No matter how much you have, where you live, and what you do for a living, when you don’t feel good it’s the pits. Be it a bad cold, a touch of the flu, or a prolonged ailment….how you feel drastically affects your life. Is health the ultimate wealth? You bet!

For many Americans, the healthcare industry seems broken. The cost of care in the United States rises horrendously each year. Many no longer can afford coverage where the monthly premiums exceed their budget. This Friday Michael Moore’s new movie, “Sicko” opens nationwide…it tackles many of the issues confronting Americans in regard to healthcare. I know, Michael Moore can be a polarizing figure, yet, what I have heard about his latest movie is that his approach is neither Democrat nor Republican…just a satirical look at how the American healthcare system has run amok.

Let me ask you a question…how many people do you know who have to take daily medications? and how many people do you know who don’t? A friend of mine recently had a case of poison ivy and went to the emergency unit at her local hospital. The nurse asked her, “What medications do you take daily?” She answered, “None.” The nurse at first had a hard time believing her, and then she gave a look, said nothing, and walked away. For many, daily medication has become a way of life. We care profoundly about how we feel, and when we don’t feel good, we worry. Our health, in many cases, is not something we think about daily until we get sick.

The beauty of being human is that we have something that is incredible inside of us….an immune system. A reservoir of energy that waits to pounce on a moment’s notice on any foreign body that enters into our system. If you’ve ever had a cold, you know how it goes…first you don’t feel 100%, then, you feel a little weak, you start coughing and sneezing and before too long you’re in bed looking at the four walls, wondering if you’ll ever feel better! You chow down the old reliable chicken soup, some Tylenols, plenty of fluids, and slowly but surely you start to feel better each day. Once you make a full recovery you forget about it, until the next time, and then you go through the process all over again.

What’s strange is that each time we get sick and get better we learn a little bit more about ourselves…it tells us what makes us tick, and what truly matters. When we’re healthy, we feel we can conquer the world….when we’re sick, we think the world is conquering us. The knowledge is what happens in-between. Prevention is key…it’s so important to eat right, exercise, keep yourself strong. Vices tear down our health….the less that we have of them, the stronger we are. In reality, does it really matter how long you live, or, the quality of the days you experience? The healthier you are, the more alive you become.

This being summer, many are spending time in different locations on vacation, or with loved ones. Be careful…be safe, stay strong…

Stay healthy,

Jennifer Avalon

© 2007 Jennifer Avalon