We don’t have a virus problem, we have a HEALTH problem

My mentor Dr Brett Jones posted this phrase last week and I thought it was so SPOT ON and profound.

What this means to me is that the ROOT cause of the chaos caused by this pandemic is not the virus itself but our inability to adapt to it.

Our bodies are extremely intelligent and have been fighting off viruses and bacteria since the beginning of time. When our bodies are in good health they have the resources necessary to stay healthy. When our bodies are unhealthy we are more susceptible to illness.

According to the most recent CDC data, "For 6% of the deaths, COVID-19 was the only cause mentioned. For deaths with conditions or causes in addition to COVID-19, on average there were 2.6 additional conditions or causes per death."

Source: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nvss/vsrr/covid_weekly/index.htm

Having a co-morbidity makes you far more susceptible to COVID. Only a mere 6% of the deaths can be contributed completely to COVID! The sad part is that a majority of the co-morbidities associated with severe cases of COVID are lifestyle related and completely preventable.


This is a result of the priorities and focus of our culture.

We are taught to work harder in order to achieve MORE, even if that means sacrificing sleep and well being. Eating healthy is often considered a luxury or "too expensive". (What's more important, new shoes or high quality food?) And the general attitude towards health is that you don't need to address it until it becomes a problem.



This is all backwards. 



Our bodies are the vehicles through which we experience life! We should be honoring and respecting them, not ignoring and medicating them.

Being proactive about health is the best way to ensure you can handle illness, but this is not how we are taught to operate. We tend to think of our bodies as machines that need to be "fixed" when they break down.


Nope, we are not robots. Our bodies are dynamic, fluid, multidimensional, living organisms that need constant support in order to thrive. 


The cells in our bodies are dying and being rebuilt every--single--day. That means we are in a constant state of change and adaptation, whether that be for the better or worse. Illness is a process that occurs over time. Healing is a process. A quick-fix solution is not a long-term solution. 


This pandemic is a wake up call for our country. We have a major health crisis that is deeply rooted in the common beliefs and behaviors of most Americans.


If we learned to make the health & well being of our citizens a top priority not only would we be more resilient physically but our work productivity would skyrocket, money spent on preventable conditions would drop and everyone's mental health would improved drastically. 



--> So I encourage you to examine your lifestyle and see where you can make changes that support more vitality, resilience and health.


If you feel resistance to making those changes ask yourself why. What are those engrained beliefs that are holding you hostage?

Do you believe that in order to be successful at work you don't have time to make your health a priority?
Do you feel selfish if you spend time or money on taking care of yourself?
Do you believe that "being healthy is hard"?
Do you believe that exercising, paying attention to what you eat and receiving holistic healing, such as chiropractic, acupuncture or massage, is vain or stuck up?


The bottom line is that our health is the result of the decisions we make every day and those decisions are based on our beliefs.

I am hopeful that this crisis will encourage people to think of health in a new light, re-evaluate their beliefs around health and potentially change the perspective on how important taking care of this vessel (your body) really is.




I would like to be clear that I DO understand that COVID effects people with co-morbidities that are NOT lifestyle related and are NOT preventable, such as Type 1 Diabetes, asthma, old age and more. I am not negating the seriousness of this virus and its effect on the world right now. I am merely trying to point out that the general lack of health in our society makes it much harder for us to handle this challenge and to keep those with unavoidable co-morbidities safe. 



I hope that you and your family feel safe and supported during this time.