Your Health is Your Responsibility Part 3

When it comes to your health, you don't owe anybody anything. Other people's health is NOT your responsibility and likewise your health should never be someone else's responsibility (unless you are somehow incapacitated, in which case hopefully you have discussed your preferences for your care with someone you trust). Why do I say this? Well keep reading. 

In the summer of 2015 I started my journey of eating better. I was about to get married and wanted to make sure I looked great on my wedding day. Since then I have used food as a tool, not to lose weight or look good, but to make sure my body is nourished and supported. I studied prenatal nutrition as part of my doula certification and have since started learning about herbalism, holistic care and nutrition as well. I have spent countless hours researching and I try to make sure I am buying nutrient dense foods or high quality food-based supplements whenever I am unable to get the proper amount of nutrients needed through food. I have taken the time and energy to make my health my top priority. 

So imagine the shock when someone who knows literally nothing about me or my health tells me that I am a health threat to them. Imagine the shock when they bully and harass me for not complying to their idea of what health looks like. Health is not and will never be a one size fits all response. What may work for someone else, may not work for me and vice versa. I do what is best for my health. 

Ultimately, what I am trying to say is that the only person responsible for your health is YOU. Not the stranger in the grocery aisle next to you, not your doctor, not a scientist in a lab mixing up an antigen with aborted fetal cells. If you want make sure that your body can fight off the bacteria and viruses that it will be exposed to (because we are all exposed to trillions of germs around us every single day) and you want to make sure your immune system is functioning at it's most optimum level, it is your job to put in the work, do the research, eat the foods, drink the water, take the herbs or whatever else you feel is best for your body. Your health is your responsibility.

I know it may feel overwhelming, but you aren't in this alone. You can certainly have discussions with others and include others in the decision making process about what is best for your body. Talk to your doctor, get a nutritional panel done to see what you are deficient in, meet with a nutritionist, if your doctor's view of medicine is solely prescribing pills to cover a symptom get a new doctor or see a naturopathic or functional medicine doctor, consult a chiropractor, talk to your local farmer about the foods they grow and how they grow them, talk to your local grocery store manager to find out where their produce comes from. But ultimately any decision on what you do or eat is your decision. 

Although my main focus is on nutrition from food, the same "your health is your responsibility" saying can be said about medical procedures and treatments. Medical error is the 3rd leading cause of death in US. Blindly following our current medical system has killed hundreds of thousands of people. People who put the responsibility of their health in the hands of their doctors are paying the price. I am not saying to never go to the doctor. There are some amazing doctors out there who truly care for their patients. If I fall and break my ankle or get into a car accident you bet I'll be seeing a doctor, but to never seek a second opinion, to not do research on suggested medications or procedures, to not play an active part in your healthcare is foolish. I believe that most doctors generally care about their patients and most doctors get into the profession wanting to help others, in my opinion it isn't doctors that are failing, it's the medical system as a whole that is failing both patients and doctors. 

To sum it all up, eat the nutritious foods, pay attention to your body's needs, seek second or third opinions if something doesn't feel or sound right, do your own research on what doctors are recommending you, but most importantly make your health your top priority. If everyone in America focused on their own health in these ways, our rates of chronic illness, hospitalization, disease, medical error, death, etc. wouldn't look quite as grim. 

Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20