How about a PREVENTION AWARENESS MONTH?

This month, we find Pink Ribbons everywhere--from the grocery store to the football field. October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, dedicated to promoting awareness and dialogue on the disease that is becoming easier to detect and treat.




With all this talk about our Healthcare System, I propose we all do our part to educate ourselves on the BEST form of Healthcare. It is called PREVENTION. We must all take responsibility for our bodies, and educate our children on eating well, exercising, and how to practice healthy living! In addition to the preventable communicable diseases, such as Hepatitis and Polio, this is a list of major diseases which are also preventable in most cases:

• Cancer



• Atherosclerosis (thinning of arterial walls due to buildup of plaque resulting in High Blood Pressure)



• Obesity



• Diabetes



• Diseases associated with Nutritional Deficiencies or overload (Scurvy, Rickets, Osteoporosis)



• Mental Disorders



• Osteoporosis



• Macular Degeneration



• Coronary Heart Disease
  

There are simple ways to Prevent health problems and diseases. Here are some of my Prevention Tips:

1. Take control of your lives. Welcome "change" into your life--try not to place a political partisan label on your Health! Quitting Smoking, Controlling your food-portions, Eating more fruits and vegetables, Drinking more filtered water, and Exercising regularly are just a few places to start.



2. Read labels and question everything. Don't trust Buzz Words like "Natural," "Healthy," "Wholesome," unless you actually read the label. For example, Cocaine is "Natural" and is not exactly good for you! And what is "healthy" for some, may not be "healthy" to a Diabetic or someone with Celiac disease. Decide for yourself whether a package of food is "Wholesome" or not by reading the ingredients. My rule is: the less handling or processing a food item has seen before reaching my plate, the better!



3. Stop in to see your doctor once a year! There are millions of cancer patients who are now healthy, thanks to a regular screening.



4. Identify unhealthy habits in your life and quit cold turkey. Overeating, drinking too much, lack of sleep, smoking, or even negative thoughts can decrease our immunity to certain ailments!



5. If a former meat lover like me can go Vegan overnight and never look back: anyone can go Vegan once or twice a week! Meat and Seafood just isn't the same as it used to be, so go Green in the kitchen--try it out! Benefits I have seen since becoming Vegan: glowing skin, improved digestive system, stable blood pressure and cholesterol levels, improved body image, mental clarity, and more positive view on life.



6. Analyze everything in your home for carcinogens! Do you cook on nonstick cookware, do you spray pesticides around your children or garden, do you microwave plastics, do you eat non-organic soft fruits and vegetables? (See http://karinnaz.blogspot.com/2009/07/shopping-green.html and my Eco Savvy post for more info!)

Prevention is key! It is never too late to start turning back the clock and reversing damage we've already done.

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