I would call it the “secular trinity.” Eat, sleep, and exercise.

The three most mundane, yet crucial pillars of our day to day life. Without one, the other two suffer, and without two, there is a slim chance that our lives are going the way that they should be.

An article appeared recently in WebMD about how lack of sleep seriously affects our ability to control our emotions. If we cannot control our emotions, other people will have a hard time being around us.

Exercise is interesting in that the more we exercise the better we feel and the more inclined we are to keep exercising. The less we do it, the less energetic we feel and the less motivated we are to keep at it. Often it just takes some initial internal or external motivation to begin to give our body the activity it needs to stay healthy and keep us feeling strong and happy.

The food we eat also contributes greatly to how we feel on a day to day basis. As the saying goes,

You are what you eat.

I was very surprised when I recently learned about the amount of exercise it requires to burn calories. This came from looking at the USDA’s website for the food pyramid. I regularly am reminded of the poor diets of people today when I observe the food that the students eat at the school where I teach.

Along with what we eat, is how we eat it. Rushed, in the car, in front of a computer… I must say that I am guilty of them all from time to time. Yet how often can we really appreciate our food and be grateful for how it comes to us (let alone digest it well) when we eat in such a manner.

Just a few things to think about in relation to our day to day health. Am I leaving out some essential points?