Live Well This School Year

by Dr. Brett L. Lukert, DC

Starting the new school year is a perfect time for kids and adults to develop a daily routine that will keep us healthier. Making a commitment to living well is the first step that we have to make. We all want to live long and stay healthy, but we sometimes forget that this usually doesn’t happen without making consistent health conscious decisions. Living well is about putting a value on our health and deciding to do something about it. God has blessed each of us with certain gifts, and it is up to us to make the most of them. Living well requires finding that delicate balance between thinking well, eating well and playing well.

Thinking well helps us paint a picture about what health goals we want to accomplish. In order to get where we want to go, we must first have a destination. And if we want a dream to come true, we must first have a dream. The mind is very powerful, and by thinking well and continually educating ourselves about what it takes to be healthier, we become motivated to start living well.

Eating well does not just apply to the 83 percent of Americans who are overweight. It applies to EVERYBODY, at every age and every weight. Like it or not, our weight is one the most important measures of our future health. The key to eating well is learning how to eat balanced meals from the four food groups, in conjunction with appropriate vitamins and nutritional supplements. This helps keep our hormones balanced and ensures that we regularly replenish our supply of essential vitamins and minerals.

Playing well refers to making time for consistent exercise. It has been shown that it is basically impossible to live a long life of vigor and vitality if we are not exercising. Research has also indicated that a sedentary lifestyle is more detrimental to our health than smoking. Besides the obvious benefits of losing weight, exercise also lowers stress and boosts energy. Exercise should primarily be focused on building the heart and building muscle. This is accomplished by combining a healthy balance of aerobic training (walking, elliptical, swimming, biking, etc.) and strength training (weights) into an individual fitness plan. This will be different for everyone depending on age, sex, weight, and fitness level.

Life is intended to be lived with passion and energy! If we can begin to understand how valuable our health is, we can then not only start living well but can also do what it takes to be healthy, live healthy and stay healthy!