Do Your Part For Health Care: Get Healthy Already!

I high-fived my computer screen reading Bill Maher's article New Rule: You Can't Complain About Health Care Reform If You're Not Willing to Reform Your Own Health. Mr. Maher says,

"Unlike most liberals, I'm glad all those teabaggers marched on Washington last week. Because judging from the photos, it's the first exercise they've gotten in years. Not counting, of course, all the Rascal scooters there, most of which aren't even for the disabled. They're just Americans who turned 60 and said, 'Screw it, I'm done walking.' These people are furious at the high cost of health care, so they blame illegals, who don't even get health care. News flash, Glenn Beck fans: the reason health care is so expensive is because you're all so unhealthy."

Irresponsibility isn't exclusive to bankers. The same unintelligent, unconscious, destructive behavior occurs on a daily basis when it comes to health choices. We have loads of factors that contribute to our poor health choices, but if we can recognize that the victim and abuser are the same, maybe then we can resume responsibility and control and make the change.

The food industry doesn't help. I just watched a commercial for antioxidant infused 7up soda....really?! Health and marketing don't mix. We have to be present, aware, and involved in our choices to maintain health and educate and inspire those around us to create a healthier society. Our world can be an obstacle course for good health. We have to gather the tools to navigate efficiently so we can live healthy, and enjoyable lives.

RT @michaeltaylor8 (My husband and co-health care activist) "We need to take care of people when they need care, but I hope people will worry less about access to pharmaceuticals and surgery and move more toward caring for themselves."

I'm not sure of the health-demographic of HuffPo readers, but given the whopping 39% obesity factor of Americans now, I bet most of you know someone who needs some help in the healthy living department. So do your part for health care. Prepare a healthy meal for a friend. Take more walks. If you are looking to lose weight try this routine three times a week for a month. If you're fit as a fiddle but have a friend who is trying to lose weight, pass it along. It will give you something to do while you're not being marketed to by the antioxidant infused Cherry 7up people.

P.S. The routine is meant to be coupled with healthy eating and compassionate living. Enjoy!

 

 

Follow Tara Stiles on Twitter: www.twitter.com/tarastiles

Comments

[Margo Arrowsmith]

Yes, healthy junk food, thanks for that.

http://www.squidoo.com/stopmaculardegeneration

[bmonaghan]

If people want a healthcare system that works and is inexpensive, then live a healthy life. My mother used to say, "Food is cheaper than medicine." I found incorporating medicinal herbs into your life and taking control of your health is so much better than pumping your body full of bad food and drugs. Check out http://www.prlog.org/10351789-making-herbal-tea-cool-why-its-not-just-for-grandma-anymore.html

[GeriNV]

Tara, although staying healthy helps. Facts are 80% of healthcare cost are spent in the last year of life. It is the last of of living that is the biggest drain on health economics, not what we do day to day. If we all just ate a big cheese burger, french fries, lard, tub of butter this would decrease healthcare cost by killing us off with a massive heart attack instead of dyng with some chronic disease lingering in a nursing home. The cost of long term care and longevity is bankrupting healthcare now. If everyone died off at 55 with a heart attack, we could afford healthcare for all. I am not convinced that your advice would actually save the greater system any money. I would argue that if each of us lived to be 105, the US would be bankrupt. So please stop telling everyone to eat healthy and do yoga, this would only push longevity.

[bmonaghan]

Gere - Tell the truth - just how much do you weigh? This all sounds quite defensive. You're telling us that it is people who live long healthy lives who are the drain on health care as opposed to people who are fat, unhealthy and die relatively quickly. And you support this by throwing out the figure 80% of healthcare goes tos upporting people in the last year of life. Even if that figure is true, the "last year of life" need not be someone in their 90's. It very well could be someone in their 50's, who, during that year, is disproportionately draining healthcare dollars because they are receiving cancer treatment, or diabetes treatment or whatever due to the fact that they have lived a horrendously unhealthy life. Most people who live healthy lives and live to be old die relatively suddenly. I think the saying is, "Die healthy." It is rather people who have poisoned their bodies for however many years that die costly deaths.

[Jocalo]

Trouble is most people don't drop dead of a heart attack right away. That 80% is spent on the last year of your hypothetical bad eater's life too, and we pay for the years of chronic health problems preceding his heart attack . Whether they die at 55, or 105, we pay for them AND we lose ten years (at least) of productivity. Having a long and healthy life means that you contribute more and cost less. The people with the crappy lifestyles are the ones that create the highest costs.

[fphp]

Healthy people die in their beds and are on zero medications. You aren' talking about healthy people, you are talking about unhealthy people who simply manage to avoid a heart attack.

The majority of chronic diseases are caused by life style choices. End of story.

So yes, you IDIOTS who lack the will power to maintain your health by eating mostly clean food and dedicating a measly two hours per week of exercise basically SUCK AT LIFE.

[sunnybunny]

People aren't living longer. That is completely inaccurate. People have lived long lives for a long time (examples: Daniel Boone 86, Benjamin Franklin 84, Laura Ingalls Wilder 90 , Frederick Douglas 78, Harriet Tubman 91, I could go on) MORE people are living long lives in bad health than used to. It used to be if your health was bad you died sooner so only healthy people lived to be old. Now those with bad health are kept alive longer and require more care. Those who are healthy and live a long time because they have good habits don't drain the medical system.

[singermuse]

Tara, I'm all for it that people should "get healthy already" but the yoga routine you advocate on the accompanying video is probably too advanced for most people. Down dog with a leg up in the air is an advanced move many people can't do first time out. Maybe your argument would be better received if you had used more of a beginner's routine? A person's got to start someplace and advanced asanas only serve to discourage the struggling wanna be healthy person.

[GoDogGo]

I'm in total agreement, though a bit more militantly. It's infuriating to me that the people protesting at these marches are so ridiculously fat when it's their behavior that's driving the problem.

To me, given the national crisis we are facing, it's now become our patriotic duty to snap out of the sugary sweet, fat-induced haze and get fit. Anyone who isn't doing their part to be healthy -- eating real foods, cutting their caloric intake & getting real exercise -- is directly harming America.

Obese people, take responsibility: The backlash against you is here.

[GeriNV]

What national crisis? Compare the cost of obesity versus the cost of longevity. Which group actually spends more healthcare dollars? The obese who die of a heart attack and never live to be 80, or those who live to be 105 in a nursing home. Monthly long term care costs are easily 5k per month.

[Cliff Etzel]

Your short routine has me floored. Many of the poses I just got comfortable with you make seem easy and your range of motion humbles me...

Thank you for giving me more ideas for adding variations to my moving asana's

Namaste'

[Debra Rincon]

I have just learned from a realiable source that Diet soda's that use Nutrasweet and Asparime,+ other artificial sweetners are causing depression,anxiety, fibromyalgia, and other things like Muscular Dystrophy in patients. The companies know about the studies but, they would lose too much money if they were to tell the public. I have been drinking diet soda's for about 1 year now! NO MORE FOR ME! I won't take the chance of damaging my body and brains with these man made sweetner's. I knew something was wrong with them, in the first place. They are hurting the people they are supposed to be helping, by keeping this quiet?

[rxvette]

My sentiments exactly. We are all responsible for lowering long term healthcare costs in the U.S. This is exactly how I approached the topic of health care reform in one of my recent blog articles - http://bit.ly/9QLV8.

And it's how I try to educate people as well being a health care professional myself.

[Ventoi]

Test country...

to prove this person right...

(I want first dibs on going thought, ok?) Trump


you only get to eat healthy food...
you are given a low key, busy, creative job...
with sturdy hours...and little stress...that is not managed for you by proper rules and governing...

you get a house that is paid for directly out of your salary...
your food, etc also...

which is also delivered...

you exercise as part of your job
and life plan.

You are left COMPLETELY alone...
spiritually.

(my clones are sleeping alone...until they are gone)

[Ventoi]

though not thought

managed -not 'not managed'

[duncantoms]

The answer is definitely in keeping yourself healthy. If more of us did, the burden on healthcare systems worldwide is lifted and can then focus on pioneering healthcare not all the energy into patching up people who can't be bothered to look after themselves.

Tara, I'm not sure this is the best routine for those overweight already... It's very strong on the wrists, shoulders, ankles, with no warm up, diving straight in to relatively tough postures. Hopefully people will know to warm up first and won't injure themselves. I would expect a series designed for those overweight, not for the few who can easily lift their leg behind them.

I'm enjoying your posts and am with you 100%. Good work!

[Watersisland]

OK, so you've piqued my interest. I've always been in good health, good physical shape,and eat healthy, but now I can't run anymore(says dr.'s AND my spine). Yoga looks like it might keep me from stiffening up and keep me limber. You make it look very attractive. I've viewed a few of the links for your clips here on Huffpost. Do you have a website of your own? I'd really like to learn to start from the basics and you sure sound like you could present a good comprehensive program. Where to start?

[Tara Stiles - Huffpost Blogger]

Thanks Watersisland. I've gotten to teach a lot of runners yoga this year with a program i'm involved with Nissan called Master the Shift. Bad knees, backs, tight hamstrings ... all that. yoga can be very therapeutic and helpful with all of these challenges and a great supplement to any sport and life. I have a book and a couple DVDs coming out soon (Christmas and the Spring) but for now I have a bunch of on-line videos that are instructional and a lot are the basics. You can see some of them at

http://www.tarastilesliving.com

(you can get the videos for free at iTunes also. Tara Stiles Living podcast)

Also I did 60 yoga and health tip videos for Nissan here:

http://www.mastertheshift.com

Let me know if this is helpful. Have a great weekend!

[rosal]

New CBS-NYT poll out last Friday: 65% Favor Public Option. 26% Oppose

Are you paying attention Congressmen?

[SimianNation]

Thanks Tara...I'll study the video...

[Kzb]

Cool. Will you buy me a new knee though tara?

[Tara Stiles - Huffpost Blogger]

Not sure if knees are avail on the market quite yet. What happened to yours? Is it repairable?

[Kzb]

Err yeah kind of repairable anyway, thanks for the thought though :) I kind of just let it keep getting worse.

[mjt96]

Thanks for pointing out the ridiculousness in 7up marketing its antioxidants. Just like heart-healthy FDA-approved potato chips.

[Kzb]

Some potato chips actually are better for your heart than others, like if you don't drive off a cliff while eating a certain brand.