Lost Your Health Insurance? 3 Things You Can Do Now!

With unemployment at an all time high many people find themselves without a job and without health insurance. Or at a minimum, having to make the decision to spend hundreds of dollars a month to continue their coverage on their own. If you have lost your insurance, I suggest the following steps to hedge your bets against illness.

1) Get a health assessment by a practitioner trained in Wellness.
Doctors are trained to treat sickness and manage symptoms; Nutritional Therapists, Naturopathic Doctors, Acupuncturists, even Massage Therapists are adept at uncovering the imbalances in the body that are causing the symptoms or that may lead to illness or health problems down the road. This gives you a proactive starting point to monitor and adjust your progress.

In addition to their assessment, ask for a blood chemistry evaluation. I recommend them to my clients annually. Find a practitioner trained in "functional range" assessment (vs "lab range" which is the range for people already sick.). Making sure you are within the functional range will keep you healthy and if you do fall outside these ranges this awareness allows you to take action early.

2) Manage Stress
These are stressful times even if you have a job (perhaps more so!). If you find yourself suddenly unemployed make sure to take the following steps to reduce and manage stress -

• Exercise! Even walking for 30 minutes a day will help your body manage the stress hormones released in trying times. If you can get in some resistance training as well even better! This will also boost your immune system to keep you healthy for your next interview.
• Breathe! Most people are very shallow breathers. When you feel your stress level rise, STOP! Take a moment, close your eyes and take in a full 5 count breath through your nose and another 5 count exhale through your mouth. If you can, visualize a calming place and continue the cycle 5 times. This takes less than a minute.
• Control what you can, forget the rest! Many things are out of our control and dwelling on "why" things happened, "who did what" and "what if" may not be beneficial. Yes, look at your part in past situations, see what you could have done different, then let it go and move on.

3) Adopt a Healthier Lifestyle
Take the money you spent eating out and buy fresh produce, quality grass fed meats and organic products where possible. Many people feel this is the time to cut back on groceries but I say this is the time to INVEST IN YOURSELF! Take advantage of Farmer's Markets and make meal preparation a family affair. Cut back on processed foods, especially sugar & flour. READ YOUR LABELS! Hydrogenated oils and High Fructose Corn Syrup should be avoided completely.

Consider taking a high quality mineral supplement. Minerals are depleted in our soils so even those eating a very high quality diet are deficient. They are crucial to many key processes and especially in our immune system. Omega 3 oils (fish, flax, hemp oil) are also a good investment.

Giving your body the best quality building materials will go a long way in keeping you healthy. Be proactive in your wellness and you will keep those hospital and doctor visits at bay!!