Nobody ever really wants to go to the doctor. But when you’re sick, you want to feel better now and you want help from someone that cares. Someone who genuinely wants to see you thrive!

I don’t know about you, but of all the myriad times I been to the doctor in my life, I can count on one hand the number of times I felt like they actually cared (incidentally, all of those times were in the last year since I started at Innova Primary Care). Sure, I have known physicians that were nice, or funny or had a good bedside manner, and most were competent.

What if the sole objective of your personal physician was to get and keep you healthy? How crazy would that be?!

Instead of only ever trying to eliminate symptoms, what if your doctor was the greatest advocate for your overall health? What if the goal was not just to get you in and out of the office as quickly as possible with a prescription and a “hope you feel better”?

Lifetime of Less Than Optimal Choices

Let’s face the facts. Most of us have lived our lives with little to no concern for the inevitable outcome of our decisions. We grow up eating what we want, when we want and as much as we want. It we exercise at all, it’s in fits and spurts and usually because we want to fit into an outfit or look good at the beach, and we all know that doesn’t last.

We sit behind a desk, stay up late, stress eat, smoke, drink and binge watch Netflix until we can’t see straight. We spend infinitely more time trolling social media and playing video games then we do exercising. Then we hit 40 and wonder why we look and feel like we do.

In desperation we look for a magic pill that will stop the pain, curb the appetite and restore our youthful vitality. We spend hundreds of billions of dollars on medications and diets and quick fix remedies none of which actually address the issue. We live our lives like it’s one big party and then we are confused by the inevitable hangover.

Instead, what if we change the way we live?

Managing Your Health From Here

Wherever you find yourself on the journey from crib to coffin, you have the opportunity right now to make changes to start managing your health.

Making a change in your health is not a quick fix. It took you years or decades to get to where you are today. Do you think you can fix it overnight? Instead, make a commitment right now to make small changes.

Here are a few worthwhile habits you can practice starting right now:

Start where you are

You can’t undo the past. You can’t magically change the future. You are right here, right now. This is always where you start. It doesn’t matter how yesterday went or how bad you messed up over the holidays. Everyday remind yourself to start right where you are.

Never give up

This is not a short term gig. If you want to be healthy and stay healthy, you need healthy habits. It was the commitment to bad habits that got you to where you are. You need the same fanatical resolve to maintain healthy habits for the rest of your life. Make the personal decision to never stop working on your health.

Hunger is not an emergency

There is nothing wrong with being hungry. News flash – a little hunger never killed anyone! We are accustomed to immediate gratification. If you have an itch, scratch it! Instead of going straight for the snack the instant you feel the slightest tinge of hunger, wait. Don’t be rushed. Learn to do with a little less, and a little less often.

Eat Slowly

We have forgotten how to eat properly. We eat fast. We eat alone. We eat standing. We eat in front of the TV. We eat without conversation. We eat without savoring. It may sound crazy, but eating slowly is healthier. Sit down at the table, put your fork down between bites, chew thoroughly, and try to make it last for twenty minutes. Try to have a conversation or read a book. Take your time. Savor. Enjoy.

Get Moving

Do something! Go for a walk. Do some jumping jacks. Go to the gym. Ride your bike. Anything! Just get moving, even if it’s just a little.

I get it. It’s been a long day at work. You’re tired. The kids are cranky. Your spouse is cranky. Everyone is cranky. All you want to do is drop down on the couch, shove food in your face and zone out in front of reruns of The Office, but if you want to start managing your health, you have to start making changes, even if they are small ones.

Be Aware

This is your life, your health, your well-being. Don’t be oblivious. Pay attention to your habits. Think about what you are doing and how you might do it better. Track what you eat. Measure your progress. Listen to your body. If you aren’t paying attention, you won’t know what needs changing or how you’re doing!

Health and Sickness

You can’t avoid sickness. Eventually we all come down with something, from the common cold to congestive heart failure, from migraines to the flu and ultimately something will kill us. But here’s a thought, if you were healthier, would you be less likely to get sick? If you did get sick would less severe than if you were unhealthy? Probably. Of course, there are other factors like genetics and environment to consider. The healthiest people in the world get sick, but wouldn’t you rather be healthier when you get sick? 

We know that smoking, drinking to excess, overeating, a sedentary lifestyle, too much junk food, insufficient sleep, too much sleep, substance abuse and a host of other habits have a decidedly negative effect on our health. Is that unreasonable to believe that doing the opposite would have better results?

As your overall health and well-being increases you will feel better, enjoy life more and be more productive. Your odds of feeling bad, getting sick and frequenting the doctor will hopefully decrease, but even if they don’t, I would rather be healthy and sick than unhealthy and sick. Wouldn’t you?

Managing Your Health With Innova

The staff at Innova Primary Care are committed to your health and well-being not just treating symptoms and sending you on your way. They can help you address current health issues while working toward life long health and well-being.