Today was a good healthy day for me! After I had a light stroke (TIA) in 2006, I was forced to train my right side again. I had to get serious then because I was not allowed to drive for 6 months! It’s strange how serious we can get about physical fitness information, health, wellness, nutrition, and exercise when we have had a serious health challenge!
After I had gotten permission to drive again, I was so far in debt that I took on two jobs to try to catch up and get ahead economically. This didn’t leave much room to exercise, but since I was now watching my calorie intake (usually 2,000 per day), I felt like I was being good to my body.
It didn’t take too long before my body began to rebel---again! I began having all kinds of aches and pains. My wife told me I needed more rest. I figured that just wasn’t possible. I was active in church, working two jobs, trying to do some writing, working on completing Bible school, and stay somewhat current on my ever-growing e-mail.
Before I knew it, I was having some health challenges---again. After finishing Bible school, I was able to get a little bit more rest, but I figured out I was still losing about 8 days of rest monthly. My body began to be mean to me! My joints were hurting; my head didn’t feel right; and sometimes numbness began to creep over where I had the stroke, and my left hand would curl up and would not cooperate.
After several visits to my primary doctor and being sent to specialists, I began to figure out that while praying for my health was good, God wanted me to use my brain and take care of myself. So, I made a plan: I would begin back exercising when I felt better and I would cut down on one of my jobs…someday. Then it happened recently---pain on the left side of my chest!
One day I just couldn’t take the pain. I figured I must be having a very bad case of indigestion, or---I could be having a slight heart attack. Slight? There is nothing slight about having a heart attack!
I drove myself to ER after telling my supervisor that I just didn’t feel well. After the exam, the doctors asked me some questions about my routine. I had just started back doing some stretches and toning about two weeks earlier. Thus, they figured, I had probably pulled a muscle. Probably? I was STILL hurting!
My primary doctor was concerned about my continuing high blood pressure. Although she had me on several medications, now she was adding a stronger one for hypertension. I saw concern on her face and it made me somewhat uncomfortable. My wife told me I needed more rest. My mother told me from 2,000 miles away I needed more rest. My wife’s mother across the hall in our senior complex told me I needed more rest. Some of my grown children from miles away suggested I needed to take it easy. How was I supposed to take it easy when I had all these medical bills and bills from when I wasn’t working? Plus, there was a lot of ministry I wanted to do and since I didn’t have the temperament to be a pastor, I would need to be able to support myself or get a lot of friends and family members to help me.
The pain in my chest would not leave me alone. Then one day my wife noticed that although she had carried our five children, my belly was beginning to compete with hers! I tried to suck it in, but it would hardly bulge. I could push it up and it would just roll up and down. I began to think of all the other men who had those jelly roll stomachs. Now, I was one of them! One day I looked sideways in the mirror…I began to look like a pregnant man!
I finally decided to pray about my situation. Perhaps God had a miracle of healing and another one for my prosperity. After a season of prayer, I sensed He wanted me to quit one of my jobs. I resisted because it just didn’t make sense. I had plans to do so much for Him, but I also had these other obligations coming in the form of mail and phone calls.
Like Jacob, I wrestled with my decision, but I lost. When I told God that it didn’t make sense but He and everyone else was right and I was wrong---I needed to quit one of my jobs and cut back on the other job. As far as the bills, oh well, I had talked about faith, taught about faith, and was going to a church that strongly taught faith, now it was time for me to walk the talk, knowing there would probably be a season of being uncomfortable while the manifestations of my faith could catch up with my speaking faith and trusting God’s plan over mine. I just didn’t want to be uncomfortable. It was easy to talk faith when I had a great income, health insurance, credit cards, and some money in the bank. Take those things away from me and I was a little nervous!
Well, it has been almost two months since I made the decision to believe God for better and take care of my body. Oh yeah, it has been somewhat uncomfortable, trying to balance ½ of my income with double the expenses. However, it has been quite an adventure!
My health is much better, along with my attitude. Someone remarked about a month ago that I looked happier than he had ever seen me in about 20 years. Wow! There is something to be said about taking care of one’s health and on purpose spending more time with the Creator!
Yep! Today was a good day. I just completed my exercise and nutrition journal. I began keeping one about 3 years ago. I had no idea the affect of what I wanted to eat was having on my body. When I began to chart calorie intake needed, while tracking carbs, fat, and protein, I began to read labels of food I wanted. I had no idea how many calories a hamburger, fries, a shake, and certain sweets contained! Today, my 2,000 calorie intake was down to 1320. Oops! I forgot to add my snack of 3 large chocolate chip cookies my wife just made. Whoa! My calorie intake jumped up to 1527. I had no idea what three cookies could do! In times past, I would have had 4, 5, or 6 cookies. And I probably would have added a candy bar. Some things are easier to give up when one doesn’t have the money!
When I added the three cookies just now, my fat content jumped from 31 grams to 51 grams, my carbs went from 200 grams to 227, and my protein count jumped a little from 47 grams to 51 grams---I am glad my wife cut back on some ingredients!
Learning how to improve my health through understanding what I eat has been eye-opening. Three years ago I wasn’t concerned about things like: saturated fats, mono unsaturated fats, trans fats, dietary fiber, starch, sugars, sucrose, glucose, fructose, lactose, maltose, galactose, tryptophan, threonine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, cystine, phenylalanine, tyrosine, valine, arginine, histidine, alanine, aspartic acid, glutamic acid, glycine, proline, serine, hydroxyproline, cholesterol, retinol, retinal activity, betacarotene, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, folate, folic acid, pantothenic, calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, zinc, copper, manganese, selenium, fluoride, water, ash, caffeine, theobromine, a whole lot of words I can’t even pronounce, and all those vitamins (A, B6, B12, C, D, E, K). God made all of the natural things to be taken in a certain quantity, in a right way, and in combination with other like items to match what our bodies need. He never planned for us to eat the chemicals we consume in canned and frozen foods. However, many of us just ate what tasted good, looked good, smelled good, and felt good. We are not too far removed from Eve when she consumed something not good for her at the time!
Now that I have a 3-year record of my consistent recording of what I eat, I plan to help others. The software program that one of my health consultants developed is fantastic! He and I are working on a plan where I can offer a virtual health center for all of my family and friends who are so interested. For about $30 a month, we can replicate this work nationwide. For another $30 a month, I can help anyone set up their program and help them record and track what they eat and meet with them weekly in consultation. Of course, if there are some who need more accountability, I can meet with them DAILY but that will cost them! Accountability is easier for me---I have a caring wife watching me!
Hey! You can start improving your health right now! Begin by drinking more water, but try to get the water as pure as possible. Then, begin to do some simple stretches before beginning a walking program. Then move into some aerobics. When it’s time to eat, learn what a serving is. Unless you have really big fists, a serving is about the size of the average fist. Check out the food pyramid. Eat more grains, nuts, fruits and vegetables and cut back, way back, on red meat. And, of course, cut out the pork! Ask God to give you grace if you have been raised on bacon, pork chops, pork sausage, and pork ribs. Of course, check with your doctor before you begin any exercise or change your diet. This is especially true if you are diabetic or have other serious health challenges.
If any would like to see a copy of one of my food charts for a week, send me an e-mail. I pray that you prosper mentally, physically, socially, and financially, even as you prosper in your soul spiritually.
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Showing posts with label wellness. Show all posts
Showing posts with label wellness. Show all posts
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Sunday, August 9, 2009
Health Reform? It's a Joke, Unless...
HEALTH REFORM
By Edward G. Udell, Sr.
August 9, 2009
I have been concerned about health ever since as I little boy I discovered my mom had health issues.
Sometimes, my mom, Cassie Mae (Roland) Udell McCain, would work in the fields with only one arm because when it would be really cold, her left side would shut down and she would be partially paralyzed. However, she still picked almost as much cotton as anyone else in the field during cotton-picking time. During any other labor work, she could usually outwork others who did not have a health issue.
My mom came into the world with health issues, but her family did not have the funds to get her the medical care she needed, due to their lack of income. Mom fought. She was scheduled to die from her health challenges at age 8. Then it was moved to age 11. A strange aunt said some words over her, hit her in her back (which straightened up!), and she was able to walk straight. However, she still had other health issues.
Mom was scheduled to die at age 18. Then it was moved to age 30 and again to age 40. By this time, mom had learned more about prayer, alternative medicine, and just read up on medical information. She is now 85 and people don’t understand how she made it. Those doctors who are still alive are amazed!
I had health issues most of my life. The Navy even gave me a 4F rating after I was hurt in drill in 1964 and they discovered I had had some health issues. Without properly serving me, they just kicked me out with a medical discharge, but without any veteran’s benefits. I have fought for over 44 years to get them to revise my records and/or let me have my veteran’s benefits but they have refused.
I was selected by the National Urban League to attend a national health conference in San Antonio, Texas in 1972 upon a recommendation by someone who knew of my interest in community health improvements. I gave my input and hoped there would be a great health policy put forward in America; not much happened.
In 1973 – 1974, I was selected to serve as a Community Health Worker for the Regional Medical Program, a federally-funded program associated with the University of Washington Medical School. I served 14 eastern Washington state counties, helping medical professions and health consumers work on improving the health operations in their counties. After an election, this program was cut by Congress. In 1975, I was asked to serve on the “new” Congressional health plan, Comprehensive Health Planning. This program frightened medical professionals who thought the federal government was going to take over health care and put them on smaller salaries. Although we did some good serving the various eastern Washington state counties, the negative support of the medical community hurt the good this program was trying to do. I gave up hoping that the government and the medical community would ever agree on how to best improve the health of its citizens.
In 1979, I completed my Master’s Thesis “Health: In Good Hands With Educators---A Discussion Paper Proposing A Way To Improve The Health Of The Nation.” My premise was that the government should require parents to become better health monitors and turn schools into health centers. Although some schools began to offer pre-natal care and child care centers to girls in school and later added giving out condoms and offering girls abortion information, it was still a far cry from really solving the health problems of this country.
As I have watched the health of many low-income and moderate-income people worsen because they did not have access, I have also watched another trend having a negative impact on the health of this country: allow millions of immigrants with lower health standards to come, stay, work, and interact with Americans trying to get healthy.
The impact of the millions of legal and illegal immigrants since the 1960s have had a catastrophic affect on the health delivery service in America. While they crowd the clinics and budgets are expanded to make sure they have reading material in their language and health care professionals who speak their language, more native-born Americans with a long list of American ancestors are pushed back further in the lines to get health care. Surprisingly, the immigrants of the past 30-50 years pay far less for health care than they should be paying since they have put in very little into the health care pot through taxes, fighting wars for this country, and working hard to make life better for others.
If health reform is going to work, there must be a system put in place whereby native-born Americans can freely have a better opportunity to get access to health care. They should not have to wait in lines because politicians and business people want a lot of cheap labor to ensure the financial success of their own enterprises. It’s time for Americans to bite the bullet about immigrants---limit the number of legal immigrants coming in, deport those who are illegal with their children, put those who habitually break laws and commit serious crimes on land where they can learn to support themselves, learn to be a honest citizen, earn skills needed by world employers, and have stronger determination to become legal, or deport them when their criminal time is up.
If health reform is going to work, we must be honest and see what groups are causing the cost of health care to sky-rocket: the poor, the immigrants, and the elderly. The poor need to have better training (their schools, their faith-based centers, etc.) on health prevention. This group should then be rewarded with a health card where they have a small deductible, a lifetime cap, and receive more training on health care, cleanliness, and health/wellness/nutrition development. This group could then be rewarded with their lifetime cap being raised, and annual total health care check-ups for a small amount.
The poor, including immigrants, who do not maintain and improve their health care, will be penalized with longer waits at health clinics, higher shared-cost fees, and a lower lifetime health care cap. If they work, their employer should deduct more of their check for health care and Social Security so when they have such needs, they have already paid something into the health care coverage.
The elderly who probably consume over 2/3 of the health care costs in this country will have three options:
1) those unable to work and currently who do not have funds to maintain and/or improve their health will be placed in larger health care centers with limited staff and allowed to die gracefully, instead of being maintained in a vegetable-like state;
2) those able to work will pay into a health care fund restricted for those with the same disease or disability and given an opportunity to learn how to improve their health and allowed to die gracefully without prolonging their agony; and
3) those able to work and willing to be trained as part-time health caretakers for the elderly, will also pay into a health care fund for their age group and health care challenge, but will have access to better health care by those training to become doctors, nurses, and other health professionals.
The government could also insist (or make it a law) that those who are over 40 make better preparations for their future health needs by having them pay a higher premium for their age group and health care challenge so as their health care needs arise, funds are there to cover the costs. Employers will also be required to donate and withhold a higher amount to cover future longevity and longer health care needs. The government will also need to cut prison care about 2/3 so that prisoners do not get better health care and nutrition than the honest citizens who do not have funds to have such help as prisoners. When short-sighted judges sue cities, counties, states, and other judicial groups for NOT providing ample space, ample beds, and “reasonable” benefits for prisoners, they should be impeached for acting against the rights of non-criminals.
All citizens should be trained in health care, wellness, nutrition, and given health credit cards to cover their health care needs as they arise from accidents or a sudden onset of a disease. As citizens are trained in taking better care of themselves, they will have fewer health aliments, and will have the means to improve and maintain their health as long as they are productive. Those citizens who are no longer productive (sharing history, giving wisdom insights, teaching about gardening, etc.) should be allowed to die gracefully without extra drugs or special care when it is determined that they will not regain enough health to become as productive as they would like.
I realize that the above may sound harsh, but we are now living in harsh times. Strong people are needed to make strong decisions if America is going to get a handle on the health care costs in this nation. Employers will have to pay more of the costs of health care since people are living longer and short-sighted planning did not send enough funds ahead to take care of the future needs. Medical professionals will have to adjust their lifestyles and expect to make less to help during the transition. If the millions of immigrants were not given jobs from native-born citizens, native-born citizens could have good jobs to pay for increased health care. However, native-born citizens would also have to be trained in health prevention and in ways to maintain their health. If they refuse, their card should be a red card and they will be given the opportunity to pay more for their health care since they did little to prevent their health from doing downhill!
By Edward G. Udell, Sr.
August 9, 2009
I have been concerned about health ever since as I little boy I discovered my mom had health issues.
Sometimes, my mom, Cassie Mae (Roland) Udell McCain, would work in the fields with only one arm because when it would be really cold, her left side would shut down and she would be partially paralyzed. However, she still picked almost as much cotton as anyone else in the field during cotton-picking time. During any other labor work, she could usually outwork others who did not have a health issue.
My mom came into the world with health issues, but her family did not have the funds to get her the medical care she needed, due to their lack of income. Mom fought. She was scheduled to die from her health challenges at age 8. Then it was moved to age 11. A strange aunt said some words over her, hit her in her back (which straightened up!), and she was able to walk straight. However, she still had other health issues.
Mom was scheduled to die at age 18. Then it was moved to age 30 and again to age 40. By this time, mom had learned more about prayer, alternative medicine, and just read up on medical information. She is now 85 and people don’t understand how she made it. Those doctors who are still alive are amazed!
I had health issues most of my life. The Navy even gave me a 4F rating after I was hurt in drill in 1964 and they discovered I had had some health issues. Without properly serving me, they just kicked me out with a medical discharge, but without any veteran’s benefits. I have fought for over 44 years to get them to revise my records and/or let me have my veteran’s benefits but they have refused.
I was selected by the National Urban League to attend a national health conference in San Antonio, Texas in 1972 upon a recommendation by someone who knew of my interest in community health improvements. I gave my input and hoped there would be a great health policy put forward in America; not much happened.
In 1973 – 1974, I was selected to serve as a Community Health Worker for the Regional Medical Program, a federally-funded program associated with the University of Washington Medical School. I served 14 eastern Washington state counties, helping medical professions and health consumers work on improving the health operations in their counties. After an election, this program was cut by Congress. In 1975, I was asked to serve on the “new” Congressional health plan, Comprehensive Health Planning. This program frightened medical professionals who thought the federal government was going to take over health care and put them on smaller salaries. Although we did some good serving the various eastern Washington state counties, the negative support of the medical community hurt the good this program was trying to do. I gave up hoping that the government and the medical community would ever agree on how to best improve the health of its citizens.
In 1979, I completed my Master’s Thesis “Health: In Good Hands With Educators---A Discussion Paper Proposing A Way To Improve The Health Of The Nation.” My premise was that the government should require parents to become better health monitors and turn schools into health centers. Although some schools began to offer pre-natal care and child care centers to girls in school and later added giving out condoms and offering girls abortion information, it was still a far cry from really solving the health problems of this country.
As I have watched the health of many low-income and moderate-income people worsen because they did not have access, I have also watched another trend having a negative impact on the health of this country: allow millions of immigrants with lower health standards to come, stay, work, and interact with Americans trying to get healthy.
The impact of the millions of legal and illegal immigrants since the 1960s have had a catastrophic affect on the health delivery service in America. While they crowd the clinics and budgets are expanded to make sure they have reading material in their language and health care professionals who speak their language, more native-born Americans with a long list of American ancestors are pushed back further in the lines to get health care. Surprisingly, the immigrants of the past 30-50 years pay far less for health care than they should be paying since they have put in very little into the health care pot through taxes, fighting wars for this country, and working hard to make life better for others.
If health reform is going to work, there must be a system put in place whereby native-born Americans can freely have a better opportunity to get access to health care. They should not have to wait in lines because politicians and business people want a lot of cheap labor to ensure the financial success of their own enterprises. It’s time for Americans to bite the bullet about immigrants---limit the number of legal immigrants coming in, deport those who are illegal with their children, put those who habitually break laws and commit serious crimes on land where they can learn to support themselves, learn to be a honest citizen, earn skills needed by world employers, and have stronger determination to become legal, or deport them when their criminal time is up.
If health reform is going to work, we must be honest and see what groups are causing the cost of health care to sky-rocket: the poor, the immigrants, and the elderly. The poor need to have better training (their schools, their faith-based centers, etc.) on health prevention. This group should then be rewarded with a health card where they have a small deductible, a lifetime cap, and receive more training on health care, cleanliness, and health/wellness/nutrition development. This group could then be rewarded with their lifetime cap being raised, and annual total health care check-ups for a small amount.
The poor, including immigrants, who do not maintain and improve their health care, will be penalized with longer waits at health clinics, higher shared-cost fees, and a lower lifetime health care cap. If they work, their employer should deduct more of their check for health care and Social Security so when they have such needs, they have already paid something into the health care coverage.
The elderly who probably consume over 2/3 of the health care costs in this country will have three options:
1) those unable to work and currently who do not have funds to maintain and/or improve their health will be placed in larger health care centers with limited staff and allowed to die gracefully, instead of being maintained in a vegetable-like state;
2) those able to work will pay into a health care fund restricted for those with the same disease or disability and given an opportunity to learn how to improve their health and allowed to die gracefully without prolonging their agony; and
3) those able to work and willing to be trained as part-time health caretakers for the elderly, will also pay into a health care fund for their age group and health care challenge, but will have access to better health care by those training to become doctors, nurses, and other health professionals.
The government could also insist (or make it a law) that those who are over 40 make better preparations for their future health needs by having them pay a higher premium for their age group and health care challenge so as their health care needs arise, funds are there to cover the costs. Employers will also be required to donate and withhold a higher amount to cover future longevity and longer health care needs. The government will also need to cut prison care about 2/3 so that prisoners do not get better health care and nutrition than the honest citizens who do not have funds to have such help as prisoners. When short-sighted judges sue cities, counties, states, and other judicial groups for NOT providing ample space, ample beds, and “reasonable” benefits for prisoners, they should be impeached for acting against the rights of non-criminals.
All citizens should be trained in health care, wellness, nutrition, and given health credit cards to cover their health care needs as they arise from accidents or a sudden onset of a disease. As citizens are trained in taking better care of themselves, they will have fewer health aliments, and will have the means to improve and maintain their health as long as they are productive. Those citizens who are no longer productive (sharing history, giving wisdom insights, teaching about gardening, etc.) should be allowed to die gracefully without extra drugs or special care when it is determined that they will not regain enough health to become as productive as they would like.
I realize that the above may sound harsh, but we are now living in harsh times. Strong people are needed to make strong decisions if America is going to get a handle on the health care costs in this nation. Employers will have to pay more of the costs of health care since people are living longer and short-sighted planning did not send enough funds ahead to take care of the future needs. Medical professionals will have to adjust their lifestyles and expect to make less to help during the transition. If the millions of immigrants were not given jobs from native-born citizens, native-born citizens could have good jobs to pay for increased health care. However, native-born citizens would also have to be trained in health prevention and in ways to maintain their health. If they refuse, their card should be a red card and they will be given the opportunity to pay more for their health care since they did little to prevent their health from doing downhill!
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