Book Club

I started my own book club this summer and it has been a fascinating discovery. You could say I have replaced actual friendships with my books. Which in small doses works wonders. I nestle in on my couch with a large mug of whatever I am drinking that day and mull over every concept. I am intrigued to discover that what I think, what I do and what my mamma gave me are always changing, always evolving into what I am doing with my life. Every thought, every action is accounted for, it becomes recorded into my life. The more I read the more I could not stop. The first of my great reads was all about allergies, then on to skin and proper care of the biggest organ in our body and lastly I just finished reading about genetics. I can say that they all have shed light onto my old beliefs of what was good and bad. I have opened up towards the idea that even though I have a set of DNA that codes every cell of my body I am still in control of my destiny. That what I do, every single day is ultimately who I will become.

"Even long after we're gone, our bones can leave behind clues about the myriad of experiences of our lives that have been impacted by our genes. The constant use, strain and weight isn't just toning muscle, it's also setting osteoblasts and osteoclasts to work, which changes genetic expression that helps to build stronger bones. It's also weaving together an aspect of our life story that will last as long as our bones do." Even after I am gone someone can look at my bones and identify how I lived my life. They can see what I was allergic to, what my diet consisted of and the quality of life I lived.

I have recently started a new program of cardio and endurance based workouts. Sad thing is, my body is not ready for that quite yet. I need to do a few rounds of physical therapy because I have to strengthen my body to work more cohesively. And is that not the truth, looking at me you would say I am the picture of health, and while there are truths to that I have to make my muscles, my body all work together. Because it is not how I look that really matters, its that it all works together. From food to workouts to rest I have to delicately balance all of it. I have to push, pull, swing and hold my way to a better body, a more balanced body that will take me anywhere I want to go. I will not live in fear or hold back from anything because I can accomplish any task if you give me time and a little room to make mistakes. I have since ended my obsession with books and am now back on the friend market. No excuses this time!



Photo by: Patricia Pena
Quote from the book "Inheritance" by Sharon Moalem, MD, PhD