Go be healthy manifesto (a work in progress).

I work in medicine. People often ask me what they should take to be healthier – what pills or supplements. Nothing, is my answer, absolutely nothing. Over the years I have started to develop a Go-Be-Healthy-Manifesto. This is what it looks like right now (it is always evolving)…

• Take as few pills as possible.
• Get outside a lot. Go be with nature as much as you can. Dig in the dirt.
• Watch the sun rise and watch the moon rise and watch the stars. Feel awe.
• Connect with other people. Connect with your community. Connect with people older than you and younger than you and darker than you and lighter than you and luckier than you and less lucky than you. Connect with all of them in some way. We are all human.
• Rest your body and rest your mind. Sleep. Take naps. Take breaks. Take vacations. Meditate. Breathe.
• Explore. Go learn new things. Grow your brain. Do new.
• Take care of someone or something other than yourself. Give.
• Receive.
• Do something – contribute, work, volunteer. Find purpose in your days.
• Read books made from paper. Turn the pages. Connect with the words.
• Laugh until you cry or pee your pants or both. Then laugh some more. Do this often.
• Eat a varied and diverse diet. Eat food you can recognize as food. Eat fruits and vegetables you have never heard of or seen before. Eat mostly things that are grown or grow, not things that are manufactured or made in a factory.
• Drink enough water every day.
• Avoid foods or drinks that make you feel poorly.
• Move your body. Be active. Be active in a way that makes you smile inside and out.
• Speak your mind with gentle, forceful, compassion. Speak your truth.
• Feel all your emotions – ALL of them, the good ones, the bad ones, the uncomfortable ones, the hairy ones, the smooshy ones. If you don’t figure out how to feel all your emotions and deal with them they will figure it out for you. It’s better if you do it first.
• Wear protective gear if it’s available – seat belts, bike helmets, sunscreen, sun hats, mouth guards, and so on – those things are generally good for us.
• Hug the people you love. Hold their hands. Tell them they matter to you.

If I were my own best friend I would tell myself to print this out and read it and live it. There’s some good stuff in there. The list is a work in progress, born of over two decades in healthcare. The list is a work in progress, born of a need to remind myself of what matters in my life. The list is a work in progress, born to remind me (and others) that making the healthy choice might take time and energy but often very little money.  Go be healthy.