Happy New Year!
I am so excited not only is it a new year also I just posted Podcast Episode 100 of the Healthy Mouth Movement.
I want to thank you for reading my blogs, learning and growing our knowledge together with each blog, and supporting me during the toughest year of my life.
The most important lesson I learned this year is your health is your greatest wealth and asset!
Your healthy body gives you the strength and energy that help you to achieve results in every aspect of your life. Your overall health and well-being—emotional, mental, spiritual as well as physical—should always be your number one priority.
Our daughter just turned 17 a few months ago and both her Dad and I had major health battles this past year. I had breast cancer and he had Kidney failure. Despite having a healthy donor, sadly he lost his battle in July.
She said while my friends are enjoying their senior year, going on college visits and planning their future, and having fun, I am having the worst year of my life learning to live without my Dad.
Over 2,000 years ago the Roman poet Virgil, said, “The greatest wealth is health.”
This is why is your health an investment?
The biggest and most obvious reason that you should invest in your health is that you only get one body! This means that keeping it healthy should be your top priority. Another great reason to take care of your body now is that you even though you may not have taken the best care of it in the past. Yet you can start Now.
YOUR HEALTH IS AN INVESTMENT, NOT AN EXPENSE
I saw my health as an expense. I now see it as an investment
Think about all of the things you spend money on. Some things are critical to survival, like food, a roof over your head, and clothes to wear. However, as a whole, we tend to spend money on some things that are unnecessary, and then feel like we don’t have enough money to invest in our health. As the new year really gets started, you might want to take a look at your finances and find places to cut out trivial spending. This is an idea to help you have the money you need to spend on Yourself and Your Health!
Why Should You Invest in Your Health?
The biggest and most obvious reason that you should invest in your health is that you only get one body! This means that keeping it healthy should be your top priority. Another great reason to take care of your body now is that you may not have taken the best care of it in the past. Most of us could stand to make up for the unhealthy choices we have made during our lives. Whether it was all the sugary snacks you ate as a kid, or the parties in college, or all the convenient fast food options. Investing in your health now is an investment that will have a BIG payoff. When your mind and body are healthy, you’ll feel better! When you feel better you want to do more and can accomplish more. You may even find that you have a whole new outlook on daily life.
To Invest in your Health start with a mindset change in Mind Mouth, & Body.
It’s no secret that healthy food choices are often more expensive than unhealthy foods. This is not to say that you have to completely switch your grocery list too expensive organic options. The first step is to fill your cart with whole foods. Shop the perimeter of the grocery store. Many studies have reported that you’ll find fresh produce, lean meats, and dairy on the perimeters of your grocery store. The key to success is to indulge in some of your favorite foods occasionally. If you cut out all of your favorite foods at once you may not succeed and go back to your old ways. That is what happened to me this year. I radically changed my diet after cancer when my daughter’s Dad passed. I went to comfort food for months until I started to feel tired and blah.
Investing in yourself Doesn’t Have to be Expensive.
Some people avoid investing in their healthcare because they think that it is expensive. This is a valid concern. However, mental and emotional wellbeing is a huge part of investing in your health that doesn’t cost any money. In addition to changing your mindset as we discussed here, you can work on having a positive attitude towards your health and wellness. This will help with motivation on days when you’re feeling stuck or when you’re between wellness check-ins and it doesn’t have to cost any money. Trust me on this prevention and taking control of what you put in our body now will save you more than treating the disease not taking action will cost you. I drained my saving paying to treat cancer.
I learned the hard way. I went to the school of a hard knock because I am so hard-headed you can’t tell me anything. It won’t happen to me. Not one person in my family had breast cancer. Not one til me.
I learned your genetics are not as important as your habits. You are in control of your choices, no one else! You get to choose what you put in your body! So why not make health choices starting now?
I have been talking about how your mouth’s a window into your body from my experience. Listen to your mouth and body. This year has changed my perspective on life, what is important, and my career.
I am using what I have learned over my past 30 years as a dental hygienist and my Cancer survival story as a platform to help others before they reach the stage I did where I did not get out of bed for 6 weeks and had to rebuild my life yet again. Cancer is a humbling experience and one that I never anticipated happening to me. It never even crossed my mind that I would have cancer.
The one thing I learned is to never take anything for granted most of all for your health.
When your health is compromised you can not do your job, be present with your family and friends and have to rely on others. I missed Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year, and all the memories we would have made if I was healthy.
I can not get those moments back.
My intention for 2022 Is to make better food choices. Eat healthier, make memories and live my life to the fullest.
I will continue to write blogs, record podcasts, create youtube videos and courses to educate others on simple habits, and hack to change habits to be healthier and look for signs before they become symptoms of a greater problem.
I want to help 1000 people take control of their habits for themselves and their families. I have the whole year of topics important to the mouth-body connection planned out
Here are some of the topics we will cover this year
In January I will share products of a company that helped my mouth heal from Cancer. February is National children’s Dental Health Mouth, self-check month
March is a month of awareness
As the year progresses we will talk about Sleep wrecked kids, Mouth Breathing Awareness, Food Family Fun, Summer Habits while school is out, Water quality and wellness, Dental Hygiene, Breast cancer, Gratitude, Family stories, and self-care.
There is so much information on dental health for you your family and your kids
My goal this year is to have people just like you and I share their experiences and what they wished they would have known along with dedicated professionals that can give us action steps to see the signs early and take action now.
I was told last year no one wants prevention, they want you to solve a problem. I agree with that. Most of us wait till there is a problem so we can change that with awareness. It may not make me a millionaire but I will be wealthy with my health, my purpose, my passion to help others, and bring awareness.
A Healthy Mouth is a Healthy Body and a Healthy, Happy Life!
Reference:
https://www.yourqualitycareassociates.com/post/your-health-is-an-investment-not-an-expense