Health Care Has Nothing to Do with Health Insurance

Finding Health in Daily Choices

The Republican party is nothing if not a disappointment. This shouldn’t be such a overwhelming problem as the government shouldn’t have so much power and influence for us to care what they do weekly. But in today’s political world, the consequence of your vote may or may not reflect the desire that cast it.

I began to suspect that behind the scenes political leaders all knew that the law cannot be effectively repealed now. The mechanics are too firmly in place and an actual repeal would cause a massive tidal wave of problems resulting in a 2018 GOP disaster. Ironically, doing nothing will result in the same end. I foresee GOP voters either skipping the 2018 election altogether, defeated, or choosing to punish GOP lawmakers by voting against them. The always solidified Democratic party will have the full backing of their irrational, yet dedicated base and win in droves. The media will report this as proof the American population loves Obamacare.

It is my view that even if something is passed it will be just be the Republican version of Obamacare, as all the proposed versions have been so far. Once a Democrat is in power again they will advance some new ‘fix’ to the Republican version and we will continue ever further down the road towards socialized health care. It has occurred to me that looking to the medical community for personal longevity is not a good long-term plan.

In both books a fundamental truth is revealed that medical professionals are highly skilled at saving very ill or diseased people, but not very good at helping average people avoid disease or harm. As a culture we tend to avoid health care until it is absolutely critical for survival. We do not like to be told what to do and we do not like the idea of changing an enjoyable lifestyle for the sake of potential health.

The flip side of this has been the recent cultural change to absolute dependence on the medical establishment for basic survival. A segment of our population now seems to believe that without health insurance they will literally die in the streets.

As both books point out, the truth is most of us do not really need much ‘health care’ as we understand it today. Most of our diseases are lifestyle related and can be relieved through lifestyle changes. It is only when a disease hits a critical point that medical intervention becomes necessary. Outside of accidents, severe injuries causing long-term damage, genetic or birth disorders or unpredictable conditions, the majority of us shouldn’t need a doctor for very much in our lives.

But my body didn’t really improve, and neither did my sense of well-being or energy. My health did improve, but certain key factors were missing. I still had high blood sugars and I still had high blood pressure. My doctor wanted me on drugs for pre-diabetes, cholesterol and blood pressure. I was 33. I am now almost 35 and my blood pressure is normal, excellent even. In fact all of my numbers are excellent now. So what was the change?

I figured out that it wasn’t a matter of precisely what I ate, it was the fact that I was eating in a purposeful way consistently. I had to listen to my body and my body’s needs changed depending on my activity and mindset. I began lifting weights. I had always tried lifting, but typically gave up after a week or so. I would go a couple days a week and I felt lost in the gym. I would do a random selection of exercises until I became tired and then go home feeling defeated.

Alexander’s advice on my body type and goals helped me grasp the basics of what lifting means to overall health and I challenged myself. There is no easy or simple trick. It really is about daily decisions and dedicated effort and consistency. Now a month or so into it I feel compelled to push myself every time I am in the gym and my eating choices reflect my goals of not only looking better but feeling better. Depression lifted, anxiety over turning 35 drifted away and I broke a personal barrier, showing a before and after photo of myself and my progress so far on my social media.

But the bigger truth behind all of this is that I figured out my health is almost entirely under my control. Nothing my doctors ever told me to do was effective, and in fact I believe a lot of it was harmful. When they told me to limit fats and eat whole grains, I gained weight and felt terrible. For me, at least, this method of eating was negative. But to them it was the only approved option.

And that really is the point of this discussion. I see a near future where access to health care services will be more expensive and time consuming than beneficial. Unfortunately we all still have to purchase health insurance, but I think it is time we began to challenge the idea that we really need to use it often. Health insurance is vital if you discover you have cancer or if you have a serious accident. But for routine health issues, so much more can be accomplished in your own home than in a doctor’s office.

Of course I am not advocating the abandonment of modern medicine. The answer is not to go off-grid and avoid the medical system. But considering the reality that medicine is profit-driven and soon to be far more dependent on what the government deems as ‘health’, it might be wise to look for alternatives. The government cannot hold your life by a thread each and every election if you don’t require their medical services very often.

In truth, I think the less we collectively rely on our medical system, the better. Our health has to be our responsibility. If we continue mindless, indulgent eating, avoid exercise and hope for medical advancement in the future, we place our lives in the hands of people who see us solely as numbers in a budget. There may be medical concerns outside of our control, but the majority of our health is our choice.

For people who value liberty and independence, nothing can be more liberating that owning your own health care. I recommend exploring the above listed authors and evaluating your personal choices. It may turn out that the health care solution might just be the realization we don’t really need one.

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