What is Health…and Have You Achieved Your Best Health?

by JESSICA BLACKWELL, MSN, APRN, FNP, ACHPN, AOCNP

What is the definition of health? Have you achieved your best health? According to the World Health Organization, “Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.”

I feel that the definition of health is, first and foremost, based on your quality of life and your view of your health. If you have illnesses that impact your quality of life, this affects your emotional, mental, and often spiritual health, and it matters more than anything how you feel. If you feel chronically miserable, it can impact every facet of your life.

In addition, when considering if someone is healthy or not, I look at the things that are killing us Americans. Heart disease remains the top killer in the U.S., and cancer remains the second. COVID-19 now ranks third. We should consider ourselves blessed if we have neither heart disease nor cancer.

Do you have heart disease? You can take a simple test to find the answer, called a coronary artery calcium (CAC) score. It measures the amount of calcified plaque in the arteries that feed the heart. With the results, you can be better armed to make decisions regarding aspirin and statin therapy. Knowledge is power, and knowing you have heart disease may motivate you to make lifestyle changes to lower your risk of a heart attack.

Another thing I look at in determining general health is, how is the function of your vital organs? Simple blood tests can tell you your bone marrow, kidney, and liver health. Nutrition, adequate sleep, avoidance of nicotine and excess alcohol, good hydration, and routine exercise are among key lifestyle factors in ensuring maximal health of your organs and lowering your risk of many illnesses.

How much weight must you lose? In my weight loss program, my goal is weight loss to the point of reversing the diseases that it caused. Achieving what health professionals consider “ideal body weight” isn’t realistic for many. Still, they can lose enough weight to reverse their diabetes and high blood pressure, eliminate multiple medications causing side effects, and achieve a higher quality of life.

Many of us are not in perfect health. I care for many cancer patients and those with heart disease, diabetes, and prior strokes. They are not what many would consider healthy, yet they are striving for a new level of health. Improved health can be achieved at every end of the healthillness continuum. A person with diabetes on high doses of insulin can strive for better health by tapering off the insulin by maximizing their medication regimen and altering their lifestyle. If you’ve had a heart attack, it’s not too late to prevent another. Half of all heart attacks are caused by insulin resistance, which is reversible. My palliative care practice is the most extreme example of improving health in the face of significant illness, where I help those nearing the end of life feel the best they can feel. There is so much that can be done to lessen the symptoms associated with illness and the associated treatments right up to the final hours of life. I have the utmost respect for our hospice nurses who are on the front lines, maximizing comfort during the dying process while caring for the family’s emotional and spiritual health as well.

Health is dynamic and ever-changing.

It tends to decline as we get older, but we also tend to develop wisdom and better coping skills as we get older. Even when the diagnosis is bad and the prognosis is poor, I have seen countless patients overcome the odds. How did they do that? Their spirit makes up for what the illness has robbed from their body. I’m not sure how else to explain the many cancer patients that I’ve cared for over the years who have outlived their prognosis by years and years. When I look at those patients, I see the same determination and relentlessness in each and every one of them. I have seen spiritual and emotional health overcome the most significant physical illnesses time and again.

So ask yourself, am I healthy? If the answer is yes, are you sure? Have you been screened for heart disease and cancer? Have you been checked for diabetes and pre-diabetes? If the answer is yes, good for you. If the answer is no, consider scheduling a wellness visit with your primary care provider.

Maybe you are pm other end of the spectrum, and you’re chronically ill? You can still achieve an improved level of health. Work on remission of your diabetes and control of your blood pressure and cholesterol. Improve your lifestyle and work on your emotional and, if it’s important to you, spiritual health. Gain control of symptoms that are impacting your quality of life.

We are all on a wellness journey. Make the most of yours.

Meet THE AUTHOR, Jessica Blackwell

Jessica Blackwell owns eVillageHealth, a local primary care practice serving patients from Washington and Idaho. She received her undergraduate training through Washington State University, where she graduated Summa Cum Laude and received the Undergraduate of the Year Award. Jessica earned her graduate degree from Gonzaga University, again graduating Summa Cum Laude.

Blackwell’s healthcare career has spanned over 25 years. She started her career as an ICU nurse. During that time, she developed a patent to prevent ventilator tubes from disconnecting. Jessica has since served as a nurse practitioner in the areas of urgent care, medical oncology, and internal medicine/primary care.

Blackwell blends her experience with compassion. She offers a personalized approach to primary care. Services include primary care for cancer survivors, cancer prevention programs, one-on-one health coaching, and weight loss programs. She also specializes in reversing chronic illnesses such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol. She does her best to see patients the day of or the next business day for urgent care, as she wants to be there for her patients when they need her most. She takes most insurances. Visit eVillageHealth.com or call (509)960-6527 with questions or for new patient information.