Copyright (c) 2007 The Brain Code LLC
Do you have high cholesterol, high blood pressure, insulin
insensitivity, depression, joint pain, back pain, leg pain,
a pain in the neck . . . No problem, just get down to your
friendly local pharmacy to get the right pills and you're
good to go.
I hope that sounds sarcastic - because it is. Why do we
spend so much money and effort trying to micromanage each
little hormone or chemical imbalance in our body? Often
times these approaches just end up offsetting something
else anyway.
Most drugs have side effects
For example:
. Statins reduce cholesterol but they also reduce coenzyme
Q, important for energy production and maintaining good
blood pressure.
. Aspirin is great for a headache but also reduces vitamin
C, important for immune function.
. Ibuprofen is good for general pain but also reduces folic
acid, important for neural and cardiovascular function.
. Many antibiotics fight bacterial infections but they also
reduce potassium, important for regular heartbeat and they
reduce beneficial bacteria that help you digest your food.
This list is very long and I could go on for pages.
Don't get me wrong. There are appropriate times for
pharmaceutical drugs - when your situation is serious. The
point is that when we try and micromanage our 'imbalances'
we don't really do that great of a job. In fact, many
people are on medication to treat the side effects of a
different medication.
Do our bodies make bad stuff? Let's just challenge dogma
for a second here. I'll use cholesterol as an example since
it get so much press.
I'm sure you've been told that LDL is the 'bad' cholesterol
and HDL is 'good'. But here's a question - do you think
that your body naturally produces things that are bad for
it? Do you think you body makes LDL just to mess you up? Of
course not.
Many medical professionals are beginning to believe that
current definitions of 'high cholesterol' are not accurate.
In fact, new studies show that if your cholesterol drops
too low then you increase your risk for Parkinson's
disease. I predict that this is the first of many
associations that will link a disease with our attempt to
drive down cholesterol levels.
LDL has a role in repairing damaged arteries and in
delivering cholesterol to places where it is needed.
Cholesterol is actually an important component of cell
membranes. LDL is not bad - it's just that the foods we
typically eat cause it's levels to raise higher than
optimal. When the levels get too high then it starts
sticking to the inside of arteries too much.
The 4 pillars of health
So what are we to do? It will probably be no shock to you
that many ailments are the consequences of lifestyle
choices. Simply eating a better diet and getting regular
exercise will improve many conditions, reduce your reliance
on drugs and generally improve your quality of life.
You may be thinking 'Yeah, I've heard that before. Isn't
there anything new?' Well, I encourage you to stop looking
for the latest trick or pill to improve your health.
Lifestyle choices are the fundamental skills of good
health. You can break it all down into what I call the 4
pillars of good health.
1. Nutrition - Diet and Supplements 2. Exercise - Mental
and Physical Activity 3. Sleep, Rest and Relaxation 4.
Positive Mental Attitude
All of these factors will feed each other. When you eat
well and take quality supplements you will have more energy
to exercise, which will help you sleep better, which will
cause your stress levels to drop and improve your mood and
lead to overall improved health.
There is no magic bullet. If you have life threatening
illness, work with your doctor and take your medication.
But you should always go back to the 4 pillars to help you
recover faster and reduce your reliance on life-long drug
therapies. Those are the fundamental treatments that our
bodies are designed to respond to the best.
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