What Does Preventative Care Mean?
Most Are Used to “Sick Care”
Maybe you’ve noticed, there’s a huge problem in the US with our healthcare. All too often, we tend to prioritize “sick care.” Sick care is when the public isn’t so much encouraged to live a healthy life so much as they are encouraged to be reactive about their health.
In reality, the way we treat disease is more of a “fast food” approach. What’s quick and easy that will address the symptoms? What pills or supplements can a patient get to sugar coat a deeper problem in the system?
Healthcare in the US is far more about being reactive after the fact, as opposed to preventing problems from occurring in the first place.
Do I really have control over getting sick?
Here’s the thing — you might not be able to prevent all illness and disease, but what you can do is be as healthy as possible with the strongest immune system you can muster.
So instead of looking at this as a black and white, yes or no issue, think of it more as a probability situation. The weaker your general health, the weaker your immune system invariably is. As such, you are much more likely to catch a communicable disease or succumb to an injury. But what does this mean on a more practical level?
How you eat plays an enormous role in your basic health. The vitamins and minerals you consume in a proper diet will help fuel your body for physical exertion as well as your immune system for basic defense. Thus, when a foreign disease enters your body, instead of it festering, your immune system can kill it off before it can really affect you.
In short, the best way to prevent disease is to eat right, exercise, interact with your community, and live your faith. Remember, it’s all about the “big picture.” Most modern healthcare only focuses on little bits and pieces. To us, this simply isn’t enough to live your best life.
What does this mean for my family?
Anyone who’s had kids knows — once little Jimmy catches a cold, it’s likely getting spread all over. And, as the TV commercials say, parents don’t get sick days! This can be all too real, especially for new parents.
When you take a more natural and holistic approach to your family’s health and wellness, you can really improve your collective outcomes. For instance, if everyone is eating healthy, getting exercise, and engaging with their community, the probability of an initial illness being caught within the family drops significantly. This isn’t to say it won’t ever happen, but what it will do is dramatically reduce the numbers of illnesses as well as the number of people in your family who succumb to the illness.
Furthermore, it makes more sense for you as a family. If you’re cooking healthy meals for your family, it becomes easier for everyone to stick to it. Then, you can combine play time with fitness time at home or at a local park, which means that your family is getting fed physically and spiritually.
When to Address Preventative Care
The best answer to this question is “right now.” But, sometimes if you’re already sick or injured, it can feel like an uphill battle. That’s why our family at Reach is here to help!
We can advise, help with planning, and even tips on how to succeed with your plan. If the family is healthy and running right now, then that’s a great opportunity to prepare so you can prevent health problems from popping up.
So no matter where you’re at, there are always ways to tweak and improve your regimen.
If you would like to know more about how to plan preventative care for your family, please make sure and set up a consultation with us today.