Remember the journey is more important than the destination. Many of us forget that. Our health throughout life is a journey. We will experience hills and valleys, mountains and ravines, calm seas and roaring oceans. Every aspect of our health journey contributes to our experience in life. The route we take and the choices we make in life determine the scenes we see. If we make good choices, we experience good health. 

There are many maps that help us make the journey smooth; however, many of us want to go without a map and take every "short cut" or side road that comes before us. We might end up in a ditch somewhere or a dead end.  It can be a waste of time. If you decide to eat processed foods; yes, they are easy and tasty, but the end result may be some unpleasant health conditions or worse.

Experience tells us that modern foods are low in nutrients and may cause health problems in the long run. It is wise to take the advice of those who went before and not take that dangerous route.  So it is better to prevent problems than try to remedy the result. "An ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure," should be well considered.

A Dangerous Cliff

Joseph Malins (1895)

- a poem about prevention -

 

'Twas a dangerous cliff, as they freely confessed,

Though to walk near its crest was so pleasant;

But over its terrible edge there had slipped

A duke and full many a peasant.

 So the people said something would have to be done,

But their projects did not at all tally;

Some said, "Put a fence 'round the edge of the cliff,"

Some, "An ambulance down in the valley."

 

But the cry for the ambulance carried the day,

For it spread through the neighboring city;

A fence may be useful or not, it is true,

But each heart became full of pity

For those who slipped over the dangerous cliff;

And the dwellers in highway and alley

Gave pounds and gave pence, not to put up a fence,

But an ambulance down in the valley.

 

"For the cliff is all right, if your careful," they said,

"And, if folks even slip and are dropping,

It isn't the slipping that hurts them so much

As the shock down below when they're stopping."

So day after day, as these mishaps occurred,

Quick forth would those rescuers sally

To pick up the victims who fell off the cliff,

With their ambulance down in the valley.

 

Then an old sage remarked: "It's a marvel to me

That people give far more attention

To repairing results than to stopping the cause,

When they'd much better aim at prevention.

Let us stop at its source all this mischief," cried he,

"Come, neighbors and friends, let us rally;

If the cliff we will fence, we might almost dispense

With the ambulance down in the valley."

 

"Oh he's a fanatic," the others rejoined,

"Dispense with the ambulance? Never!

He'd dispense with all charities, too, if he could;

No! No! We'll support them forever.

Aren't we picking up folks just as fast as they fall?

And shall this man dictate to us? Shall he?

Why should people of sense stop to put up a fence,

While the ambulance works in the valley?"

 

But the sensible few, who are practical too,

Will not bear with such nonsense much longer;

They believe that prevention is better than cure,

And their party will soon be the stronger.

Encourage them then, with your purse, voice, and pen,

And while other philanthropists dally,

They will scorn all pretense, and put up a stout fence

On the cliff that hangs over the valley.

 

Better guide well the young than reclaim them when old,

For the voice of true wisdom is calling.

"To rescue the fallen is good, but 'tis best

To prevent other people from falling."

Better close up the source of temptation and crime

Than deliver from dungeon or galley;

Better put a strong fence 'round the top of the cliff

Than an ambulance down in the valley.

 

If you have any of these symptoms, don't ignore them or just run to the corner drug store to get some OCT drugs to cover them.  They may not be serious enough to take drastic action, but they are the warning signs that the body sends to you for help.

• indigestion
• heart burn
• allergies
• stomach cramps
• sinus congestion
• frequent headaches
• chronic muscle pains
• chronic joint stiffness
• difficult concentrating
• skin rashes
• dry skin
• dry mouth

Pay attention to these symptoms before they turn into something more serious.

These are signs of nutritional deficiency. You should look at your diet and see if there is something you can remove and some food you need to eat more.

Signs of good health are harder to tell. If you ate some contaminated food, your body throws it back out, that makes you throw up. Is it a sign of good health?  You bet.  That is what a healthy body would do. Get rid of diseases and contaminants by pushing them out of the body.  How many of us know of someone known to be free of disease or symptoms; but who suddenly dies of a heart attack, or is unexpectedly diagnosed with cancer.  Was he healthy and suddenly became diseased?  Of course not!  Relying on symptoms to tell whether we are healthy or not is not reliable!  So many of our drugs are designed to suppress symptoms and many are fooled into believing that they are healthy when their symptoms are gone.  

Signs of good health are the balance of physical, emotional and social functions.  We are designed to be healthy as long as we honor our body/mind/spirit's design by providing it with nourishing food, supportive relationships and challenging exercises.  That is what our journey to self healing is all about. Discovering techniques and therapy that we can administer to ourselves, foods, exercises, stress-management techniques and supportive relationships will enable us to be as healthy as we can be.

As Americans are clamoring for the passage of health insurance reform and the prospect of universal health insurance provided by our government, I would like to sound a word of warning that this scheme is going to cost not only more of our money, but also our health or even our lives.

Let's understand how our current health insurance system has been set up. Insurance supposes to be a hedge against unforeseen catastrophic misfortunes. But, our current system is set up as a pooling of money to pay for foreseeable and preventable events-disease and illnesses. These types of health insurance plans promote irresponsibility. They encourage people just to run to the doctor and hold their doctor responsible for keeping them healthy, not themselves. This type of insurance is a Ponzi scheme, with the young and healthy paying for the old and chronically ill and those with poor health habits.

There is nothing these plans won't pay for, no matter how expensive, as long as it is "approved" by the FDA. Natural preventive measures such as nutritional/diet counseling and supplements are not covered. Since there is no market control, because the desperate public demand it and with a large pool of money available, doctors and hospitals overcharge the insurance companies at outrageous levels.

Patients demand the most expensive and advanced diagnostic techniques and treatments available, regardless of their effectiveness. Americans equate high-tech care with the best care. They falsely believe their healthcare system is the best in the world, and they want more of it. Advanced imaging technology such as cat scans and MRIs, and unproven but less invasive particle beam radiation treatment, and robotic surgery-all are in huge public demand. A Rand Corporation study showed that high-technology is the main driver in the high cost of health care. We fantasize that the American government can provide all the high-tech medical care that is available, regardless of cost. To illustrate the insanity, read this report:  New York Times article suggests $5,000 disease gene testing for all.

Many of the so called "uninsured" are either people who can afford to buy insurance but rather opted out of the system or the many illegal immigrants. To provide insurance for all whether they want it or not places financial and manpower strains on the delivery of health care that the industry is not prepared for. It was Winston Churchill who said: "The inherent vice of capitalism is the unequal sharing of the blessings. The inherent blessing of socialism is the equal sharing of misery."  Be wary any time the government says it's going to "solve problems" for you.

Universal health insurance represents provision (welfare) for doctors and hospitals. They are nothing but government employed entities. The system rewards treatment, not cure. Modern medicine has used markers of poor health, such as cholesterol, PSA, and blood pressure, rather than true end points, such as long-term survival or being drug free, to allocate resources and to represent effectiveness of their treatments. Most universal health care plans will soon fail. Examples are the National Health Service in Britain and Canada.

Our government is already mired so deeply in debt that we might never be able to repay. Universal government funded health care will fail sooner than we think when the government can no longer print money to pay for our debt. When health insurance schemes collapse, self-care will become the order of the day. Are you ready for this?

My Total Wellness Training program is designed to help those of us who want to be responsible for taking care of our own health. I will give you the tools and information to maintain your health and prevent illness. Come join us and empower yourselves and help those around you.