"Finding" Good Health

I had a rather strange question this week.  Well...sort of.  "How do you find good health."

Find?  I'm not sure what that means.  To me "find" means to discover.  Maybe it was something you were looking for.  Or maybe it was something that you simply came upon--that you weren't looking for in the first place.

But it got me to thinking and I believe I know what this person was really asking:  What is the path to good health? (And enlightenment and staying young yet living well--OK, I made all that up--I don't think that's what they were asking at all.)

So here are my 10 ingredients to finding good health.

1.  Eat well.  I don't mean eat in fancy restaurants every night.  But I do mean that you should know what you're putting in your body.  Lots of fruits and vegetables.  Know where your meat comes from.  And cut back on white sugar and white flour.  They are the devil's tools to bad health.  When you shop, everything should have a simple name. 

2.  Wear good shoes.  Again, I'm blaming the old devil for a lot of bad things but women's high heel shoes are certainly a product of the devil.  There is nothing about them that is healthy for your feet.  Maybe your job means that you can't wear running shoes to work every day but at least wear good shoes that support your arch whenever you can.  And flip-flops?  Save them for the beach.

3.  Exercise daily.  It doesn't have to be 50 miles on the bike or a 10 mile run but do something even if it is just walk around the block a couple of times.  Start slow and build up.  But do it every day.

4.  Sleep well.  This is probably the category I violate most egregiously.  There is overwhelming evidence that getting adequate sleep every night (8 hours or so for most people) is REALLY good for your health.

My problem is that my brain doesn't work that way.  I get up really early (obscenely early, really) because I can't wait to get the day started and well, I've got so much to do.  So we're going to have to leave this one as do as I say, not as I do.

5.  Smile...a lot.  Happy, laughing people live longer and healthier.  Studies have proven that.  And even if you don't believe all that, life is much more enjoyable if you smile.

6.  Enter freely into relationships.  There is no doubt that there is a direct correlation between healthy relationships and good health.  It just makes sense.

7.  Make sure that your primary care physician knows you by your first name.  And that you visit him or her every year for a physical.  And then do what they say.  If you can't follow their advice, then maybe you have the wrong PCP.  You've got to find someone you trust.

8.  Nip it in the bud.  Health problems that arise are always (always) more easily treated the earlier they are diagnosed.  So get that colonoscopy, do that breast exam, take your medicine.  If you are having health issues that seem confusing, seek help until you get answers.

9.  Do what you love.  Every day.  Don't love your job?  What would you rather be doing?  Are there really barriers keeping you in a dead end job that you dread going to?  I realize that there are circumstances that make this difficult but keep trying!

10.  Don't sweat the small stuff.  OK...it's all small stuff (surely you saw that one coming).

Be safe.  Be happy.  Be healthy.

Oh...and don't smoke (but that's one is pretty much a given anyway.  Nobody believes it could be anything but bad for you.)