Own your health…no one else can do it better.

 “A wise man ought to realize that health is his most valuable possession.”
-Hippocrates of Kos, Greece

The responsibility of your health belongs to you right from birth. Whether it is clear to you or not, everything you do effects how well you feel or how sick you get. Most of the outcomes you can control, if you chose to that is.

Do you really want to make your own choices or would you rather have someone else tell you what to do? And what does it actually mean to “own your health”?

The complexity of health

Today more than ever, we understand just how wonderful and complex we humans are. We may all have similar parts, but we differ greatly by how we think, feel, socialize, feed ourselves, provide shelter, honour creation, follow our leaders, and plan for the future. Every choice we make in life can affect our journey through wellness and through illness. Along this journey, you can ask for help. The world is full of health experts and you actually get to choose who to ask to tag along on this journey. Of course the government funds some of the health services (aka. Universal Health Care), but there are many more choices; many more people to include in what we call the “circle of care”.

Your body is an investment

Before I explain the circle of care, let’s compare health ownership with home ownership. It may seem like an odd thing to compare, but taking care of your health is much like taking care of a home in a lot of ways. Both start out new or newly yours, and both you want to last for years to come – even a lifetime.

Your home is a big investment - for sure – and needs regular maintenance to protect its value. You may need assistance from time to time from experts like: an insurance agent, mortgage broker, plumber, electrician, Mr. Fix-It, an interior designer, a painter, and at the beginning a real estate agent or contractor. Of course, there are others but you likely get the meaning. Would you trust the insurance agent with your electrical problems? Or would you ask your plumber what window coverings you should choose? Keeping your home in good repair gives you peace of mind to enjoy for a very long time and it will give you good value when you decide to sell it. 

You may, in fact, own many houses in your lifetime BUT you only get one body – one measure of health - that may not even start out in perfect condition.

Without a doubt, your health is your biggest investment. From birth to death, you are stuck with one body that grows and changes – sometimes more than we want it to. Just like your home, your body requires regular care to keep its strength, its health – your health. Paying attention to the things that hurt or just don’t feel right is part of protecting your health investment. The saying “If it ain’t broke don’t fix it” does NOT apply to your health. Once health is “broke” it is often hard to fix. 

Protecting your investment

So, from time to time you may need to seek out an expert opinion about buying nutritious food, about fixing that ache or pain, about decreasing stress, sorting out the confusion over finding a job, making an unsafe home – safe again, how to fix a sore tummy, about trouble seeing straight, or even how you feel sexually. There are many opinions out there, but not everyone is a health expert. Would you ask your doctor how best to budget for the month? Would you ask your employer about the best pain medicine? Would you ask your dentist about a natural stomach remedy? Deciding who to ask for help and knowing which experts that you trust, is what we call in health care your “circle of care”. 

Many of these resources will not be covered by the government but it doesn’t mean you don’t need them.

Some of the areas of health care that are not paid for by government are travel health protection, wellness consultations, chronic illness coaching, DNA testing, massage therapy, acupuncture, Naturopathic medicine, some vaccinations, just to name a few. If you want any of these services you would pay out-of-pocket or through private insurance, which may sound like a bad thing or a burden but the benefit is you get to choose how to care for your health. You get to decide the best way to protect your most important investment. 

So why doesn’t the government pay for everything? Excellent question!

Going above the basics

Health Canada decides what basic health care looks like in this country. They plan for what is “universally” affordable and reasonable to commit to (see future posts). Health Canada also makes a list of all the things that can determine your health (see future post), which includes social status, education, physical wellbeing, housing, nutrition, and many other factors; and – guess what – many of these things are NOT covered under our universal health care system. 

Does this mean we don’t need to worry about safe housing, healthy food, getting ill while travelling, or chronic pain? Well, that is the question each of us get to answer. If you only want basic care, then waiting until something “breaks” then attempting to fix it or at least live with it WILL most likely be covered under the public paid system. If you would rather PREVENT the “breaking” and maintain the best health possible, the services that will assist you with that are likely NOT covered under our public system. 

Taking full responsibility

You are not powerless. You CAN take full responsibility of your life. Yes, there are external forces or circumstances that are NOT in your control but if you are ready to take full responsibility for your health and life there are infinite possibilities. The truth is, no one else has the insight that you do, nor the time, energy, and self-love to equip you for this journey through until death.

Yes, you get to choose your journey of health. You are the sole investor of your body, which makes you the expert on deciding how to manage its care. 

Own your health…no one else can do it better.