Vote for Maximum Health

What does the Presidential election really mean?

As I sat watching the results of the Presidential election while sitting in my hospital call room, I thought about the fervor with which most people followed this election.  Some would say that this was our most important election since the depression.

Voting in the presidential election is important, but it has much less influence on the quality of your life than your own health choices.  The President may have some influence on the direction of our health care system, but this influence matters little to a specific individual.  The same is probably true of the leaders of other countries in the world.  If you think the health care system is broken, then your best option is to minimize your dependence on the health system.  If you are wealthy, well-insured, and have cancer, heart disease or a similar chronic disease, you have access to the best technology and health facilities in the world.  You can have your cancer treated at MD Anderson or Sloan-Kettering.  You can have your coronary bypass surgery done at the Cleveland Clinic, and you can have your diabetes managed at the Mayo Clinic.  These are the best medical facilities in the world.

Prevention Trumps Treatment

What the American system does very poorly on is the prevention of these diseases.  Most chronic western diseases are preventable by following a healthy diet, exercising regularly and making wise lifestyle choices.  An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.  Genetics and family history play a much smaller role in your health than you might think.  I have seen estimates from health experts that propose that genetics account for as little as 5% of your overall health.  You can complete a family tree health history to share with your physician at My Family Health Portrait, which was created by the U.S. Surgeon General's office.

You have very little control over your genetics, although the field of nutrigenomics is challenging this assumption.  You also have little control over who becomes President or the future of the health care system, but you do have control over the things which matter most to your health and wellbeing.

You control what you eat.  You are what you eat.  All of the cells in every organ of your body are made from the food and drink that you put in your mouth.  If you eat junk food, you will feel like junk.  If you eat an abundance of raw, fresh fruits and vegetables, you will feel much better.

You also control whether or not you exercise.  If you sit, you quit.  What happens to a car that sits unused for a year or two?  It stops working, it rusts, and the engine clogs up.  Your body is the same way.  If you don't use it properly, it breaks down.  Exercise builds muscle, burns fat and sugar, and improves your circulation. It can even make you feel happier.

Finally, you control your lifestyle choices.  You decide whether or not you smoke or consume too much alcohol.  You choose when you go to bed, and whether or not you wear your seatbelt.  You control who you spend the most time with.  All of these things dramatically influence your health and quality of life.

If you live in America or another country and have the right to vote, celebrate this freedom, but don't get overly elated or depressed about the result of the recent Presidential election.  It is far less relevant than your health choices.  If you are reading this in a country with less political freedom, remember that you do have the freedom to choose to eat healthy, exercise and make other personal health choices.