For a whole year now the world has taken a crash course in ‘Reactionary’ medicine, which is the practice of medicine that reacts to a pressing need. We are in a pandemic, and the reactionary needs that have been discussed globally have focused on what we do to stop it now that it has already started.  There is a necessary place for this response in the medical world undoubtedly.  It is recognized that reactionary medicine has its value. But does that value negate our individual role in how we view healthcare before we get sick? That we just sit and wait until the next emergency arises, and then address it? The short answer, No! We should not be passive nor just wait for emergencies to happen. Every person can utilize proactive wellness, not only in how they view their health, but also to determine whether they are currently healthy or not.

 A few questions then arise; What is proactive wellness and healthcare? What steps can you implement to be more proactive in your approach to wellness?  

Proactive Wellness – Managing Your Health Before a Crisis

Proactive wellness in healthcare means creating or controlling your health by choosing to add in treatments rather than waiting to respond to your needs medically after something goes wrong. A key benefit to being proactive is your body function will be primed and ready to respond in the appropriate natural way to any illness and injury that may come your way, helping you to overcome and heal better. 

The main health risk factors that can lead to long term detriment fall into these four categories:  

•  Lack of exercise or physical activity: Adding physical activity into your daily or weekly routine doesn’t need to be expensive or complicated. For example, walking up to 30 minutes a day can lead to multiple health benefits: balanced weight strengthens bones and muscles, improves your mood as well as your balance and coordination.   
• Poor nutrition: Poor nutrition can detrimentally affect your weight, oral/dental health, blood pressure, cholesterol, heart health, sleep, energy, and brain function. Even if you feel like you have a well-balanced diet, looking into tracking your intake may help you discover sneaky ingredients like extra salt or surprisingly high-calorie meals. One APP that is a fan favorite at the Integrated Wellness Clinic is My Fitness Pal. In truth any app that you can use regularly and easily is the right app for you to help yourself.
•  Tobacco: Use increases the risk of Heart disease, Lung cancer, Stomach cancer, Esophageal cancer, and other respiratory diseases. It’s always recommended to stop the use of all tobacco products in whatever form you’re using as there is not a healthy way to use it, smoke, chew, vape or water pipe all share similar health risks. Because of Tobacco’s addictive properties, you may need to reach out to one of the varieties of programs available to you in your area.
•  Excessive alcohol consumption: Not all alcohol is created equal in how it’s made, or the benefits or detriments to your health. One thing that all types of alcohol do have in common is that it’s always unhealthy to drink in excessive amounts. Defined by the CDC, excessive drinking includes binge drinking, heavy drinking, drinking while pregnant or under the age of 21. Long-term excessive use can tax your liver function, affect your heart functions leading to disease and Short-term effects; drowsiness, slurred speech, dehydration, headaches, and distorted vision and hearing.  Alcoholic drinks can be very enjoyable, and even beneficial when used in moderation. For a great list of alcohol-free alternatives, check out our blog, here.

Photo by Max van den Oetelaar on Unsplash Maintaining your health is the best defense against many major health issues as you age. By employing a proactive approach to your wellness, you’ll hopefully keep you r body in fighting shape to stave off illness.

Studies have shown that even small reductions in these four high-risk behaviors could have a significant impact on maintaining your long-term health. The obvious answer to this problem is to attack the cause: the unhealthy behaviors that lead to symptoms and eventually chronic disease. The fact is it is exceedingly difficult to be proactive all on our own.  Four factors to take into consideration while you put a new proactive healthcare plan into place for yourself.

• Willpower: Figure out what motivates your desire to change, otherwise implementing any changes will not be sustainable.
• Knowledge: If we want to change our eating habits, for example, we might not know how or where to start, or even what the best foods are for us individually. This requires research and following something that has been proven.
•  Social Motivation: Who you spend time with is going to affect your outcome. It’s that simple, they will either motivate your changes and be an ally, or they will be accomplices and help you justify bad health practices. Talk about your motivation with coworkers, family, and friends. Help them help you do better.
• Social Ability: Find an example of someone who has accomplished what you are looking to accomplish with your changes and follow their example. We utilize social media for so many things you can use it to help you network with people who have gone before you as part of your motivation.

We never want to take maintaining our health for granted, and we have so many tools to encourage us on our journey by helping us track & monitor our progress. Repeated but small-steps or nudges in the right direction with demonstrated impact are the key to sustained change. The Integrated Wellness Clinic is well designed for helping you make these changes. Our Practitioners and Health Coach can be part of your willpower, knowledge, social motivation and social ability. With years of experience and real-life examples, they can lead you to put a plan into action and follow up with you to adjust this plan depending on changing life circumstances.  There are a variety of ways to be proactive, and we’d love to discuss all of them with you.