Your Health, and the Health of Those You Love, Are Worth It!

By Contributing Author, Ainsley Lawrence

Good health is something that most of us take for granted — that is until it’s gone. But the truth is that when it comes to your health, by far the best medicine is prevention. In the vast majority of cases, good health isn’t just the luck of the draw. It’s the end result of effort, time, care, and knowledge invested in preserving this most precious of natural resources.

Read on for the best preventative health tips for 2020 — and beyond!

Why Prevention Matters

There can be no question that advances in modern medicine over the last century have not only lengthened life but have also made our lives significantly better. Each and every doctor and nurse save thousands of lives across the United States and improve countless more. But for all the immense good the current healthcare system does in the U.S., there is also a great deal that is wrong.

The healthcare system in America is fundamentally broken, exacerbated by a worsening shortage of skilled care providers, the lack of access to health insurance and adequate medical care for millions of Americans, and the epidemics of obesity and opioid addiction that are robbing far too many families of those they cherish most.

The poor patient outcomes that too often characterize medicine in America today means that, for most of us, the best offense when it comes to our health is a great defense.

Enter preventative medicine.

On the Front Lines of Prevention

When it comes to preventative health, probably the best resources you will ever find is in your community nurses. Nurses are not only your primary caregivers when you get sick or injured, but they’re also going to be your best allies in preventing disease.

Nurses can guide you to the resources you need to ensure access to proper nutrition, preventative screenings, immunizations, and routine medical care. They can also educate you on your particular risk factors and the steps you and your family can take on a daily basis to protect and optimize health today, tomorrow, and for years to come.

And it’s not only in the clinic that you can find these powerful advocates for preventative health. Now, more than ever, nurses and other healthcare experts are going into the community, schools, and workplaces, training citizens on how to be healthier and safer.

All you need to do is a bit of research to find a range of free or low-cost preventative health education and support programs in your area!

The Power of Holistic Medicine

Even as you marshal the expertise of nurses and other community health experts to the defense of your health, you should be careful not to overlook one of the greatest assets to human health imaginable: Holistic Medicine. No, we’re not talking crystals, potions, and incantations here.

We’re talking about health protection strategies that have been tried and tested for centuries, strategies that are increasingly being proven through empirical studies.

For example, holistic medicine has long incorporated the use of particular enzymes for their unique therapeutic properties. Recent research has found, for instance, that the enzyme, serrapeptase, is highly effective in both the treatment and the prevention of a range of serious diseases, from uterine fibroid tumors and fibrocystic breasts to atherosclerosis and scarring after surgery/injury. Serrapeptase may even decrease your risk of heart attack, stroke, blood clots, and some forms of cancer!

In addition to turning to holistic medicines and supplements, it’s also important to take care of your psychological and emotional health.

Studies show that stress and anxiety are among the greatest contributors to disease, not only causing illness but worsening any illnesses or injuries you may already be suffering.

So be sure to take time each day to relax, to do something you love, to take care of yourself and find your joy!

Getting Clean

Despite years of research and billions of dollars spent on treatment, prevention, and public education, cardiovascular diseases continue to be the leading cause of death for both men and women in the United States. This trend persists even despite the proliferation of more aggressive strategies to prevent and treat cardiovascular disease, including the widespread use of statins.

So, after all this time, money, and precious lives lost, are we still failing in our efforts to prevent this and other lethal diseases? Research suggests that it may be that we’ve been going about prevention all wrong and that pharmaceutical approaches may, in fact, be less effective than holistic ones.

Studies are now suggesting that lowering cholesterol may not, in fact, be effective in preventing heart diseases. Instead, the problem may not be cholesterol at all, but instead what happens to cholesterol when it becomes oxidized. The oxidation, studies suggest, maybe what leads to the formation of the plaques that lead to arteriosclerosis, heart attack, and stroke.  

Importantly, strategies for preventing potentially plaque-causing oxidation are the same strategies that holistic medicine uses to protect health in general: stop smoking and avoid processed foods. It’s also about a clean environment, because pollution, including exposure to pesticides, fossil fuels, and chemicals have been shown to increase the risk of heart disease.

The Takeaway

Your health is one of the most precious gifts you will ever have. Unfortunately, for far too long, the healthcare system has been based on reaction rather than pro-action, focused more on treating illness after it arises rather than preventing it in the first place. As important as modern advances in the treatment of disease are, wouldn’t you rather avoid getting sick in the first place?

Fortunately, we understand better now than ever what to do to prevent illness and injury before they can even occur. All it takes is a bit of knowledge and a strong commitment to self-care, as well as the recognition that your health, and the health of those you love, are worth it.