By Robert Ambrose

October is Health Literacy Month. To raise the collective awareness of health knowledge, organizations across the U.S. hold health data sessions, health screenings and health fairs. There are public health campaigns including social media. Healthcare providers, community organizations, and schools also get in on the action.

A path to great health does not mean self-punishment. Anyone can focus on their health in several easy ways: Eat right, exercise 30 minutes per day, sleep at least seven (7) hours and remain around relatively happy people. Taking time out simply means not always hustling to the next thing to do. Sometimes the right thing to do is to “take five.” Research shows that workers are more productive if they have some down time.

Eating right is following the USDA food pyramid, limiting sweets and eating enough carbs and protein. Omega-3 can help our brains function well and multiple sources of Omega-3 can be found: eggs, fish some seeds, walnuts and certain beans.

Exercising 30 minutes a day helps our bodies generate the necessary internal combustion to digest food – and turn it into energy. Exercise keeps us healthy. The healthiest people in the world included exercise in their routines. Elderly people can get involved. There are fitness groups for the aged, there is the Internet to provide ideas. If you like tech you can even get a special watch that measures, for example, your walking steps. Some people like to measure their distance and monitor their pulse rate. Tech does all that and probably will even create a spreadsheet. But the Internet in general is a great way to check into healthy ideas (e.g., exercise and foods).

So, taking time might be praying for some people. A moment of gratitude is a spiritual uplift. Some people simply take a nap for their time out. But whatever it is, it brings us back to homeostasis.