Slushies, Dance Shoes, and Elevators: 7 Tips to Take Charge of Your Health - Elaine Watkins

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I led a crazy busy life in my late teens and most of my adulthood. Back then, life was mostly fitted around classes and dance most days, whether teaching or taking or performing. Of course, there was also studying and working two jobs and beach time and plenty of drives up and down 14th street in my hometown, waving to friends and picking up slushies on the way to the next…whatever it was.

There’s a lot to deeply contemplate when choosing your preferred refreshing drink on a hot Texas day. There were many great options, and my favorite Sonic slushie usually won out.

Similarly, but slightly more serious was deciding on new dance shoes. I danced A Lot and went through shoes fast. I needed shoes that would withstand rehearsals but also protect my feet and enhance my turns and point and more. Even with the limited selection at that time, I would still research and all my options before laying down my hard-earned cash for the best choice I could afford.

Why Not About Health?

I commonly compare and investigate when I’m making decisions, particularly as the price goes up or the risk potential goes up. With health, however, I mostly listened to what I was told and followed through with the assigned plan, assuming that was all the information available and appropriate for my situation.

Back then, my health issues regularly included my yearly strep throat or bronchitis but also a continuing collection of symptoms. Those symptoms persisted through childbirth and then morphed a bit and expanded. Of course, I heard all the typical assumptive solutions from friends and family including:

your just getting old
it’s in your genes
it’s your lot in life

Over the years I did ask questions, asked for help, asked for specific direction, and had a variety of responses, but eventually I realized I HAD to do my own investigating and take charge of your health.

Take the Stairs

I love this quote from Zig Ziglar:

There is no elevator to success. you have to take the stairs. Zig Ziglar

It’s succinct, and it makes a beautiful point.

For the best results, YOU have to do the work. Here’s the first video linked in this post, a video I did about the quote and more:

There was a point when I switched to the stairs. It was after a surgery, which tied to some of the symptoms I had been experiencing for years, as well as a new emergency. Now, when I think back to it, I see something I can’t take back, can’t reverse, even knowing what I know now.

Was it the right thing to do? Could I have avoided it?

I’ll never know.

What Take Charge of Your Health Looked Like for Me

I knew I wanted off the elevator. I knew there was something more than what was being considered, and I wanted access to that information too.

`I started researching and making changes that I knew supported health. Changes happened as I learned but also at a pace that I could handle.

For me, it started with food, then exercise, then water, and then I began to chip away at stress. I discovered the powerful connection between food and health. I discovered there can be too much exercise.

Just a few interesting discoveries early on included:

a dismissal or diminishment of certain experts or practices that provide credible, quality information, and, oftentimes, the reduction or resolution of health challenges
the reality that symptoms that are commonly tied to one bodily system are commonly connected to seemingly unrelated functions and choices
an absence of or a minimized attention to some of the most powerful tools for healing in generally accepted disease management system training in America

It’s unfortunate, but I also functional medicine, integrative health…whole health.

My 7 Tips to Take Charge of Your Health

I knew I only had one body and one life, and I needed to raise the priority level of how I took care of my one body and one life. I

It is work, but it’s worth it, so I wanted to share these 7 tips that really helped me (and still help me):

Realize YOU are Responsible for your health, a restatement but a potentially significant shift in how you approach your health management from this point forward
Track what you are doing, experiencing, and thinking regularly to become firmly aware of what’s going on and when, help you make connections and changes when appropriate, recognize and celebrate improvements, and/or be prepared with detailed information if you seek assistance
Gather family health history for clues that can shed light on your experiences and aid in making smart adjustments to build health in potentially vulnerable areas
Research and Ask Questions to build a firm health knowledge foundation, as well as particular to your challenges, in order to make appropriate, health-supporting adjustments, and choose knowledgeable practitioners that will support your chosen health practices
Maximize what works and set yourself up with a healthy foundation including eating real food, getting plenty of sleep, nurturing healthy relationships, avoiding schedule overload, exercising smartly, etc.
Get copies of all of your labs and guidance from practitioners to help you research and build more knowledge and to include in your health history
Research, interview, and select assistance (when necessary) from those providing information and strategies on multiple health modalities in agreement with your pre-determined preferences

Here’s my video where I go through the 7 tips:

It’s Worth It!

When discovering the particular flavors and fragrance and refreshment that drew me to my favorite slushie, I did the research and was rewarded with the most refreshing and flavorful drink in town. And just like when I researched and found the best dance shoes that matched my unique needs, I did the research and made an informed decision that helped me successfully reach my goals.

Nowadays, I manage my own health. My health has powerfully improved, and I’m quickly responsive when challenges occur.

And FYI, I’m a Nutritional Endocrinology Coach and Functional Medicine Certified Health Coach and I assist clients in making smart health-supporting changes in relation to particular health challenges/diagnoses, as well as pursuing health goals. If you would like to Book a Discovery Call to find out more about coaching, CLICK HERE!

Regardless of your health status and regardless of whether or not you choose to work alone or with someone that can coach you in your health journey, deciding to take charge of your health is a powerful decision that can change the trajectory of your future. You know and recognize the minute changes you experience, and the more in tune with your body you become, the more you are able to make connections and find solutions that best fit you.

Helpful Links

Here are a few helpful links that can help you take charge of your health: