Wednesday, October 26, 2016

Listening to Your Body

I was trying to have this post ready last week but Canva was refusing to download the pictures, skewing my posting schedule.  Then came Friday's massive outage.  So frustrated by it all I gave up on completing this post last week.  Technology...can't live with it, can't live without it.



For many of us, better health does not come naturally. It is something we all must work on in order to lead healthy lives and have overall excellent health. This means listening to your body and understanding what it's telling you about what's going on inside the body. Here are four ways you can listen to your body so you can have a life that is sustained by good health.


You can listen to your body every time you put on your clothes or when stepping on the scale.  Do your clothes fit right?  Are they becoming too loose on you or are they fitting snugly?  Is the scale tipping one way or another in the wrong direction?  If you find that you are losing too much weight or packing on the pounds, it may be that you are being affected by stress and are not eating in ways that promote good health. Good health comes from eating a balanced diet of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean meats. This is in lieu of eating processed foods such as cookies, cakes, processed meals, and candies—all of which have excess calories and preservatives that are generally unhealthy for you. 

Eating too little can affect your health as well. (I tell Benny this all the time since the only meal he really eats is the dinner I prepare.) When you eat less than the amount of food you are supposed to eat, you can suffer from lack of proper nutrients. Lacking in proper nutrients, your body does not function properly and you can cause yourself to be sick from lack of the nutrients to support immune health.


Your digestive system is not only the way you get proper nutrients but also it is a main way your body uses to protect itself from pathogens. The digestive system is one big part of the immune system so you need to treat it with the care it deserves. This means paying attention to episodes of diarrhea that can strip the colon of protective bacteria, constipation, and indigestion from being under excess stress or eating the wrong foods. 
You can care for your digestive system by eating healthy foods and by taking probiotics, which can 
replenish the gut with good bacteria. Probiotics can be taken in by eating plain yogurt with live cultures or by eating fermented foods such as sauerkraut and kefir. 

If you can’t get it in the foods you eat, you can purchase many probiotic supplements at the drug store or online. Some of the best probiotics are those that come in spore form. The spores can survive the acidic environment of your stomach and then release the live bacteria in the intestines, where they take root and drive out the bad bacteria and fungi.


This means following your blood pressure and pulse very carefully. If you are inactive or have a family history of high blood pressure, you may be suffering from high blood pressure and not know it. This means you have to check your blood pressure every time you run across a blood pressure machine at the drug store or grocery store. When you see the doctor, your blood pressure will be taken as well. If it is consistently elevated, you may need to be on an anti-hypertensive medication or modify your diet and exercise program so you can avoid some of the many complications of high blood pressure.

You should check your pulse as well on a periodic basis. A high pulse can mean that you are too inactive or are under a great deal of stress. Exercise can cause your heart to function better and will slow your pulse to normal levels. 


Feel tired, but keep pushing yourself past your limits? Are you fighting fatigue on a regular basis, instead of taking the time to rest and rejuvenate? Fatigue and low energy are both your body talking to you and letting you know that you need to rest and relax, if you don’t listed you will crash and burn.

Are you ignoring anxiety, instead of looking to erase its sources and lower stress levels? Stress kills, and you are the only one that can take care to reduce its load on your body, mind, and spirit. Great ways to fight stress and its impact are Tai Chi, meditation, yoga and taking vacations on a regular basis.




Where do you need to listen to your body more?

13 comments :

  1. Super informative post! Glad you were finally able to get it posted. Technology, ugh.

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  2. Great post, it is so true to be mindful of what we are putting into our bodies because those things determine how we feel and even how we look on a daily basis. Great things to remember and consider!
    I too need to listen to my body when it gets tired, lately which is a lot, LOL Sleep is a huge thing I need lots of!!!

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    1. That's all been my biggest issue. I love late nights to read and watch videos. I need to work on creating a truly healthy sleep regimen.

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  3. I'm a big believer in listening to your body - REALLY listening. It tells us so much - if only we'll listen...!

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  4. I have not been listening to my body. I have been ignoring it lately. I need to drink water and sleep,I know it but I still am not doing what I should. This post was a good reminder of what I need to start doing. Thank you

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  5. I have not been listening to my body. I have been ignoring it lately. I need to drink water and sleep,I know it but I still am not doing what I should. This post was a good reminder of what I need to start doing. Thank you

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  6. Interesting post. I was just watching a YouTube video of a man who does cyclic fasting. Every body is different and every body needs something different so you're right that we all need fo pay attention to what's going on with us to determine what we need. I always know when my body is in revolt. I get colds, I feel bloated and my skin looks weird. That's when I know I have to do things a little different. The last few months, I've ignored a lot of signs so I am trying now to get back on track

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  7. Great post! It's hard to pay attention to our body's signals when we're on the go all the time but I've definitely been working on this. Thanks for the tips :)

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  8. As I was reading your intro, my wifi kept dropping out...UGH!

    Great tips! I too am a huge advocate for listening to the body. It is such a rich source of information on our internal state and well being.

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  9. I def need to drink more water-- thanks so much for the reminder!! It's great to meet you through this blog hop!

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  10. Great advice. It's really important to listen to your body. When you're stressed, I think that's when your body is trying to reach out to you the most!

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  11. I started taking pre/pro-biotics about 8 weeks ago and I've noticed a huge difference in the way I feel! It's been a pretty awesome change that I plan to continue!

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