What is the first thing that comes to your mind when you think of the word “healthcare”? Many of us will conjure up images of doctors offices, hospitals, medications but are these images really reflective of the true nature of that word? Why doesn’t healthcare actually mean caring for your health?
Many experts agree that chronic disease (heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, etc.) prevention is the biggest health care crisis in America today. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), “half of all American adults have at least one chronic condition, and almost one in three have multiple chronic conditions.” Consequently, these types of diseases account for 7 out of every 10 deaths annually and account for 86% of our nation’s health care costs. That last piece is important because America’s health care costs are growing at an “unsustainable” rate and the solution to that problem is being debated by politicians and health care providers alike. I believe that part of the problem lies in the foundation of our system which focuses on treating diseases that have already developed instead of caring for our bodies and staying well.
So what is the solution? Prevention. Prevention means stopping a disease before it starts, not early detection of a disease once it is fully established in your body. I know that you are probably already being bombarded by people telling you how to live a healthier, happier life so I will keep it simple. You can start by doing some basic addition (+) and subtraction (-) of the types of foods you consume on a daily basis. Click on the addition and subtraction symbols for more information about the health benefits of each food and recipes for interesting ways to incorporate them into your diet.
(-) Sugary drinks sodas, juices, cocktails, coffee drinks, etc. Sorry, frappuccinos.
(+) Green tea
(+) Green, leafy vegetables spinach, kale, chard, etc.
(+) Legumes lentils, beans, peas and nuts.
Are you courageous enough to reclaim the responsibility for your own health now?
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