Want to know what’s wrong with the health care debate? It isn’t about getting well. It’s about making sure you have insurance for when you get sick. Unfortunately, they aren’t talking enough about ways for you to get healthy and stay that way. Instead, it’s going to be about something else-- something important that tends to get neglected in the discussions about who is going to pay for insurance, what is going to be covered and how much it’s going to cost. And it’s something I think virtually all of us can agree on. Which is this: It’s a really good idea to stay out of the medical system. Think about it: what if you never (or almost never) had to go to the doctor? What if you never saw the inside of a hospital? What if the number of prescription medications you were taking was.. let’s see... none? What if you didn’t need that cholesterol-lowering medication because you weren’t at risk for heart disease in the first place? Bottom line: It's far better to be proactive and take care of yourself ahead of time. Perhaps a bit utopian, but it's something to aim for. My tennis teacher always said that when you hit the ball, you need to have a target. You may not always hit it, but if you aim for it, you’ve got a much better chance of at least getting the ball in the court. Maybe we can’t have perfect, doctor-free, medicine-free health at all times in our lives. But if that was our "Bulls Eye" we’d probably be a lot better off than we are now.
Best things to do to stay healthy:
Don’t smoke
Maintain a healthy body weight
Eat a Mediterranean type diet (i.e. more fish, vegetables, nuts, beans, fruits, omega- 3’s)
If you drink drink moderately
Exercise every day (or at least 5 times a week)
* Spend time with friends and/or family
* Find ways to lower stress
* Spend time outdoors
* Get some sun
* Sleep
* Take high-quality supplements
* Spend time with animals
* Love
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