What is your health philosophy? When I ask people this question I often get a puzzled look as a response or even “I didn’t know I should have one.”
Before you can take action to optimize your health it’s imperative you know what you believe are the most important elements to achieve health and wellness. Many of us have concise views on politics, religion and things such as who should be in charge of our schools and communities but when it comes to our health we often don’t give it much thought until we are in the midst of a crisis. I suggest giving real thought to what you believe are the best approaches to optimizing your health and identifying the key steps to effectively implement them into your life. Here are some questions to answer that may help you define your health philosophy:
Do you believe in implementing alternative methods to maintain health?
Therapies such as acupuncture, hydrotherapy, meditation, and energy work are considered by many to be an integral part of optimizing health.
How important do you believe nutrition is?
Do you follow any particular nutrition plan or have limitations such as gluten or lactose intolerance.? Do you believe food has the power to heal and if so, to what degree?
How do you feel about medications?
Are you comfortable with implementing traditional prescribed medications as a first method of treatment for conditions or symptoms? How concerned are you with side effects?
Is exercise an important part of your health philosophy?
Do you have limitations or need to make modifications to your exercise routine? What forms of exercise are you most likely to stick with?
How important do you believe psychological health is to your overall well-being?
Do you believe social support is integral to optimal health or would you rather go it alone? Do you have a family history of psychological disorders to consider?
What do you want your primary provider’s role to be?
Are you looking for a traditional family practice doctor who handles most of your basic concerns and guides you on your path or are you more comfortable with specialized physicians to handle individual issues? Maybe you want your primary provider to be a chiropractic practitioner and you seek a medical doctor as needed. Once you have a good idea of some key beliefs you can develop the philosophy that guides the actions you take to optimize your health and improve your well-being. Keep in mind there really is no right or wrong approach to wellness. There is simply what makes the most sense to you as an individual with a life and body to care for. Here are some books that explore different philosophies:
- The End of Illness by David Agus M.D.
- Healthy Aging Andrew Weil M.D.
- Reinventing the Body, Resurrecting the Soul Deepak Chopra M.D.
- Thrive, Finding Happiness the Blue Zones Way Dan Buettner
- The 22 Non-Negotiable Laws of Wellness Greg Anderson
- Women’s Bodies, Women’s Wisdom Christine Northrup
- When the Body Says No, Exploring the Stress-Disease Connection Gabor Mate
Being engaged is the first step to better health. Do your research, talk to trusted health professionals or even friends who are engaged in optimizing their health and simply begin by writing down; “I believe the philosophy that is best to optimize my health includes…..”
The next step in taking charge of your health is getting organized by utilizing tools like the alska connected caregiving portal. You can securely store health information like medical conditions, allergies, medications, and even advanced directives and other legal and medical documents. Start your free 30-day trial today and begin to take control of your health.