How To Prevent Disease and Cut Health Care Costs

Your health is the number 1 most important responsibility you have.  Without your health, most other things don’t really matter. 

We have all heard the phrase, “An Ounce Of Prevention is Worth a Pound of Cure.”  When it comes to health it is hard not agree with that statement.  While sure there are a lot of natural remedies, alternative health treatments, and also traditional medical care.  But, I think most people would agree that it is much better to be able to prevent something from happening rather than waiting for something to happen and then have to hope you can successfully treat a health condition.  Not to mention, an added benefit of preventing disease is it’s much cheaper than eventually relying on our traditional medical treatment, especially since healthcare in America is the number 1 cause for bankruptcies.

So why preventative medicine?  And what are some ways to use preventative medicine?  Dr. Axe gives us the breakdown on this topic on one of his latest blogs:

“Preventative Medicine: 5 Ways to Practice to Cut Health Care Costs

In 2009, Harvard Researchers found that 62 percent of all 2007 bankruptcies were a direct result of medical debt. (1) While this is already almost a decade ago, not much has changed. Medical costs continue to be a leading reason why even people with health insurance experience debt, deplete their life savings or have to take on a second job. (2)

It’s no secret the state of our health – as well as health care – is an ominous picture. With the outrageous costs of health care, taking preventative action with your health is more important than ever.

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Why Consider Preventative Medicine?

Between the government, health insurance companies, conventional doctors, and practitioners of preventative medicine, there is a lot debate over what should be considered “preventative.”

But even the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website tells us: “Preventing disease is key to improving America’s health and keeping rising health costs under control. When we invest in prevention, the benefits are broadly shared. Children grow up in communities, homes, and families that nurture their healthy development, and adults are productive and healthy, both inside and outside the workplace.” (3) I couldn’t agree more!

Today, we live in a world in which we are constantly bombarding our bodies with dangerous (and often deadly) toxins. From the highly processed ‘fake’ foods we eat to the pharmaceutical-laden tap water we drink, our bodies are dealing with a daily assault that they are battling against. Is your body winning?

Or better yet, are you doing anything to prevent the common negative health effects of daily life?

 

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Preventing Major Problems Down the Road

Some of us haven’t started suffering from these daily toxins, many of us have and are living with disease, and still many are suffering from the negative impact of toxins but don’t even know it. Aches and pains, obesity, digestive issues (like leaky gut), headaches and other health complaints are all symptoms of potentially bigger health problems lurking inside of your body.

Many times these minor symptoms are the first signals from the body to do something immediately before you’re dealing with a major and chronic disease such as diabetes, cancer and metabolic syndrome, just to name a few. But much too often we simply tune out in denial. We figure, oh that stomach problem will pass – it always does eventually, my headaches aren’t that bad, they’ll go away, and I’ll lose that weight – some day.

What happens is that ‘some day’ never comes and we wait until one day we find ourselves in the doctor’s office – again, or the emergency room, or on the operating table. Now I don’t want to preach doom and gloom. Fact is, even when you reach these stages of health, it’s not too late to make changes that can and often will work.

But I’m urging you to take preventative steps now so you don’t have to back track. So that your precious, God-given body is in the best shape it can be now, not years from now. Not only will you avoid pain and disease, you’ll also end up saving money.

Health really is wealth, just as disease really equates to expense. Take smoking for example — diseases linked to smoking cost the world $422 billion in health-related expenses. (4) Now, right there is a clear example of how prevention in the form of a cigarette-free healthy lifestyle can really go a long way and literally save billions of dollars.

Obesity is another prime example since it is one of the top causes of preventable chronic diseases and healthcare costs in the U.S. How much is being spent? It’s estimated that we’re now spending somewhere between $147 billion to $210 billion per year. (5) Examples like this are plentiful. It is really, really expensive when we don’t take care of ourselves and prevent the health problems we are capable of preventing in our lives.

But the good news is that when you adapt certain lifestyle habits you’ll be healthier, happier, and your pockets will be fuller.”

draxe.com

Photo By Colchester Hospital Comms