The Importance of Good Health

Benjamin Franklin once wrote the following proverb - "When the well's dry, we know the worth of water. ' This quote can be applied directly to health . Someone who sprains his pinkie toe really hard finds out that this little toe actually is useful. For health is the spring of life, and being happy and doing anything major depends on it.

The human body is an incredibly complicated machine. We put our bodies through a lot of stress each day, we get bumped and scratched, breath in strange gases, drink too much cola, etc. And yet, our body has amazing regenerative properties. Dead skin is quickly replaced by new. A nick on your arm is healed through a scab and finally a smooth finish. When something small gets stuck in your eye it eventually gets moved over to the inner corner(both corners are called canthi ) of your eye, called the epicanthic fold for you Jeopardy buffs.

Hydration is a key element of health. Our bodies are around 70% water, which is really amazing. You are supposed to drink eight cups of water each day, but this water can also come from vegetables or fruits. However, it seems like most of us really don't pay attention. We're in the midst of summer now, so stay hydrated!

Health directly determines life span. Thus it is true that health is wealth, as you can't be very productive if you're suffering from very bad health. Do you ever notice how all the really, really old people you see are usually thin and relatively fit? One of our neighbors is a very old and thin woman who used to walk every day until she got Alzheimers. This morning I saw an old man jogging outside, sweat all over his body. He was at least 65, and yet he was unusually fit and strong-looking. I thought to myself, "this man must be really determined and knows that tiring himself now will give him a better day." And recently on the news they showed an old woman who was reportedly over 110 years of age. She was thin and lightweight looking. My grandfather passed away at 90, and this was in Egypt. He used to walk a lot and was quite thin, plus never smoked. It is not a coincidence.

Being overweight complicates problems such as knee weakness or osteoporosis. By keeping one's weight reasonable, such as within 20 pounds of the average for your height and sex, you give yourself a better chance to deal with various illnesses or joint problems. But weight is not the only factor, for your diet is more important. Some people are very thin, yet it is because they smoke and only eat Twinkies and corn dogs. Moderation should be our guiding light when it comes to what we eat.

Every organ of our body is vulnerable to certain diseases. From our pancreas to our brain to our kidneys, each one is vital. Our eyes, for example, are susceptible to many things. You must take care to avoid staring at the sun on a bright clear day, for example. Even staring at an old CRT monitor for many hours straight will harm your eyes. So take breaks from staring at anything for a long time. Sometimes I notice that I've been staring at the monitor for ours without ever blinking. But blinking keeps your eyes clean and healthy. Laser pointers can damage our eyes quickly. The harmful condition called cataracts occurs rather frequently, but modern ophthalmology treats it effectively Cataracts are clouding of the lens, which can blur your vision.

Statistically, behaviors like smoking and eating too much fast food reduce life span and are harmful. Yet many people choose to smoke, and choose to do drugs. It is irrational and sometimes bothers you a lot when you see a loved one harming his or her health. But you must reflect on your own decisions first, and try to lead by example.