It never fails, we like to put off the inevitable…going to the doctor for an annual check-up. Too busy, not enough time in the day, no baby-sitter for the kids, meetings, work demands, etc., etc., are all “reasons’ we use to get out of doing what we need to do – take care of ourselves. It is easy to forget that the human body is similar to a machine – a very complicated one, but still a machine. It has a pump (heart), cooling system (lungs and skin), needs fuel (energy intake via our digestive system), an exhaust system (lungs, liver and lower digestive system), hoses, (blood vessels), computer chip to regulate all functions (brain), and feedback mechanisms ( hormones and neurotransmitters) to ensure all parts are performing as designed. It’s not concIusive, but I’m sure you get the point. Yet, we take better care of our cars, and other possessions than we do of ourselves. This is amazing. Without caring for ourselves first, all that we work so hard and those we provide for, can be put in jeopardy if our bodies break down due to an illness or neglect.

There is hope for us and our busy lifestyles. It’s really a very easy and quick “fix”: Health Screenings. These are popping up all over the place. Some are free while others charge a nominal amount. Either way, by taking just ten minutes out of your day, you can get your blood pressure checked, your blood screened for glucose concentration, your BMI calculated, and even in some cases, your cholesterol panel done — all by a professional. These health screenings for our body are similar to plugging in that computer diagnostic tool into your car’s engine port for a reading on the internal status of your car’s systems, only these health readings are for our body’s various systems. It gives us a snapshot picture of what system is being tested and does not diagnose anything; however, and THIS IS IMPORTANT: it can alert you to early signs that something can or is going to be a problem later on and you must act now to prevent costly fixes later.

So, without being too “preachy”, next time you walk past a health screening table and are asked to take a free blood pressure check, etc., ask yourself: Is it the “FEAR” factor of finding out that you are not doing the right things to take care of yourself? Is it that you would rather live knowing that it’s better NOT to know if something is wrong? Would you be able to live with yourself knowing that you could have prevented a distressing health event if only you got that cholesterol panel done? It’s said that knowledge is power, I say that APPLICATION of knowledge is more powerful. What use is it to know that you have an abnormal reading if you DO nothing with the information? You must act on (or apply) the new information to realize its power and the benefit which can be derived from it. 

Until next time, be well…