…Continued from Part 1…
I consult with a lot of people about their health. My primary goal is to help individuals understand clearly that doing as many of the “right” things for their body as often as possible is comparable to having a “prevention” insurance policy in force. Being healthy doesn’t just “happen” and it has nothing to do with being “lucky”; but it does have a lot to do with being aware of your body – physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually – and then taking action to address whatever challenge the body is experiencing.
Many people blame their genetics for their less than stellar health. Genetics definitely play a role in our health but not as much as we have been told that it does. Research over the past 10 plus years tells us that genetics account for less than 10 – 15% (some research suggests even less!) of our individual health condition. Everything else that happens to our body, 85 – 90%, is directly attributable to our lifestyle and the daily choices we make relative to our health. Let me repeat that again. Our health is primarily a direct result of the decisions we make, consciously or unconsciously, every day. What we eat, what we drink, how active we are/how much we exercise, what kind of chemicals we are exposed to, the quality of air we breathe, how much quality water we drink, how much sleep we get, what kind of quality supplements we take, how we care for our skin, the people in our lives (are they positive or negative?), the level of stress we cause ourselves and are exposed to, and the list goes on and on.
Since there is always a “bottom line” to everything, let me get to the bottom line relative to our health. Just like freedom isn’t free, being healthy isn’t free, either. It costs money to be healthy. And while money is a concern for all of us…please hear this…it costs a whole lot more to be sick! Not to mention how it affects everyone and everything else around us. Please remember: It costs money to be healthy!
It is my opinion that everyone should have a wellness line in their budget. If you don’t have one, you can start today! Hopefully this occurs before there are health challenges.
I can usually tell how much a person values their health by how they treat their body. While it may be true…or at least they believe it is true…that they cannot afford to do a lot of healthy things, it is simply that their health isn’t a priority…yet. Maybe they cannot afford to do everything necessary. But they can do something. We all can do something. And something is a start. I can almost guarantee you that if they become ill, however, they will be forced to find the money to invest in their health just to “get it back”…assuming they can get it back. And whether it is the person with the health problem that is paying the bill, the insurance company, a combination of both or the bills are being paid some other way, someone is paying. It is not free. Whether it is staying well or whether it is getting well, it costs money. The latter costs a whole lot more.
We are all going to age chronologically. But how are we going to age biologically? Even those of us who listen to our body are going to eventually decline in health. It is the circle of life. The question is, what kind of quality of life do we want as we age? What is your answer? I know what the answer is for me. I want the best health I can get, for as long as I can get it and I will do whatever it takes, even if it means rearranging my budget, to make it happen. We have one body and it holds us accountable for what we do to it. A healthy body is not because of luck. It is because of us. Because of what we decide to do, or not do, followed up with the appropriate actions. Whether or not you choose to do anything, your body will be talking to you. It is talking to you right now. I hope you are listening. I promise, it will be worth it.
