My “local” congressman called a few nights ago with an automated phone survey to get my input on what they are working on in Washington. One problem with the survey is that it only accepted “yes” or “no” answers, so it was pretty meaningless in my opinion. The other problem is that I really don’t care too much about what they are doing because I look after my own interests. The two major areas in the survey were about health care and taxing the wealthy. I give my viewpoint on the taxation issue on one of my other blogs. This is about my view on health care.
First, I prefer “wellness care” to “health care” because the idea of health has become so tied to doctors, drugs, and surgery. I don’t think that they are the long-term answer. If you really want to be healthy and stay healthy, then you need to make choices on a daily basis. Are you going to take the time to get enough sleep? Are you going to eat better today? Are you going to drink enough water? Will you take the time to do something for yourself and have fun?
Health doesn’t come from a pill bottle or a syringe. Your health comes from your lifestyle. It is what you do and eat every day and have done every day from the moment you were born. Actually, it starts before you were born but that was out of your control. If you eat a lot of processed foods and fast food, drink soft drinks instead of water, get completely stressed out, and only sleep 5 hours every night then you will probably get sick and there is nothing that a chemical can do to prevent it. These things all stress the body. Doing some of these things in small amounts is OK and could be beneficial because small amounts of stress could strengthen the body. When these choices become the norm though and the body is constantly stressed, it eventually reaches a breaking point and it will let you know.
On the other hand, if you usually get a good night sleep, drink plenty of water, eat your veggies, save desserts for special occasions, get some exercise, and take time to play then you will be much more resistant to illnesses. The body gets the nutrition and water it needs to properly function. Sleep gives it the time to repair and ready itself for a new day. Exercise helps to pump the blood and keep the muscles toned. Time for play, whether that is physical play or mental play, allows the body to release stress and relax. This all helps the body to be ready for whatever comes along, deal with it, then get ready for the next thing. That includes dealing with illnesses.
I don’t think the federal government’s plan is looking at health this way.
Wayne Woodworth
Take a look at my other wellness blog to see what I am using to help stay healthy.
