For those of you who don’t follow my personal exploits (yes, I’ve got a blog for those), I was recently diagnosed with not one, but FIVE potentially chronic issues:

  • Vitamin D deficiency
  • Gall stones (I’m one episode away from having it out surgically)
  • Fatty, enlarged liver
  • High cholesterol
  • Type II Diabetes

Yikes! All that just from a few (horrible) tummy aches. The last couple of weeks have been crazy for me: adjusting to the new medication…drastically changing my eating habits…finding ways to add exercise into my usually sedentary days.

No, you can NOT sit in front of the computer all day drinking coffee.

At least, not if you want to live to see your business grow and flourish. I’m nearly 50. This didn’t happen overnight. And yes, the docs have been telling me to lose weight for the last few years: Your blood sugar is borderline here, Tea. Your cholesterol, too. You need to make some changes. But I didn’t listen. I just went on my merry way, convinced that things wouldn’t get any worse. After all, I quit smoking 10 years ago. Wasn’t that enough?

Sitting Around, Eating Crap is definitely the new Smoking.

The irony is that I know the power of good eating and moving on a daily basis. I’ve been an on-again/off-again vegetarian — not because I worry about the horrible treatment of animals (it definitely plays a part), but because of the effects of the industrial meat complex on our bodies and planet. I even did an entire summer eating raw vegan. And used to walk for 45 minutes to an hour every morning. So, what happened?

Life. Love. Launching a new business…

I felt like I needed to start my day at the computer and then never really got around to taking those daily walks. Before you could say morbidly obese the habits were set. And it was so much easier to eat the bacon than to say, “no, really, I’d rather not.” Yes, I’ve gained some weight since Mr. Perfect and I took up residence together. But isn’t that what all blissfully cohabited couples do? I love to cook. (Yes, the secret’s out) With real butter. We both to love to eat. It was a disaster waiting to happen. Thing is, now I’ve worn out my pancreas and gall bladder. And my liver ain’t too pleased with me, either. My biggest priority now is how to avoid the carbs AND the fat in a way that won’t make me want to kill myself. Sweet Baby Lettuce, carbs are EVERYWHERE.

Please don’t let this happen to you.

Take some time now to figure out what you need to do to stay healthy. Move more. Get yourself a standing desk. Ask a friend to walk with you for accountability. If you don’t take action now, you might find yourself in the same pot of boiling water I’m in. And that’s the last thing you need while you’re building your business. Look — I’ve had to postpone the Creamed! project until further notice. Too much on my plate (both literally and figuratively) means it’s time to slow down and get real about my life. Thankfully, I’m not in the hospital recovering from surgery. But I could be. I’m just a hair’s breadth away unless I spend some time taking care of my body. And the truth is, you might be in the same boat. Please PLEASE get regular blood tests done. And make sure they check for any vitamin deficiencies. (Did you know a vitamin D deficit can cause depression? As well as a whole host of other things.) [tweetherder]Without good health, we won’t have the time or energy to build a successful business.[/tweetherder]

What are you willing to change in your life so that you can be around for years to come?

Let me know in a comment below and let’s all agree to stop sitting around waiting for the inevitable, m’kay? p.s. – Take a look at what author Nilofer Merchant had to say in her TED talk (just 3.29 min long): This post is part of the Word Carnival series of monthly posts. This month, we explore the theme of health and business, specifically: how does one impact the other? Check out more of the fabulous series at WordCarnivals.com.