Well, lets start with me not knowing that I was 2 weeks behind… Its truly hard to stick to a schedule when there isn’t one to stick to!!!
Chapter 12 talks about infectious conditions and how they can be avoided, treated, and spotted. I think this chapter relates a lot to the pandemic going on right now. The chapter starts off with being mindful. I found it interesting that our bodies are constantly fighting off infections. It made me wonder how the coronavirus is so different. We fight off disease in our skin, stomach, blood, intestines… everything is constantly working. Pathogens are what enter our body and make us sick.
Risk factors that we can control include stress, nutrition, activity level, and sleep. This are things that I think we all take for granted. With everything going on, I have found it harder to maintain stress levels. I loss my job, my unemployment is all screwed up and I don’t know when or if I am getting paid, and I really have had a hard time trying to go about my new normal. I am proud of my increased activity level, because there is really nothing else to do. I think that being as active as I can is really helping me on my day to day. Not only does it take up a good chunk of my day, but it encourages me to eat better and I am exhausted by the end of the day. Knowing that risk factors that I can control are things that I have been doing makes me feel really good!
However, the book also mentions risk factors that we cant control. Hereditary, aging, and environmental factors are all ones that we cannot control. “One of the key factors influencing disease risk is genetics” (285). These factors are what make people more or less to get a disease or infection. “An emerging body of research indicates that mindfulness strategies may provide in your arsenal against infection diseases”(285). The stress and anxiety reliving technique is been found helpful because when you reduce stress and anxiety you tend to feel better and be more motivated.
In regards to my health aspect, I have still been setting goals and focusing on working out because I want to not because I have not. I find that eating good food that I want keeps me motivated because I never feel deprived. This week I ran 4 miles in just over 40 minuets, making me one step closer to my 7 mile goal!
Below I have picture of me relaxing by the pool, when I should have been doing my blog posts. HA!!
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