A wish for hope and good health in the coming year – Virgin Islands Daily News

As the clock ticks to Dec. 31, 2021, theres also the acknowledgment that in a few days it will be January 2022. One question some people are asking quietly is, will I make it through 2022? Undoubtedly, it is a difficult question to answer.

In reflecting on our journey through 2021, we recall dramas related to COVID-19, too many gunshot deaths, family and friends who passed on and the associated stress. There were some things to smile at too. The hurricanes passed us by in 2021. Some of the money government withheld from its workers was refunded. The changes to the road east of the Legislatures building have made it scenic and different. Now, it should get a worthy name; one which evokes good, positive memories.

Usually, when a New Year begins, there is much thought about wellness. Some people set health goals and hope they can achieve them during the New Year. Unfortunately, when the year starts, young or old, sick or well, there is some uncertainty, which at times becomes stressful. And stress does have a negative impact on longevity. It is never a good experience to live with stress crippling ones life.

Meanwhile, even if we cannot answer the question about whether we will make it through the year, there are things we can do to insulate our bodies, making them resistant to illnesses. As we go through the year all of our lifestyle choices will matter.

One of the best paths to wellness and longevity for human beings is through the food we eat and drink. Always, we are what we eat. When we eat and drink junk food, our bodies become prone to numerous illnesses. During enslavement, black people were limited to left over foods. They got the blood and entrails from animals, while the planters ate the meat. Today, blood and entrails are still foods for some people. However, researchers and honest food specialists, now say that such foods are dangerous to health since they limit longevity. It is now an established fact that meats, which have been accepted as good for food and eaten through the years along with foods such as shell fish, can impact our wellness negatively.

In Blue Zones, where many people live beyond 90, they practice vegetarianism: including in their diets, greens, fruits and lots of vegetables. Sugar, salt and meats are avoided. In both young and older people, these three foods can impact wellness negatively. Water is also needed by our bodies daily and in good quantities. When this is not done, debilitating illnesses can result. Also, smoking and drinking of alcohol kill the body slowly. Our choices impact longevity.

Many people do begin the New Year pledging to eat better, walk more, and to include other exercises in their daily routine. They get started, slow down, then stop after a few weeks into the year. Despite such blunders, exercising on a regular basis remains an important path to longevity. Exercises impact the consumption of food, functioning of the heart, brain, ones attitude, and diminishes stress. While exercising is very important, one should also be aware that 24/7 work schedules can be detrimental to the body. When God created human beings, he suggested right at the start, work for six days and take one for rest.

Our societies are changed and have become very complex today. There are some people who rest seven days, while others work seven days. Neither approach to life is good for the body. If ones hope is to maintain wellness and make it safely through Dec. 31, 2022, paying attention to exercising, regular periods of rest, including hours of sound sleep daily, are all very important good health factors.

Working contributes to wellness and longevity, too. Usually we use our minds to set ourselves in place to get jobs. That includes study, learning, planning, relating to others, and exchanging ideas. All of these are aspects of human development. They contribute to wellness, and psychological normalcy. At times, too, working can bring on stress. Admittedly, any source of stress to the human body undermines wellness. Meanwhile, to go through life without having the opportunity to work, develop special skills, interact with others, and to participate in earning ones living, can have negative impacts on peoples lives and personalities, undermining sanity, wellness and longevity.

At the beginning of the New Year, young people must be included in the planning for wellness. Effort should be made by parents and societies to ensure that all children, not just some, are educated. Educating children in societies contributes to more than just personal wellness and longevity. Whenever children are not educated, such societies are doomed. Both the people and their culture die young. In every society, education is a necessary strategy for human success and long-term survival.

Being ethical when dealing with others contributes to wellness and longevity in societies. And despite the tendency at times to see one-self as the center, and to praise it for successes, human beings always need God, and a continuous development of the spiritual self. That ensures confidence, peace, and a certain calmness in this life. It also gives hope and assurance for the next!

Whitman Browne, Ph.D., St. Thomas, is a retired educator.

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A wish for hope and good health in the coming year - Virgin Islands Daily News