I’ve discussed in previous articles that insurance is insurance and it pays for designated activities related to your health, primarily corrective actions (surgeries, prescriptions, x-rays, treatments, etc.). Healthcare is the lifestyle choices you make daily that produces good or bad health.
What lifestyle options produce the best results? Obviously, you should stop doing those things that are higher risk – smoking, excessive drinking, excessive sitting, etc. There are four major areas that produce better health that are described in the book The Wahls Protocol. They are diet, exercise, toxin reduction and stress relief. What’s easy and cheap to do?
The first is toxin reduction. Become familiar with where toxins are and how they are identified (or not identified). Most personal care products (shampoo, lotion, soap, toothpaste, etc.) contain toxins. There are products that do not contain toxins, but they are harder to find and are generally more expensive. Why pay more for something today? It’s your life. The decisions you make daily impact your future health. You must start somewhere.
Secondly, a non-cost option is to perform stress reduction activities daily – actually, several times a day. This can be as simple as smiling, breathing, meditating, stretching, visualizing or walking outside. Obviously the most effective is to remove yourself from the thing causing you the stress.
Thirdly, dietary options include elimination/reduction of toxins also. In additional to balancing the nutrients contained in your food selections, buy foods that are fresh and/or organic. Avoid most foods packaged. Yes, this option can be more expensive than other products available in stores. I found that I spend more on organic than non-organic, but I eat less at each meal (restricted calories) and I eat less often (intermittent fasting).
The last option is to exercise daily. Do exercises that involve balance, coordination, flexibility, range of motion, strength, endurance and aerobic activity. All of these are free and can be done at home.
This is a short list of lifestyle options that can be done to improve your health care. Your daily decisions affect your eventual health. You can avoid many diseases and elder-care by being proactive in your healthcare choices today.