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Writer's pictureChris Coraggio
Nov 29, 202212 min read

Protect this House! Taking Stock of Our Health

For those of us in the "Global North": winter is coming! It's the time of year we are most aware of protecting our health, so let's take stock of our health holistically.


But First, a quick COVID/Flu Update:

The BA.5 variant of omicron is fading fast from its early summer peak. Half the cases in the U.S. are now due to two descendants of BA.5, called BQ.1 and BQ.1.1, although these new variants are not much more threatening - vaccination is still the best preventative.


For the flu, the cumulative hospitalization rate is higher than the rate observed in week 45 during every previous season since 2010-2011. An annual flu vaccine is the best way to protect against flu. There are also prescription flu antiviral drugs that can be used to treat flu illness; those that need it should start as early as possible.



A Framework for Evaluating Our Health


In my life, I don’t think I’ve ever done a full evaluation of my health, covering every aspect of my wellbeing, which is part of why I’m writing this! Disclaimer - given the expansiveness on the topic, I'm likely missing pieces here. I'm happy to receive feedback and ideas if you have them!


While all of the systems of our body are interconnected, it’s still helpful for us to categorize the different ways we need to keep up with our health.


Here are the categories you could use to do your evaluation:

  • Health Mindsets - The ways in which we think about our health that influence our decisions

  • Physical Health - think the skeletal, muscular, cardiovascular system, respiratory, digestive and urinary systems, which are highly influenced by your fitness and nutrition

  • Brain Health (new!) - This is a new area, which according to the World Health Organization, is “the state of brain functioning across cognitive, sensory, social-emotional, behavioral and motor domains”

  • Mental Health - Mental health, according to mentalhealth.gov, “includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It affects how we think, feel, and act. It also helps determine how we handle stress, relate to others, and make choices”

  • Sexual Health - Sexual health, according to the CDC, is “a state of physical, emotional, mental and social well-being in relation to sexuality; it is not merely the absence of disease, dysfunction or infirmity”

  • Spiritual Health - According to the National Library of Medicine, spiritual health “includes a purposeful life, transcendence and actualization of different dimensions and capacities of human beings. Spiritual health creates a balance between physical, psychological and social aspects of human life”

  • Habits - Your habits are the actions you take repeatedly given the same stimulus. Your habits are the ultimately influencer of your overall health, so it’s important to think about them clearly

Pictured: Me at a cooldown of an outdoor workout class



Mindset

Before you can even think about your health, it’s important to understand how you think about health and relate to your health. Mindsets help you understand how you make health-related decisions. Everyone is different, and therefore we have somewhat different needs based on our mind and bodies. Regardless, there are definitely some “universal” mindsets (perhaps principles) for everyone to stay healthy:


  1. You are in charge of your health. No one knows you better than you - besides knowing your general stats like height, you know your history, you feel your own pain, you know how you think and feel. You have to see yourself as your greatest asset in keeping healthy - and ultimately, your doctors and other health professionals are part of the team, but you’re the captain.

  2. Investing (time, money, effort) in health pays dividends. Sleep, exercise, diet, therapy, whatever habits you choose - your actions don’t “even out each other”; they accrue over time as you age (I know, terrifying). My personal fear is that I will have a hunched back if I don’t fix my posture now - so I am investing time and money into corrective actions. Understand that while we think about health as something preventing us from doing what we want, health is an enabler for what we want in our lives!

  3. Better preventative than reactive (and an extension - better safe than sorry). View your healthy habits as the first line of defense against threats - your nutrition, your fitness, your sleep, your relationships, etc. are ways to ensure your first line of defense, your body, is strong. If health is your priority, staying safe is always better than taking risks.

  4. Better thinking long-term than short-term (unless in an emergency situation). Your decisions of what you put in and do to your body have a cumulative long-term effect on the body, even if each small action in itself is not impactful. Humans naturally under-estimate long-term consequences, so we often prioritize immediate gratification. Try to project how things will be when you’re older.

  5. Your environment is extremely influential. Where you live, how your home is set up, your relationships - these are much more influential than we think for our health. The air we breath, whether we have to drive everywhere, if we have a lot of snacks readily placed around the house - these are all subtle but strong influences on our health.

  6. Acknowledge genetics are important, not an excuse. No matter what circumstances you ended up with, you still have agency to influence your health. Choosing to “blame” your genetics is a recipe for bad health habits because one might say “why bother trying?”. Do your best with what you got!

  7. Emphasize process and habits over goals. We are socialized to talk about health in goals, like wanting to hit a certain weight, or bench a certain amount of weight. Goals are totally fine, but the trap is that once you’ve reached your goal, you tend to stop doing the hard work that got you there, and you revert back to old habits. Put equal or more focus on the process (your habits) - how many days a week do you exercise? What should you be eating regularly?

Pictured: Me at a spa in Bali.



Here are a few others I practice:

  • Better natural than “processed” - for me this is a mindset that drugs and processed foods should be second resorts after good nutrition and exercise (when possible)

    • This also means that access to nature is a huge benefi

  • Treat mental health as seriously as physical health

  • Health should be talked about, not a source of shame

  • We are born into different genetics and bodies, and every one of our natural bodies is perfect (in a spiritual way)


In the next sections, I’ll go over questions that can help you think through different aspects of your health. Given the vast amount of knowledge and complexity there is to health, I’m not going in a lot of detail (and I might forget some topics) - it will be your job to do the research where you struggle with your health.


Physical Health

One acknowledgement here is that we all have different bodies encoded by different genes. Not all of us have the same limbs, facial features, skin, affinity/tolerance for certain foods. These questions are meant to get you thinking about different aspects of your health, not to make anyone feel lesser if a question is less relevant to you.

  • Sleep

    • Are you sleeping enough?

    • Are you getting quality (deep) sleep?

  • Nutrition and Digestive Health

    • Are you eating the right foods in healthy proportions to give you the daily nutrition you need?

    • Are you able to process these foods well, and do your urine and stool look the way they should?

    • Are you drinking enough water?

  • Fitness

    • Cardiovascular

      • Are you able to run (and perhaps bike/swim), and with speed?

      • Are you able to run for long distances?

    • Muscular Strength

      • How much can your different muscles lift?

      • Can you generally lift your own body weight?

    • Flexibility

      • How much can your body stretch? Can you touch your toes without bending your knees?

    • Balance

      • How well are you able to stay standing and stable on 1 leg or navigate uneven terrain?

    • Coordination

      • How well do your eyes, brain and body parts coordinate for regular motor function and performance?

      • Can you play sports well that involve equipment such as bats and balls?

  • Skin

    • Is your skin generally healthy and hydrated?

    • How often are you exposing your skin to the sun, and how well is your skin protected?

  • Head hair

    • Is your head hair healthy (visible signs include ability to hold moisture, good elasticity, not too much falling out, little breakage)?

  • Eyes

    • How is your vision? Are you properly accommodating any reduced vision?

    • Are your eyes healthy as defined by your optometrist after an exam?

  • Dental

    • How are your teeth?

    • How are your gums?

  • Other senses

    • How is your hearing?

  • Muscles and bones

    • How do your muscles and tendons feel?

    • How about your bones and joints?

    • Are you able to move freely without pain in a normal day?

  • Disabilities

    • Regardless of the physical disability, do you have the proper support to navigate the world?

  • Vices

    • What frequency and intensity are you consuming alcohol, coffee, tobacco, recreational drugs and other drugs?

    • Are any of these impacting you and your life in a negative way?

Pictured: Friends and I walking around the perimeter of Manhattan, NYC



Brain & Mental Health

I included brain health, which is not a common term, because it touches on an aspect that we rarely discuss, but especially is relevant to those with disabilities and those reaching ages where diseases like Dementia become more common. The distinction is not that important - but our cognitive function (including things like memory, reaction time and focus) are just as important as our state of mind and tendency to experience mental health issues.


Please know that the questions I ask are again, meant just to reflect, not to judge. As someone who had mental health issues growing up myself, between ⅓ an ½ of people worldwide are estimated to develop some sort of mental illness in their lives.


Brain health

  • To your knowledge, are you experiencing any mental illnesses? Are you receiving the proper support and interventions if necessary?

  • Do you experience your cognitive functioning as “normal” in terms of thinking, reacting to stimuli, memory, etc.?

  • Do you have any cognitive disabilities? Are you being properly supported in this regard?

Mental Health

  • How is your mental health and general state of mind? Do you experience persistent or chronic stress, anxiety or depression? Are you experiencing burnout or other stress as a result of work, discrimination or harassment?

  • Are there things in your life that bring you joy?

  • How much are you looking to escape life?

  • How do you feel about yourself? Do you love yourself? Are you at peace with your body and gender identity/expression?

  • How well are you able to focus on what you want? Is there anything mentally that is stopping you from living your “normal” life?

Relationships

  • Do you have positive relationships with your parents?

  • Do you have positive relationships with the rest of your family?

  • In the case of having a partner, is your partnership stable, loving, supportive and fulfilling?

  • Do you have positive friendships? Do you have enough friends for the life you want?

  • Overall, do you have enough of a support network between your family and friends in case something goes wrong?


Sexual Health

The World Health Organization (similar to the CDC) defines sexual health as “a state of physical, emotional, mental and social well-being in relation to sexuality; it is not merely the absence of disease, dysfunction or infirmity. Sexual health requires a positive and respectful approach to sexuality and sexual relationships, as well as the possibility of having pleasurable and safe sexual experiences, free of coercion, discrimination and violence."


Questions:

  • Do you have a healthy relationship to your sexuality?

  • Is your sex life satisfactory? Are you having enough, and are your experiences fulfilling?

  • Are you taking into account the risks and using appropriate safety measures?

  • Are you clear about your status and whether you have any sexually transmitted diseases? Are they being properly treated?

  • Are you able to have a sex life free of coercion and abuse?


Spiritual Health

Spiritual health is not something we normally think about, and perhaps for some people, it could be irrelevant if you choose not to hold spirituality. Regardless of your persuasion, here are some questions to think about should you choose:

  • Do you feel like your life has purpose?

  • Do you feel in some way connected to something bigger than yourself?

  • Do you feel like you are progressing toward self-actualization and reaching your potential?

  • Are you able to practice your spirituality free from discrimination and harrassment?


Getting an Overall Picture

Above are a LOT of questions to ask yourself about your health. It just goes to show how expansive and complex our wellbeing is, and how challenging it can be to keep up with it all. You will realize, however, that certain areas are better than others - often just because one area you’ve developed better habits.


Get a sense of which health areas are doing well and aren’t doing so well, so in your mind you can do a prioritization exercise. This is very much connected to improving your habits, so let’s go deeper on that.


Habits

Our habits are really the majority of our life - they are ways we respond to stimuli over and over again. It’s important to think about our habits as they relate to health, and ask if they are the right ones, and if new habits are needed to fulfill your vision of a healthy life.


Here a process to think about for going through your health habits:

  1. Per the categories above, list out your different habits and frequency.

    1. Example: Every day, I sleep on average 6.5 hours and get deep sleep.

  2. Decide whether this is a good or bad habit, and with the right frequency.

    1. Example: The habit is not great, so I would like to increase sleep to ~7.5 hours.

  3. Note the areas of your health in which you have no habits.

    1. Example: I currently don’t have any habits to assess or discuss my mental health.

  4. Rank the missing/bad habits in terms of severity (now and in the long term)

  5. Call out specifically 1-2 habits you want to develop/improve


[Note: I’ll write about developing habits in a future post!]


Pictured: Me after swallowing a camera and having a machine take pictures/video of my intestinal track - turns out the most likely source of inflammation was a new gluten sensitivity. Hence, I had to build habits around what I ate (I was entirely gluten free).



Health Habits and Practices I Strongly Recommend:


Immunizations

Immunizations are shown to be highly effective and safe. Here is a list from MedLine:

  • Flu shot: Get one every year.

  • COVID-19: Full vaccination and 1-2 boosts depending on age group.

  • Tetanus-diphtheria and acellular pertussis (Tdap) vaccine: Have one at or after age 19 as one of your tetanus-diphtheria vaccines if you did not receive it as an adolescent.

  • Tetanus-diphtheria: Have a booster (or Tdap) every 10 years.

  • Varicella vaccine: receive 2 doses if you never had chickenpox or the varicella vaccine.

  • Hepatitis B vaccine: receive 2, 3, or 4 doses, depending on your exact circumstances.

  • Measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine: receive 1 to 2 doses if you are not already immune to MMR. Your provider can tell you if you are immune.

  • Whenever traveling, check to see if certain vaccines are recommended.


Check-ups

These are check-ups to make sure all is in working order, and that you are not showing signs of future potential issues.

  • Physical

    • Do an annual physical with your doctor, who will probably check many of the elements below, and ideally includes sexual and mental health (but recognize different doctors have different levels of thoroughness)

  • Mental Health check

    • I would check in at least twice a year, ideally with a professional

    • If you’d rather do a self-evaluation, here’s a resource from Psychom.net

  • Body-Mass Index (BMI)

    • Check your height and weight, including you waist size, to get a sense of both a healthy body size and changes over time

  • Skin Checks

    • Do a self-check monthly for changes in moles, freckles, and other marks on your skin.

    • Do an annual exam with a dermatologist.

  • Blood Pressure

    • From MayoClinic: “People age 18 and older with optimal blood pressure and no heart disease risk factors should have a blood pressure test at least once every 2 to 5 years. People age 40 and older — or younger with an increased risk of high blood pressure — should have a blood pressure test every year.”

  • Blood Sugar

    • This is a way to check for diabetes or prediabetes. It's a simple test that measures the level of sugar (glucose) in your blood. You should start routine testing once you reach age 45.

  • Cholesterol

    • You should get your cholesterol checked every 4-6 years if you're older than 20. Your doctor will likely recommend that you get it checked more often if you’re an older adult, male, overweight, or you have

  • Blood panel

    • Annually, complete a blood panel to examine white blood cells, red blood cells, hemoglobin, hematocrit and platelets (potential indicators for infection, anemia, cancer, nutritional deficiencies, etc.)

  • Basic metabolic panel (BMP)

    • Annually, do a BMP that looks at sodium, glucose and electrolytes (elements that make up your blood) to gain insight into your muscles, heart, organs and bones

  • Cancer Screenings

    • Skin

    • Colorectal

    • Breast

    • Cervical

    • Prostate

  • Chiropractor

    • Do at least once a year evaluation of your neck, back and posture

  • Dental

    • Recommended 2 cleanings / checks per year

  • Eye

    • Recommended annual eye exam

  • Personal Trainer check-in

    • A personal trainer can really help you see if your body is moving normally, where your weak points are, and checks your form for different types of exercise. It can be really helpful to get this type of feedback so that you are self-correcting when getting exercise.


Closing

Whether or not you intend to follow a pretty comprehensive process like the one I suggested above, do take some time each year and get a realistic grip on your health. Often we see health as burdensome, as scary or even embarrassing - and it is if you let it. I hope you can see health as a part of your pride, in how you take care of yourself because you love and value yourself. I hope you also understand how intertwined your health is with you getting what you really want in life.


Please feel free to reach out if you want to discuss!



For Learning and With Love,


Chris





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