Are you able to afford everything you need to stay healthy? Rising healthcare costs are a concern for many. With rising insurance premiums, shrinking coverage, and higher deductibles, I understand the fear that surrounds healthcare. One of my goals in starting Heart to Heart Medical Center was to eliminate the worry and mystery surrounding wellness. I focus on each patient as an individual, in order to take the guesswork and anxiety out of healthcare. The best, most affordable way to ensure your health in the future is to take better care of yourself today. While everyone is different, here are my baseline recommendations for living a healthy life at a reasonable cost!

Conventional Medicine vs. Wellness

While conventional medicine favors waiting until you’re sick to get treatment, I believe in practicing wellness every day and avoiding the illness altogether. This means checking in with yourself to assess your physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual needs and having a healer on your team who knows how to help you achieve your optimal health. While each of us is busy, spending even five minutes in quiet reflection can reveal an imbalance we need to address.

Quick Check-In Exercises

Becoming Aware of Your Body

Set aside a few minutes to sit quietly. I find it helpful to keep a journal nearby. Breathe deeply, and begin to relax the muscles in your body, beginning at the crown of your head, and moving all the way down to your toes. With each breath, bring your awareness to each part of your body. Is there pain anywhere? Stiffness? Fatigue? How do you feel overall?

Think about your habits. Are you drinking enough water? Eating foods that nourish your body? Able to move and exercise regularly?

Record your answers, without judgment. Observe how your habits can be improved for better health. Make note of your digestion, as much of our health stems from the gut. This simple exercise reveals possible weaknesses in your body, and is also a great tool to share with your wellness practitioner!

Nourishing Your Spiritual, Mental, and Emotional Self

Next, note how you feel emotionally. Notice if you’re looking forward to the day ahead or feeling anxious or worried. Take a few quiet moments to record any fears, triumphs, or other feelings that pop up. Be sure to write whether you feel rested or fatigued.

Now review this section, and consciously send loving energy to each line you wrote down. If you’re nervous about a meeting with your boss, send yourself extra love and courage. If you’re angry at your spouse over an argument you had the night before, allow love to flood in and clear the air.

Finally, take a few moments to connect with your spiritual self, whether you follow a deity, or simply seek a moment of quiet inside yourself. Tap into that place of simultaneous calm and energy, and know that you can return to this place at any moment, should you start to feel overwhelmed.

Support Your Health with Nutrition

Eating a balanced diet doesn’t have to be difficult. Avoid starchy, white foods and processed snacks. Stick with fresh, organic fruits and vegetables and high-quality meats and eggs, if your diet allows them. A qualified wellness practitioner like myself can help you identify any holes you may have in your diet, as well as any potential food allergies.

Add High-Quality Supplements

Choosing the right supplements can seem daunting. There are thousands of options in different strengths. I can help you find the right supplements for you. Be sure to check out my Top 20 Supplements for Healthy Living webinar. You can purchase your own supplements here. Sign up for my newsletter to receive my supplement of the month recommendation, as well as your FREE copy of “Supplement Smart: What to Look for When Buying Supplements and How to Know What is Good”.

Build A Relationship With Your Doctor

I believe in having a real relationship with each and every one of my patients. I left the conventional medical system when I saw how impersonal medicine was becoming. If you want to be the healthiest version of yourself, find a practitioner who supports the wellness of your entire being, and treats you as an individual.

By practicing these simple principles today, you lay a lasting foundation for better health. Get to know your body, mind, and spirit so that you know what you need. Support your health with excellent nutrition and quality supplements. Partner with practitioners who have your best interests at heart and whose vision of health is in alignment with yours. You’ll save thousands of dollars in the long run as you encourage your body to continue thriving, and you’ll feel better in the process!