Personal Health PhD: 8 Practical Living Tips to Keep the Doctors Away

Written By Drew

April 27th, 2012

Health spending in America reached $2.6 trillion in 2010, according to the latest analysis - and spending is speeding up. Averaging over $8,000 per person, per year, are expected to rise to $9,000 before long, and despite the fact people are getting enough medical care to qualify for some accredited online doctoral programs, people seem to be deteriorating further.

For 39% of Americans, stress levels are continuing to rise. This may paint a grim picture, but the good news is that personal health can be changed with only a few simple choices. Here is a handy list to get you started on dropping your stress and dodging pricey doctor visits.

1. Work in Some Exercise: An exercise routine is key to personal health. If you have trouble getting started on one, take it slow and try working out only a few minutes a day...then a few minutes more. Get out a map and start plotting stores and restaurants you can walk to from work to slip in exercise into your weekly routines.

2. Think About Sleep: A good sleep cycle will improve every aspect of your life. Experiment with different sleep cycles until you find the best time to go to bed (getting up is probably decided by work or kids). Once you find the optimum cycle, stick with it.

3. Move Off the Salt and Fat: Salt and fat are two of the most overused food ingredients in America. You can cut nearly all the salt and fat from your diet without any ill effects (but with a lot of benefits). No need to remove all sodium in sight, but keep an eye on these two ingredients for every food you buy, and start lowering amounts.

4. Make Friends with Check-Ups: You don’t need to sign up for a full-body scan, but a doctor check-up can be a good thing. If you have any lingering pain or symptoms that just refuse to leave, schedule a check-up. Finding a problem now can save a lot of grief later.

5. Treat the Air Right: Consider installing better air filters or adding humidifiers (or dehumidifiers) to your house. The air you breathe is important. Getting rid of extra dust, dryness, or moisture can help improve your health, sleep, and allergies. Even houseplants can help.

6. Drop the Drinking: Drink less. Try drinking only one day a week, or limit yourself to only one drink per sitting. Alcohol is a toxin, and toxins do damage to your body, so ingesting less will keep you healthier in the long run.

7. In Fact, Drop All Your Bad Habits: While you are tackling alcohol, quit smoking, too. In fact, as you work up the willpower, you can also start to quit overeating, watching too much television, having unprotected sex, and other factors that add up to a medically dangerous lifestyle.

8. Relax: To get rid of that stress, adopt a relaxation routine you can use to improve your quality of life. This could be as simple as a meditation practice or work, or you could choose a more complex activity like a hobby.

Taking the time to change your habits and get healthy won’t just save money, it’ll save lives.