Everyone wants to know how they can help change the world. How can we make it a better place. We sign petitions, send letters to our congress men and women. Which is all good stuff, but lets be honest. It feels like we’re going no where fast.
ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS.
It makes sense to make the world a better place through actions that we can control. Hold the door open for people, donate blood, give a dollar to a stranger now and then and a million other ways.
There are many benefits of donating blood:
Blood pressure - you get a professional blood pressure check, good info to know.
Blood type - if you don’t know what it is, you get to find out.
Cholesterol level - you get to find out your good and bad cholesterol level, which for many of us should be a top concern.
Reduce Cancer Risk - donating blood helps to spur new blood cells, many research papers show this helps reduce your chances of cancer.
Reduce heart attack risk - other research shows people who donate regularly lower their risk of heart attack or stroke.
I was skeptical my first few donations, but it helps people out, and makes the world a better place. It is easy, the staff are friendly, you get free stuff usually each visit (gift cards or t-shirts).
Your body replenishes the lost blood volume within 48 hours, and all the red blood cells in four to eight weeks. So you can donate about every 60 to 90 days, or about 3 to 4 times per year.
Honestly though, I love finding out my cholesterol and other stats a few times a year. I can try to judge if my exercise plan is working, or if there are any major warning signs I should be worried about. Preventative measures are always better than reactive ones.
I encourage you to seek out a blood donation center. Or better yet, coordinate a blood drive for your office. Please help make the world a better place.