Topics on Aging

By Juan Gallo

How do you balance the health of your mind, body and soul? 

June 20, 2022

healthy mind, body, soul
As we continue to examine what’s important to us and others when it comes to health, I wanted to discuss the importance of balance.

Certainly, we see health at its extremes these days. A woman can be in her 20s and in good health, but then she looks at Instagram models and feels inadequate. She can spend hundreds of dollars to adjust her diet and achieve a look that was brushed up by a filter.

For men, maybe no matter how hard they workout, their genetics don’t allow them to have a six pack, and they’re considering plastic surgery to add the definition they want to their body.

I think we also have to consider health as a balance of the mind, body and soul. For example, we can pray a lot but then sit on the couch in front of blaring TV all day.

We’ve gotten to the point in history where we can literally modify our bodies and decide how we want to look. On the other end of the spectrum, we can decide that it’s all too hard and indulge in whatever we want, whenever we want.

I think health also is relative to our age and what we’re living through. My sister was 15 when she was diagnosed with lupus – a disease that put her body in an excelled state of deterioration. By the time she was 25, her doctor told her she was living with symptoms of an 80-year-old person, like rheumatoid arthritis and connective tissue disorder.

How do we define good health and achieve balance within a diagnosis like that?

I think we also have to consider health as a balance of the mind, body and soul. For example, we can pray a lot but then sit on the couch in front of blaring TV all day.

Our brains need to remain active, especially as we age. But we also need to allow our brains to rest. Sometimes balance means taking a break from the bleak news cycle.

For our bodies, I think there is a place of balance as well. We can be conscious about what we eat and how we move without starving ourselves or abusing our bodies with excessive exercise.

In the United States, we seem to separate our soul, our beliefs and our religion from our everyday life. In other cultures, your religion is with you no matter where you are. It defines you in how you react and how you eat food. But Americans tend to leave our souls at the door and don’t talk about religion in certain places.

For those of us that believe that Jesus Christ is Lord and Savior, I think our beliefs and the health of our soul should drive the other aspects of our life even more. Personally, I believe that God would want us to be healthy so that we could do the work that he has called us to do here on earth.

How do you balance the health of your mind, body and soul?

At Heart2Heart, we believe in supporting the mind, body and soul of the seniors we serve. As a volunteer, you can feed the body, nourish the soul or keep the mind of a senior engaged. We invite you to join us!

Read more about:
Juan Gallo
Juan Gallo is the CEO of Heart2Heart Outreach, where he oversees the mobilization of volunteers to provide hope, share love and restore purpose to the lives of the aging population across South Florida.

He also serves as a local pastor and as an adjunct professor at Trinity International University, where he is teaching a course on diversity and aging. Juan has a master’s degree in counseling and psychology and is a licensed mental health counselor intern.

Latest Post:

15 Years of Love in Action: Celebrating Our Volunteers This April

15 Years of Love in Action: Celebrating Our Volunteers This April

15 Years of Love in Action: Celebrating Our Volunteers This April

This April, Heart2Heart Outreach of South Florida proudly celebrates 15 years of love in action during National Volunteer Month.

In honor of the thousands of selfless hours poured into serving isolated seniors, this blog reflects on the power of giving, the joy it brings, and the deep community it creates.

From heartfelt visits to shared meals and prayers, our volunteers have made an immeasurable impact—and we’re celebrating them with a special BBQ on April 12th. Whether you’re a long-time volunteer or just getting started, this post is a heartfelt tribute to the purpose, connection, and joy found in service. Join us as we look back on 15 meaningful years—and ahead to many more.

Read the the blog
https://heart2heartoutreach.org/topics-on-aging/15-years-of-love-in-action-celebrating-our-volunteers-this-april/

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Juan Gallo

This blog is a frank conversation about what it means to age in our society.

I want us to consider what a wider range of diverse experiences when we talk about aging. I want to reflect on how we, as a community, want our neighbors and our mothers and fathers and our grandparents to live out their latter decades of life. I want us to consider each one of their voices as we strive to meet their needs.

Join me for weekly discussions about what it means to be a senior in South Florida and how we can and should respond to the growing needs of the aging population.

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