Think back to that major inconvenience that made its way through our area just a few weeks ago. If you don’t remember it, allow us to give you a hint:

Rhymes with Shmirma.

In the days leading up to the impending landfall of Hurricane Irma, you likely spent a considerable amount of time preparing for the storm. There was the inevitable grocery store run for food and batteries, not to mention a few hours spent on line waiting for gas and/or plywood.

This is called being proactive – taking a hands-on approach before the disaster struck, in order to be able to avoid being in any danger following Hurricane Irma. At Dr. Gena Chiropractic, one of the leaders of chiropractic care in the greater Fort Lauderdale area, we believe in taking a proactive approach to everything in life.

Especially your health.

Now imagine this situation in regard to something even more severe – your overall health.

Imagine if you failed to stock up on water prior to the Hurricane. With most of us unable to receive clean drinking water for days following the storm, you would have been in a great deal of trouble. Knocking on your neighbor’s doors and begging for a bottle of water would be considered taking a reactive approach to a situation – and that’s exactly what you should be avoiding when it comes to your health.

But here’s where it gets tricky. We don’t always know that anything is wrong with us, and our health, until sometimes, it’s too late. So many Americans still rely on popping that pain medication after the headache has occurred or living in chronic neck pain and lower back pain after years of avoiding taking a proactive approach to their health.

“When we are reactive, we often end up making choices from crisis mode. When we're proactive, there tend to be many more options to work with, especially in regards to more natural choices,” Dr. Gena says.

According to a recent article in popular health website Mercola, half of Americans are living with chronic illness, and the cost of health care now accounts for 17 percent of the U.S. gross domestic product, AND, if that weren’t scary enough, for the first time in two decades, life expectancy has declined in the U.S. This is attributed to a consequence of obesity and rising rates of eight leading causes of death, including heart disease, diabetes, dementia and opioid addiction

That sounds like a whole lot of people in crisis mode – and this is never an advisable place to be.

The answer? Taking care of yourself while you still feel good, before the metaphorical hurricane hits, and always staying out of the disaster zone.

Dr. Gena’s approach to living a reactive lifestyle? Simple.

“Make sure to sleep well to let your body restore itself, eat well to feed your body the nutrient-rich foods it needs to perform at its very best, move your body as many times per week as possible to release stress-relieving endorphins and boost your heart health, and of course, stay consistent. One vegetable or visit to the gym won’t change much unless you keep at it.”

Our favorite choice for maintaining good health? Chiropractic care. At Dr. Gena Chiropractic in Plantation, we can help you maintain a healthy lifestyle through regular visits and a dedication to staying proactive.

At Dr. Gena Chiropractic, your health is in your hands, but our hands are here to help.