you continue. The real challenge is to stay with it.

Sustained motivation is the key to many things and an issue I've not fully researched yet. I don't claim to have the definitive word on that topic. To the extent that I have researched it I've found that there are numerous approaches and that most motivational speakers will agree that, like many other things, there is no "One size fits all" solution or method. My response this year will be to find as many as I can and share my results.

For now, for myself, it's enough to realize that good personal health and the lifestyle that supports it is paramount to nearly every other aspect of my life. It wouldn't hurt most people to feel the same.

Slow Cooker Coolness

Cook with a Slow Cooker as often as possible.

Why?

Because it makes cooking simple. Everything in one pot, turn it on, leave it alone.
Because it will save you money on your grocery bill. Using actual produce instead of prepackaged foods is cheaper.
Because it's a more nutritional way to cook. Using actual produce instead of prepackaged foods is healthier.
Because it will save you money on your power bill. A slow cooker on Low uses less power than a 100 watt light bulb.
Because it will make the house smell wonderful all day. It just will.

There are probably more reasons but these are just off the top of my head and should be reason enough.

You don't have a Slow Cooker?

They're cheap. You can usually pick up a 4 quart model (which is about the handiest size for most dishes) for around $30. Incidentally a "Crock-Pot" IS a slow cooker. "Crock-Pot" is just a brand name used by Rival.

This year, 2009 (coming year actually (tonight at midnight)) one of my personal goals is to find ways to save money while simultaneously NOT adding more work to my life. Don't misunderstand me. I have no aversion to work. As a freelancer I put in a lot more hours than the average nine to fiver (I said average). Point simply being that there are undoubtedly ways to save time and money at the same time. I'm simply making a conscious decision to search them out. I'll post them here when I find good ones. Using a slow cooker more often is a good one.