When it comes to sickness and disease, we have things that we dread thinking about more than others. Most Americans don’t think much about our number one killer – Heart Disease. Americans suffer from heart disease for years before they ever feel or notice anything. Often, the first symptom is sudden death.
But our second killer is probably the most dreaded disease – Cancer. A slow and painful disease marked by physical deterioration, severe pain, organ failure, and emotional distress. We now know most people have had cancer 5-10 years before diagnosis. And all of us have cancer cells roaming around in our bodies. Still, the body has the ability to keep those sneaking little cells quarantined so they can’t go rogue unless our immune system becomes compromised and we can’t ward them all off anymore.
Probably close to the top, perhaps even our second most dreaded disease, is Diabetes, the seventh leading cause of death in America. Like heart disease and cancer, diabetes can also do its stealthful work without notice for decades, and then, what seems like “all-of-the-sudden,” diabetes makes its presence prominent.
What is the good news about Inflammation, Heart Disease, Cancer, and Type 2 Diabetes?
According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) in their “Potentially Preventable Deaths Among the Five Leading Causes of Death – United States, 2010 and 2014” report (November 18, 2016/ 65 (45);1245-1255), Heart Disease and Cancer are listed as preventable diseases. There is a Nationally recognized Diabetes Prevention Program for Type 2 Diabetes and Pre-Diabetes (also known as metabolic syndrome, insulin resistance, and syndrome X). Therefore, it is well known also to be preventable.
What does the body tell us when we have Inflammation, Heart Disease, Cancer, Diabetes, or any other Sickness or Disease?
Sickness and Disease are natural efforts to free the system from conditions that result from a violation of the laws of health.
In the case of any inflammation, sickness, or disease the body is simply telling us there is something that it can’t function optimally because something is out of balance within the system. If the cause is ascertained and unhealthful conditions and habits are corrected, natural physiology is assisted in expelling the impurities and re-establishing the right conditions in the system. When we bring lifestyle into harmony with the natural laws of health or natural physiology, we can start improving because we are assisting nature to fight, and if the changes are made in time, the process can even be reversed, and inflammation (the underlying cause to most, if not all, diseases American suffer from in this era) can be lowered along with the pain.
The Laws of Health, often called the Ten Essentials for Health, are the principles governing our natural physiology.
Let’s take diabetes, for example. Most patients are unaware that 90% of Type 2 diabetes is preventable and even reversible. If these patients would be willing to make some lifestyle modifications, including proper diet and hydration, exercise in the sunlight and fresh air, sufficient sleep, and better stress management, 90% of them could experience complete remission. That’s good news – wouldn’t you agree?
While most physicians are aware of this fact, lifestyle modification counseling is time-consuming. Without proper “how-to” follow-up, it is difficult for patients to put the knowledge into action. Let’s face it: changing anything takes time and effort, and it usually takes lots of encouragement. Doctors are so busy that there is only a small amount of time for this type of instruction, and, therefore, this education is often overlooked or underemphasized.
Some medical providers, like the physician and nurse practitioner I work with, make it much easier for their patients to have access to this information by hiring a Lifestyle Medicine Registered Dietitian to be a part of their team (that’s me!).
Together, we can help you achieve the realistic results you want, start bringing the chronic disease under control, and work through the hurdles that may be holding you back from achieving your goals.
One-on-one coaching with a Registered Dietitian and group health programs have both been proven to improve the health of those living with diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and inflammatory diseases such as arthritis.
Why not give us a call today to schedule an appointment and begin your journey to Start a New YOU!®?
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Blue Skies,
Dana West, RDN, LD, DIPACLM
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