Last Updated on February 21, 2024
Everyone wants to be happy and healthy in their lives. Having a clean bill of health when you leave your doctors office is always a cause for celebration as it means that you continue doing all the things you love. Good health means that you can enjoy the career you have built up over the years, play with your kids and grandchildren, and have fun during your free time.
While having regular checkups are a great way to keep tabs on your health, there is actually even more you can do to prevent problems and predict what could happen in the future. The secret to doing this is to delve into your genealogy. This handy guide is going to give you all the information you need to know; not only how to do this, but why it is going to be of such benefit to your health.
Taking care of your health is something that is important at all stages of life. The chance to catch things early will mean you have access to the potential treatment and medicines you might need while also increasing the likelihood of a full recovery. Genealogy is a tool you can use to make the task of looking after yourself easier because it will highlight the things you should be looking out for and allow you to take action quickly.
What is genealogy?
Genealogy is not a term you will likely hear in everyday conversation, so it is important to start out knowing what you’re talking about before you dive into your research. The basic definition of genealogy is:
‘an account of the descent of a person, family, or group from an ancestor or from older forms; the study of family ancestral lines; an account of the origin and historical development of something”
Genealogy as a whole is broadly the study of the genetic history of something or, indeed, someone. It can be used in everything from animal conservation to botany. When it comes to your health, the most useful study will be of your family genealogy and history.
Essentially, family genealogy is the study of your personal history, looking into who you are descended from. Even if you put health aside for a moment, this is an incredibly interesting thing to look into anyway as it can help you better understand who you are as a person and become more connected with your ancestors.
How can genealogy help the state of your health?
So, how can knowing the history of your family’s genealogy help improve your health in the long run? The simple answer is that genealogy can illuminate potential health concerns that could arise in your future. By studying the people who came before you in your family, you can identify genetic health concerns, such as having an addictive personality or running a higher risk of developing cancer.
Genealogy can thus help you to spot problems early which is crucial in fighting off diseases and fighting off afflictions. As you get older, this is especially important as health issues will become more frequent. Taking a proactive approach to finding problems through the use of genealogy is thus one of the best ways to ensure the longevity and quality of your life so that you can be there to make memories with your family for years to come.
You also need to consider the health implications for your children and perhaps grandchildren. If you are able to use genealogy to find a genetic condition or hereditary disease that has not been observed yet, doing this research will help you to look out for their health too. By simply taking the time to dive into the medical history of your recent ancestors, you will be benefiting not only your own health, but the wellbeing of your entire family unit.
What can you do practically to improve your health?
If you look back into your family’s history and find a legacy of addiction issues, then you may be able to start recognizing the signs of said addiction within yourself. Now that genealogy has helped you to identify a potential health problem early on; you have a great chance to act quickly and get your life back on track. If you are struggling with an addiction, for example, the best thing you can do for yourself is to check into an alcohol rehab San Diego where professionals can assist you as you recover from your addiction and ensure you do so in a healthy way that addresses all of your issues.
The study of genealogy can help you to confront the problems you face in your life, such as addiction. Finding out that you are not the only one in the history of your family who has had to go through this recovery will help to make you feel less alone and give you encouragement for going forward with your treatment.
What’s next after you find out your genealogy?
When you go back and look into the genealogy of your family’s medical history, you may not find any hidden health issues that need to be addressed right away, but this doesn’t mean that doing your research wasn’t useful. For example, if you look back and find the people you are descended from have a history of weight issues, then you can proactively make changes to your life to avoid having issues with weight in the future. This could be something as simple as changing your diet by having one day a week where you only eat vegan or vegetarian food to make sure you don’t overload on protein.
Another good idea could be to switch out your usual wine or beer for a low alcohol alternative to lower your cholesterol and take care of your liver. Switching butter for margarine, adding more vegetables to your diet, and making sure that you drink more water will all help to safeguard your health well into the future.
How to get started
Now that you have a better understanding of how genealogy can help to improve your health, you should start researching today. The internet is the most useful tool for this and will be your first port of call for learning more about genealogy. The internet will give you access to numerous databases and services that will help to uncover the interesting information about the medical history of your family.
Using the internet can also help you to get in touch with professionals who can help you conduct the research and get the answers you want in order to make your life better. By utilizing the expertise of people who have an in-depth knowledge of genealogy will be able to help you to better understand the results and information coming your way. Getting the help of an expert will mean that your time and effort is better spent and put to good use.
Another option is to get a family member to help you out with your genealogy journey who can aid you in your research. This can be a fun bonding activity to do with relatives of all ages and be a great excuse to see more of the people that you love.