42 | The Lion King
The Five Ps of Excellent Health
By Gabriel Odang
Health
T
hey say ‘health is more
important than wealth’,
but most people tend to
take this for granted until they
actually fall ill. Some illnesses
are preventable if you maintain
a healthy lifestyle. Observing
these 5 Ps will help you live in
excellent health.
1. Proper weight:
You need to ex-
ercise regularly with discipline to
achieve your proper weight. The
payoff is tremendous; you will look
good, feel good and generally feel
more positive and in control of your
life.
2. Proper diet:
Studies of Olympic
athletes from more than 120 coun-
tries show they have three things
in common: lean source protein;
consume a wide variety of fruits and
vegetables; and drink lots of water,
about eight glasses per day.
Proper dieting such as this will make
you feel more alert, awake and
aware all day long.
3. Proper exercise:
Aerobic
exercise is one of the best ways
to exercise. You can also exer-
cise by brisk walking, running,
cycling or swimming.
Exercise physiologists have
determined that the “exercise
effect” kicks in at about twenty-
five minutes of vigorous exer-
cise. At this point, your brain
releases endorphins that give
you a feeling of elation, or what
is called a “runner’s high.” This
natural drug produced by your
body can become addictive in
a very positive way.
People who develop the habit
of regular, vigorous exercise
find that it becomes easier and
easier to do. They begin to look
forward to the feeling of hap-
piness they enjoy as a result of
exercising.
4. Proper rest:
More than
60 percent of adults suf-
fer from “sleep deficit”
because they do not get
enough sleep. Your body
requires about eight hours
of sleep each night. If you
keep getting less sleep than
your body needs, you begin
to build up this sleep deficit
which can lead to poor
performance, more mis-
takes, industrial accidents,
car crashes, short tempers,
personality problems, and
many other difficulties.
In addition to sleep, you
need regular breaks from
work, like weekends and
vacations. When you take
time off from work, you al-
low your mental and emo-
tional batteries to recharge.
After a two-day weekend
break, you get back to
work well rested and ready
to perform at your best.
5. Proper attitude:
This is perhaps the most important of all.
The quality that is most predictive of health, happiness,
and long life is “optimism.” As you become more optimistic
about yourself and your life; your health will also be better in
every area.
People who are positive and optimistic usually have strong-
er immune systems, and as a result they are seldom sick.
They bounce back quickly from hard work or fatigue. An
optimistic person has a built-in “shield” against many of the
diseases and ailments that affect the average person.
