If you want to know the basic thing you need to do in order to have a lean and healthy body I urge you to listen to the wonderful song by the great Aretha Franklin, R-E-S-P-E-C-T. In the last part of the song, this wonderful singer sings that all she wants is “Just a Little Respect”. In a way, this is all you need to know about how you should treat your body. All you need to do is give it Just a Little Respect.
People, as a general rule, don’t respect what comes easy or what was given to them. This is why people go to a lot of trouble to take care of their car, spending a lot of money to find the right parts for it, to put into it a special kind of oil, and get it fixed the moment it makes any funny sound. People usually have to work hard to buy a car and even if it was given to them they spend a good part of their life without one during childhood.
The same goes for many other products that we buy. We tend to be very careful with them, we keep them clean, charged, we wrap them in protective covers, anything to not let them get damaged.
The problem is that our body is given to us at birth. It is always with us and always has been. We’re used to it and we can’t imagine it being taken away from us. We also get it when it is in the best condition, when we’re young and our body is at the height of its performance. It seems like a machine that can run forever without a hitch.
Show Some Respect To Your Body
The problem is that we take our body for granted. We don’t think it can get damaged. In fact, many of us are downright stupid about how we mistreat and ignore the needs of our body (which are our own needs). This is a disgrace and it’s the core reason why so many people these days are sicker, fatter, and lack basic physical ability. We simply show our body too little respect.
It makes me angry just to think about it because I believe that each of us has been given a tremendous gif: The gift of life. And, if we have our basic health, we need to make sure that we are worthy of such a gift. We can’t spoil it. And this is what a lot of us do.
While we may wax our car, spend a fortune on our home, and buy a whole variety of stuff that we hardly need, we don’t take care of our most precious possession: our body.
When I hear someone say that they can’t afford going to the gym I wonder how much they spend on their shoes or their new laptop. When someone tells me they don’t have time to exercise, I ask myself how they can find the time to keep up with the latest reality shows. It all boils down to a total disregard for one’s health. It’s a matter of priority. You need to put your body at the front of the line.
Respect goes Both Ways
I believe that respect runs both ways. If you don’t respect your body it won’t respect you. If you eat things that taste good but don’t give your body what it needs, it will rebel against you. If you don’t take time to keep your body in shape, you will end up wondering how you got to look the way you do. It is never pretty to go against your own body.
What I want you to do is this: think of your body first and foremost. Make your health and your nutrition a priority in your life, one which deserves a portion of your funds and a good deal of your time. I want you to realize that your body is the greatest asset that you will ever have. It is yours to keep, to develop, and to enjoy. If your body is well, life will be bright. If it is not well, you are headed for pain and unhappiness. You will likely gain weight and feel poorly.
So, show your body Just a Little Respect. It will go a long way.