My 29th Birthday

Time flies so fast, it has been 29 years since my beloved mother gave birth to me last September 5, 1981. If only I have the power to hinder the coming of age, I will certainly do it. It is not because I am afraid of wrinkles and a much slower metabolism, but rather I am anxious when it comes to my accomplishments by the time I will reach the age of 30. So much with that, I have to face the present first before the future catches me.

I had a different feeling during my birthday 2 days ago. I just can't find the exact word to describe what I truly felt. Maybe I yearned the birthday celebrations I had years ago. I usually had a birthday party at home or in a fine resto where my family and friends gathered to celebrate with me. It was so heartwarming to hear the laughter and cheers of my guests, not to mention the birthday greetings and presents I received. This year, I only had a homey celebration with my husband. The simplest birthday I ever had. If only I had lots of money, I wanted to have a birthday party just like the old days or spend it somewhere. Unfortunately, we were on a tight budget this time. I am currently unemployed while waiting for my appointment as a Medical Officer in a government hospital. Life really is a constant change. Nevertheless, I am still grateful to God for the life He had given me, the unconditional and incomparable love of my family and the overwhelming thoughtfulness of my friends.

Resolutions For A Healthier Me

I tried to formulate resolutions on how to break my unhealthy life habits. A realization was made only after taking the Neuro-Psychometric Examination at the Heart Center of the Philippines. The said exam is one of the most important requirements in Residency Training in a Government Hospital. One week after I took the exam, a poignant result came out. For me it was more of a diagnostic rather than simply examination. The result pointed out the long term effects of my unhealthy life habits.

It was so hard to accept at first. I was so ashamed of myself. Mental anguish and self-denial had gotten into my nerves. Would you believe that a newly graduate and licensed Physician like me got low in the exam? Probably not, neither do I. But it was documented. I was upset and more so worried. My brain cells were deteriorating!!!! " What must I do? Oh God, please give me strength." When I am already in my tranquil mood and pacified, i was then able to realized all my bad habits that attributed to the deterioration of my cognitive function.

I was too lazy to read and update my self with current issues. My vocabulary sucks. I even had a hard time constructing simple sentences. I became too awkward in speaking English. I became irrational and unreasonable. Consciously, "this is not me" but it happened. I became languid, much more a couched potato. I am pretty aware that I am already over weight and ugly but who cares? I became aloof and lousy anti-social. I slept much more than the required or ideal number of hours of sleep per day. I chose to live in desolation, cuddling my depression and frustrations. I am living this kind of life for quite some time now, until 3 days ago when the result of my psychometric exam slapped me to bleed and woke me up. Alarming isn't it? But before it will completely devour my whole being, I have to do something and act as soon as possible. I must reclaim my self from putrefying. So now that my neurons are active again, I won't let this opportunity to pass me by. I need to write down all the ideas that came into my mind just recently. I have to be optimistic that I can write an article all over again and bring back my intellect. Below are the resolutions I formulated for my self.

MY TOP 10 RESOLUTIONS FOR A HEALTHIER ME

• DIET - low salt, low fat, low sugar. More vegetables, fruits rich in antioxidants and high in fibers.

• DRINK PLENTY OF FLUIDS - at least 8-10 glasses of water a day. Minimize soda and artificial fruit juices. Green tea is better than soda.
  

• SLEEP- limit sleep to 6-8 hours. "Early to bed, early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise".

• REGULAR EXERCISE - at least 30 minutes a day. If too busy, stretching will do.

• READING - read at least 1 brain-challenging article a day (i.e Readers Digest)

• PRAY - take time to talk to God and read the Bible at least once a day.

• GO TO CHURCH REGULARLY - hear mass heartily and not just out of obligation
  

• PLAY MIND TEASERS (i.e scrabble, chess, puzzle)

• STUDY - study interesting pediatric case
  

• SOCIALIZE - go out with friends, party, acquaintance and go for a vacation with husband
  

I wrote this blog not just for my self but also to others who can relate to my testimony. I know it's not that easy to strictly follow all of the above resolutions. Its like going through a narrow opening in a dark tunnel, it can be compared to smokers who tried to quit smoking and alcohol withdrawal for that matter. But what matters is we tried to exert effort and learn from our bad habits.