Take Charge of Your Health...Today!

By Dr. Audrey Muhammad

               Isn’t it a blessing to have a Minister that is concerned about your TOTAL health: mind, body, and spirit?  Please take the time to read The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan articles on “The War Against Obesity (Fat).  In a previous issue of the Final Call, one of the subtitles of the article says, “Exercise to Stay Alive!”

               If we want to stay alive AND thrive, we do need to exercise (Smile, that rhymes).  What stops us from setting and achieving a goal?  Maybe it’s lack of knowledge, or maybe it’s the presence of pain.  Engage in self-examination, self-analysis and self-correction to identify what is stopping you from improving your health. In Study Guide number 6, it states that “Desire is the food source of the Will.  In addition to nourishment, the Will needs direction and support. We “exercise” the Will by overcoming resistance. 

                Prayer is listed first as a principle of action because it “generates the Desire to perform the other principles of action, out love and adoration for the Creator.”  Out of love and gratitude for the Creator for our life, we should strive to “actively” preserve and care for our body, which is this wonderful vessel He has given us.  We take care of our cars and the homes that we live in; we should also take care of our body.  We should, as the Holy Quran says, “Pray and do Good.”  Take action by praying to the “Source of Strength” and then set a goal.

               After you set goal and take a little step toward your goal each day.  Start off with daily goals.  For example, If I have a goal of working out each day, I am going to do some form of exercise to keep my body in good condition. Desire feeds the will. Not only do I desire to look good, but I want to FEEL good also and be able to go up a few flights of stairs without feeling like I can’t breathe (smile).  Remember your "intention" before you hit that snooze button. Ask yourself “Is going back to sleep going to bring me closer to my goal or away from it?”  Keep the goal of “weighing properly” in mind. (Remember, weighing "improperly" can lead to other health issues such as diabetes, high blood pressure etc.)  I have a goal of lifting heavier weights.  A few months ago, my elderly father fell and couldn’t get up.  I was able to come from behind him to help lift him to his feet.  He said, “Oh, you are strong!”  (My father weighs about 150 pounds).

               We are encouraged in the Study Guides to use “practical application.”  In Study Guide number 5, it was suggested to break a habit that was destructive to our Will. Break the habit of sitting down for most of the day and not exercising.  Even if you eat one meal a day, the Minister mentions in the lecture, "God’s Healing Power" that you can still gain weight if you have a sedentary lifestyle, which means you are not moving around much. Every day we should work on disciplining ourselves, eating one healthy meal, and intentionally engaging in some type of exercise every day. 

May Allah(God) bless us all with good thoughts, peace, health, wealth, love, and happiness.

(Dr. Audrey Muhammad is an educator, aerobics instructor, and author of Get Fit to Live: Be Your Best You! To order the e-book, go to virtuetodaymag.com For more information email audrey.a.muhammad@gmail.com or visit virtuetodaymag.com Please consult a physician before beginning any new exercise or dietary program).