There is a lot of discussion about health insurance these days. When my husband and I were raising our 5 children there was never any health insurance.  We simply could not afford it.  Looking back now I realize how fortunate we were to not have suffered from medical emergencies that so many families encounter.

One thing I did do for my family was provide them with nutritious food at every meal.  We could not afford to go out, so the fast food restaurants so prevalent with families dining today, was not ever an option for us.    I knew the importance of providing fresh vegetables and fruit and protein each day into our diet.  We did have a moderate amount of sugar, but always in homemade desserts and I never purchased soft drinks. A study in Nutrition Journal found that a diet high in sugar, salt and fats can stimulate inflammation and directly impact the immune system. All those servings of fresh fruit and vegetables every day to my family was preparing them to grow into healthy adults. When the majority of calories consumed come from processed foods, key nutrients are missed and children are more likely to live with various diseases, illnesses and other health conditions later in life.

The health insurance dilemma is still a critical factor for families. I loved this comment by Dr. Frank Lipman, Integrative Physician regarding unforeseen health issues. He quotes:  “The most effective ways of preventing and treating most chronic diseases are diet, supplements, exercise, stress management and other benign modalities. And herein lies the rub. Although guidance may be helpful, lifestyle changes can’t be imposed from above – they have to come from you. There is no greater reward than being the master of your own health.” Perhaps prevention is what we all need to practice at this time.

I just read an article regarding chronic diseases and how to avoid them. Those listed included Heart Disease, Stroke, Cancer, Diabetes, Arthritis, Obesity and COPD. The article then listed then 7 ways on how to live with or avoid them.
1. Drop the junk food (nutrient poor and calorie dense)
2. Exercise (helps particularly with blood sugar and helps to control weight)
3. Brain Health ! includes coping with stress, enough sleep, healthy diet)
4. Preserve bone health (avoid excessive alcohol, colas, smoking, take supplements Calcium and Vit. D)
5. Stay Upbeat ~ Avoid Misery ~ (control stress at all costs, reach out to family and friends, simplify life)
6. Lower Your Cholesterol and Blood Pressure (lose weight, less alcohol, sodium, caffeine, increase calcium)
7. Filter Drinking Water ~ drink lots of it, avoid well done and charred meats, avoid dry cleaners)

This list is all about prevention. Perhaps that is the key to the health insurance dilemma at this time, at least with the chronic diseases, some of which are associated with our lifestyle choices.

I offer a great tool to help you with that.  Ask me about your own personalized health plan that will also provide you with health insights and recommendations to help point you down the path to a healthier life. As Dr. LIpman states, …”lifestyle changes have to come from you.”

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