Clean Bill of Health (Mostly)

Even though I blogged about it more thoroughly on my health themed blog, I feel like it's a message that all people, especially my sometimes reclusive and reluctant creative friends, need to hear: find a way to invest in annual wellness checks.

I don't spit out advice without offering a personal touch so let's start there. I recently had blood tests done to see if there was any hidden metabolic issues or something lacking. As it turned out, I came back with a vitamin D insufficiency but otherwise a pretty impressive range of normals otherwise. While I'm relieved that nothing major has been factoring in to pain and fatigue it did feel silly to have overlooked vitamin insufficiency on my journey to finding diet and exercise that works for me.

So here's the nitty-gritty. Over 40% of Americans are Vitamin D deficient. You've probably heard of it called the sunshine vitamin because that's the most readily available way to get a dose of it--UVB rays soaking into your skin. To properly absorb it, you must expose a lot of skin, not just your face and arms. This also means that people with sun sensitivity are not likely getting any adequate absorption. Sunscreen can negate the absorption as well. However, sunlight isn't all that healthy in many areas of the world so you run the risk of skin cancer.

As for diet, it's not that plentiful in most American diets, especially since you're not always consuming properly labeled fish. Cod liver oil, salmon and tuna are your best sources, but egg yolk does have about %7 of your daily value. Not so fast with the eggs or fish though; fish is one of the least inspected food sources and eating more than one or two eggs a day runs the risk of skyrocketing your cholesterol levels. And the yolk is the part you get the vitamin D from.

So how much should you ingest? My doctor recommended 500-1000 IU a day. However, I take a multivitamin that contains 1000 IU and it still led to insufficiency. Multiple verified medical sources actually suggest between 1000-4000 IU to boost an insufficiency, so I take an additional 2000 IU through supplementing, knowing I could be getting additional IU from walking outside and my occasional fishy meals. It's not uncommon for a doctor to prescribe a booster for more dangerous insufficiencies, up to 15,000 IU, over the course of a couple months. While Vitamin D overdoses are super rare and take a long time to show symptoms, deficiencies will eventually lead to kidney and liver damage so there's plenty of room to supplement without worrying about overdoing it when underdoing it is more dangerous.

Wanna hear something more shocking? It's not my pasty white friends that are most affected. 70-80% of Hispanic or Black Americans are deficient. Just like you've probably heard the lie that darker people don't burn or get skin cancer, it's similarly false that they absorb sunlight better than their fairer skinned neighbors. If you haven't had blood work that tests for this, get to a doctor and find out!

Another common deficiency that I've started supplementing with my multivitamin is magnesium. Since it boosts sleep quality, energy and the absorption of vitamin D, it's another one that couldn't hurt to add. You do have to be careful about dosing of many vitamins (depending on whether they are water or fat soluble) so don't just pile on a ton carelessly. Vitamin C and B12 are among those that tend to have a ridiculously high threshold that's hard to overdo, but do the research AND consult with a doctor to decide what might be best for you.

Oh, and back to D--sufficiency plays a huge role in not just kidney and liver function, but also energy and pain levels as well as immunity from illness. I've given you quite a bit to conduct your own research on but, again, talk to a doctor. There are times when even my extensive research countered the actual facts. Some information is widely spread and believed, to the chagrin of medical professionals.

Apart from this, I'm happy to say I'm all caught up with vaccines as well. One thing that does irk me is the anti-vaxxer movement. I do believe that if you exercise the right to refuse, then you are a public health risk and should similarly isolate yourself. Because there are so many with auto-immune disorders who can't be vaccinated, certain allergies, or are just too young to be vaccinated, it is a civil responsibility not to spread preventable disease if you are physically able. If your religion or batshit crazy research insists you sit out, then kindly sit all the way out of society.  No, I'm not going to cite the thousands and thousands of articles you can sift through to understand. Yes, if a booster is more risky, doctors are happy to dose your vaccination singly over many visits. No matter how enlightened you think you are, the anti-vaxxer bullshit started with Jenny McCarthy unearthing a bullshit and revoked study done by an aging man desperate for a famed discovery. I've seen plenty whack jobs posting their copy-pasta citation circus and they often lead to conspiracy or facelifted sites that look almost exactly like legitimate ones, but are one letter off or unsecured.

My stance aside, find a way to get tested for basic health. In my adult life, prior to the ACA, I was only ever eligible for any kind of insurance for less than a year. The ACA and hopefully an eventual path to universal health care for ALL Americans made it possible for someone like me to get adequate care. Deteriorating health, especially at a young age, could be devastating to anyone who doesn't have privileges lined up. It's frustrating to work hard in non-standard flex jobs that never make affording insurance possible. There are many people who face levels of poverty I can't even imagine. I may have no assets or investments, but my family has made it possible for me to work for what I need to follow my dream. Maybe someday I'll be able to afford my own bills.

In the meantime, I'm grateful that some politicians see how essential healthcare is. I'm truly sympathetic that some people fortunate enough to have steady jobs have yet to be provided with free healthcare. As much as I envy the middle class, I'm not smug that lower-middle and poverty class citizens are provided for. Do understand that it's not stellar. One dental check-up a year and only extractions and fillings are covered. Only certain drugs are covered and essential services as well. It's still a coverage that ensures they aren't suffering but it's below adequate for prevention and wholly inadequate for more serious illnesses.

Why is it worth it? Well, it wholly eliminates any excuse not to work, barring discovery of a crippling disability. It makes taxpayer money actually work for the people, not just the salaries of those claiming to be doing so. Even if you don't think health is a right, at least concede that making it a privilege only creates laziness and excuses under the guise that it can't be afforded. Eliminating insurers power to prioritize people's health or pharmaceutical companies to gouge on lifesaving medicine... Do I really need to go on?

Health is everything. It's your moods, mental clarity and ability to function. Don't fuck around with that.