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Healthy Habits
Feeling Healthy... Being Healthy
Do you recognize this story? Your friend, who you see once in a while at the grocery store or the coffee shop, runs into you one day at the gas pump. He is excited because he is on holidays and is going on vacation with his family. You ask how he's doing otherwise and he says that things are great, they feel great, and life is good. After a short conversation you part ways feeling happy that you saw this good friend again.
Unfortunately, two days later you hear from another friend that this person just suffered a heart attack, the so-called "silent killer". A not so happy story that is told daily across Canada.
Much research has been done with respect to North America's number one killer heart disease. Here is some of what we know. Factors that increase your risk of heart attack include:
- Being male
- Poor diet (high fat, low fibre)
- Smoking (prior or present)
- Sedentary lifestyle (lack of exercise)
- Genetics
- Stress
The reason it has been labeled the "silent killer" has to do with the unnoticeable changes in the blood vessels that lead to blocking the arteries that feed the heart muscle. Although our bodies cannot always tell us when we're in trouble, we can always tell our bodies how to try and avoid that trouble all together. And even though athletes and health conscious people still succumb to cardiovascular problems, everyone's health stands to benefit from responsible care of our human machines.
Do you recognize this story? Your friend, who you see once in a while at the grocery store or coffee shop, is always trying to get you out for a walk or out to their yoga class. Their grocery cart is always loaded with fruits, vegetables, breads, pasta and skim milk of all things. Not only do they say things are great, but they look great and almost scare you with their calm amount of energy. After a short conversation, you part ways and two days later your friend is reading about someone he knew who has unfortunately passed away from a heart attack. Hopefully this story doesn't sound too familiar to you.
As a health care provider, it is difficult to deal with the reality that prevention should be the mainstay of our health care system yet we are focused on emergency care and bandaging the wounds after they appear. Although these services obviously have their place, where do you fit in? What is your ultimate responsibility when it comes to the health of society or to the health of your community? Giving to the hospital drive and other health related fundraisers is great and much needed. But when is the last time you gave to your most important charity... YOU?
Although we hear tragic health care stories all the time, we also hear of incredible health care miracles daily. The most interesting thing is that we are each writing our own health care stories every day. As an author, would you rather create a story of a tragedy or a story of a miracle? As you write and live the next chapter of your life make sure you include being healthy, feeling healthy, living healthy, and making the right decisions a big part of the story. It will make for a miracle of a best seller.
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