What is “healthcare”? Or maybe a better question is do you care for your health?
Penguin dictionary defines health as “soundness of body, mind and spirit” and care as “close attention; effort.” However, when combined as healthcare one is pushed towards medical professional solutions; “efforts made to maintain or restore health especially by trained and licensed professionals.”
How one defines it may have more to do with the reality of their own current health status than meets the eye. Maybe part of the road to achieving optimal health needs a boost of separate but equal definitions of health and care.
Let’s start with health; soundness of body, mind and spirit. Definitions aside a body needs fuel and maintenance in order to survive. The types of food sources one consumes will either provide proper fuel or deplete the engine. Movement is the maintenance, you can either choose to manage the upkeep of the moving parts or let them deteriorate until they no longer work.
The mind and spirit also need fuel and maintenance. Choices abound on the upkeep of the mind from creative endeavors like art and music to the learning of languages or simple mental pleasures like reading a book or playing a crossword puzzle. The spirit might be sustained through meditation, walking the dog or the joy in sharing food with friends and family.
I shamelessly simplify here in order to make a point.
And what about care; close attention and effort? From my perspective I look closely at where my food comes from, choosing to buy local and organic. Yes, it does in some cases cost more. However, other luxuries are bypassed, such as eat out less, drive an older model car and regularly bring lunch to work in order to offset the costs of buying organic.
I also pay very close attention to where and when I can find time to move during the week. Not only from an official “exercise” workout but just in general. I’m a huge fan of standing more and sitting less, see article here. I stand up when talking on the telephone, take constant breaks away from the computer and watch minimal television, (except of course during the World Cup).
Finding a spiritual path like all things health concerned is very personal. Many individuals find a path through religion others through community service, and some like myself through time alone and or out in the nature.
So what does all this mean?
I’ve written extensively about how as a professional dancer one must learn to be “health self-reliant” in order to survive a grueling career, here and here. This attitude comes out of necessity but can be a model for not relying on a procedure or other medical professional to always be the answer to optimal health.
First and foremost I greatly appreciate the service of dedicated healthcare professionals. Their devotion to patients and overall passion for the field is in many cases remarkable. That said much of healthcare in the USA today is in reality “sick-care.” Meaning wait until something is wrong and then try to fix it.
If one really wants to mount a personal effort towards both care and health, maintenance should be a mantra. Caring for one’s health with close attention.
What I’m talking about is daily maintenance and high performing fuel for one’s body, mind and spirit. I hear often from individuals that being healthy is complicated. Simplicity requires more self-reliance.
Take food for instance if you always rely on fast food prepared by others, whether for convenience or complacency, health is compromised. In terms of movement, waiting till things break down is not an optimal road for regular performance.
That’s all fine and dandy but what can I realistically do?
- Eat real food
- Cook your own meals
- Move as much as possible during the day
- Find time for your spirit
- Habits create power
The above list is not a panacea to cure all ills and prevent one from potential sicknesses. It is a simple guideline towards becoming more self-reliant on personal health and the care of that precious element.
All six points might be too much, so maybe start with one. Make it a goal for one week. Then tackle the next one in week 2 and so on. Take stock of your energy, your spirit and most of all your ability to get stuff done.
Think about what you CAN do to care for your health not want you CAN’T do.
Final note
In NPR’s recent report on the overwhelming high levels of stress in the US, “Sixty percent of people in poor health report having high stress levels.” That same level “Nearly 60 percent of those reporting a lot of stress say they find relief from routinely spending time with family or friends.”
Sometimes the answer is simple.
