| The Silver Lining of Obamacare | | | | another condition where a change in diet and the |
| The good news that the recently-passed Obama | | | | addition of a regular exercise program can |
| administration health care plan offers is that, over | | | | produce the same or better results than the |
| the long run, it will force many Americans to | | | | standard drug treatments offered by most |
| come to become aware that there is a better | | | | doctors. Again, this one is free. |
| alternative to most medical procedures and | | | | * Joint replacement surgery may be made |
| treatment options, and that is, quite simply, | | | | unnecessary by a combination of weight loss and |
| prevention of disease. | | | | a course of relatively inexpensive nutrients that |
| Though there is a lot of misinformation and | | | | help rebuild the knee cartilege. |
| confusion about some of the finer points of | | | | * Cancer is something that we can reduce our |
| health, most of us know what we should be doing | | | | risk for by means of an improved health regimen, |
| to stay well. The problem is, we don't do it. | | | | but there are medical doctors that are currently |
| About one-fourth of us still smoke. We don't eat | | | | having great success at making all symptoms go |
| our vegetables and fruit as we know we should. | | | | into remission. Dare we call this a cure? Does it |
| We eat a lot of junk we know we shouldn't. We | | | | matter what we call it, except to the FDA? |
| whine about not having time or the interest in | | | | * The hectic demands of jobs, family -- and the |
| healthful exercise. Thanks to Obamacare, all these | | | | many toxic environmental factors and unhealthy |
| nonproductive behaviors have to go! This is a | | | | dietary practices encouraged by prepared food |
| good thing, whether we like it or not. | | | | advertisers -- are a challenge to our health. No |
| Obamacare brings Darwinism to the | | | | one can control these stresses on our health but |
| consciousness of the public -- It will truly bring | | | | us. Pharmaceutical drugs and surgeries have been |
| about "Survival of the Fittest." Many waiting for | | | | likened to techniques for disconnecting the fire |
| operations, transplants, or even exams and drugs | | | | alarm without first putting out the fire that set it |
| won't make it. It's a hard truth, but true | | | | off (i.e., they don't solve the problem, they only |
| nonetheless. We need to change our personal | | | | turn off the symptom). |
| habits if we want to avoid calamity. | | | | In so many instances, we are the ones going |
| Unhappy With The Cost of Healthcare? | | | | around "setting fires" that we then expect our |
| Investigate Self-Care! | | | | doctors to put out. Obamacare's inevitable failure |
| A lot of Americans have the sense that | | | | to deliver affordable "fire suppression" will force |
| government-run healthcare is going to be even | | | | more of our population to finally confront the |
| more of a nightmare than our present system. | | | | reality that it might be wise to stop smoking(the |
| For much of the generation that is already retired, | | | | Number One preventable cause of illness and |
| it is probably too late to make major changes in | | | | death), quit eating and drinking fattening foods |
| their need for healthcare, but for the Boomer | | | | (the Number Two preventable cause of disability, |
| Generation and those younger still, there is hope. | | | | illness, and death), and get into the habit of regular |
| For those of us who have lived with the suspicion | | | | aerobic exercise. |
| that Social Security won't be there for us when | | | | The Journal of the American Medical Association |
| we turn sixty-five, it shouldn't come as a surprise | | | | published an article a few years ago that |
| that the new healthcare legislation is not going to | | | | deserves our attention, while we're reconsidering |
| be there for us either -- at least, not in any | | | | our new paradigm of medical care: the mistakes |
| practical sense. Rationing and higher prices are | | | | that doctors and hospitals make are the third |
| sure to be the reality in a few years. Face it, | | | | leading cause of death in America! |
| when has any federal program come into play | | | | Two-hundred-and-twenty-five-thousand deaths in |
| costing less than was budgeted? | | | | 1999! Why would anyone want to enter a hospital |
| It is becoming clear to any American with two | | | | or a doctor's clinic unless there was no other |
| ounces of real-world business savvy that any | | | | option? |
| entitlements promised us -- in particular Social | | | | For all the money that has been spent on cancer |
| Security, which we've been paying into for | | | | research, cancer survival rates have barely |
| decades -- will be caught up in a trainwreck of | | | | budged. There are better ways to deal with |
| escalating promises colliding with the hard reality | | | | changing the circumstances that make cancer and |
| of diminishing tax collections. | | | | other major systemic diseases inevitable, but we |
| Something's got to give! | | | | ourselves must implement them once we learn |
| The recent headline announcing that Social | | | | what they are. |
| Security is predicted to begin running in the red | | | | We have all been taught to look to our medical |
| this year, rather than 2017, should prove the point | | | | advisors for answers to our health crises -- and |
| that it is unwise to entrust politicians and | | | | generally to ignore our health until it becomes a |
| bureaucrats with our health care system. Ah well, | | | | problem. Ultimately, though, we must take control |
| it's too late for that! | | | | of our risk factors -- which are largely known: |
| The good news, for those whose health is not | | | | Eliminating exposure to cigarette smoke and |
| too far gone, is that there has always been an | | | | environmental toxins, keeping our weight under |
| alternative to intrusive, expensive, and often risky | | | | control, getting enough sleep and exercise, eating |
| medical procedures. For lack of any better term, | | | | a nutritious diet composed mostly of whole, |
| let's call it self-care. | | | | plant-based foods, and maintaining a upbeat, |
| You can go down the list of medical conditions | | | | positive attitude both mentally and emotionally. |
| and find inexpensive or even free alternatives to | | | | Simple stuff, really -- and inexpensive. |
| the drug and surgical palliatives that modern | | | | The new reality of entrusting our overpriced, |
| medicine specializes in: | | | | risky health care system to federal bureaucrats |
| * Diabetes can be reversed or prevented by a | | | | will doubtless make more citizens decide to spend |
| program of dietary changes, coupled with 5-7% | | | | more time preparing healthy meals and exercising |
| body weight loss, and moderate regular exercise, | | | | in the fresh air and spend less time waiting to |
| such as walking. This is plainly written up in the | | | | speak to a doctor. |
| National Institutes of Health(NIH)Web site. In fact, | | | | Why pay for health care -- or stand in line waiting |
| the site even goes so far to say that these | | | | desperately for health care -- when we can learn |
| lifestyle changes are effective 58% (70% for | | | | preventative health measures to maintain our |
| those 60 or older) of the time, compared to the | | | | health for free? |
| 31% success rate for drug-based preventative | | | | Obamacare, if it is allowed to become law, will |
| measures(with their attendant side-effects and | | | | inadvertently force many of us to realize that |
| expense). | | | | prevention of disease is what we should have |
| * Hypertension has also been proven to be | | | | been focusing on all along. |