70% of modern health problems are directly caused by lifestyle choices. SEVENTY percent! What would your life be like if almost 3 of every 4 illnesses, disorders or concerns that came your way … didn’t.

What troubles me the most about this statistic is that so many of us already know or at least suspect that, but we still don’t make the change. My husband and I (admittedly documentary junkies) were watching a film last night about another health crusader trying to spread the word about prevention.

Normally I avoid such films and shows and last night once again provided evidence of why… whether it’s Jamie Oliver or Joe Cross – or your or I, the response is almost always the same – a combination of 1) it doesn’t really work, 2) it’s too much trouble, or 3) I’ve already tried the natural route (or know someone that did). And I find myself both saddened and frustrated!

To take a closer look at each of these:

1) it doesn’t really work… not so! Epidemiologists, scientists, researchers, professionals, just about ANYONE that spends any time reading through medical literature can verify that yes, prevention does work! The American Cancer Society tells us that 75-80% of all cancer related deaths are directly related to environmental choices. Not genetics! The experts that devote their lives to researching how we get sick are telling us that we don’t usually have to! What would the country look like if we could prevent / save: almost 3/4 of the dollars spent on illness (medication, days lost in work or productivity, treatment, specialist visits), 3 out of 4 or even 4 out of 5 of the deaths lost to cancer, nearly 3 out of 4 of the health concerns we face – lost days from our lives that could have been better spent elsewhere – instead of sick in bed!

2) it’s too hard… I’ve been up close and personal with a struggle to beat cancer – and seen cancer win. I’ve seen children facing life threatening illnesses that emotionally tear up their parents. I’ve seen individuals of all ages in pain, struggling to enjoy their days despite a chronic health concern. *That’s* too much trouble. Cancer occurring at a rate that is quadruple (or more) what it should be is too much trouble. Diabetes, obesity and adrenal fatigue are too much trouble. Changing simple lifestyle habits – a route I’d prefer any day.

3) I’ve tried it – or my friend has – This one needs it’s own blog post really, but here’s what that usually means: I’ve tried the latest fad diet, I’ve tried the gov’t food pyramid (or revised pyramid, or circle), I’ve taken the latest cool health supplement, I’ve been taking the newest MLM product. I’ve had people tell me they need to take medicine because eating raisins didn’t cure their chronic inflammation, coconut oil didn’t cure their cancer and vinegar didn’t cure their GERD. I’ve seen people eat hot dogs while telling me bananas are bad for you, and eating cake while telling me yogurt is bad for you. I’m not at all advocating the trendy, pseudo-science that passes through communities faster than the illnesses they claim to cure. I’m advocating an evidence based, scientific and rational approach to life. Make the claim back itself up with evidence – both modern scientific and time tested. When formula was introduced as the superior infant food, babies died. When margarine was introduced to replace “bad” saturated fats, heart disease and inflammatory conditions skyrocketed. Processed foods result in chronic health concerns. That’s backed by scientific in multiple languages.

So, what to do? Educate yourself! We have more resources available to us than ever before. Thanks to modern conveniences, students study wellness through our school in over a dozen countries across multiple continents. Get a book on real foods, read labels, make simple lifestyle changes. Each of these baby steps will add up – and you’ll see a difference!

If you’re following us on twitter or facebook, you know we (the Vintage Remedies School of Natural Health) have been very excited about a big announcement coming up February 1st! We’ve been hard at work for the last year or so on a brand new project, unlike anything we currently offer, that will benefit families everywhere! We’re incredibly excited about this new release and eager to share our excitement!

So – we’ll be holding 8 giveaways as a countdown to the big announcement. Each will have a contest, trivia question or other fun entry requirement. If you follow us on twitter or facebook, you’ll want to pay close attention as we’ll be handing out hints that will help you earn more entries.

First up – We’ll be giving away a free, PRE-RELEASE copy of the brand new Vintage Remedies for Kids book per day through Wednesday. So, you’ll have three chances to win! This new book will be hitting the shelves March 1st, but our special winners will receive their books in the mail before Valentine’s Day! More details about this brand new book can be found here. (Value is $25 USD)

Ready to enter? Here’s how. To enter to win, leave a comment below. Each comment = one entry. (Duplicate comments will be deleted.) To earn additional entries, you can “like” us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, or share the contest on facebook, your blog or twitter. Add another comment for each of those steps you take. You can earn up to 6 entries if you’re a social media pro! No trivia or contest today; we’re making the first one easy on you. Entries will be closed at midnight today (CST) and the winner will be chosen and contacted tomorrow morning when the next contest is posted.

UPDATE: This giveaway has now ended. Congrats to #21, Rachel D, for her winning entry! Be sure to check out our new giveaways and stay tuned for our big announcement on February 1.

Ready for our next giveaway? Today we’ll be giving away a copy of the brand new Vintage Remedies for Girls! (value $45) This fun, hands on program is perfect for girls ages 7-13 and is suitable for girls groups, homeschoolers, mommy-daughter projects or these long summer days. Includes 18 chapters with a lesson in natural living / health and many hands on projects to make the lesson practical. The program was just released in April and is already a huge hit! Here’s how you can win:

To enter, leave a comment below. Want multiple entries? Here’s how: You can get a second, third or even fourth entry by sharing the giveaway with your friends. Let them know on twitter, facebook and / or your blog how much you LOVE Vintage Remedies and link to the Vintage Remedies site and / or the giveaway here on my blog. (Or – you can tag @VintageRemedies on your facebook post!) Post another comment for each of the places you shared the giveaway and you’ll get additional entries. (hint: you can save time by using the “share” and “retweet” buttons below!)

(Today’s giveaway will end at midnight CDT today – June 23, 2010. A winner will be drawn from the entries and announced tomorrow morning when the next giveaway is posted.)

UPDATE: This drawing is now closed. The winner, chosen by random.org, is comment #49: Jessica! Congrats! For everyone else – there are still two more chances to win this week – look for the most recent giveaway to enter!