Investing in Your Health

"When you invest in higher education, you increase your worth in the corporate world. Similarly, your worth increases when you invest in your health."

Recently i was talking to a friend about eating right and exercising, and he said something that stuck out to me. He said, "Isn't it funny how so many of us make school and work a priority, but when it comes to our own health we don't have the time....what investment is more important than your own health?"

Currently i'm finalizing my degree at the University of Utah in Health Society and Policy. This degree has been fascinating because of how interdisciplinary it is in regards to health. However, in all my various courses the theme or overall consensus has been the significant relationship that exists between higher education, income, and health. When you invest in higher education, you increase your worth in the corporate world. Similarly, your worth increases when you invest in your health. How so? Because healthy individuals who maintain a higher quality of life increases their life expectancy.

If you're a religious person, your self worth is most likely based on your belief in divinity. This is good because it establishes a baseline of the truth that you are of great worth. But since life is all about making the most of your time, it's extremely important to make health one of your top priorities. Why? Because health enables you to accomplish your life's work, and lengthens the time you have do it.  

All in all... love yourself enough to invest in your health.

You're worth it.

Introduction

"It's easy to feel overwhelmed and lose hope when you're not seeing a change on the scale. Especially when you're limited on time, money and energy."

In August 2012 i decided to register for a marathon training class at the University of Utah. Up until that time the longest run i had ever done was five miles; a run i had completed while serving a mission in North Carolina. My mission president always ran five miles every morning, and i really admired that.....so i made it a goal to run five miles at least once before heading home. So naturally on the Saturday before leaving from NC to UT, I got up at 4am and ran the five miles. Prior to my mission I did a little bit of track in junior high school (ran the 400) but that was it. I was more into basketball than running. Still kind of am.

So back to this marathon class. It started at 7am every Tuesday and Thursday and was a hour and a half long. I took the class thinking it would be a great way to get fit, and since the class was less than two hours long it didn't seem too intimidating. I told myself, "How much running can we really do for an hour and a half?" The first day of class our running instructor asked each of use to explain to the other runners why we loved running and why we elected to sign up for the class. When it was my turn to speak I said something like, "I'm not really sure why i'm in this class because I'm not a runner, but maybe i'll learn to like it?"

For the rest of the semester I got up at 5am every Tuesday and Thursday morning just so i could be up at the U by 7am. It was surprisingly fun. I got to rub shoulders with people who were preparing for actual marathons, and I noticed how much healthier, happier and less stressed i was feeling day to day. I was right. We only ran about 3-5 miles each class. So it wasn't that bad at all. Since that time however, I haven't stopped running.

In January 2013 i joined the Salt Lake City Track Club. "The Salt Lake City Track Club is an athletic organization that provides for the association of persons interested in personal health and wellness through the activity of running. The Club's primary focus is distance running, but all types of runners are welcome" (SLCTC).

I registered for their Winter Series race where every two weeks there was a race: 5k, 10k, 15k. It was like $30 bucks for all three races. Downside? Every single race we ran was during a crazy blizzard. Here are some photos:

   Not the best photo of me, but "image is nothing, thirst is everything" right?

My red pants are visible between the orange and neon guys.

 This guy beautifully illustrates the 15k blizzard.   

I would definitely recommend the Winter Series to anyone. It's a great way to start the year off right whatever your fitness goals are. Even if you're not much of a runner it's really fun to participate. They had people from all ages, shapes, and sizes. There was even a guy doing the race in a wheelchair. I'm planning on doing it again next year.

So what in the world am I doing with this "Legit and Fit"  blog?? Awhile ago I lost a lot of weight by eating right and going to the gym, but when I was done I got bored. Which of course meant...I was slowly gaining the weight back. It's easy to feel overwhelmed and lose hope when you're not seeing a change on the scale. Especially when you're limited on time, money and energy. So now I'm trying to focus on fitness accomplishments; the doing, not the becoming. This mentality has a peacefulness to it. I highly recommend the same mentality to anyone else trying to stay fit. As long as you are progressing you can have peace of mind that you are improving. If you maintain that peace of mind? Then you'll become what you're hoping to become. 

When I was in High School I came up with the quote, "Without love there is no hope. Without hope there is no progress. Without progress life is wasted." I have found this to be true in my life. Love makes you feel valued. If you don't love yourself and others, the purpose and meaning behind your life can fade. I find that i am the most hopeful for the future when I feel love for myself and others. Then as i hope for the future i get more things done and I progress.

So from now on, each blog post will either be about love, hope, or progress. The progress portion? I hope to focus more on fitness achievements and goals. Love and hope will probably get more on the spiritual/mental side. Overal, my goal is to help motivate and inspire myself, and hopefully others at the same time. Thanks for listening. Future posts won't be so long.  

Salt Lake City Track Club." Salt Lake City Track Club. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Mar. 2013.

Free Heart Screenings This Saturday

I work for the Intermountain Heart Institute at Intermountain Medical Center. It is one of the nation’s premier heart centers, and has renowned heart experts in more than a dozen heart specialties, including artificial heart/mechanical support, heart rhythm disorders, structural heart disorders and heart surgery.
 

This Saturday, February 9th, from 9 a.m. to 1 pm we are hosting a community Healthy Heart Fair where you can get your hearts checked out for free.

Here’s what you can do:

• Free EKG screenings, cholesterol and glucose tests, and blood pressure and body fat analyses will be performed by specialists.
 • Heart experts from the Institute will cover the latest treatment options and newest cardiac technology.
 • You and your kids can check out a Life Flight helicopter and EMS and fire trucks from Murray City Fire Department.
 • Interactive presentations and workshops will cover these topics: – How Do Diabetes and Obesity Affect Your Heart? will be presented by cardiologist Kevin Walsh, MD, at 9 a.m. – How Do I Know If I Have a Healthy Heart? will be presented by cardiologist Hannah Raasch, MD, at 10:30 a.m. –
A Cooking Demonstration: The Best and Worst Foods for Your Heart will be presented by Jennifer Burns and Amanda Hindoian at noon 
• You can pick up a FREE COOKBOOK filled with heart-healthy recipes. Its recipes have been reviewed by certified dieticians and specialists from the Intermountain Heart Institute and include over 50 heart-healthy options including snacks, appetizers, salads, soups, and main dishes. The book also gives you great ideas for how to replace unhealthy eating habits, and add more fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and whole grains to your diet.     
  
 There’s no need to register for the fair — but make sure to help pass the word. If you’d like more information, call the Intermountain Heart Institute at 801-507-4701.

Mashed Potatoes & Health Reform

Perhaps this has happened to you before. You sit down to enjoy a tasty meal, and somehow the topic of health reform finds its' way into the conversation. Even the baby in the high chair has an opinion about the American Healthcare system. You ask someone to pass the mashed potatoes but instead you get a big ol' fat serving of politics. There's no need to reheat this conversation in the microwave, because it's already heated!

After awhile you notice that everyone has their own opinion about what should or shouldn't happen, but no one is really talking about solid facts. In short, no one really knows what they're talking about.     

The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation website is one of the most reliable sources on healthcare reform in the United States. They even have a health reform timeline that explains what specific changes have been made and what changes will be made in the next several years:

http://healthreform.kff.org/Home/KHS/Timeline.aspx?source=FS

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Now when words start flying at the dinner table, you can use your knowledge on health reform to persuade people to do their own research, and to get someone to seriously pass you the mashed potatoes.