Everyone knows you have to practice if you want to learn, improve, or keep a new skill. Nobody would expect to be able to play the piano, do karate, or speak French, without lots of practice. But the strange part is, most people hope to be healthy without practice! As a culture, we have fallen into the idea that if we’re lucky, we’ll be healthy, and if we are unlucky, we’ll get sick and have to go to the doctor for some pills. As if practice has nothing to do with it!
So, how do you practice being healthy? You already know this. Eat more fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, and less white sugar, white flour, and processed foods. Exercise more, cut down on alcohol and caffeine. Don’t smoke. These common sense practices result in better health just as surely as an hour a day practice on the piano results in better music.
And once you are an accomplished musician or an Olympic athlete, do you stop practicing? Of course not, they practice more! Want to be really good at being healthy? Practice more! Tai chi or yoga stretches, strengthens, and balances your whole body. Even a good diet nowadays needs vitamin supplements, as our soils have been stripped of important trace elements. Try to avoid artificial chemical additives in your food, eat organic when you can. Take time to balance work and play, stress and relaxation. Time spent with family and friends is also practicing good health.
Chiropractic adjusting has been shown to strengthen the immune system and improve nervous system function. It is another way to practice good health. But just like the piano and French, healthy practices only work when you keep practicing them. What you practice is what you will get good at, so practice the life you want.