If you lose your health, you lose your future. Or as some would say.. “If the devil can take away your health, he can steal your destiny”.
However you look at it, the reality is that we too often ignore the warning signs of weight gain, the loss of mobility that comes when we are not active enough, the low and powerless feeling that comes when our mental health is not at its best, and the long term effects of habits that we can not seem to shake. We know “we should” make a change, but it’s something that it’s easy to put at the bottom of our list of things we are focused on. Particularly as women, when we allow the needs of others to dominate our focus. I want to challenge you to change your mindset this year and put your health at the top of your list. It actually is true, that if you lose your health you lose your future. I would like to tell you a bit about an awakening I had recently that changed my whole perspective on making my health a constant priority. 2020 was a very tough year for me. I was in a big transition having just left my full-time job as a pastor in a local church to take on a new role as the leader of Women on the Frontlines. Then a hurricane of problems hit and many of them affected my health. I was at a healthy body weight but, but strange and concerning small symptoms were appearing in my health. I ignored it at first, because I was "too busy" but eventually listened to the small nagging voice of my body telling me it needed my attention. I was told by my doctor after some blood tests that my body was not absorbing enough nutrition from my food. I was traveling a lot to do events for WOFL and grabbing a meal here and there, and although all my meals were low carb, and my weight was stable, on the inside trouble was brewing. “How could this be? I’ve written a book on weight loss and now I’m sick? Wow, I had thought that the tiredness I was experiencing in the afternoons was just aging… what a reality check! My health continued to spiral downward in the coming months as Covid set in, and my sister was diagnosed with terminal cancer. I was now faced with actively watching someone lose their future due to a loss of health. I was then hit with constant nausea and other gastro symptoms as a result of the issues with my body. Many tests later, there was no answer to the nausea and stomach issues except for “stress” due to life events. Finally, as the nausea was brought under control, my body responded with a rebound of weight gain. My sister passed, and covid level five lockdown came to my city, depression, and feelings of despair hit full force. It can be very hard to come back from a loss of momentum. From a weight gain where you have previously done the work to lose it, from relapse when you have been addicted, or from a place of depression that becomes so severe that you don’t even want to do anything. But that was what I was facing, and I decided that a broader approach to restoring my health was needed. So my focus in 2021, is a spirit, soul, and body approach to health. I knew that it was time to stop ignoring the needs of my soul, and the quiet but insistent voice of my body. I decided that since my call is to run WOFL for the next many years, I would have to stop allowing the demands of ministry to squeeze out the time for exercise and pursue, nutrition above simply losing weight. Of course, I know the facts necessary for change, and likely so do you. It’s not knowing the truth that’s the issue for us as humans... it’s acting on it! I will be sharing my health journey with you this year, a few times a week on WOFL through my blogs. I’ve been teaching on various aspects of health for many years including being a weight loss coach and I will be sharing both my journey and the non-fad-based approach to change that I believe will help us all in the process. I want to invite you to give yourself the gift of your health this year, not only as an act of self-honor but as a seed towards your future so that it will be long and fruitful. Whether it is weight loss, an addiction, aging symptoms, or depression I believe it's time to put yourself and your health on the list of your priorities. Would you join me as we journey together?
3 Comments
Susan Vigliano
2/4/2021 05:04:21 pm
Thank you, Wendy. Looking forward to learning from you.
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Shirley Beaudin
2/6/2021 05:11:45 pm
Hi Wendy, I am very sorry for your loss, I have just bought your book and I am very interested in following you. I love you and miss you alot. God Bless you my sister. I wish you much success!
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Ellen Springer
2/9/2021 09:02:17 pm
Dear Wendy I look foreward to continuing our relationship as related to all areas of health..I am passionate about this subject....as you put is so correctly....if we don't have our health our destiny has been stolen...E
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Wendy Peter is the North American Director of Events for the Women on the Frontlines Organization.
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