Greetings All,

I was reading up on the latest hot topic regarding upcoming budget cuts towards government assistance programs, and it had me thinking about a few things.

According to The Washington Post, President Trump’s budget proposal, which follows the Republican Healthcare Bill, is set to cut more than $800 billion over the next 10 years from Medicaid: a government health insurance program that provides healthcare for low-income and disabled Americans (currently, 10 million people). Changes are also set to be made towards SNAP (Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program) or modern day Food Stamps, which would affect more than 44 million Americans. Social Security Disability Insurance changes may happen as well, with the motive being to move those who are able back into the workforce. Oh, and did I forget to mention tax cuts that will benefit the wealthy?

Combined, the tax cuts and spending cuts on anti-poverty programs would signal a sharp reversal of Obama’s legacy by pursuing big tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans, a large increase in military spending and major changes to anti-poverty programs.

Its premise is that the creation of more wealth will help all Americans succeed, and the Trump administration believes that some anti-poverty programs have created a culture of dependency that prevents people from re-entering the workforce.

We don’t live in a democracy, so I’m not surprised that the needs of the people remain obsolete. But this did lead me to question the overall state of the American population, health wise.

An article in health.com advised that 97.3% of the U.S. population lives an unhealthy lifestyle. Most would argue that it’s due to poor eating and social habits, but that’s only a portion of the problem; especially when 1/3 of the population is obese due to poverty and the lack of fresh fruits and vegetables in their communities. But Americans as a whole, however, are stressed and overworked. U.S. workers work 137 hours more than the Japanese, 260 hours more than the British, and 499 hours more than the French; 85.8% of males and 66.5% of females work more than 40 hours per week. If you mix this stress with genetically modified food, low qualities of life, poverty, debt, and society’s innate obsession with materialism and greed, there shouldn’t be any surprise that we may be the richest country in the world but also the unhealthiest.

Now the question becomes, is there a solution to this problem?

Yes, and I’ll tell you mine.

Dr. Llaila Afrika has been my go-to professor to understanding the human anatomy, and his book, African Holistic Health, currently is my guide. And I’m not trying to be pretentious when I say that. With this book, he highlights natural herbs, affordable foods, supplements, and exercises that helps heal and better our bodies.

There’s a misconception that being healthy solely consists of diet and exercise so that one can become mobile and secure during doctor’s visits. That’s only a third of the process. Good health requires a mental, physical, and spiritual detox. And when you live in a society that combats that tooth and nail with fast food restaurants on every corner (especially in low-impoverished areas), demonic messages in the media, long work hours, harmful medications, and class systems governed by capitalists, it requires even more work and focus to obtain a holistic, happy, and fulfilled life. But it is achievable.

The reason why holistic healthy living has been my therapy for the past few years is that I’ve come to the realization that the government and their policies will not benefit all Americans, especially those pertaining to medical coverage. There are things that our bodies can naturally do on its own that shocks me to this day. If we invest in our health, be it the food that we’re eating and the energy we’re consuming, us working-class Americans won’t have to worry too much about western science and medication that never rectifies our problems, to begin with. Downsizing by substituting radiation-filled electronics for homegrown gardens could be another solution that would be beneficial for our communities as well; not to mention that preparing our own meals saves money.

I don’t have all of the answers but I do want to encourage more people to start investing in themselves first because the system never will.

Until Next Time…

(Sources)

Editor, H. (2016, March 23). More Than 97% of Americans Guilty of Unhealthy Lifestyle, Study Says. Retrieved May 29, 2017, from http://www.health.com/mind-body/less-than-3-percent-of-americans-live-a-healthy-lifestyle

Levine, J. A. (2011, October 17). Poverty and Obesity in the U.S. Retrieved May 29, 2017, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3198075/

Miller, G. (2017, February 13). The U.S. is the Most Overworked Developed Nation in the World – When do we Draw the Line? Retrieved May 29, 2017, from https://20somethingfinance.com/american-hours-worked-productivity-vacation/

Paletta, D. (2017, May 21). Trump to propose big cuts to safety net in new budget, slashing Medicaid and opening door to other limits. Retrieved May 29, 2017, from https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/trump-to-propose-big-cuts-to-safety-net-in-new-budget-this-week/2017/05/21/62c01f44-3e34-11e7-adba-394ee67a7582_story.html?utm_campaign=pubexchange_article&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=huffingtonpost.com&utm_term=.32c47f52566a