The difference between health care and caring for your health
I never thought that talking about how to support your health naturally would be a controversial topic. But alas, here we are.
This global pandemic has somehow painted the picture that supporting your health nutritionally is the antithesis of health care.
But, kind of like racism, it’s always been this way. It just took something big to put it out in the open. What COVID-19 is to the medicine vs nutrition issue is what Donald Trump is to racism in America.
Right now, the whole world is basically on house arrest to stop an overwhelming strain on our health care system.. and by “health” care, I mean sick care.. hospitals. This is NOT a jab at our hospitals and medical professionals. We need to understand that their jobs are to take care of us when shit hits the fan. When our health plummets to the point of disease and illness. We NEED them, and now more than ever.
There are many issues that put major strain on our health care system, but the main ones: heart disease, and cancer put serious strain on our system day in and day out. So what’s the difference?
I’ll tell you what the difference is. Heart disease and cancer are multi billion dollar industries, and our hospitals have the resources and infrastructure to handle them even though the numbers are outrageous (the latest statistic on heart disease in the US alone is almost 18 million a year.. that’s 50,000 people a DAY).
The big threat with COVID-19 is that we don’t have the resources to care for a huge spike of respiratory distress cases. This is why it’s important that we practice physical distancing so that we keep the numbers from climbing to a point where we can’t manage them and vulnerable people who are elderly and/or sick are left to die.
Physical distancing however, is a short term solution, and I would argue, the tip of the iceberg when it comes to supporting public health right now. Want to do your part to take responsibility for public health as a whole?
Support your own personal health now.
Staying home and eating McDonald’s while we wait for the curve to flatten is not the solution!
But if you really care about public health and strain on the system, start to take small steps to improve your health now so that you can help to prevent being part of the problem later.
The solution is simple, but not easy.
Here are 5 areas of focus to improve your health now to work towards bettering your health and minimizing strain on our health care system.
- What you put in your body (choose organic when possible, stick to whole foods when possible, avoid GMO’s and preservatives in packaged foods, fragrances from personal care and cleaning products)
- What you put on your body (lotions, antiperspirant, shower products, makeup etc.)
- Physical activity (get some, daily if possible, outdoors when possible)
- Sleep (aim for 7-9 hours every night, minimize caffeine, limit screen time a night, sleep in a dark room)
- Stress (practice deep breathing and meditation, limit negative stimulus where possible – news, toxic people etc)
Putting emphasis on all of the areas of our health that we can improve will help us prevent disease, or at least decrease the length and severity of illness should we be hit with something like a virus.
Health is not the absence of disease, but rather the work that we do to feel vibrant every day. It’s not a pill we can take or something that we can do intermittently. It’s something that needs our attention day in and day out for the rest of our lives.
Yes, there is a genetic component to all of this, but if you look into epigenetics, it becomes clear that it’s not simply a matter of the cards we were dealt, but how we play them. Genes need certain environments to express, and by focusing on the things we CAN control like the 5 areas of focus above, we can have a fighting chance.
The good news? The human body WANTS to thrive. So make one new positive change every week and watch how your health improves. Your skin, your energy, your mood, your weight, and your overall sense of well being. It’s pretty magical.
Cheers to taking this opportunity to take a good look at our lifestyle and making positive changes.