Small Steps

I was sitting on my patio the other day enjoying the work my husband has done with the many, many plants that decorate the area when it struck me. They are still green. Now, we live in Texas and it is HOT and currently, we are suffering under an unrelenting drought. Even though our area is not under mandatory water restrictions there are still brown areas and the grass is brittle. But the plants around our patio are still green and leafy.

We can’t move these plants inside to protect them from the scorching heat during the day. All we can do is provide shade for the plants that need it and water them. I found myself admiring how tough and resilient these plants are. Even our grass will come back too, next spring, but it’ll come back.

With just a little care nature can survive. It's the same for our bodies too. It doesn’t take much to keep a body working as it should. Rest when you are tired. Drink plenty of water. And eat good food.

Nowadays, the trend is green, organic, healthy, and natural, which can be time consuming and overwhelming. Too, many people reject this trend because they believe they have to go all in to get any benefit out it. Sure, they try and struggle, get tempted by the old ways of fast food and soft drinks, sweet smelling shampoo and hair products and other conveniences and stray. After indulging in the non-green and healthy lifestyle some may feel guilty, defeated and give up believing they just don’t have the discipline, time or money to continue a healthier way of living.

Lies. All of it. The human body is an amazing feat of engineering and its stronger than people often believe. It’s amazingly resilient and it’s recuperative powers are quite respectable. Your body can endure a lot of abuse but once you start to treat it better it responds. The great thing is that it doesn’t take a lot of pampering to get your body in a healthy state of being again. If your body has a chance to take of itself it will, but you have to give it that chance.

Rest. When your body is tired, it will look for energy. Some studies have shown that those who don’t get enough sleep tend to overeat during the day. That’s your body’s attempt at getting the energy it needs to work. Unfortunately, when we overeat, we tend to eat poorly. Sugar snacks for a quick boost rather than a piece of fruit is usually method to refuel.

Food. Good food. Grab a piece of fruit for a snack instead of a candy bar. Eat a salad with the fast food dinner. You may find when your body is properly fed it runs better. You have more energy. Making small changes will keep you on a healthy path without feeling deprived.

Water. Dehydration is probably the most underrated threat to one’s health. Water supplies your entire body with moisture. Lack of water affects your hair and skin and body functions. Drinking water flushes away toxins from your body and it also quells hunger. Did you know that most of the time when you feel hungry your body is looking for water? If you are not a big water drinker, your body won’t immediately utilize thirst as an option to get what it needs. Water can be obtained through food and so your body may make you feel hungry just to get the water it needs.

When your body is not fighting to survive the barrage of processed foods, exhaustion, and dehydration it has energy to get healthy, repairing damage as it was designed to do. Some small changes in your everyday living can have a big effect on the rest of your life.

Lisa Radke is one of the owners of Wild Natural Beauty natural and organic beauty essentials. Please visit our website at www. wildnaturalbeauty.com.