With everything that is going on the world, it may seem that our day-to-day lives are no longer as important as they once were. Or it may even seem selfish to think that our daily activities are even worthy of mentioning. But I truly believe that it is our duty as Americans not to let these difficult times disrupt our lives, but to go on with them in good faith, both in honor of our troops and to in order to stand united as a nation. I feel it is especially important at a time like this to maintain as good of physical, mental, and emotional health as possible in order to be at our best.

This issue will focus on the relevance of a sound body and mind. While many people don’t see a relationship between the two, I believe they directly affect one another. While small amounts of stress can actually be beneficial to your health, stress in large amounts can drastically affect it in a very negative way. While it is not always apparent at first, the effects of undo stress can have serious consequences on our bodies over time. While our current state of the nation is far from normal, most of us are under greater amounts of stress than usual, with many worried and concerned over loved ones that may be fighting for our nation. While it is next to impossible to completely turn off the part of human nature that causes us to worry, it may be possible to keep it under control and in tact, if for no other reason than for the benefit of our loved ones and the rest of our families that depend on us on a daily basis.

One of the best things we can do to help relieve stress is to exercise. It releases tension and serves an important role in balancing out our mental as well as physical and emotional selves. Not only does undo stress result in high blood pressure and cardiac arrest, it can also surface in the form of headaches, insomnia, fatigue, and even nervous breakdown, amongst many other frightening conditions. Exercise can help combat or at least improve all of these. I have a client that first came to me on four different blood pressure medications, and over the course of about two years we have managed to get her blood pressure down to normal levels again, resulting in her physician taking her off all of them!

With our current level of stress already influenced, I don’t think we can afford to allow any additional factors to affect us. We need to take control of our health and make our own decisions concerning how we live our lives, rather than let circumstances control us. On a personal level, we should look beyond the present day and into the future if we want quality lives on down the road. I hope I haven’t offended anyone out there reading this, but I feel it is important to address our current situation. We owe it to ourselves, our families, and our fighting men and women to maintain our health and to be at our best, now more than ever.