Whats Your Health Philosophy?

I guess the first place to start would be, “Do you have a philosophy of health?” I contend that we all have a very strong health care philosophy, however how much thought do we give it. How you choose to eat and feed your family, how or if you exercise, how often you take time for relaxation, do you take vitamins, drink alcohol, take multiple prescriptions drugs, or do you really even care about your health and give it any thought? These questions are all answered based on your invisible ideas of what keeps your body working well. And where did these ideas come from? Were your parents health conscious? Did you have a relative that became ill and that experience made you become health conscious? Perhaps, like many of my patients, you yourself had a life changing experience with your health and you decided to take charge of your health and well-being. Whatever experience you have had, your current philosophy needs some conscious attention. Instead of letting your health philosophy happen to you, create it based on current research and make it match how you want to live your life.
For instance, science has concluded that living a pro-active lifestyle has far greater returns on your quality of life then living a re-active lifestyle. That is to say, eating well, moving well, and thinking well allows our bodies to steer clear of illness and disease. Contrary, waiting for illness and disease to happen to us and then try and fight our way back to health with drugs and surgery has been shown to lower our quality of life as well as our lifespan. Therefore let’s take a moment to examine some simple ways we can live a pro-active lifestyle in this re-active world of healthcare.
1. The most important aspect of being pro-active is having a health coach. Haven’t heard of a health coach. It’s not a new idea, coaching has always been around for those of us that want to perform at a higher level. That is what we are talking about, right? We want our bodies to function at its optimum all the time so we can achieve and maintain a healthy body. I have a health coach I consult with every week, my wellness doctor. A doctor who is educated in living a pro-active lifestyle, not a re-active (wait till I get sick) lifestyle.
2. Eat consciously. Sounds simple? Surprisingly it is. Read labels, look for preservatives, added sugar, trans fat, etc… Choose REAL food, not from a bag or a can. Thankfully we live in an area where we have access to fresh local foods. We have weekly farmers markets and local orchards that provide the best possible food at great prices.
3. Move everyday! Many of us have sedentary jobs where we drive to work, sit all day at work, and then get home and sit for dinner. Finally we end this exhausting day by sitting on the sofa to watch our favorite program and fall asleep to do it the next day. Our bodies aren’t designed to be so inactive. This is one of the many reasons why we have more arthritis, diabetes, osteoporosis, and obesity problems then we have ever had in history. 20 minutes per day, take time to walk around the block, go to the gym, swim, and just move!
4. Be silent! Each day take some time in your hectic day to be quiet. Some of us meditate, pray, take naps, read, etc… Our brains need a break from the constant stimulation of everyday life. Stress hormones are released when we are stimulated, even with positive stimulation. Give your brain a rest and allow those hormones to level out. You will feel this right away and your stress level with be reduced allowing your body to heal itself more efficiently and avoid those common ills you suffer from.
Take some time this week to evaluate your current philosophy of health. Make it congruent with your goals of how you would like your future health to be. Do you want to be like the average person over 60 today who takes 6-9 different prescription medications per day? The patients that visit my office consult us so they don’t end up like their parents, grandparents, etc… They want to live a full, active, life to the end of their years. Do you? Get a health coach today. Educate yourself! The resources are readily available. Start by joining us this month at our “Philosophy night” on the 27th at 7pm. We will explore the difference between sick care and health care and help you redefine your health care philosophy. I look forward to seeing you there! As always, Be Well. The wellness doc.