Ating Kabuhayan

John A.H. Tomoso +

If you’re like me, you have and cherish your health. Health is a gift; like all of life, it is a gift from Almighty God. We are stewards of all that God gives us, and our health is certainly something we have stewardship over. In fact, I believe that as we have a relationship with God, we also have a relationship with health, our health.

As a compliant patient of my treating physician, every visit with him includes recommendations for my staying healthy. These recommendations are usually very specific to my “condition of health” at the time I’m in an office visit. However, I’ve come up with what I call a “General Health Recommendations List.” Here it is:

  1. Make sure you are eating nutritious and healthy. Avoid “junk food”. Read the label of each food item you purchase.
  2. Make sure the food you purchase is safe and know where each food item comes from; where it is grown.
  3. Always wash your hands with soap and water, whenever you need to. Don’t be afraid to wash your hands several times a day.
  4. Exercise regularly. Exercise with what is comfortable for you, but do it regularly.
  5. Reduce stress. Too much stress can kill you.
  6. Drink clean water every day, as much as you can. The recommendation that I’ve been told is that one should drink at least 8 glasses of water every day.
  7. Avoid all tobacco products and e-cigarettes.
  8. Avoid excessive amounts of alcohol. If you drink do not drive. At home, I enjoy a glass of red wine every day, “pau hana” time.
  9. Avoid mosquito and other insect bites.
  10. If you’re out in the sun, use a sunscreen.
  11. Find a medical home, a Doctor or other Healthcare Professional. If you are in treatment, be compliant with him or her and know the prescriptions you are given and the effect each medicine can and will have on you, your entire body.
  12. If you’re traveling, and you’re not sure if you can make the trip, consult with your Doctor and/or other Healthcare Professional to understand how where you’re going to and how you’re getting there, can adversely affect your health and wellbeing.
  13. If you’re not feeling well or sick, “Stay home”.

The relationship we have with our health is akin,
I believe, to our relationship with Almighty God. It is a relationship that one has to foster, through whatever means it takes, so that the relationship is mutual,
accountable, clear, knowledgeable and understanding. You and I are on a journey. We will all get to the same place. But, you’ve heard the saying that the “journey is more important than the destination.” I believe our health is a journey, without which we will never reach our destination. I believe Almighty God, who is the author and creator of all health, wants us to get to Him, in a healthy state of mind, body and spirit.

Almighty God is perfection. While we as mortal beings can never be that perfection we can, as we journey to Him, be as healthy as we can. You and I are personally responsible to be healthy as we journey to Him you is all wise, all perfect… all healthy.

Have an idea or a comment or even a question,
contact me at this email address:atingkabuhayan@
gmail.com. Until next time, take care!

John A. Hau’oli Tomoso† is a Social Worker and Episcopal Priest. He is a Priest Associate at Good Shepherd Episcopal Church in Wailuku and an on-call Chaplain at Maui Memorial Medical Center. Tomoso was graduated from St. Anthony Jr./Sr. High School, the College of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota (Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Sociology) and Myron B. Thompson School of Social Work at the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa (Masters of Social Work). In 2008, he retired from the civil service as the Maui County Executive on Aging. Tomoso is currently the Executive Director of the non-profit Tri-Isle Resource Conservation and Development Council, Inc. His wife Susan is a 7th grade Language Arts Teacher at Maui Waena Intermediate School.