There are many factors in our environment and lifestyle that heavily contribute to our overall health. Fortunately, most of the elements that can cause an early death are avoidable! Below, we discuss what you need to be aware of to help prevent common fatal diseases.
Nutrition – What You Put In
Most Americans, whether they choose to abide or not, are aware that wise food choices are crucial for a healthy life. It is no secret that nutrition holds the key to prevent common fatal diseases. Not everyone, however, realizes that there are three, common items that although may sound harmless, are detrimental to your health.
Top 3 Worst Ingredients:
- -Corn (GMO corn specifically), due to the high fructose corn syrup it’s processed into
- -Soy, which contains trans-fat oils
- -Sugar beets, which are used to make refined sugar
A significant concern with these ingredients is that they are sources of a chemical called glyphosate. Glyphosate is one of the most widely used herbicides in the U.S. It is most likely carcinogenic and linked to chronic illness. According to the FDA in a 2018 study, “residues were found in 61.3% of corn samples and 67% of soybean samples”. Click HERE to learn more about glyphosate.
Agricultural Factors:
Chemical pesticides and herbicides play a vital role in the farming process. They keep unwanted insects and plants away from growing crops. However, these chemicals are incredibly harsh and can do more harm than good when it comes to our health. Most of these substances are hard-to-break-down neurotoxins, and they can lead to neurological diseases, such as Parkinson’s. Other risks include asthma, nausea, seizures, and even cancer.
Antibiotics are another agricultural problem we face. They aid in treating bacterial infections in animals and keeping their growth at a succeeding rate. The problem here is that the use of these antibiotics increases the development of drug-resistant pathogens in animals. When we eat that meat, we risk becoming infected with those very pathogens. 80 percent of U.S. antibiotic usage is through agricultural practices. Think about how easily that percentage can end up on our plates and increase the likelihood of antibiotic resistance.
Modern Medicine:
You would think that with advances in medicine, the safety of medical practices would advance as well. It turns out, that’s not exactly the case. Errors in hospital care occur more often than one may think. Some of those care recommendations aren’t always needed. Modern medicine in America revolves around tests, medications, and procedures that cost a whopping $750 billion a year. These factors can often lead to more chronic health problems than what patients had to begin with. On a health and mortality scale, the U.S. is ranked last compared to 16 other developed nations. Our health care system lacks the incorporation of integrative medicine, which focuses on a more therapeutic approach and could help lower medical mistakes.
Drugs (Medication):
One of the most prominent preventable death factors is the overuse of drugs, specifically pain killers and statins. Prescription drugs are easily accessible and are extremely dangerous when abused. Pain killers are highly addictive, and opioid overdoses account for higher death numbers than fatal car accidents and murders. Statins, which are prescribed to lower cholesterol, are widely prescribed and have numerous risks that go along with them. These risks include diabetes, muscle fatigue, aortic calcification, erectile dysfunction, and cancer. Studies show that you are much better off making lifestyle changes to help lower cholesterol instead of depending on statins. An important lesson to remember here is that medicine does not fix everything!
Lack of Vitamin D & Clean Air:
To say that vitamin D is good for you is an understatement. The easiest way to get enough is to spend more time in the sun. However, as the years go by, fewer people get outside as much as they should. Many people look to supplements to reduce that deficiency. A lack of vitamin D can lead to numerous health issues and may correlate with pretty much every disease out there. What makes this vitamin so significant are the thousands of receptors throughout your tissues that absorb it.
The right amount can help prevent common fatal diseases as well as skin conditions, depression, heart disease, insomnia, cystic fibrosis, and even cancer. to learn more about Vitamin D and other important nutrients check out our other post The Importance of Vitamin D.
Clean air is just as important as sunlight because we breathe it right into our system. Air pollution is a massive issue, which can become much more severe than just a cough or sneeze here and there. Inflammation is what happens when air pollution enters your body, and large amounts can lead to lung and heart disease, and even gastrointestinal issues. Staying aware of air quality in your area can help assess what you need to do in your home and work environment to keep it as healthy as possible.
What Can We Do To Avoid These Things?
Activity and Nutrition:
Make wise food choices – Avoid eating anything that contains the three ingredients mentioned previously (corn, soy, and sugar beets). It is also wise to avoid processed foods and sugar that can lead to similar health issues.
Exercise – You’ve probably heard a million times that diet and exercise are the two components of a healthy lifestyle. It’s important to remember that healthy food alone will not help you as much as incorporating an exercise plan into your life along with your diet. One example of an effective exercise program is high-intensity interval training (HIIT), which combines intense bursts of exercise with short recovery periods to increase your human growth hormone.
Avoid toxins and chemicals – Pesticides, insecticides, sprays such as hairspray and air freshener, and soap are a few examples of products that typically contain an abundance of chemicals. When shopping for these products, keep an eye out for all-natural versions.
Keep your gut happy – Your immune system relies heavily on your gut. It is necessary to keep up with a healthy diet by including probiotics and fermented foods which contain the “good” bacteria. The most familiar fermented foods are homemade stocks and broths, yogurt, and vegetables such as cabbage and sauerkraut. Having a happy immune system is essential to prevent common fatal diseases.
Lifestyle:
Reduce your stress – Emotional health is just as important as physical health. Examine the tensions in your life and make an effort to ease them. Talking to people, exercising, and meditating all can help you de-stress and prevent further health problems.
Maintain vitamin D levels – Take time to get outside more in the day, whether that be going to the pool, working out, or merely taking a stroll.
Sleep – Getting enough sleep at night will preserve metabolic and biological homeostasis. Doing this will prevent neuron degradation, high blood pressure, an imbalance in hunger hormones, and the list goes on. If you have trouble falling or staying asleep, here are some tips:
- Sleep in darkness; avoid unnecessary lights or TV
- Keep the temperature in your room less than 70 degrees F
- Use the bathroom before laying down to prevent needing to later
- Reduce disrupting noises
- Avoid consuming caffeine in the late afternoon or early evening.
Chiropractic Care – Keep your spine in alignment and your nervous system happy! Your nervous system controls everything you do. Spinal misalignments may impact your body’s ability to properly send signals. When this happens you may have negative side effects which can lead to symptoms and dysfunction.
Knowledge is the best weapon we have against disease. The more you educate yourself about your health and wellness, the better. By utilizing these factors you can help prevent common fatal diseases for yourself and those you care for. You get one life and one body. Take care of it!
On your journey to a healthier you, if you are looking for a chiropractor, look no further than Express Chiropractic of Frisco. We provide chiropractic care to the Frisco, Plano, McKinney, Prosper, The Colony and other local communities. You never need an appointment and our prices are lower than most typical co-pays. Check out Express Chiropractic of Frisco today!