Sam's Talk on Health to the Relief Society

At the beginning of the month, I was asked to speak at our ward Relief Society activity this month.

I was asked to speak about health and habits.

Something that I have been focusing a lot of recently.

I felt flattered that our Relief Society leaders thought of me when they thought of health.
And I felt excited to speak. I had so many different ideas of what direction to go with my message.

It was a little overwhelming.

Here's the message that I shared...

I was asked to speak about health tonight. This is a topic that has been on my mind a lot for the past two years actually. You see, right after Ty was born, my biological father always passed away. He had extremely poor health, mostly due to a lifetime of bad decisions.  A few months later, my dad, well technically stepdad, but he raised me and I’m sealed to him so I call him my dad, he was given a terminal diagnosis. Over the next several months we watched his health decline very rapidly. And a year ago, this week actually, he passed away. The months after his passing, I kept thinking about how much my dad suffered because of his poor health. Actually, both my dads did. I knew that I wanted to do everything that I could be to healthy and to have a long life.

I decided that it was time to make my body and my health a priority. You see, over the past decade I had started to view my body as a baby making, growing and feeding machine. I had five babies in 8 years and it had taken a toll on me. Without realizing it, I made everyone in my family’s health and well being a priority over my own. So last August, I decided to do something. I made my health one of the main focuses of my life. I won’t get into the specifics about the program I did, although I am happy to talk about it with anyone. The company that I used is called Optavia and it focuses on achieving optimal health through healthy habits. The programs creator, Dr. Anderson, believes that the first step to achieving optimal health and longevity in life is achieving a healthy weight. So that’s what I did. For the first time ever, I believed in my ability to be successful in a health related goal. The body achieves what the mind believes. I lost 80 lbs in less than seven months.

But I have come to learn that the pursuit of health is a life long journey built upon daily decisions and healthy habits. I learned that you will never change your life until you change something you do daily. The secret of your success is found in your daily routines. I became aware of my habits related to food and eating. I started to change my habits. Good habits are formed. Bad habits we fall into.

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I want to talk about self love. Self-love is not selfish; you cannot truly love another until you know how to love yourself. Don’t forget to F.L.Y. First Love Yourself. And speaking of flying, I’m assuming that most of you have been on an airplane. Do you remember the instructions that the flight attendants give you before take off? If there is an emergency oxygen bags will drop down from the ceiling. If you are flying with someone in your care, like a child, who are you supposed to give oxygen to first? Yourself! You are supposed to take care of yourself first! After you have cared for yourself, then you are instructed to give oxygen to whoever you’re flying with. Why would you be instructed to care for yourself first?

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I really do believe that knowing our true identity, that we are children of God, daughters of a King; will change how we view ourselves. We were created in the likeness of our Heavenly Parents. Truly believing this will truly change how we view our bodies. Our bodies are one of the greatest gifts we will ever receive. We should be filled with gratitude for our bodies and all that they are capable of. How does knowing your eternal worth and potential change your view of your body and your life?

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I think it’s important to mention that when we talk about “health” it means so much more than our weight, waistline or even physical bodies. Just as important as our physical health is our emotional, mental and spiritual health. I truly believe that all these are related to each other and depend on each other. Have you found that your physically health affects your spiritual health? Does your emotional health affect your spiritual or physically health?

I am a better disciple, teacher, mother, wife, Primary Secretary, daughter and friend when I have had enough sleep, when I am not hangry, when I am not stressed or overwhelmed or burned by jealousy or a grudge. My body and my emotions definitely effect my spirituality.

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I have learned that my physical health is just as much, if not more, affected by my mind as it is by my body. Our will to live a healthy life, needs to be stronger than our cravings. You need to train your mind to be stronger than your emotions or else you’ll lose yourself every time. Your mind and determination must be strong. “You will never always be motivated, so you must learn to be disciplined.”

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Now I want to share some practical ideas for improving your health…

-Wake up each morning a little bit earlier than your kids or than you need to for work. Give yourself time to feel peace and prepare your mind and spirit for the day. “If you wake up every morning with the thought that something wonderful will happen, you’ll often find that you are right.”

- Get outside and get fresh air everyday if possible.

-Drink lots and lots of water. On my program I was encouraged to drink over 100 ounces a day. And my personal goal was to drink 150 ounces every day.

- Dance. Listen to fun music that makes you want to move.

-Go on walks with a friend, your husband or your family. Or go by yourself. Walks are a great time to ponder or listen to podcasts or audio books.

-Go to bed early! The Word of Wisdom counsels us to get good sleep. “Sleep is an investment in the energy you need to be effective tomorrow.” After over a decade of mostly not sleeping through the night, I can testify that enough sleep is just as important for good health as nutrition and exercise.

-Follow health food accounts on social media. I personally find it helpful to get new ideas.

-I like to add chia seeds, ground flax seeds or wheat germ to things that I bake like muffins or to pancakes, smoothies, or sauces. My family hardly ever notices. Last week, I also added oatmeal and spinach to a fruit smoothie I made and no one noticed.

-Last night I used whole wheat pasta instead of regular pasta for dinner.

-I have been trying to buy a bigger variety of produce. I have been trying to expose my kids to new friends and veggies and we found several that I didn’t know that my kids like.

-I find that it can be helpful to every once in a while, not always, keep track of what you’re eating. Use an app like My Fitness Pal or even just write it down.  Be a mindful eater. Pay attention to what you out into your body and why.

-Replace emotional or boredom eating with other activities.

-Surround yourself with healthy food. I have started to keep lots of veggies cut up and ready to eat in my fridge and lots of prepared meat too. Doing this helps me eat those things when I’m hungry and not a quick snack food.

-What health hacks or tips do you have for loosing or maintaining weight or for feeling healthy and strong?

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I challenge you all to pick one or two changes that you can make in your life now that will help you on your health journey. Write down your goals. And don’t give up. Practice your new habits and routines every day. Remember, practice isn’t the thing you do once you’re good. It’s the thing you do that makes you good. Making changes is going to be hard but hard is not impossible.