Editor’s note: This article continues a series of informative health essays by Dr. David M. Prator, Jr., BS, DC, of Advantage Care Health in Morrison, IL.
What is an “-itis”? How often is this term used around us daily? Relatives or friends talk about their health issues and speak of such lurking diseases such as arthritis, plantar fasciitis, tendonitis, etc….
Itis simply means inflammation.
The body has ways of battling short term inflammation, such as producing Cortisol Hormone. In general, long-term exposure to outside stresses begins to outweigh the body’s capacity to heal itself and may lead to diseases. For instance, someone who smokes may initially be able to repair the short-term damage from inhaling smoke, but after years of exposure, they begin having bouts of Bronchitis. After more abuse, it becomes Chronic Bronchitis. Eventually the tissues have lost the ability to function normally, and patients get Emphysema or Lung Cancer.
So, what can a person do to avoid typical progressive diseases? Well, obviously the best way to avoid Lung Cancer is to stop smoking. How much your lungs will heal depends on the amount of permanent damage that has been sustained. Another factor is what types of genes our parents gifted us with. If you have multiple people in your close family tree with the same disease, the deck may seem stacked against you already.
Maintaining regular exercise is for the body what an oil change is to a car. However, the human body likes to have its system recirculated daily, not every 3000 miles or six months!
People should be trying to sleep during the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. That is when the body is allowed to enter REM sleep and produce its natural anti-inflammatory hormone, Cortisol. This is why 2nd and 3rd shift workers and insomniacs don’t age well over time. Their bodies have a tough time healing without enough healing hormones being doled out.
Lastly but most important is “the elephant in the room,” our diet. Food is by far the most important preventative measure and has been recognized as such since ancient times.
Hippocrates said, “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.” He simply meant that every disease in the body should be able to be healed, if the body is fed what it needs, in or out of a diseased state. Our cells are crippled from not getting all the nutrients from a high fruit and vegetable, lower-protein diet. Vegetables contain safe sugars, fiber, and antioxidants that heal cellular damage. Protein from flesh actually contains amino acids (muscles and good body fats are made from these) that cannot be easily gained otherwise.
It is very important to remember that taking prescription medications may be necessary, to help us in times of dire need, but in general, the body doesn’t know how to process the synthetic parts of the medications. This produces “side effects.
It is extremely difficult to keep this article short, because there exists a huge amount of evidence in favor of this way of living. Start by picking one thing to change, and make it a strong habit. Build on that with another.
1. Eat lots of leafy greens and colorful fruits (or take high quality neutraceutical supplements such as “It Works” Greens.) From the time you fix your diet and strictly maintain it you can count on it truly taking about six months to heal your gut. Only then can the gut process these great superfoods, deliver nutrients to the body’s tissues, and efficiently heal itself again. The biggest “side-effect” of eating this way is fat percentage loss for overweight people and muscle gain for those that put in the effort to exercise.
2. Exercise at least enough to maintain a properly elevated, safe heart rate–as set by your Doctor–for 30 to 45 minutes per day.
3. Avoid doing the specific stressful things that triggered your own family genetic diseases. If Grandma developed Liver Cirrhosis, it’s probably not a great idea for you to become an alcoholic.
4. Get some sleep at least five or six days per week. Change job shifts if at all possible, so your body can regenerate and heal.
5. Find a physician that has an integrated approach, to address your nutritional needs as well as your pharmaceutical treatment.
6. Do things that are “not great for you” in moderation. Maintain balance in life. Even over-exercising four-or-more hours a day isn’t “good” for you.
7. I must mention the inevitable wild card. Having faith and peace, knowing how lucky you are to have been given this body for a very short time, will become apparent by how you take care of yourself.
Hopefully this article causes someone to reflect and reconsider. For those of you that feel lost, alone, or overwhelmed by how to make these lifestyle changes, it is common to feel this way. There are Doctors, including me, who are waiting to help you.