Thursday, September 9, 2010

Walking...

I just talked to my mom on the phone. She was happy and it felt good to hear the lightness in her voice.

This is a wonderful change over last week. Last week she was awaiting surgery. Last week we were all worried. She had a damaged and partially blocked artery in her neck. It was scary. The surgeon stated to her that a successful procedure was almost 100% (a surgeon cannot promise 100%), but she and those who love here were concerned.

She just returned from her follow-up visit. He told her the best way to keep this from happening again, and to clean out the other patches that she has, was to walk. Simple, free, effective. He told her to walk EVERY DAY, for at least a 1/2 hour straight. Nothing less, because less would do no good. It doesn't matter how fast or slow, just keep walking.

I've been somewhat doing that already. Not every day, but I have been walking. I'm going to get back into it more and keep myself going.

I do question the all-or-nothing thinking a bit though. I cannot see getting full benefit at half an hour and nothing with less time spent walking. Or no benefit for the days walked if you skip a day. I would think this would be on a curve, with half an hour and every day being the ideal. But then again, there is the day of rest the Lord has commanded us to take. Resting the body has been proven to help it to regenerate.

I believe diet would also be a component in preventing ulcerated and clogged arteries. Yet her doctor did not mention diet at all. Vitamin C would be a good thing, because Vitamin C is the main component in the manufacture of collagen. Collagen is what makes cells elastic, to be able have give and take, to be flexible and to bounce back. Lack of collagen causes cell breakdown, which is what scurvy is, extreme cell breakdown from lack of collagen. That is why Vitamin C is the cure for scurvy. Artery disease is a less drastic form of scurvy, the cells just haven't broken down that far, but they have broken down.

The collected cholesterol that causes the blockages in arteries is the bandaid patch the body puts on the broken down part. Repair the damage to the cells, and the bandaid is removed. Neglect the damaged cells, and additional bandages are put on.

I keep thinking about how simple God has made our lives and our bodies, and how complicated we seem to mess it up. Walking. A really good thing a person can do for their body for so many reasons.

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