08/09/2022
Lifestyle Medicine: Is It Right for You?
As alluded to in my post of 7/31/22, Lifestyle Medicine is a necessary approach to health care if we truly want to improve the overall health of people. Modifications of key lifestyle choices will help with the management of existing common chronic diseases. Even more significant is the potential prevention of these common problems.
If we seriously pursued Lifestyle Medicine as the first and foremost aspect of health care, we could have a much healthier population with people having more energy, being more productive, having a better frame of mind, and overall being happier and more satisfied with life. Who wouldn’t want that?
In addition, the out of control cost of health care could be significantly reduced. Most people do not realize health care currently comprises about 20% of the US gross domestic product (GDP). Most of that expense going to disease treatment, rather than prevention. Our current health care, or more correctly stated “disease care”, is simply not sustainable and is likely to contribute to US insolvency. The Federal Reserve cannot print its way out of this problem.
In order to accomplish a paradigm shift in health care delivery we need two things to occur. First, we need more providers who have the knowledge and experience to work with people from a Lifestyle Medicine perspective. Second, and equally important, we need people to be willing to take a sober look at the lifestyle choices and habits they are currently locked into, and make the key decision to improve areas of significant deficiencies. The concept of “Doctor, just fix me!”, does not work, and never has.
Addressing one’s health is analogous to retirement planning. If you don’t address things at a reasonably early stage in life, then things won’t be so rosy when you reach later stages of your life. It’s the concept of “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”
Another way to look at this is a form of an insurance policy. Insurance is something you pay for hoping you never need to use. However, you sure are happy to have it if you do need it. Doing things to improve and assure good health is one of the more critical insurance policies you could pursue.
It should be acknowledged that to make the choice for change and then take action is something no one can do for you. It is an individual and personal responsibility. However, it impacts not only you, but also your loved ones, particularly those who may be dependent on you. The sooner you take action, the better the probability for a good outcome, i.e. quality of life and hopefully improved quantity of life. The analogy here is like car maintenance. If you regularly perform maintenance on your vehicle, it will likely last much longer and cost less over the life of the vehicle. If you let things go, the cost of repairs will be excessive and the inevitable point where repairs are no longer an option will likely occur all too soon. For a car that point means the junk heap, for a person it is a grave.
People make choices all day, every day. Please give serious consideration to the choice of lifestyle options that are likely to reap ongoing dividends of health and wellness for years to come. If you need help, talk with a practitioner who lives and breathes Lifestyle Medicine. This is their passion and forte. Seek help from those who love to help people improve their whole health: mind, body, and spirit.
Consider a free, no obligation meet-and-greet visit with Dr. Taylor to discuss options available to begin your personal journey to better health:
Seth Taylor, DO
Winds of Change Health Care, PLLC drtaylor@windsofchangehealth.com
Ph: 763-309-8719
