The 5 Vitals for Healthy Christian Women
A couple of weeks ago, I had a challenge going on in my private FB group. It was called "How NOT to gain 19 lbs during Covid-19". It was a fun challenge. I want to give a big shout out to all those who participated.
In that group, though, I introduced a "new" concept.
It was my 5 vitals.
These vitals are for everyone, but I think that Christian women need to take charge of these, to monitor them closely, and be careful when they start becoming less important.
As most of you know, I was a Registered Nurse before my momentous switch to being a full-time life coach. What is a fundamental task for any nurse? Vitals.
Vitals are the primary data I used to formulate predictions about the health of the patient. From this concept, I created my own set of vitals.
These vitals are a little different, though. They are self-assessed and measured. There are no fancy gadgets or tools needed. While it does have to do with your health, it's not about the immediate but the long term.
These vitals are used to help measure your current health. Current health help to predict your near future health, so these vitals are important to help you in your weight loss journey.
Want to know what they are? Perfect! Let's dive in.
1. God daily. Yes, daily. This is not about the amount, it's about quality.
This looks like saying a verse every morning, prayer journaling a couple of sentences, reading one page of a devotional, and so much more. The possibilities are endless, but the focus is not.
God is the source of everything. He created your temple, and he knows it inside and out. Including Him not only in your health, but every other aspect of your life will be the ultimate asset to you.
2. Adequate sleep. You need 7-8 hours of sleep each night.
That should be a non-negotiable (unless you have a baby …you'll get there eventually).
Sleep is the time when your body and brain rest and restores. People that get adequate sleep have:
- lower risk for weight gain
- increased productivity and concentration
- better athletic performance
- decreased risk of heart disease
- lower amounts of inflammation
- a stronger immune system
And these are only a few of the benefits.
One excuse I don't let my clients tell themselves is, "I'm just a poor sleeper." Nope. Ditch that thought. I have seen many people TRAIN themselves to sleep better. It is worth the hard work and effort to do so!
3. Water. Drink it up. You should be getting about half your body weight in ounces of water daily. Now, if you are very overweight, this might be extreme. Then I have my clients get at least half their IDEAL body weight in ounces of water.
Yes, it's easy to forget about. It is just as easy to remember if you set yourself up for success.
Do you want to maintain a healthy weight? Water is vital.
Dehydration, even mild, can induce hunger, making you think you need to eat when you don't. Plus, water is a functional tummy filler.
No matter what, essential health maintenance of all your major organ systems, water is KEY!
4. Movement. I use the word movement because so many women have a terrible relationship with exercise. So, just think of movement.
Here is what moving your body can do:
- SLEEP BETTER (another vital...)
- improves focus,
- boosts energy
- chemically improves your mood
- and… improves your sex life.
It doesn't take that much time or effort to see these results!
Movement compounds over time. Start small (very small) just to get started. Eventually, aim for at least 20 minutes a day, but that can be months in the future.
Just begin by finding the movement you enjoy doing. Start there, and pretty soon you'll find yourself loving it.
5. Awareness. This one is harder to measure, but you'll know if you're hitting it.
Awareness just means questioning EVERYTHING. What are you putting in your mouth and why? What and where are you getting the information you consume? What is going on in that head of yours? Where have you been deceived by the enemy?
QUESTION IT ALL!
This isn't in a conspiracy theory kind of way either!
Living life on automatic is not a healthy way to live.
Thinking critically.
Hold your thinking in the light of the Truth.
This is imperative to mental well-being along with physical well-being.
My new favorite meme goes like this: Be careful when you follow the masses. Sometimes the "m" is silent.
Mass thinking, mass eating, mass anything for that matter doesn't usually equate to health or happiness. God made each of us so unique, body, and souls. We need to embrace that uniqueness and think for ourselves.
How do you know if you're bringing enough awareness to your life? Here is a simple question to ask yourself: What is the truth and what is the lie in this? (You'll come to see that just about all of our thinking has a bit of both...)
If you're taking the time to do this, then you're bringing awareness to your life and your health.
That's it, my friends. These are the vitals. I encourage you to track them weekly, if not daily. A habit tracker is a really great tool to monitor your progress.
If you're not hitting these, NO PROBLEM. They are indicators of where you can grow and focus. Just like having a patient with a fever. I knew I need to focus on certain areas to clear up the problem. That's what these vitals can offer you.
These tools are a great way to re-direct your brain distracted by fancy claims of health and weight loss and bring yourself back to the basics. The basics are the foundation. Thes vitals are the foundation of your health.
If you have a goal to lose weight and use this temple God gave you in ways you currently aren't able to... well, start here. Take these vitals. Assess them. Find your areas that need improvement. Focus on these. Make these part of your everyday lifestyle.
From there, you'll find it much easier to lose weight and to keep it off!
P.S. If you think you have these vitals down and you're still not losing weight, I've got you. Sign up for a free consultation HERE.
