Today is voting day in Ontario. With one small “X”, you can exercise your power in shaping your city and your province. Yes, it can be a bit of a hassle: doing your research, following the debates and then waiting in line to mark that box. But why would you give up this opportunity to put your two cents in? Voting is free and a great reminder that we live in such a great land of choice and opportunity.

Have you been voting for good health lately? That’s right, you CAN vote for good health with every thought and action you make. Or are you just waiting for good health to come to you? Sorry, but I have bad news: it won’t come knocking at your door. You have to get out there and seek it.

“How,” you may be asking, “do I vote for good health?” It starts right when you wake up. You decide whether or not this is going to be a good day. I know, I know, today you have that presentation at work, your exam at school or that deadline to reach. You are exhausted and you didn’t sleep well last night. It may seem like the worst day to you, but remember: you have control over how you think about it. If you wake up and visualize yourself blowing everyone away at the board meeting, then you most likely will. If you picture yourself failing miserably, well, you just might, or you might worry all day leading up to it, which is a terrible waste of energy and gets you nowhere.

The next vote you make is when you open up the refrigerator or the cupboard. What is going to be your first meal of the day, the fuel for your body and mind? Is it going to be that sugary cereal or that donut? Or, did you get up a little earlier to cook those steel cut oats?

Are you going to give your body and mind the nutrients they need to be focused, calm and energized throughout the day? Or are you going to stop by McFoodies or the coffee shop on your way to work to get a short-term boost from your coffee and treat?

Do you set your alarm for the last second possible so that you have to dash out the door and grab whatever you can on the way to work? Or, are you going to get up that extra 30–60 minutes early to meditate, run, or get some yoga in to awaken your body and soul, followed by a nourishing meal?

And that is only your morning! What choices are you going to make at the grocery store? At the restaurant? After work when you are feeling exhausted, but know you should go to the gym? When it is getting close to bedtime but your favourite movie is on at 11 pm?

The choice is up to you…but the consequences can be more serious than we can imagine in that moment. Health is in your grasp, but you have to get out there and vote for it every single day!

Disclaimer: The information provided in this article is not meant to replace treatment with a licensed healthcare practitioner. It is for informational purposes only. Consult with a Naturopathic Doctor or other licensed healthcare professional to determine which treatments are safe for you.