Welcome to the Mission Nutrition blog. In the days ahead we will be posting health and wellness tips, news, recipes, specials, and anything else that we think is worth sharing. We’re always learning and gathering information about nutrition, health, wellness, actually about anything and everything under the sun, and we’re happy to share whatever we can with whoever we can. I guess you could say we take a holistic approach. Please check in regularly to keep up to date, and please share your thoughts in response. We’d love to hear from you.
5/9/2016
Well, it’s been some time since that first post. A lot has happened since then. A twelve day traveling adventure (a lot of preparation) which included a Nashville wedding, a grandchild born a month early, a week-long visit from our “out of town” daughter and granddaughter, our son-in-law coming twice during that time, a surprise (for most of the family) visit from our other daughter, and a family birthday party immediately following the 12 days of travel (allowing for a day to visit the new grandchild, of course)…it’s been a bit of a whirlwind. I really thought I would be able to write during it all. Silly me. Anyway…I’m back, and here is the next post. I hope it helps you to think through your own ideas thoughts on health and wellness.
Health and Wellness
What is health and wellness? At a glance it seems like a silly question to ask. Of course we all know what health and wellness are. The answer is obvious, isn’t it? Or is it? In many ways it is, but have you ever really stopped to think about it? Do we all mean the same thing when we use these terms? Are there objective definitions, subjective definitions, or both? In this post you will find objective, dictionary definitions, as well as subjective, yet practical ones. Hopefully this will help you to think through your own thoughts and definitions of what true health and wellness really are.
If you look up the definition of health you will find that a number of sources give similar definitions. Merriam-Webster online defines health as “the condition of being well or free from disease, the overall condition of someone’s body or mind, the condition or state of something. Sounds good. The preamble to the Constitution of the World Health Organization says that “Health is a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.” Sounds better. How would you define health?
Looking up the word wellness will also give you similar definitions. Merriam-Webster online defines wellness as “the quality or state of being healthy, the quality or state of being in good health, especially as an actively sought goal.” Good old Merriam-Webster. I like the Free Dictionary (online) definition which says “A philosophy of life and personal hygiene that views health as not merely the absence of illness but the full realization of one’s physical and mental potential, as achieved through positive attitudes, fitness training, a diet low in fat and high in fiber, and the avoidance of unhealthful practices (smoking, drug and alcohol abuse, overeating).” (The specifics are not as important as the principles. Particular exercise and diet may vary.) What’s your definition of wellness?
However you define health and wellness, (assuming your definition is reasonable and sensible), it matters little without practical application. Good nutrition, exercise, right thoughts/positive attitude, along with sufficient sleep are vital if you are going to be healthy and live well. Any of these without the others will not give you well-being. On the other hand, proper balance in these areas will benefit you greatly. As Dr. David Heber, chairman of the Herbalife Nutrition Institute and Herbalife Nutrition Advisory Board states “It’s about feeling better and looking better.” Isn’t feeling better and looking better worth the effort?
So what exactly is good nutrition? Medline plus sums it up well when it says “Nutrition is about eating a healthy and balanced diet. Food and drink provide the energy and nutrients you need to be healthy.” This is where it gets tricky. What, exactly, is a healthy, balanced diet? There are so many different ideas on what a healthy diet is that trying to figure out what a healthy diet FOR YOU can become very stressful, and we all know that too much stress is not good for our health. Those two little words “for you” are key. Without getting too specific, I am going to take the middle ground of balance here and say that consuming a variety of generally healthy foods, while avoiding those foods which are known to be unhealthy, is a good place to start. There are certain nutrients we all need. There are certain foods and drinks that are not good for any of us. Some of us need more strictly healthy foods than others of us. Some of us can handle more junk than others. Each person needs to learn for themselves works best for them. While it takes some work, it shouldn’t be too stressful. In fact, the great thing about Herbalife is its simplicity. It’s easy to use, tastes good, and is great nutrition. (More on this in another post.)
The same can be said for exercise as for good nutrition. While we all need it, we need to find out what works best for us. What we want to do, what we can do, and what we should do depends on each individual person. What works for one might not work for another. Personally, I think the best form of exercise is when it occurs naturally in our lives. Sometimes that’s indoors, but the best natural forms of exercise, in my opinion, are outdoors. Whether it’s walking around the neighborhood or hiking in the woods, mowing the lawn, or planting a garden, outdoor work or recreation is the best kind of exercise. Fresh air, sunshine, and nature are just plain good for us. I’ll probably do some research for a future blog post about this, but for now I don’t think I need to define or defend that statement. Don’t get me wrong, though. There are so many indoor forms of exercise that are great too. Zumba, weight lifting, indoor sports, to name just a few. Whatever you choose, it shouldn’t be too stressful. It should work well for you.
As far as right thoughts/positive attitude there are, in a sense, two levels. A positive attitude is good for anyone, no matter what you believe, but a true, sound, faith in God has been shown over and over again to be a major factor in people’s over all wellbeing. Even the Bible says “…whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.….and the God of peace will be with you.” (Phil. 4:8,9) One way of clearly seeing clearly how a negative attitude can be unhealthy is to think of a negative, miserable, or bitter person. Do they seem to be living a life of health and wellness? Of course not. Haven’t we all seen two people go through basically the same circumstance, and yet deal with in totally different ways depending on their attitude? The positive person always fares better than the negative. That’s just the way we’re made. No one can be positive all the time, but an overall positive attitude throughout most of life will definitely enable us to live lives of greater health and wellness. I’m so thankful this is true, because it is a much more pleasant way to live.
As far as the sufficient sleep, its importance cannot be overstated. Even as I wrote that sentence I found myself refreshed just by the thought of it. People often joke about how much they love sleep, but sleep is not a joking matter. We all know how poorly we function when we don’t get enough sleep. In fact, sleep is so important that we cannot live a sane and healthy life without it. It is important for the functioning of every part of our bodies. (I believe) we can live longer without food (as long as we have water) than we can without sleep. Poor sleep can cause all kinds of health, mental, and emotional problems. On the other hand, if we regularly get our beauty sleep we’re on top of the world, so to speak. We feel better, we look better, we function better, and we experience much greater well-being. It may not make life perfect, but it sure is a lot easier to manage life’s challenges. Who doesn’t want that?
Lastly, I want to focus a little more on the importance of balance. I cannot overstate the importance of balance in our lives. Each of the aspects of health and wellness discussed here, important as they are, can cause a great deal of trouble if they are not kept in proper balance. For example, too much food and not enough exercise, all positive thinking without any action, or the right amount of sleep without proper nutrition, can cause some obvious problems. I even heard that it’s possible to drink too much water! Balance is key.
So…what is health and wellness? Knowing the answer to this question is vital if you want to work toward attaining it. Learning what good nutrition is, knowing what type of exercise works best for us, being mindful of maintaining a positive attitude, and making conscious efforts toward adequate sleep habits are necessary. Finding, and maintaining, balance is crucial toward attaining true health and wellness. Having considered these things, will you embrace them?
Well, it’s been some time since that first post. A lot has happened since then. A twelve day traveling adventure (a lot of preparation) which included a Nashville wedding, a grandchild born a month early, a week-long visit from our “out of town” daughter and granddaughter, our son-in-law coming twice during that time, a surprise (for most of the family) visit from our other daughter, and a family birthday party immediately following the 12 days of travel (allowing for a day to visit the new grandchild, of course)…it’s been a bit of a whirlwind. I really thought I would be able to write during it all. Silly me. Anyway…I’m back, and here is the next post. I hope it helps you to think through your own ideas thoughts on health and wellness.
Health and Wellness
What is health and wellness? At a glance it seems like a silly question to ask. Of course we all know what health and wellness are. The answer is obvious, isn’t it? Or is it? In many ways it is, but have you ever really stopped to think about it? Do we all mean the same thing when we use these terms? Are there objective definitions, subjective definitions, or both? In this post you will find objective, dictionary definitions, as well as subjective, yet practical ones. Hopefully this will help you to think through your own thoughts and definitions of what true health and wellness really are.
If you look up the definition of health you will find that a number of sources give similar definitions. Merriam-Webster online defines health as “the condition of being well or free from disease, the overall condition of someone’s body or mind, the condition or state of something. Sounds good. The preamble to the Constitution of the World Health Organization says that “Health is a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.” Sounds better. How would you define health?
Looking up the word wellness will also give you similar definitions. Merriam-Webster online defines wellness as “the quality or state of being healthy, the quality or state of being in good health, especially as an actively sought goal.” Good old Merriam-Webster. I like the Free Dictionary (online) definition which says “A philosophy of life and personal hygiene that views health as not merely the absence of illness but the full realization of one’s physical and mental potential, as achieved through positive attitudes, fitness training, a diet low in fat and high in fiber, and the avoidance of unhealthful practices (smoking, drug and alcohol abuse, overeating).” (The specifics are not as important as the principles. Particular exercise and diet may vary.) What’s your definition of wellness?
However you define health and wellness, (assuming your definition is reasonable and sensible), it matters little without practical application. Good nutrition, exercise, right thoughts/positive attitude, along with sufficient sleep are vital if you are going to be healthy and live well. Any of these without the others will not give you well-being. On the other hand, proper balance in these areas will benefit you greatly. As Dr. David Heber, chairman of the Herbalife Nutrition Institute and Herbalife Nutrition Advisory Board states “It’s about feeling better and looking better.” Isn’t feeling better and looking better worth the effort?
So what exactly is good nutrition? Medline plus sums it up well when it says “Nutrition is about eating a healthy and balanced diet. Food and drink provide the energy and nutrients you need to be healthy.” This is where it gets tricky. What, exactly, is a healthy, balanced diet? There are so many different ideas on what a healthy diet is that trying to figure out what a healthy diet FOR YOU can become very stressful, and we all know that too much stress is not good for our health. Those two little words “for you” are key. Without getting too specific, I am going to take the middle ground of balance here and say that consuming a variety of generally healthy foods, while avoiding those foods which are known to be unhealthy, is a good place to start. There are certain nutrients we all need. There are certain foods and drinks that are not good for any of us. Some of us need more strictly healthy foods than others of us. Some of us can handle more junk than others. Each person needs to learn for themselves works best for them. While it takes some work, it shouldn’t be too stressful. In fact, the great thing about Herbalife is its simplicity. It’s easy to use, tastes good, and is great nutrition. (More on this in another post.)
The same can be said for exercise as for good nutrition. While we all need it, we need to find out what works best for us. What we want to do, what we can do, and what we should do depends on each individual person. What works for one might not work for another. Personally, I think the best form of exercise is when it occurs naturally in our lives. Sometimes that’s indoors, but the best natural forms of exercise, in my opinion, are outdoors. Whether it’s walking around the neighborhood or hiking in the woods, mowing the lawn, or planting a garden, outdoor work or recreation is the best kind of exercise. Fresh air, sunshine, and nature are just plain good for us. I’ll probably do some research for a future blog post about this, but for now I don’t think I need to define or defend that statement. Don’t get me wrong, though. There are so many indoor forms of exercise that are great too. Zumba, weight lifting, indoor sports, to name just a few. Whatever you choose, it shouldn’t be too stressful. It should work well for you.
As far as right thoughts/positive attitude there are, in a sense, two levels. A positive attitude is good for anyone, no matter what you believe, but a true, sound, faith in God has been shown over and over again to be a major factor in people’s over all wellbeing. Even the Bible says “…whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.….and the God of peace will be with you.” (Phil. 4:8,9) One way of clearly seeing clearly how a negative attitude can be unhealthy is to think of a negative, miserable, or bitter person. Do they seem to be living a life of health and wellness? Of course not. Haven’t we all seen two people go through basically the same circumstance, and yet deal with in totally different ways depending on their attitude? The positive person always fares better than the negative. That’s just the way we’re made. No one can be positive all the time, but an overall positive attitude throughout most of life will definitely enable us to live lives of greater health and wellness. I’m so thankful this is true, because it is a much more pleasant way to live.
As far as the sufficient sleep, its importance cannot be overstated. Even as I wrote that sentence I found myself refreshed just by the thought of it. People often joke about how much they love sleep, but sleep is not a joking matter. We all know how poorly we function when we don’t get enough sleep. In fact, sleep is so important that we cannot live a sane and healthy life without it. It is important for the functioning of every part of our bodies. (I believe) we can live longer without food (as long as we have water) than we can without sleep. Poor sleep can cause all kinds of health, mental, and emotional problems. On the other hand, if we regularly get our beauty sleep we’re on top of the world, so to speak. We feel better, we look better, we function better, and we experience much greater well-being. It may not make life perfect, but it sure is a lot easier to manage life’s challenges. Who doesn’t want that?
Lastly, I want to focus a little more on the importance of balance. I cannot overstate the importance of balance in our lives. Each of the aspects of health and wellness discussed here, important as they are, can cause a great deal of trouble if they are not kept in proper balance. For example, too much food and not enough exercise, all positive thinking without any action, or the right amount of sleep without proper nutrition, can cause some obvious problems. I even heard that it’s possible to drink too much water! Balance is key.
So…what is health and wellness? Knowing the answer to this question is vital if you want to work toward attaining it. Learning what good nutrition is, knowing what type of exercise works best for us, being mindful of maintaining a positive attitude, and making conscious efforts toward adequate sleep habits are necessary. Finding, and maintaining, balance is crucial toward attaining true health and wellness. Having considered these things, will you embrace them?
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