I shared an image on Hanna’s facebook page that forced health care costs, exercise realities, and the misconceptions of medicine into my thoughts. I sat for a minute, pondered the image, and set about searching online for information that would perhaps prove the image wrong. Before I began, I had a pretty good idea of what I would find and the purpose of this blog is to share how very EASY it is to make small changes that can change your life and your health and help change the graphic to the right.

When asked, “What makes us healthy?” 10% of those questioned said access to care, 20% cited genetics, 20% said the environment, and 50% said healthy behaviors. Those are great answers until you consider the graphic beside it which shows that 88% of our money is spent on medical services in order to be healthy with 8% cited as other and only 4% of our money being spent on healthy behaviors. For “healthy behaviors” to account for half of what makes us healthy, something just doesn’t add up here.

It’s no secret that Americans spend a great deal of money on health care. In fact, $2.6 trillion (or $8,000 per American) was spent in 2010 alone.  While that figure includes everything from eye exams to slings for a broken arm, it also includes money spent in an effort to have a longer life, less disability, or higher quality of life. A study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine found that there is an assumption within the United States that higher payment for health care leads to a healthier life.

When you weigh the facts of how unhealthy we are as a nation versus how much money we spend in an effort to be healthy, you can understand how badly we as Americans need to change this assumption.

Coupled with the concern of how much money Americans currently shell out for health care is the fact that the amount is growing. For more than 30 years, health care costs have been growing 2 percent faster than the overall economy. If this growth rate continues, health care will be about one-third of the entire economy by 2035 and, even more frightening, one of every three dollars will go to health care by 2080 if the current trend continues.

Maybe you’re thinking “2080 is over 65 years away! What does that have to do with what’s happening right now?”

Everything.

Let’s move away from the numbers and the striking reality of what is occurring in America in terms of dollars and cents and instead focus for a moment on our health. There are so many factors that play into the health of our nation ranging from air pollution in your area to the availability of fresh fruits and vegetables or your ability to purchase them. The fundamentals of good health are no secret and no matter your socio-economic situation, you know that a cheeseburger is not as healthy as fresh vegetables and that drinking copious amounts of alcohol or soda isn’t improving the condition of your body. We’re all aware of the dangers of sitting in front of a television or computer screen for hours on end without getting up to move our bodies; this information is nothing new. We get it, we’ve heard the statistics, we know the dangers and have every opportunity to change it but we are still the unhealthiest nation in the world; that’s not something you want to bring the gold home for.

If you’re wondering what you can do to stop the trend, even if it’s only for your own body, there are 3 fundamental standards that are easy to follow and can make an amazing difference. Ask yourself these questions then act accordingly: Do you smoke? Do you have poor eating habits? Do you exercise? Seems pretty simple, right? Yet there’s still something stopping us as a nation from having healthy bodies. No matter the label you place on your reasoning for not being healthy, something has got to change so we can avoid throwing money away on our bad health.

Poor eating habits are a reality throughout the country but changing up your diet is easier than you may think. Rather than looking for how fast a meal can be, instead think of how quickly you can read the ingredient list. Sound silly? At my local grocery store’s bakery there are several delicious varieties of breads and generally I grab one and throw it in my cart. One day I took a peek at the ingredient list and was stunned at the amount of ingredients in a loaf of bread… this should be basic stuff I thought. Yeast, water, salt, flour, maybe some sugar … but not over 20 ingredients. That’s right, over 20. How did this happen? This example is only one of the many experiences I have had in becoming a strict label reader. If you can pronounce it and identify it in nature, it’s probably ok to eat.  Aside from that tip, consider the rule of thumb that many of my friends use: 10 or fewer ingredients or it goes back on the shelf. Food that is nutritious and even healing doesn’t involve chemical or flavor changes and it certainly doesn’t come in a package that can be reheated and enjoyed after 2 minutes in the microwave. If you frequent fast food restaurants, purchase reheat and eat meals, and can’t pronounce the ingredients on your food, try taking advantage in the change of seasons and the abundance of fresh foods in your local market. I’d be willing to be you’d notice a great change in how you look and feel in no time, not to mention the amazing change that happens inside your body from the switch. Lowered cholesterol, more energy, cleaner arteries, healthier organ systems, clearer vision, better sleep, and improved mood are just a few perks of eating nutritious foods.

We’re all aware that exercising several times a week, especially cardio exercise to improve our hearts, is important yet most of the population fails to even commit to taking the dog for a walk around the block each day. If we, as a nation, are to improve the condition of our lives, we’ve got to start taking responsibility for how active we are. Find what works for YOU and follow that. I have several friends who run marathons or joined a few soccer teams and use those activities as a way to keep active each day in preparation to perform. That doesn’t work for me so you won’t catch me running down a field or on a treadmill. What you can expect are walks on my lunch break, yoga in the evenings, stretching exercises on the weekend, and a good deal of gardening and house cleaning. No matter what the activity, just get up and do it. None of us need to be told that we should exercise, we need to act.

If you smoke, quit. If 2 out of 3 meals each day contain chemicals or ingredients you can’t pronounce or identify in nature, clean it up. Turn off the television, move around, and bring a friend. There is a clear disconnect between the graphic on the left and the one on the right and that needs to change.

Finding products that keep you healthy don’t have to be found behind-or-over-the-counter; we’ve got great natural herbs and supplements at Hanna’s Herb Shop to help you achieve the healthy life you want and we’re happy to help!