When we arrive in this world, our bodies are for the most part in perfect balance. Since the beginning of man, most cultures believed that maintaining proper balance within our bodies was the key to health. The Greeks believed that balance within the four humors of the body gave them health. The Chinese believe that Yin and Yang must be in balance to be healthy. Balance IS everything. The term doctors use is homeostasis, the tendency toward a relatively stable equilibrium between interdependent elements, especially as maintained by physiological processes. Unfortunately, everything we do today puts our bodies out of balance. We consume foods that are completely processed. We take all balance out of food that is in it in the first place. Nutrients are eliminated and then add a few back. The food industry adds artificial chemicals to almost everything we eat. Hormones, artificial flavors, preservatives, pesticides are all part of our daily diet. The food we consume today is as far away from the balanced foods our ancestors ate as it can get. Our daily activities are equally unbalanced. Exercise patterns are abysmal. Obesity is skyrocketing. Stress in our daily lives is higher than ever, and causing great harm to us. Why? BALANCE. The human body is not made to handle the stress our lifestyles demand of us. Our environment is toxic and polluted. Thousands upon thousands of toxic chemicals are dumped into our living space, daily. These poisons enter our bodies and create such devastating imbalances that, without recognition, will kill you.
Am I being too dramatic? If anything, I am understating the conditions in which we live. It is no different today than it was a hundred years ago, except, the way we approach health care today is very different; but the fundamentals remain the same. I believe there are three fundamental cornerstones to regain and maintain balance. They represent choices you have within your daily life. They are as follows: 1. Diet / Nutrition 2. Lifestyle/Daily Activities 3. Environmental Influences When these cornerstones/lifestyle choices are paired with the 4 imbalances/dysfunctions within the body (Digestion/Absorption, Endocrine/Hormonal, Immune/Inflammatory and Detoxification/Elimination) it proves to be a highly effective means of controlling chronic inflammatory illnesses. Properly implementing these fundamentals today is difficult in a culture that dismisses any of them as consequences of virtually all illnesses, a culture that promotes taking everything natural out of our foods and replacing them with man-made chemicals; a culture that requires lifestyles to work in favor of rapidity and ignores the simple influences of proper health; a culture that believes that thousands upon thousands of toxic chemicals dumped into our air, food, and water have little or no effect on our health as a whole; a culture that promotes that everything in time will and can be cured by a drug; it goes on and on. Our culture today, and our lack of taking responsibility for our own health, is destroying our quality of life and advancing diseases at an alarming rate.
All-causes of death (mortality) people who have obesity, compared to those with a normal or healthy weight, are at increased risk for many serious diseases and health conditions, including the following:
High blood pressure (Hypertension) High LDL cholesterol, low HDL cholesterol, or high levels of triglycerides (Dyslipidemia) Type 2 diabetes Coronary heart disease Stroke Gallbladder disease Osteoarthritis (a breakdown of cartilage and bone within a joint) Sleep apnea and breathing problems Some cancers (endometrial, breast, colon, kidney, gallbladder, and liver) Low quality of life Mental illness such as clinical depression, anxiety, and other mental disorders Body pain and difficulty with physical functioning This year, more than 1 million Americans and more than 10 million people worldwide are expected to be diagnosed with cancer, a disease commonly believed to be preventable. Only 5–10% of all cancer cases can be attributed to genetic defects, whereas the remaining 90–95% have their roots in the environment and lifestyle. The lifestyle factors include cigarette smoking, diet (fried foods, red meat), alcohol, sun exposure, environmental pollutants, infections, stress, obesity, and physical inactivity. The evidence indicates that of all cancer-related deaths, almost 25–30% are due to tobacco, as many as 30–35% are linked to diet, about 15–20% are due to infections, and the remaining percentage are due to other factors like radiation, stress, physical activity, environmental pollutants etc. Therefore, cancer prevention requires smoking cessation, increased ingestion of fruits and vegetables, moderate use of alcohol, caloric restriction, exercise, avoidance of direct exposure to sunlight, minimal meat consumption, use of whole grains, use of vaccinations, and regular check-ups. All lifestyle factors that cause cancer (carcinogenic agents) and all agents that prevent cancer (chemopreventive agents) are linked through chronic inflammation.
Low levels of inflammation can be triggered by a perceived internal threat, even when there isn't a disease to fight or an injury to heal, and sometimes this signals the immune system to respond. Thus, white blood cells swarm but have nothing to do and nowhere to go, and they may eventually start attacking internal organs or other healthy tissues and cells. Researchers are still working to understand the implications of chronic inflammation on the body and the mechanisms involved in the process, but it's known to play a role in the development of many diseases. For example, chronic inflammation has been linked to heart disease and stroke. One theory suggests that when inflammatory cells stay too long in blood vessels, they promote the buildup of plaque. The body perceives this plaque as a foreign substance that doesn't belong, so it tries to wall off the plaque from the blood flowing inside the arteries, according to the American Heart Association(AHA). If the plaque becomes unstable and ruptures, it forms a clot that blocks blood flow to the heart or brain, triggering a heart attack or stroke.
Cancer is another disease linked with chronic inflammation. Over time, chronic inflammation can cause DNA damage and lead to some forms of cancer, according to the National Cancer Institute. Chronic, low-grade inflammation often does not have symptoms, but doctors can test for C-reactive protein (CRP), a marker for inflammation in the blood. High levels of CRP have been linked with an increased risk of heart disease. CRP levels can also indicate an infection, or a chronic inflammatory disease, such as rheumatoid arthritis or lupus, according to the Mayo Clinic. Besides looking for clues in the blood, a person's diet, lifestyle habits and environmental exposures can contribute to chronic inflammation. It's important to maintain a healthy lifestyle to keep inflammation in check. |
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