More and more it is becoming evident that we must make an investment in our own health and well-being. This goes well beyond our monthly health insurance premium.
First we must make the investment of time that it takes to be healthy. When a new patient comes to acupuncture, the first investment they make is taking the time out of their already busy lives to begin a healing journey for themselves.
As part of acupuncture treatment, patients are usually advised on how to incorporate healthy activities in their lives such as exercise, nutrition, and relaxation techniques. Again this is an investment in time and often money.
Over and over we hear that healthy lifestyles play an important part in disease prevention and longevity. The movie The Notebook, is a passionate story that brings in the theme of Alzheimer’s and how an elderly couple copes with it. This movie will do a lot to increase people’s awareness of this disease. There is evidence that Alzheimer’s can be minimized or prevented by a healthy lifestyle of exercise and diet. Sure, we are hopeful of advances in medicine to combat this awful disease, and again it is calling our attention to do what we can to prevent it.
If we want to ward off disease and increase longevity we have to take a new view of health. It isn’t just a magic pill that will cure all. We have to be active participants in our health. We have to make an investment of time and money.
We can all be advocates and encourage our health insurers to reimburse alternative treatments such as acupuncture, massage, herbal remedies, energy work and nutritional supplements. In the meantime, we must be willing to see these as necessities rather than luxuries.
We look at fixing our car as a necessity. Taking care of our bodies and minds certainly should be a necessity. Then there are the luxury items of nice cars and lavish vacations. I heard someone say a vacation is two weeks; it’s the other 50 weeks we need to live our lives with more peace.  Hopefully we can set the right priorities and start on a healthy path for the time we have here on earth. We simply have to take care of ourselves before we can give to the others we love. When we make an investment in ourselves, we also make an investment in all those lives we touch.