10 Health Commandments for the New Year
Most people are familiar with the Ten Commandments given to Moses on Mount Sinai as recorded in Exodus 20:1-17 and Deuteronomy 5:1-21. But have you heard of the second Ten Commandments? The second Ten Commandments are "10 suggestions" of a cardiologist, Steven R. Yarnall, MD, for giving one the edge on being the best you can be.
Taking care of ourselves is most often just good, old-fashioned commonsense. But here are Yarnall's "10 Health Commandments" as I found them in a pamphlet put out by the Hope Heart Institute. Thou shalt ...
1. Exercise thy body. There's no need to climb mountains as Moses did, but if you don't use it, you will lose it. A famous physician once wrote, "If exercise came in a pill bottle, it would be the most widely prescribed medicine of all."
2. Exercise thy mind. Again, if you don't use it, you'll lose it. Read. Write. Go back to school. Exchange ideas. Be creative. Be reflective. Learn something new every day.
Share what you learn with others.
3. Exercise thy spirit. Read inspirational and/or scriptural books.
Don't be afraid to be open and loving.
Give, and allow others to give to you.
4. Exercise thy willpower. Examine your habits the ones you want to develop,
and the ones you want to change. Then, set goals and make those changes.
5. Have a happy heart. Laugh. Live. Create. Share surprises.
Help others find joy and purpose in their lives.
6. Play. Schedule time for pure play and find ways throughout your day to have fun.
7. Eat, drink and be merry sensibly. Don't eat or drink or do anything else to excess.
Don't smoke cigarettes or use harmful drugs. Don't take stupid chances.
8. Give up guilt, regret and depression. Let go of the past and move on!
Decide what's wrong (not who's wrong) and take action.
9. Fear not the future.
The best thing about the future is that it comes only one day at a time.
The future's not totally in your control,
but if you take care of today, most of the future will take care of itself.
10. Live now. Learn from the past, plan for the future and live in the present. Love others (and yourself) appropriately now. Look for leaders (living, dead or imagined)
who are worthy of admiration and imitate their good qualities.
Pursue and preserve healthy relationships; you become like those you are with.
The Ten Commandments were given to Moses for the as a standard to teach and live by so they would have a long and fulfilling life once they arrived in the promised land. God has given us the gift of life body, mind and soul. I want to suggest, then, that if followed, these 10 Health Commandments may have a big impact on how well we live
the gift of life which God has given to us.
LCDR Diane M. Wilson, CHC, USN
