Please stay tuned for my new blog. I am in the midst of making changes that will allow me to focus on a group that is dear to my heart; a group to which I once belonged and could very well join again some day. Women with chronically ill partners or spouses.

Once your partner has been given a diagnosis everything changes. The security is gone. You are aware, hyper-sensitive in fact, that the other shoe may drop at any time. This knowledge may leave you uneasy and on the defensive. This will be only one of many topics that will be discussed in the coming months, although the main focus will be around selfcare. So please be patient while I do some behind the scenes work to get everything in order.

Andrea

I have been busy writing and posting various health and wellness related articles on eHow.com. Please check out some of my work. I always appreciate feedback and comments!  Below are links to a few of the recent postings, but I am listed as HealthCoach100 if you would like to look at everything. Enjoy!

How to Gain Better Health in 12 Easy Steps

How to Create Positive Affirmations

A depressing study, just released by Medco Health Solutions Inc., says a majority of Americans are now taking medication for some type of chronic disease.

The heartbreaking thing is that many of these chronic conditions, such as acid reflux, depression, asthma and high blood pressure can be treated or alleviated through diet, exercise and other lifestyle changes. Unfortunately, people are programmed to want a quick fix, like popping a pill, by our demanding consumerist, fast-paced lifestyles and the ongoing bombardment of pharmaceutical advertising. It becomes easier to simply ask the doctor about the purple pill Nexim than to wade through the overwhelming choices presented by the health and wellness industry. We want to still be able to stay up late, get up early, eat fat and sugar laden fast food, all-the-while drinking coffee, soda and energy drinks to stay alert, so we can participate in our go-go lives. Popping a pill allows us to think we are “fixing” a problem without actually taking the time to address our stress or lifestyle.

Regrettably, many of our doctors are now trained how to cover up or reduce symptoms versus discovering root causes or facilitating healing. The typical physician is no longer an expert on health and wellness, but experts of pharmacology; drug dealers in disguise, luring you in with “free” samples. The next time you have a symptom or a diagnosis and are handed a prescription without a discussion, don’t feel bad questioning your doctor. Ask what else you can do besides going on medication. There are still doctors that are thrilled when patients ask questions about lifestyle versus walking in demanding a medication they saw in an advertisement. If your doctor is resistant to a discussion and simply wants to push a pill, exercise your power as a consumer and find a new doctor.

As consumers and citizens we must learn to take responsibility for our personal wellness and make tough decisions if we ever expect health care in our country to change. The only way to fix our broken health care system is to change to a system that values and rewards prevention and healing over quick fixes. Popping pills for every ache, pain and discomfort will never lower health care costs or heal what ails. If you don’t believe me, consider why we spend more on health care than any other country in the world, but are only 37th in overall performance and 72nd in overall level of health according to the World Health Organization.