Want to keep your body in good working order? Then you need to give it regular checks, maintenance, and top ups with good mindful service. Do not allow it to be neglected till it fails, breaks down and stops working efficiently.
Take care of your heart, it is your engine; the normal resting heart rate is between 60 and 100 beats per minute. It has been found that the higher it is, the greater the risk for cardiovascular death. The best way to lower it is to improve your fitness level with a balance of work, rest and play. This means including regular calming exercise that includes relaxing exercise programs like having a massage – deep tissue massage can reduce heart rates by 10.8 beats per minute. Another way is meditation and deep breathing correctly with it – taking a deep slow breath through the nose for ten seconds, and then slowly exhaling for ten. Find ways that calm and relax you so that you switch off and unwind at times.
Keep your body work in check. Is it shiny and glowing, or is it showing signs that it needs a little polishing up? Your skin and nails can reveal so much. Lots of late nights and lack of sleep will make the skin look dull and lack lustre. The body makes new cells approximately one hour into your sleep. Miss out on regular sleep and you miss out on your cell renewal.
Dry, dehydrated skin, tends to look and feel rough, dry and flaky. Skin should look hydrated, look and feel smooth with a plump youthful bounce. Drinking plenty of water to help from within, keeping it soft from the outside with daily moisturising lotions and creams can ensure it gleams.
A smoker often has dilated skin pores, making it appear less smooth and may also find the skin looks a little dull. Smokers may also find that their vitamin C is depleted by the smoking. Minimising smoking and taking extra vitamin C can help improve.
Alcohol also dehydrates the skin, so keeping water by your bedside and drinking lots of water before sleeping and when waking up, can really help make the difference.
Nails can give away a multitude of disorders. Doctors can tell by your nails whether you’re anaemic, lacking in Zinc; spoon shape nails can show that you are lacking iron in your body; White spots can show lack of minerals in the body; Dry, flaking skin under the nail, and lifting and separation of the nail can show fungal infections; Skin tags around the cuticle indicates lack of vitamin C.
Hair on the head also shows signs of many disorders. Up to 100 hairs can fall out daily, however when overstressed, hair problems can occur and hair can fall out excessively in patches. It can also indicate other disorders like that of depression, iron deficiency, thyroid problems, heart problems, high blood pressure, hormonal disorders, infections or arthritis.
Ensure a good healthy eating intake of calcium and include foods such as fatty fish, eggs, nuts and seeds.
Flush out kidneys with water – drinking plenty of water avoids dehydration and the building up of excess calcium which can cause kidney stones.
Gentle exercise helps to relax joints and keep them lubricated and easily mobile with synovial fluid between them moving. A little walk every twenty minutes helps avoid bad posture and hunching, that can place pressure on the spine along with joints of the body. Remember to always sit upright, stand or walk with good posture. Avoid placing pressure on joints by not over carrying heavy bags.
Our brain is the code board that runs everything with processing 70,000 thoughts, problems and decisions daily, even when we downtime. We often don’t switch off with lots of incoming information from tech gadgets like phones, tablets etc. Try taking regular mindful breaks and appreciate natural life activities for a few moments. Eat or drink a coffee with focus and appreciation that you can do it, with the action, sense and feel of taste, texture and smell in its luxury.
Whatever you choose to do, do it with appreciation of that one simple focussed task that you normally take for granted. It is a blessing.
Always make time for your health checks of blood pressure, breast screening, cervical screening, cholesterol, diabetes etc.
With all those wheels in motion and keeping in check, you should be running smoothly!
Love and Sparkles
Samsara x