Recently, we moved out to the country in East Texas because I will be practicing, for at least six months to a year, in a small town. We wanted to be close to where I will practice so I wouldn’t have to commute very far.
We decided on a house that was, in all reality, a mess. The house was forclosed upon about a year to a year and a half ago and no one has lived there since.
When we first looked at it, we saw what a mess it really was. However, the man who bought it from the bank and was looking to rent it to us assured us that his men were working tirelessly day and night to make it a nice liveable home. We saw the potential the home could have and we believed him. We had no one reason not to up to that point.
When we moved in a couple of weeks ago, it would be a major understatement to say we were highly disappointed. The list of things still covered in filth and the amount of work left undone is too extensive to list here.
We tried to be okay with the landlord’s assurances that he would get everything taken care of. But after three days, we couldn’t take it anymore, so we decided to pack up and move out.
This experience prompted me to relate this literal slum house to health. I came up with three similarities that can relate to sickness and disease if we are not careful.
1.) Responsibility – Obviously we did not do our due diligence in learning more about our potential landlord. We learned things about him after we moved in that we should have learned beforehand… like the fact that he is a literal slum lord. Likewise, it was the owner’s responsibility to make sure his tenants moved into a liveable home. He did not do that.
It is the same with our health. We have to know what is right for us and what is not. Exercise is good; sitting around and watching television all day is not. Eating a steady diet of fruits and vegetables is good; pizza and ice cream every day is not. Getting your nervous system checked on a regular basis is good; not getting your nervous system checked is bad.
If we become unhealthy and sick, it is always our responsibility. If someone has arthritis and complains about it, then goes to drink and eat inflammatory foods like soda and cheeseburgers, they have no one to blame but themselves. Sorry, the “It’s just the genes I was born with” excuse doesn’t fly. That theory has been disproven.
2.) Maintenance – Our bodies need maintenance, just like a house. The house we moved in to had dust-laden carpet, sinking floors, and a mess of a yard full of critters like red fire ants that happened to bite up one of my daughter’s legs one day. If this house had been maintained (that is, if it had an owner that actually cared), these things would not have existed.
Not getting our spines and nervous systems checked on a regular basis can lead to premature degeneration and arthritic changes at an early age. Not eating fiber-rich foods like fruits and vegetables and instead choosing to eat junk food will lead to digestive problems, diabetes, and/or a whole a slew of other potential problems.
3.) Honesty – The owner of this house was not honest with us. He gave us excuses why work did not get done and he lied to us. As it turns out, we learned from others that this was his modus operandi.
However, we were not as honest with ourselves in catching onto the signs that the owner wasn’t doing all he said he was. We wanted to believe this could be a good home for our family, but looking back, I realize we were kidding ourselves.
It’s the same with your health. If you are not as healthy as you could be, admit it and make the changes. We can always do better, and we can always be better. There is a saying that if you don’t get better, you’re getting worse. It’s the same with our health.
Yes, 2-3 servings of fruits and/or vegetables a week is better than none. But let’s be honest, you need somewhere in the range of 5-10 fruits and 5-10 vegetables a day to really nourish your body. That coupled with regular routine checkups of your nervous sytem, whatever that is for you, and exercise, will propel you to a level of health you can only imagine.
{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
Excellent article. It really makes you think twice about health. We definitely need to pay more attention to our health.
Joe
Nice work Doc! Sorry about the house though.
Bummer. It’s so great to be able to see the good in the bad, learn, grow, and move on. Hope you guys find a dream home.
I can HONESTLY say that I am going to go make some PIZZA!
You always have to be building so you will grow