Chances are you have heard the phrase “1oz of prevention is worth a pound of cure?” Did you know it was spoken by Benjamin franklin to the city of Philadelphia in 1736 as he formed the first ever volunteer fire department to address the cities issue of fires. This time-honored quote certainly makes sense to more than just fires.

You wouldn’t wait for smoke to develop from your car’s hood to service your engine (especially when the check engine light alerts you to a problem in advance). You wouldn’t wait until you were driving on your rims to fix your tire? Thankfully technology in automobiles has advanced to where it can easily alert you BEFORE a problem develops-with the hope you take action to prevent a future, often more expensive, problem.

In contract however, many of us fail to recognize or implement any preventative measures when it comes to our health. I believe this to be a result of our medical technology-the focus is almost exclusively on “early detection”-ie finding the problem/disease earlier with the hope of earlier treatment rather than on an understanding of what can be done to prevent the problem/disease all together.

Here’s what is even more interesting-we all know at least 3 things we can do right now to prevent our health failing yet the number one reason I hear from most people as to why they are not dong them is “I have no time” which is simply a translated belief statement of “I see no value in those at this moment”. Notice how once someone is diagnosed with a threatening illness they rarely say “I have no time to take care of myself”-rather its all they think about and do. Why? We put our energy and resources into what is a priority in our lives.

Let’s look deeper into this for yourself. Are you willing to authentically choose to take long-term actions in the a few areas known to produce a positive outcome on your current and future health?

• Will you put energy now into changing and sustaining to a healthier diet.
• Will you invest in your bodies metabolism by supporting it with nutrients, enzymes and detoxifiers to augment what your diet cannot provide.
• Will you give your body the care and attention it craves even when you can’t feel the need(chiropractic, acupuncture, massage etc).
• Will you test your body’s function regularly to ensure its performing at its peak. (X-rays, blood and urine evaluations, nutrient and detoxification assessments) and address any abnormalities once you become aware of them?

Will it take a “wake up call” before you start taking action. Unfortunately in my career it’s all too common to hear “Doc-after my heart attack or cancer happened I now realize I need to take better care of myself” While these “aha moments” can become great inspiration to adopt and even maintain a range of healthy lifestyles, with the goal of long-term health, happiness, and well-being the hope is that you don’t have to have an “aha moment” yourself to do that.

Most Important Prevention Actions You Can Implement Now To Ensure A Future Of Great Health

After 15 years in practice I would like to share with you my list of preventive measures-feel free to implement any you see below if you are not currently using them.

• Regular Chiropractic Care: Chiropractic care perhaps the most important part of my prevention program-after all every organ in your body is connected through your central nervous system. Adjustments not only keep your body moving pain/restriction free but also ensure that your power is functioning at full capacity. This power is called Innate and you can’t live without it!
• Optimized Nutrition and Eating Plan: Not only is the quality of your food important but so is the timing of your meals. Multiple studies show that 24-hourtotal fasting once weekly and daily intermittent fasting strengthens your immune system, activates stem cells and creates regeneration for your organs and joints. This is the single most powerful way to decrease the effects of aging in your body.
• Customized Supplementation / Detoxification: There are currently more than 30,000supplements-do you know which one your body is deficient in? Rather than taking what is “good to take” I take only what my body needs. This is where nutrient/mineral/metabolism testing is helpful. The lab results are used develop a program specific to what your body needs and then you only need to take those, saving you time, money and headache!
• 6-12 min of exercise: The days of spending hours in the gym are over-even according to research. HIT (high intensity training) or burst workouts are more effective and take only min-and require no gyms. Use body resistance exercises (push-ups, sit-ups, chin-ups, squats, lunges or step-ups) and do upper/middle/lower on a daily rotation.
• Engage The Power Of Prayer: The above 4 preventions are all things you can physically do. Don’t forget to spend time asking God to do for you only He can do. This is important in both prevention and correction of health issues as many times a health problem is a manifestation of a spiritual disconnection. Spend 10-15 min daily speaking with God about what you can do now to improve your health (both prevention and cure)-and open your mind/heart to listen-He will always tell you exactly what you need to hear!