The Healer as a Teacher: Helping Others Learn to Heal Themselves

Over the years, my understanding of what it means to be a healer has changed considerably. When many people hear the word healer, they may picture someone who possesses a special ability to cure another person, remove their pain, correct their illness, or somehow make them whole again. In this model, the healer does the healing while the person in need receives it. One person is active, while the other is largely passive. That has never completely fit with how I have come to understand healing.

My definition of a healer is not necessarily someone who cures or fixes another person. Rather, I see a healer as someone who shows, helps, guides, or teaches another person how to participate more fully in overcoming whatever may be troubling them. Sometimes that trouble is physical. Sometimes it is emotional or psychological. Sometimes it involves lifestyle, relationships, stress, purpose, or simply the realization that the way we have been living is no longer working very well. This distinction may seem subtle, but I believe it is important.

A healer can provide knowledge, encouragement, perspective, techniques, and perhaps even treatment. But ultimately, much of the work of healing still takes place within the individual.

I often think of something as simple as preparing a meal. I can teach someone how to make a healthy meal. I can explain the ingredients, demonstrate how to prepare them, discuss why certain foods may be beneficial, and perhaps even stand beside that person while they cook. But at some point, they have to make the meal themselves. More importantly, I cannot eat the meal for them and somehow transfer the nutritional benefits into their body. Their body has to chew it, digest it, absorb it, and make use of what has been provided. Healing often works in much the same way.

A physician can explain why someone needs to exercise, but the physician cannot perform the exercise for the patient. A physical therapist can teach movements that may restore strength and mobility, but the therapist cannot make the muscles stronger without the patient’s participation. A counselor can help someone recognize unhealthy patterns of thought or behavior, but eventually that person must practice responding differently when those patterns appear in everyday life.

The same is true within many of the practices I have studied and taught over the years. I can teach someone tai chi, qigong, breathing exercises, meditation, stretching, strengthening, posture, relaxation, or other methods of self-care. I can explain the principles behind them and help correct mistakes. I can encourage someone when progress seems slow. But I cannot practice for them.

That is where I believe an important part of healing is sometimes overlooked.

We have become accustomed to thinking of health care as something that is primarily done to us. We go somewhere, receive something, and hopefully leave feeling better. Certainly, there are situations where this is exactly what is needed. If I break a bone, suffer a serious infection, require surgery, or experience a medical emergency, I am very grateful that trained professionals can intervene. There are times when another person’s expertise and intervention may literally save our lives.

But that is only one part of the much larger picture of health and healing.

There is also the enormous territory between being perfectly healthy and experiencing a medical emergency. This is where we live most of our lives. It includes how we sleep, breathe, move, eat, manage stress, maintain relationships, respond to setbacks, use our bodies, and care for ourselves day after day. No practitioner can completely control those things for another person.

This is why I tend to think of the healer as being closer to a teacher, guide, or facilitator than a repair technician. A good teacher does not simply give students answers. A good teacher helps students develop the ability to find answers themselves. In the same way, a good healer should ideally help people develop greater awareness and greater participation in their own well-being.

This does not mean blaming people for becoming sick or suggesting that every illness can be overcome through positive thinking, exercise, diet, or self-discipline. Biology is far more complicated than that. Genetics, injury, aging, infection, environment, socioeconomic circumstances, and simple chance can all affect our health. There are conditions that cannot simply be exercised, meditated, or breathed away. But recognizing those realities does not mean that personal agency disappears.

There is usually a difference between asking, Who is going to fix me? and asking, What can I do to participate in getting better?

That second question can change the relationship between the practitioner and the person seeking help.

Instead of saying, “Heal me,” we begin asking, “Teach me.”

Teach me what I can do.

Teach me what I may be doing that is making the situation worse.

Teach me what signs I should pay attention to.

Teach me how to move differently.

Teach me how to breathe differently.

Teach me how to strengthen what has become weak.

Teach me how to recognize when I need professional help and when I can safely help myself.

This type of relationship does not diminish the importance of physicians, therapists, counselors, teachers, coaches, or other practitioners. I believe it actually makes their knowledge more valuable because their expertise becomes something that can continue working through the individual long after an appointment, treatment, or class has ended.

This has always been one of the things that appeals to me about teaching mind-body practices. If I teach someone a simple breathing exercise that helps them calm themselves during stressful situations, they now possess a tool that can potentially be used for the rest of their life. If I teach an older adult how to improve balance and leg strength, that knowledge does not belong to me anymore. It belongs to them. If someone learns how to recognize unnecessary tension in their shoulders, change their posture, move more efficiently, or calm their breathing, they have gained something far more valuable than simply receiving temporary relief.

They have gained another degree of independence.

Perhaps this is one of the differences between treatment and healing. Treatment may sometimes be something we receive. Healing, however, often requires participation.

Even the word practice tells us something important. We practice tai chi. We practice qigong. We practice meditation, better eating habits, communicating with others, managing stress and becoming more aware of what our bodies and minds are telling us.

There is rarely a point where someone announces, “That’s it. I have mastered my health and never have to think about it again.” Life keeps changing, and so do we.

What worked for us at twenty may not work the same way at forty. What worked at forty may require modification at sixty, seventy, or eighty. Injuries happen. Responsibilities change. Stress comes and goes. Our bodies age. Our priorities shift. The person who understands how to participate in their own well-being is better equipped to adapt to these changes than someone who has always expected another person to provide the solution.

This is also why I am cautious about placing healers on pedestals. The idea that another person possesses some special knowledge or power that we cannot possibly understand can easily create dependency. Certainly, expertise matters. Someone who has spent decades studying medicine, physical therapy, psychology, nutrition, martial arts, traditional practices, or any other discipline should know considerably more about that subject than the average person.

But expertise should ideally empower others rather than make them permanently dependent upon the expert.

The best teachers I have encountered throughout my life did not seem interested in keeping knowledge locked away. They wanted students to understand it, test it, practice it, question it, and eventually make it their own. Their success was not measured by how helpless their students remained without them. It was measured, at least in part, by how capable their students became. I believe healing can follow a similar philosophy.

Perhaps one of the greatest things a healer can eventually hear is, “I know what to do now.” That does not mean the person will never need help again. None of us becomes completely independent. We all need teachers, physicians, friends, family members, mentors, and communities at different times throughout our lives. Independence and interdependence can exist together.

But there is an enormous difference between receiving help and surrendering responsibility. I can point toward the path. I can walk beside someone for part of the journey. I can share what I have learned from my own experience and from the teachers who came before me. I can offer tools, encouragement, and perspective. But eventually, each person has to take their own steps.

Just as I cannot eat your meal and digest it for you, I cannot exercise your muscles for you, breathe your breaths for you, change your habits for you, or live your life for you.

Perhaps what a true healer does is not say, “I will heal you.”

But someone who says, “Let me show you what you may be able to do for yourself.”

To me, that is not a lesser form of healing. It may be one of its most meaningful forms, because instead of simply helping someone feel better today, we may be helping them become more capable of caring for themselves tomorrow.

The French Paradox, Lifestyle, and the Forgotten Art of Living Well

For decades, many Americans have heard about the so-called “French Paradox.” The basic observation is simple: despite consuming foods traditionally viewed as rich in fats, such as cheese, butter, and wine, the French have historically demonstrated lower rates of cardiovascular disease and obesity than Americans (Powell et al., 2010). Yet perhaps the real paradox is not found in French food itself, but in the broader cultural relationship with food, movement, stress, and daily living.

From a holistic health perspective, this discussion reveals an important truth: health is rarely the result of a single nutrient, supplement, pharmaceutical intervention, or isolated behavior. Instead, long-term wellbeing emerges from the interaction of lifestyle, environment, mindset, movement, social behavior, stress regulation, genetics, access to healthcare, and thousands of daily habits.

The modern American mindset often seeks isolated solutions to complex health problems. One week fat is considered the enemy. The next week carbohydrates become the villain. Coffee is good, but only in moderation, and now some experts suggest that as many as five cups per day may provide certain health benefits for some people (Castro, 2026). Then sugar, gluten, seed oils, cholesterol, or red meat takes center stage.

Yet the body does not function in isolated compartments. Human physiology reflects an interconnected system of behaviors, emotions, habits, environmental influences, and biological responses. The French Paradox highlights this reality.

Researchers examining lifestyle differences between France and the United States have noted several behavioral patterns among the French population. Compared with Americans, French citizens have traditionally walked more frequently, consumed more water, eaten more fresh fruits and vegetables, consumed fewer sweetened beverages, and engaged in more mindful eating behaviors (Powell et al., 2010). Meals were often smaller, slower, and more socially integrated rather than rushed and distracted. This distinction is significant.

Seeing the French Paradox Firsthand

During my recent visit to France, particularly while spending time in Paris, I was able to observe many of the lifestyle factors commonly used to explain the French Paradox. These were no longer simply ideas presented in a study, travel program, or cultural comparison. I could see many of them firsthand.

People walked almost everywhere. They walked through neighborhoods, along the Seine, between shops, to cafés, to Metro stations, and through long corridors connecting public transportation systems. They routinely climbed stairs, carried groceries, stood while waiting for trains, and incorporated physical activity into the normal activities of daily life.

I also noticed what appeared to be fewer overweight individuals and considerably fewer people with morbid obesity than I commonly observe in many parts of the United States. This was only my personal observation and not a controlled scientific assessment. Nevertheless, people across a range of ages seemed, on average, leaner, more mobile, and more physically functional.

Older adults were frequently walking through the city, using public transportation, shopping, and navigating stairs without the same degree of visible physical limitation that I often see elsewhere. Many people appeared to maintain a level of practical fitness, not necessarily because they attended gyms or followed highly structured exercise programs, but because movement remained integrated into the architecture and rhythm of everyday life.

The environment itself encouraged activity. Compact neighborhoods, public transportation, smaller shops, pedestrian areas, and limited dependence on automobiles made walking a necessity rather than merely an optional form of exercise. It became increasingly clear to me that the design of a community can either support health or quietly discourage it.

The eating culture also appeared different. People often sat at cafés and restaurants rather than eating hurriedly in their cars. Meals appeared to be social occasions and opportunities for conversation. Portions often seemed more moderate, and there appeared to be greater emphasis on the experience and quality of food rather than simply consuming as much as possible, as quickly as possible.

These observations seemed to support many of the lifestyle explanations commonly associated with the French Paradox. However, another highly visible behavior complicated the picture. Smoking tobacco and vaping appeared to be widespread among people of many ages and demographics. I saw young adults, middle-aged individuals, older adults, men, and women smoking cigarettes or using vaping devices outside cafés, on sidewalks, near public buildings, and while socializing. The irony was difficult to overlook.

On one hand, many people appeared leaner, more active, and more physically capable. On the other hand, tobacco and nicotine use were openly integrated into everyday life. This serves as an important reminder that appearing thin or fit does not automatically mean that someone is healthy. Body size is only one outward indicator, and it cannot reveal lung function, vascular damage, blood pressure, cholesterol, cancer risk, emotional wellbeing, or the cumulative effects of nicotine exposure.

A culture may perform well in one dimension of health while struggling in another. The French may benefit from greater daily movement, smaller portions, and stronger social rituals surrounding food, while simultaneously carrying substantial health risks related to smoking, alcohol consumption, hypertension, and other cardiovascular factors.

This is precisely why holistic health requires a broader view.

The American Contrast

In the United States, eating often occurs while driving, working, watching television, scrolling through social media, or functioning under psychological stress. Meals are frequently consumed rapidly and in excessive portions.

Ultra-processed foods dominate much of the modern dietary landscape, contributing to excessive intake of sodium, refined sugars, additives, preservatives, and industrially formulated fats. Many of these products are specifically engineered for convenience and hyper-palatability rather than nourishment, making it easier to consume large quantities before the body’s natural satiety signals have time to respond (Monteiro et al., 2019).

Holistically speaking, this creates more than a nutritional problem. It also creates metabolic, behavioral, emotional, and nervous system problems.

The human organism does not function optimally while chronically stressed, overstimulated, sleep deprived, sedentary, emotionally dysregulated, and disconnected from natural rhythms. Traditional Eastern systems such as Traditional Chinese Medicine and Ayurveda have long emphasized that digestion is influenced by emotional balance, stress, circulation, breathing, rest, and lifestyle behaviors.

Modern research increasingly examines similar relationships through the study of inflammation, autonomic nervous system regulation, metabolic syndrome, the microbiome, and the gut-brain axis (Mayer, 2016).

Interestingly, the traditional French approach to eating appears to support the parasympathetic, or “rest and digest,” side of the nervous system. Meals are often approached as experiences rather than fuel-loading events. Walking remains incorporated into daily life. Social connection around meals is common. Portion control may be supported through pacing and satiety awareness rather than calorie obsession.

This does not mean that French culture is perfect, nor does it mean that red wine is a magical health tonic. Researchers have cautioned against oversimplifying the paradox and attributing it to wine or any other single factor (Law & Wald, 1999).

Health outcomes are more likely to arise from multiple interacting lifestyle, cultural, medical, economic, and environmental variables.

Is the French Paradox Partly a Statistical Paradox?

Although the French Paradox remains an interesting and useful concept, it should not be accepted without critical examination. Some researchers have questioned whether France’s historically low reported coronary heart disease mortality reflects only superior health, or whether part of the difference may be related to the ways disease and death were diagnosed, classified, and reported.

One proposed source of bias is the under-certification of coronary heart disease on French death certificates. A death influenced by coronary disease might sometimes have been attributed to heart failure, an unspecified circulatory condition, sudden death, or another immediate complication rather than to the underlying coronary disease itself.

Law and Wald (1999) examined this possibility and concluded that differences in death certification could explain a meaningful portion of the apparent mortality difference between France and countries such as Britain, although they did not suggest that reporting differences explained the entire phenomenon.

Other researchers have reached a similar conclusion. Ferrières (2004) acknowledged that French physicians may have under-certified some coronary deaths. However, after researchers examined standardized data from the World Health Organization’s MONICA project, France still demonstrated comparatively low coronary attack and mortality rates. Therefore, underreporting appears to be a possible bias, but probably not a complete explanation for the French Paradox (Ferrières, 2003).

This distinction is important. It would be inaccurate to say that the French Paradox is entirely a statistical illusion. At the same time, it would also be unwise to assume that mortality figures from different countries are perfectly comparable.

Death certificates are completed by individual physicians, and the accuracy of the final classification depends on available medical information, diagnostic practices, terminology, coding systems, and the physician’s judgment. French research comparing electronic and paper death certification found that electronic certificates included more reported causes and were considerably less likely to contain imprecise information, demonstrating that even the method used to record a death can affect the quality of national statistics (Lefeuvre et al., 2013).

Therefore, the more accurate statement may be that France historically had lower recorded coronary mortality, but some portion of the difference could have resulted from how coronary deaths were documented and categorized.

Underdiagnosis Is Not the Same as Good Health

Mortality statistics present only one part of the picture. People may live for many years with hypertension, diabetes, high cholesterol, vascular disease, or early-stage coronary disease without knowing that they have these conditions.

Recent reporting from Santé publique France found that awareness of major metabolic risk factors remains surprisingly low. Among French adults affected by these conditions, approximately 23% of those with diabetes and as many as 45% of those with hypertension were unaware that they had the condition (Olié et al., 2025).

This means that health problems do not necessarily have to be intentionally concealed or deliberately unreported to remain absent from national surveys. Many people simply do not know that they have them.

A person may appear thin, walk daily, and function well while still having elevated blood pressure, high LDL cholesterol, insulin resistance, or developing atherosclerosis. Conversely, an overweight individual may be actively improving their diet, exercising, sleeping well, and receiving appropriate preventive care.

Visible body composition provides useful information, but it never tells the whole story.

Current data also show that cardiovascular disease remains the second-leading cause of death in France, while hypertension, obesity, diabetes, and elevated LDL cholesterol continue to represent substantial public health concerns. France is healthier than some countries according to certain measures, but it is not immune to the chronic diseases affecting other industrialized nations. (“Assessment of the Quality of Death Certificates in France: The Role of Electronic Certification,” 2013)

The World Health Organization also notes that France now has relatively complete and high-quality cause-of-death registration. This suggests that historical reporting bias should be considered without assuming that modern French health statistics are generally unreliable (“France,” n.d.).

The Limits of Population-Level Comparisons

Another weakness in many explanations of the French Paradox is that they rely on broad national averages. Researchers may compare average saturated-fat consumption, average wine consumption, and national coronary mortality, but these figures do not prove that the individuals eating the most saturated fat or drinking the most wine are the same individuals avoiding heart disease.

This is sometimes called an ecological limitation or ecological fallacy.

Population-level associations cannot establish individual cause and effect. They may also overlook differences in food quality, meal timing, total caloric intake, socioeconomic status, healthcare access, stress, genetics, physical activity, smoking, and the types of fats being consumed (Ferrières, 2004).

Even the phrase “the French diet” may be misleading. France contains different regions, socioeconomic groups, cultural traditions, occupational patterns, and levels of access to quality food and healthcare. A physically active Parisian who shops daily and walks to public transportation may live very differently from someone in a more car-dependent or economically disadvantaged area.

Similarly, there is no single American lifestyle. The habits of an active individual who eats whole foods and regularly engages with a supportive community should not be equated with those of someone who is isolated, sedentary, sleep deprived, and dependent on ultra-processed food.

National labels can help us identify broad patterns, but they can also hide important differences between individuals.

The Time-Lag Explanation

Law and Wald (1999) offered another challenge to simplistic interpretations of the French Paradox. They suggested that coronary mortality often reflects dietary patterns from decades earlier rather than only what a population is eating today.

A population may increase its intake of saturated fat, processed food, or total calories, but the full cardiovascular consequences may not become visible for many years. France’s historically lower coronary mortality may therefore have reflected earlier dietary and lifestyle conditions rather than complete protection from more recent habits.

This time-lag explanation reminds us that chronic disease develops gradually. Atherosclerosis, insulin resistance, loss of mobility, and metabolic dysfunction may progress quietly for years before producing obvious symptoms or a medical crisis.

The consequences of today’s collective habits may not be fully visible until years or even decades from now.

Learning Without Romanticizing

The purpose of examining the French Paradox should not be to romanticize France, condemn America, or suggest that one culture has solved the health equation.

Every culture contains both strengths and contradictions.

France may offer valuable lessons about walking, portion awareness, food quality, social meals, public transportation, and integrating movement into everyday life. At the same time, the prevalence of smoking and vaping that I witnessed firsthand demonstrates how a visibly active population can continue to normalize behaviors that undermine cardiovascular, respiratory, and long-term systemic health.

The United States has reduced cigarette smoking considerably over recent decades, yet it continues to struggle with obesity, sedentary living, chronic stress, sleep disruption, social isolation, and the widespread consumption of ultra-processed food.

One country’s strengths may expose another country’s weaknesses, but its weaknesses should also prevent us from treating it as an ideal.

A holistic perspective asks a better question: Which cultural patterns support human wellbeing, which patterns undermine it, and what can we thoughtfully learn from both?

The Body Responds to Patterns

Health cannot be fully outsourced to pharmaceuticals, wearable technology, supplements, or calorie-tracking applications while fundamental lifestyle dysfunction remains unaddressed.

One cannot chronically overeat ultra-processed foods, avoid movement, live under constant stress, sleep poorly, and expect long-term wellness simply by taking medications or vitamins. At the same time, one should not assume that walking frequently or maintaining a lower body weight will erase the harms associated with smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, poor sleep, or untreated hypertension.

The body responds to patterns. Walking daily, breathing deeply, social connections, preparing meals, eating slowly, time in nature, adequate sleep, emotional regulation, and stress management are all factors that determine wellness. Avoiding tobacco matters. Receiving appropriate preventive screening and medical care also matters.

Human beings evolved within rhythms of movement, sunlight, labor, recovery, and community, not endless stimulation, convenience foods, digital overload, and physical inactivity.

The French Paradox may therefore be less about French cuisine and more about the complex consequences of lifestyle patterns within modern industrial cultures. Some of these patterns may protect health, some may undermine it, and others may take decades to reveal their full effects.

The Warrior, Scholar, and Sage

From the perspective of the Warrior, Scholar, and Sage framework, true wellness requires balance among physical discipline, intellectual awareness, and emotional and spiritual regulation.

The Warrior cultivates movement, resilience, strength, and physical vitality.

The Scholar develops knowledge and discernment regarding nutrition, research, statistics, behavior, and culture. The Scholar also recognizes that an attractive theory should not be accepted uncritically simply because it confirms what we would like to believe.

The Sage practices moderation, mindfulness, gratitude, and intentional living. The Sage understands that no country, culture, diet, or healthcare system possesses all the answers.

Ultimately, holistic wellbeing is not built upon isolated hacks, miracle foods, romanticized lifestyles, or national stereotypes. It is cultivated through daily patterns that support harmony among the body, mind, behavior, environment, and community.

My recent visit to France allowed me to see many of the factors commonly associated with the French Paradox firsthand. I saw more daily walking, apparently lower levels of severe obesity, active older adults, smaller portions, social meals, and communities designed around human movement.

I also saw widespread smoking and vaping, reminding me that wellbeing cannot be determined solely by appearance, body weight, or one favorable set of statistics.

Perhaps the greatest lesson hidden within the French Paradox is not that the French have discovered a secret that allows them to consume rich foods without consequences. Perhaps it is that health is complex, statistics require interpretation, cultures contain contradictions, and wellbeing is not merely about what we eat.

It is about how we live.

References

Assessment of the quality of death certificates in France: The role of Electronic certification. (2013, March 5). Retrieved from https://www.santepubliquefrance.fr/en/docs/article/assessment-quality-death-certificates-france-role-electronic-certification?utm_source=chatgpt.com

Castro, A. (2026, July 20). Scientists reveal why up to 5 cups of coffee a day may benefit heart health. Newsweek.

Ferrières, J. (2004). The French paradox: Lessons for other countries. Heart, 90(1), 107–111. https://doi.org/10.1136/heart.90.1.107

France. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://data.who.int/countries/250

Law, M., & Wald, N. (1999). Why heart disease mortality is low in France: The time lag explanation. BMJ, 318(7196), 1471–1480. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.318.7196.1471

Lefeuvre, D., Pavillon, G., Aouba, A., Lamarche-Vadel, A., Fouillet, A., Jougla, E., & Rey, G. (2013). Assessment of the quality of death certificates in France: The role of electronic certification. Bulletin Épidémiologique Hebdomadaire, (7), 57–60.

Mayer, E. A. (2016). The mind-gut connection: How the hidden conversation within our bodies impacts our mood, our choices, and our overall health. Harper Wave.

Monteiro, C. A., Cannon, G., Levy, R. B., Moubarac, J. C., Louzada, M. L. C., Rauber, F., Khandpur, N., Cediel, G., Neri, D., Martinez-Steele, E., Baraldi, L. G., & Jaime, P. C. (2019). Ultra-processed foods: What they are and how to identify them. Public Health Nutrition, 22(5), 936–941. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1368980018003762

Olié, V., Gabet, A., Grave, C., Helft, G., Fosse-Edorh, S., Piffaretti, C., Lailler, G., Verdot, C., Deschamps, V., Vay-Demouy, J., Vidal-Petiot, E., Duly-Bouhanik, B., Tuppin, P., Ferrières, J., Halimi, J. M., & Blacher, J. (2025). Epidemiology of cardiovascular risk factors: Non-behavioral risk factors. Bulletin Épidémiologique Hebdomadaire, special issue, 102–116.

Powell, L. H., Kazlauskaite, R., Shima, C., & Appelhans, B. M. (2010). Lifestyle in France and the United States: An American perspective. Journal of the American Dietetic Association, 110(6), 845–847. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jada.2010.03.029

About the Instructor, Author & Artist – Jim Moltzan

My journey into health, fitness, and martial arts began at the age of 16. At the time, I could not have imagined that something I started as a teenager would continue to shape nearly every stage of my adult life. What began primarily as physical training gradually developed into a much broader study of the relationship between body, mind, health, and personal development. Nearly 45 years later, I am still training, still teaching, and perhaps most importantly, still learning.

Martial arts provided the foundation. My early years were rooted in Korean martial arts, eventually expanding into practices such as BaguaZhang, tai chi, qigong, and other Eastern mind-body disciplines. Over the years I trained with a wide variety of teachers, earned a 5th-degree black belt in Korean Kung Fu through the Dong Han lineage, and accumulated well beyond 10,000 hours as a student and instructor. Yet some of the most valuable lessons came from discovering that rank, titles, forms, and years of training do not necessarily equal wisdom. They represent experience, but what we do with that experience matters much more.

My path was never particularly direct. I continued training while attending school, working multiple jobs, raising a family, and building businesses. I eventually moved from the Midwest to Florida in pursuit of a long-held goal of owning a martial arts school and ultimately became an owner of two martial arts and wellness schools. In time, however, I discovered that owning a school and being a teacher were not necessarily the same thing. Running a business could consume much of the time and energy that originally drew me to the work. I eventually chose to place greater emphasis on teaching, personal cultivation, writing, and sharing what I had learned.

That transition also changed the way I thought about health. Decades of martial arts had already introduced me to qigong, Traditional Chinese Medicine, meditation, breathing practices, and Eastern philosophy, but I wanted to understand these ideas from perspectives outside the traditions in which I had originally encountered them. In my late 50s, I returned to college and completed a Bachelor of Science degree in Holistic Health. The experience exposed me to a much broader academic examination of human health, behavior, stress, nutrition, psychology, physiology, culture, and different approaches to medicine. More importantly, it encouraged me to compare what I had learned through decades of experience with modern research and other ways of understanding health.

Teaching has remained the common thread connecting all of these experiences. I have had the opportunity to work with hundreds of people, from younger martial artists to older adults and individuals facing chronic health challenges. My teaching has taken me into martial arts schools, hospitals, wellness programs, churches, and community organizations. As I have grown older myself, my interests have naturally evolved. I remain interested in what the human body can accomplish, but I am equally interested in how we preserve movement, balance, confidence, independence, curiosity, and purpose throughout life.

Writing has become another way of teaching. Books, articles, educational materials, and hundreds of videos allow me to share what I have learned with people I may never have the opportunity to meet personally. My goal is not to present myself as a guru or someone who possesses all the answers. After theses many years, I probably have more questions than I once did. Experience has taught me to respect traditional knowledge without assuming that everything old is true, and to respect modern knowledge without assuming that everything new is necessarily better.

Perhaps the greatest change has been in how I now define health itself. I once approached health largely through training and physical capability. Today, I see it as something far more interconnected. How we move and eat certainly matters, but so do the people around us, the way we think, our ability to adapt, our sense of purpose, and whether we continue to participate meaningfully in our own lives. Good health has always required an investment of some kind, whether through time, effort, resources, sacrifice, or a combination of them. No teacher, physician, healer, or health system can make that investment entirely on our behalf.

Now, as a husband, father of two grown children, teacher, author, and lifelong student entering my own later years, I find myself less interested in accumulating and more interested in integrating. I want to make better use of what I have already learned, continue questioning what I think I know, and share whatever may be useful to others. If nearly 45 years of training and teaching have taught me anything, it is that there probably is no final destination called mastery. There is simply another opportunity to learn, adapt, help someone else, and become a little better version of ourselves along the way.

Be Well.

Jim Moltzan

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Masters Council

Rising Health Concerns Since 2020: A Holistic Overview of Emerging Trends

Since 2020, public attention has largely focused on infectious diseases such as COVID-19 and vaccine-preventable illnesses like measles and tuberculosis. However, an alarming rise in several chronic, developmental, and mental health conditions suggests a deeper crisis in population health, especially in the United States. This article outlines key health trends that deserve greater attention, including sudden cardiac events, mental health disorders, obesity and type 2 diabetes in adolescents, and the resurgence of various cancers.

Sudden Cardiac Death and Vascular Events

Sudden cardiac death (SCD), once relatively rare among young adults, has shown an increase in prevalence. Between 1999 and 2020, the age-adjusted mortality rate for SCD among U.S. adults aged 25-44 rose from 0.10 to 0.18 per 100,000; a significant public health concern (The Cardiology Advisor, 2025). Additionally, deaths from aortic aneurysms have become more frequent among adults, though definitive recent data is still emerging.

Infant Mortality and Early-Life Risk
The U.S. infant mortality rate rose by 3% in 2022 to 5.6 deaths per 1,000 live births, the first increase in two decades. The rise was especially significant in states like Georgia, Texas, and Missouri, and among infants born to White and Native American women. Contributing factors include maternal health complications and bacterial sepsis (Falconer, 2023).

Mental Health Crisis and Suicide
The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated mental health conditions, particularly among adolescents and young adults. Increased rates of anxiety, depression, and suicide have been documented, with long-term consequences expected. A significant contributing factor has been the reduction in school-based mental health support following the expiration of pandemic relief funding (Houston Chronicle, 2024).

Adolescent Obesity and Type 2 Diabetes
Obesity affects nearly 1 in 5 U.S. youth aged 2-19 years, with disproportionately high rates among Hispanic and non-Hispanic Black populations (Childhood Obesity Facts, 2024). Concurrently, the incidence of type 2 diabetes in adolescents has risen sharply. Projections suggest a 700% increase by 2060 if current trends continue (Diabetes in Young People Is on the Rise, 2024).

Alzheimer’s Disease: A Looming Epidemic
Currently, over 6.9 million Americans aged 65 and older are living with Alzheimer’s disease. This figure is expected to double to 13.8 million by 2060 due to aging demographics and unknown environmental and lifestyle factors (Alzheimer’s Association, 2024).

Colorectal and Pancreatic Cancers in Younger Adults
Although colorectal cancer rates have declined overall due to better screening in older adults, incidence in younger populations (ages 25-50) has doubled since 1995. Advanced-stage diagnoses are increasing at a rate of 3% annually in adults under 50 (American Cancer Society, 2023). Similarly, pancreatic cancer is on the rise, particularly among young women, with experts noting a significant and concerning shift in the disease burden (Harnisch-Weidauer, 2024).

Conclusion
The rise in both communicable and non-communicable diseases since 2020 signals a multi-faceted public health challenge. While infectious diseases tend to dominate media cycles, chronic conditions, mental health issues, and early-onset cancers are equally pressing. These trends underscore the urgent need for holistic prevention strategies, health education, and early interventions that go beyond vaccination campaigns and address root causes like nutrition, stress, environmental toxicity, and healthcare inequality.

References:

Alzheimer’s Association. (2024). *2024 Alzheimer’s disease facts and figures*. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38689398/

American Cancer Society. (2023). Colorectal Cancer Facts & Figures 2023-2025. https://www.cancer.org/content/dam/cancer-org/research/cancer-facts-and-statistics/colorectal-cancer-facts-and-figures/colorectal-cancer-facts-and-figures-2023.pdf

Childhood obesity Facts. (2024, April 2). Obesity. https://www.cdc.gov/obesity/childhood-obesity-facts/childhood-obesity-facts.html

Diabetes in young people is on the rise. (2024, May 15). Diabetes. https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/data-research/research/young-people-diabetes-on-rise.html

Falconer, R. (2023, November 1). U.S. infant mortality rate rises for first time in over 2 decades. Axios. https://www.axios.com/2023/11/01/us-infant-mortality-rate-rises-first-time-two-decades

Harnisch-Weidauer, L. (2024, November 18). What you need to know about rising pancreatic cancer rates. Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. https://blog.dana-farber.org/insight/2024/11/what-you-need-to-know-about-rising-pancreatic-cancer-rates/

Houston Chronicle. (2024). *Mental health crisis in students persists post-COVID*. https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/education/hisd/article/texas-covid-mental-health-crisis-20205168.php

Partain, C. (2025, March 13). Houston students’ mental health still hasn’t rebounded from COVID. Houston Chronicle. https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/education/hisd/article/texas-covid-mental-health-crisis-20205168.php

The Cardiology Advisor. (2025, March 5). Sudden cardiac death rate increasing for younger adults in the US. https://www.thecardiologyadvisor.com/news/sudden-cardiac-death-rate-increasing-for-younger-adults-in-the-us/

Winston, S., & Winston, S. (2022, May 13). COVID-19 has harmed students’ social-emotional wellbeing, making it even more difficult to learn | Innovate Public Schools. Innovate Public Schools | a World-Class Public School for Every Student. https://innovateschools.org/research-and-data/learning-loss/covid-19-has-harmed-students-social-emotional-wellbeing-making-it-even-more-difficult-to-learn/

I look forward to further sharing more of my message by partnering with hospitals, wellness centers, VA centers, schools on all levels, businesses, and individuals who see the value in building a stronger nation through building a healthier population.

I also have hundreds of FREE education video classes, lectures, and seminars available on my YouTube channel at:

https://www.youtube.com/c/MindandBodyExercises

Many of my publications can be found on Amazon at:

http://www.Amazon.com/author/jimmoltzan

My holistic health blog is available at:

https://mindandbodyexercises.wordpress.com/

http://www.MindAndBodyExercises.com

Mind and Body Exercises on Google: https://posts.gle/aD47Qo

Jim Moltzan

407-234-0119

The Meat We Eat: Are We Consuming Chronic Illness?

Modern society is grappling with a chronic disease epidemic, with most Americans suffering from comorbidities and taking multiple pharmaceuticals daily. However, while we focus on human health, we often overlook a parallel crisis, one happening within the animals we consume. If humans are chronically ill, is it reasonable to assume that animals raised in industrial farming operations are immune? The reality is that livestock experience chronic illness due to poor diets, pharmaceutical overuse, and unnatural living conditions. As a result, humans ingest not only nutrients but also the byproducts of disease and drug residues.

1. Livestock and Chronic Illness: A Hidden Epidemic

Just as human health is compromised by poor nutrition and sedentary lifestyles, industrially raised livestock suffer from chronic illnesses caused by unnatural diets and overcrowding.

Antibiotic Overuse: Animals in factory farms receive antibiotics to promote growth and prevent disease in unsanitary conditions. This practice fuels antibiotic-resistant bacteria, a serious threat to human health (Landers et al., 2012).
Chronic Inflammation: Livestock fed grain-based diets (instead of grass) develop inflammation, fatty liver disease, and immune dysfunction, mirroring the harms of processed foods in humans (Apaoblaza et al., 2019).
Hormonal Imbalances: Growth hormones and synthetic chemicals disrupt animals’ endocrine systems, with potential effects on human consumers (Vandenberg et al., 2012).

2. Poor Nutrition, Poor Health: Consequences of Unnatural Diets

Processed foods have deteriorated human health, and similarly, commercial animal diets lack natural nutrition, fostering disease.

Cattle on Grain Diets: Cows evolved to eat grass but are fed grains, causing acidosis, liver abscesses, and immune suppression (Russell & Rychlik, 2001).
Chickens and Confinement: Factory-farmed chickens endure respiratory infections and skeletal deformities due to overcrowding (Mench et al., 2010).
Pigs and Stress-Related Illnesses: Intelligent and stressed in confinement, pigs face weakened immunity and higher disease rates (Marchant-Forde, 2009).

3. Pharmaceutical Dependence: Treating Symptoms, Not Causes

Industrial farming mirrors healthcare’s symptom-focused approach, relying on drugs to sustain unhealthy conditions.

Antibiotics and Vaccines: Routine use prevents infections in filthy environments but breeds antibiotic-resistant bacteria (Laxminarayan et al., 2013).
Growth Hormones: Recombinant bovine somatotropin (rBST) increases milk production but causes metabolic stress (Dohoo et al., 2018).

4. Genetic Manipulation: Creating Fragile Animals

Selective breeding for rapid growth yields biologically compromised animals.

Broiler Chickens: Bred to grow unnaturally fast, they suffer musculoskeletal and organ failure (Knowles et al., 2008).
Dairy Cows: High milk production breeds mastitis and metabolic disorders (Oltenacu & Broom, 2010).

5. The Impact on Human Health: You Are What Your Food Eats

Consuming sick animals means ingesting illness byproducts:

Antibiotic Residues: Alter gut microbiota and fuel antibiotic resistance (Laxminarayan et al., 2013).
Hormonal Disruption: Endocrine-active compounds in animal fat affect fertility and metabolism (Soto & Sonnenschein, 2010).
Inflammatory Profiles: Meat from stressed animals exacerbates chronic inflammation (Most & Yates, 2021)

6. The Paradox of Industrial Farming: A Broken System

Like modern healthcare, industrial farming masks symptoms instead of solving root causes:

Symptom Management: Drugs sustain sick animals in unnatural environments.
Profit Over Health: High yields come at the cost of animal and human health.

(Edison et al., 2024)

7. Solutions: Regenerative Agriculture and Conscious Consumption

Breaking the cycle is possible:

Pasture-Raised, Grass-Fed Meat: Healthier and free from pharmaceuticals (Daley et al., 2010).
Organic and Local Farming: Reduces chemical exposure and supports biodiversity (Reganold & Wachter, 2016).
Diversified Diets: Plant-based proteins reduce reliance on factory-farmed meat.

Final Thoughts: The Ripple Effect of Conscious Choices

Choosing ethically raised meat improves human health and supports a system that prioritizes wellness for all beings. The health of animals and humans is inextricably linked. Conscious choices can break the cycle of chronic illness.

References

Daley, C. A., Abbott, A., Doyle, P. S., Nader, G. A., & Larson, S. (2010). A review of fatty acid profiles and antioxidant content in grass-fed and grain-fed beef. Nutrition Journal, 9(1), 10. https://doi.org/10.1186/1475-2891-9-10

Dohoo, I. R., Leslie, K., DesCôteaux, L., Fredeen, A., Dowling, P., Preston, A., & Shewfelt, W. (2003). A meta-analysis review of the effects of recombinant bovine somatotropin. 1. Methodology and effects on production. Canadian journal of veterinary research = Revue canadienne de recherche veterinaire, 67(4), 241–251.

Apaoblaza, A., Gerrard, S., Matarneh, S., Wicks, J., Kirkpatrick, L., England, E., Scheffler, T., Duckett, S., Shi, H., Silva, S., Grant, A., & Gerrard, D. (2019). Muscle from grass- and grain-fed cattle differs energetically. Meat Science, 161, 107996. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.meatsci.2019.107996

Edison, L. K., Kudva, I. T., & Kariyawasam, S. (2024). Host–Pathogen Interactions during Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli Adherence and Colonization in the Bovine Gut: A Comprehensive Review. Microorganisms, 12(10), 2009. https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms12102009

Knowles, T. G., Kestin, S. C., Haslam, S. M., Brown, S. N., Green, L. E., Butterworth, A., Pope, S. J., Pfeiffer, D., & Nicol, C. J. (2008). Leg disorders in broiler chickens: Prevalence, risk factors, and prevention. PLOS ONE, 3(2), e1545. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0001545

Landers, T. F., Cohen, B., Wittum, T. E., & Larson, E. L. (2012). A review of antibiotic use in food animals: Perspective, policy, and potential. Public Health Reports, 127(1), 4–22. https://doi.org/10.1177/003335491212700103

Laxminarayan, R., Duse, A., Wattal, C., & Zaidi, A. K. M. (2013). Antibiotic resistance: The need for global solutions. The Lancet Infectious Diseases, 13(12), 1057–1098. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1473-3099(13)70318-9

Marchant-Forde, J. N. (Ed.). (2009). The welfare of pigs (By C. Phillips). Springer ScienceþBusiness Media B.V. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-8909-1

Mench, J., Sumner, D., & Rosen-Molina, J. (2010). Sustainability of egg production in the United States—The policy and market context. Poultry Science, 90(1), 229–240. https://doi.org/10.3382/ps.2010-00844Oltenacu, P., & Broom, D. (2010). The impact of genetic selection for increased milk yield on the welfare of dairy cows. Animal Welfare, 19(S1), 39–49. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0962728600002220

Reganold, J. P., & Wachter, J. M. (2016). Organic agriculture in the twenty-first century. Nature Plants, 2(2), 15221. https://doi.org/10.1038/nplants.2015.221

Russell, J. B., & Rychlik, J. L. (2001). Factors that alter rumen microbial ecology. Science, 292(5519), 1119–1122. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1058830

Soto, A. M., & Sonnenschein, C. (2010). Environmental causes of cancer: Endocrine disruptors as carcinogens. Nature Reviews Endocrinology, 6(7), 363–370. https://doi.org/10.1038/nrendo.2010.87

Vandenberg, L. N., Colborn, T., Hayes, T. B., Heindel, J. J., Jacobs, D. R., Lee, D. H., Shioda, T., Soto, A. M., vom Saal, F. S., Welshons, W. V., Zoeller, R. T., & Myers, J. P. (2012). Hormones and endocrine-disrupting chemicals: Low-dose effects and nonmonotonic dose responses. Endocrine Reviews, 33(3), 378–455. https://doi.org/10.1210/er.2011-1050

Most, M. S., & Yates, D. T. (2021). Inflammatory mediation of heat Stress-Induced growth Deficits in livestock and its potential role as a target for nutritional interventions: a review. Animals, 11(12), 3539. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani11123539