As the baby boomers turn sixty over the next 18 years, how will they manage their health care compared to their parents? Ahead of them is a longer life expectancy than their parents, and with it, the time to do more. The key of course, is staying healthy to do what they want.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, those who are alive today can expect to live well into their 80’s. Those in better health than the average boomer can add 15 years to that and have a very good chance of seeing their whole family together for their 100th birthday. Some will celebrate their 120th birthday. But, there is a major difference between celebrating a 120th birthday and simply still being alive. It is a given that being healthy is preferable to simply still being alive. But how does one accomplish that?
Norm Anderson, Director of the Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research at the National Institute of Health (NIH), testified before the Senate Appropriations Committee on the topic of Mind/Body Medicine. "NIH has a long and revered tradition of funding research in the physiological realm, and more recently, there is tremendous excitement in the realm of genetics research. But equally important is the recognition of the role that behavioral, psychological, sociocultural and environmental factors play in health.
Our beliefs, our emotions, our behavior, our thoughts, our family and cultural systems, as well as the environmental context in which we live, all are as relevant to our health as our genetic inheritance and our physiology...."
Also, at the same time, the media and physician witnesses pointed out that spending on our nation's health care is likely to double to $2.1 trillion by the year 2007; that already proven mind-body therapies could eliminate 37 percent of visits to the doctor per year and save $54 billion annually; and that stress contributes to many of the medical conditions confronted by healthcare practitioners -- between 60 to 90 percent of visits to Physicians are related to stress and other psychosocial factors.
A report developed by the Institute for Alternative Futures noted that today holistic approaches to health and medicine are among the fastest growing aspects of health care. In 1990, one-third of the U.S. population used some form of holistic approach to health care, and by the year 2010 at least two-thirds will.
The truth is being physically and emotionally healthy at any age is easier and less expensive than one thinks. Many people know that healthy eating, exercise and peace of mind is what keeps us healthy. However, the majority of people ignore it. People want to indulge themselves, have quick fixes and leave the health remedy to prescriptions and surgery.
Three primary factors determine how healthy we will be—mental, physical and spiritual—mind, body and spirit. The following articles published on ezinearticles.com will give you a good road map to achieve maximum health in these areas.
• Holistic Healthcare versus Traditional Western Medicine
• Creating and Maintaining Health in Mind, Body and Spirit
• Alcoholism and Drug Addiction Change to Recovery
• Symptoms of Allergies and Homeopathic Remedies
• Why Wheat and Other Processed Foods Are Making You Fat
• Mind, Body, Spirit Healing vs Traditional Psychotherapy/Psychoanalysis
• Self-Care Measures to Minimize Everyday Toxic Contamination
• Prescription and OTC Drugs: Dangers and Permanent Damage
• Quit Smoking Effortlessly and Easily with Hypnosis—What to Expect
• Mind, Body, Spirit Healing—Putting It into Practice
• Healthy Life Style—Easily, Quickly and Simply
• Making the Connection—Mind, Body, Spirit
• Nurture Your Soul—Create Peace of Mind
• What Disease Are You Fighting Against?
• Change Your Beliefs—Change Your Health
• Holistic Health Care—What and Whom
• Mind, Body, Spirit Healing—The Process
• Tame Migraine Headaches--Naturally
• Peace of Mind—Your Birth Right
• Diabetes—Natural Treatment
• Natural Heartburn Remedies
• The Path to Good Health
• The Cause of Obesity
• Holistic Nutrition
• Health in the Self
The choice, of course, is yours. For your 100th birthday you can sit in a wheel chair, lean on a walker or cane with more aliments than you can count while everyone comes to share their memories about your life, or you can dance all night and create new memories. I chose the later, I hope you do too. I am so confident I will be healthy enough to dance all night, I have reservations at Disneyland for a week to celebrate my 100th birthday. Would you like to join me? I am 64 ¾ with no physical dysfunctions or typical age related health problems. See you at Disneyland—February 22nd – 29th, 2042.
Dorothy M. Neddermeyer, PhD, author, international speaker and inspirational leader specializes in: Mind, Body, Spirit healing and Physical/Sexual Abuse Prevention and Recovery. Dr. Neddermeyer empowers people to view life's challenges as an opportunity for Personal/Professional Growth and Spiritual Awakening.
http://www.drdorothy.net
