WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 31, 2022 BALANCE

As I age more, and as I research more, the body is a “magical” entity.  It is a jigsaw puzzle where all the pieces fit together to make a beautiful picture.

Let’s take the jigsaw puzzle one step further.  Have you done a puzzle and in the end you are missing a piece?  Let’s say this was a 2000-piece puzzle (I rarely do 500-piece puzzles and mostly just 300-piece puzzles).  It is an inspirational image - maybe with a deeply meaningful quote.  You were thinking you’d get the puzzle glue and put it together on your wall as the beautiful image that it is and the meaningful quote, but also to show off your puzzle skills.  

You wanted any visitors to your house to say “WOW - that really touches me, that is fantastic” - but you know that you are missing a piece in a vital central position.  If you had a visitor who looked at the puzzle, they might ask “what happened to the missing piece?”.  Saying “I lost the piece isn’t as cute an answer as “The cat ate the piece”.  

1 Corinthians 12: “Yes, the body has many different parts, not just one part. If the foot says, “I am not a part of the body because I am not a hand,” that does not make it any less a part of the body.  And if the ear says, “I am not part of the body because I am not an eye,” would that make it any less a part of the body? If the whole body were an eye, how would you hear? Or if your whole body were an ear, how would you smell anything?

But our bodies have many parts, and God has put each part just where he wants it. How strange a body would be if it had only one part!  Yes, there are many parts, but only one body.  The eye can never say to the hand, “I don’t need you.” The head can’t say to the feet, “I don’t need you.”

In fact, some parts of the body that seem weakest and least important are actually the most necessary. And the parts we regard as less honorable are those we clothe with the greatest care. So we carefully protect those parts that should not be seen, while the more honorable parts do not require this special care. So God has put the body together such that extra honor and care are given to those parts that have less dignity. This makes for harmony among the members so that all the members care for each other. If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, and if one part is honored, all the parts are glad.

Psalm 139: You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb.  Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it.

*****

So, back to the theme - everything fits together.  I’ve written about sleep in connection to mental health and dementia.  Technically “sleep” is an act, not a part of the body, but sleep is a regiment that benefits the body.  Likewise another regiment that benefits the body is eating.  If you don’t get enough sleep, your body suffers.  If you eat mostly junk food, soda (with lots of sugar), chips, white bread, and not enough fiber, vegetables, and nutrients, your body suffers.  

Balance - “in everything moderation”.  When my weight “blossomed” to 243 pounds, I cut out white flour, white sugar, peanut butter, and most salt, and went on a high-fiber diet.  Even then, it wasn’t perfect.  I needed even more fiber as not everything was moving through my system (better name - constipation).  I got down to 200 pounds - and then I took my camping trip.  I did not take cooking pots and did not intend to cook.  That was both good and bad.  The good part was that I could keep moving to get to all my locations, the bad part was that I lapsed off my fiber and good food plan.  There are some higher fiber items but many have sugar too.  Trail mix is frequently a mix of nuts, chocolate chips, raisins, and other ingredients.  

And, as a “reward”, I allowed myself three big breakfast meals - two eggs over hard, bacon, potatoes, bread, jelly, and once it was a waffle (with oodles of syrup), and once it was two pancakes (with oodles of syrup).  

Getting home, I allowed myself a major treat - peanut butter.  I got groceries two days ago and I’ve already had half a jar of peanut butter (with butter and jelly).  And, this morning my weight was 205 (and, I didn’t want that - so when this peanut butter jar is gone, no more for a while!!!

Sleep is also a necessary action for health.  Studies show that a reasonable amount of sleep is needed and too little sleep is detrimental to a person’s health.

In balance, there are things that can be difficult.  If you are making a recipe that calls for ½ teaspoon of salt and you put in two teaspoons of salt, it won’t taste good.  

I have been told to watch my cholesterol (which I can do), but now, I’ve been told that my calcium intake is too low - drink more milk, and eat some yogurt.  (It might be a mistaken concept that cholesterol and calcium tend to go in opposite directions.  

For the last two days, I have been either bored or tired, and thus, I’ve taken some extra naps.  Extra naps mean I don’t sleep as well overnight.  Not sleeping well might mean that I am tired tomorrow - and “need” an extra nap!!!

Balance!!

LOVE WINS!!!
Karen White, August 31, 2022, ©