Learn to Take Care of Yourself

As a child I was really ambitious. I always wondered why we only had 24 hours in a day, and what it would be like to have 48 hours instead. Then, my mother told me “We are lucky to have 24 hours in a day, we could have only 12. Twenty four hours is plenty if we utilize it well”. That is true! We have 24 hours and we should devote at least an hour just to taking care of ourselves. I call it the Golden Hour, and in this time we can do a lot.Utilize the Golden Hour
Make sure you put the high SPF lotion on the skin before you start your day
Wash the feet with soap and water at the end of the day
Take a multivitamin  a day
Drink eight glasses of water a day
Take care of your teeth (That means brushing AND flossing)
Eat breakfast.
Exercise/walk or another leisure activity for at least thirty minutes a day
Make plan to eat healthy meals three times a day.
Make plan to see your doctor and dentist regularly.
So many conditions could be prevented if we took better care of ourselves. Most of it is common sense even but we just need to make it part of our routine. Make time for your golden hour for taking care of your self and you stay healthy and looking young. Let me emphasize regular exercise. Exercising is a must-do, not a ‘do-when-you-have-time’ activity. Let’s make a pledge, just like you do not go out without brushing your teeth, lets not complete the day without exercise.Benefits from Exercise
Maintains reduced body weight/fat
Prevents you from gaining weight
Decreases your blood pressure
Decreases your bad cholesterol and increase your good cholesterol ( keeping you with good heart & brain)
Keeps your diabetes in good control
Decreases cancer risk
Prevents you from osteoporosis and ensure your bone strength
Increases cardiac output and improve your endurance and stamina
Decreases stress, anxiety, depression
Maintains your lean body mass
Improves your lung capacity
Reduces your heart attacks
Reduces strokes
Improves immunity, so you do not get sick easily
Keeps you healthy and looking young
In brief, it means, you stay healthy and young.    Nobody likes to grow old because being old comes with the negative effects like diseases, inability, impaired memory and decreased body capacity, fall and fractures of the bone, etc.  Although we cannot prevent getting older, we can choose to grow old with good mental and physical health.   Many times, I am amazed by some of my elderly patients. They are in their 80s-90s travelling the world, teaching young people around the world and doing so much more. Very smart, very sharp, and very experienced elderly people, doing more than today’s youngsters.   That is what I learn from these elderly healthy folks. They all took care of themselves when they were young. So they stay young. GIVE A GOLDEN HOUR TO YOURSELF EVERYDAY.