“Cardiovascular disease kills more people each year than Covid at its worst. We know how to prevent it. We just need the political will.”
Excerpt from the article:
“First, some basics. In the first two years of the pandemic, Covid killed nearly 900,000 people in the U.S. In those same years, heart attacks and strokes killed more than 1.6 million. Globally, Covid killed more than 10 million people in the first two years of the pandemic; in the same two years, cardiovascular disease killed more than 35 million. The three leading drivers of heart attacks and strokes—accounting for around two-thirds of the global total—are tobacco use, hypertension and air pollution, and all three are preventable.”
consult with your physician, nutritionist, chiropractor or other healthcare professional regularly
have your posture checked
exercise and stretch regularly
perform non-specific symmetrical exercises (engage both left & right, top & bottom)
inspect footwear for uneven wear patterns
evaluate poor lifestyle habits and adjust
review career choices if necessary
have an outlet for your stress and emotional ups & downs
evaluate alcohol and drug consumption
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Control the body with the mind. Manage the mind by disciplining the body, through physical activity. Learn to be more active, eat healthier, sleep better, stress less – these are the key components to maintaining a strong mind, body, immune system, and outlook on life.
I am currently offering wellness lectures and classes for group, small group & private instruction in Wekiva, Longwood and Winter Park.
consistent activity is a key factor in reducing disease
If we are led to believe that the US has the most wealth, the best doctors, the best healthcare, the best vaccines – then why did the US experience the highest rate of COVID-19 cases as well as associated deaths? Because the answers lies beyond the US being the best (far from it) when it comes to personal responsibility for health and well-being. Most in the US look to the broken healthcare system for sick-care after becoming sick or injured than looking to themselves to prevent acquiring disease, illness and injury. True is true; do your own research to see which countries fare the best in overall quality of life, and relative health. The US is far from the top, but by far spends the most money on sick-care.
An amazing amount of health issues can be reduced by simply exercising consistently (Exercise: 7 Benefits of Regular Physical Activity, 2021). Many issues such as stress, sleep disorders, and cardiovascular issues are reduced by exercising a few times per week. Find a method of exercise that works for you.
Known benefits of regular exercise include:
reduce your risk of a heart attack.
manage your weight better.
have a lower blood cholesterol level.
lower the risk of type 2 diabetes and some cancers.
have lower blood pressure.
have stronger bones, muscles and joints and lower risk of developing osteoporosis.
lower your risk of falls.
Walk, run, swim, weight train, yoga, tai chi, martial arts, dance – just do something everyday! Or every other day, 2 times a week, whatever! Get your body moving. Give your mind something positive to focus upon.
In the words of Dr. Jerome Adams from 2020, the former surgeon general of the United States, “You know what will make you and your community healthier but still, you choose not to do it.” He goes on to state that 7 out of 10 of 18-24-year olds are ineligible for military service due to the following:
they cannot pass the physical
cannot meet educational requirements
have a criminal history
In years past, recess and physical education were part of the school day from kindergarten through elementary school. High school students had PE every school day until graduation. Today if students are not involved in school or extracurricular sports, few make the time or commitment to stay physically active. Unhealthy kids quickly turn into unhealthy adults. The health of our people is directly affecting the safety of our nation.
Ask an average citizen in the US if their health and their family’s is a priority and the response will be something like, “Of course our health is my top priority and we have the healthiest country in the world!” No, not true for both statements based upon data from seemingly reputable data outlets. The Bloomberg Global Health Index for 2020, ranked the US #35 in the world for overall quality of health but ranks #1 for healthcare spending. The US spends more than $3.4 trillion annually on health care, more than any other country. Made obvious from the data is that investing more money in healthcare, does not necessarily make a country or the person healthier. Money does not change our health. We need to improve life expectancy and other indicators of health with better education along with a change in mindset. If someone has great healthcare coverage but eats junk food every day, does not exercise regularly and has a negative outlook, they will probably experience health issues sooner than later.
As a nation, we eat an extremely high amount of low-quality junk food and then sit for hours per day. We hope to efficiently digest low quality food that will eventually often cause illnesses and even death. More than 36.3% of youth aged 2-19 eat fast food on a given day.This is complicated even more so with the sedentary lifestyle and laissez-faire attitude towards individuals accepting responsibility for their own health. Americans meeting the CDC guideline for aerobic and muscle strengthening exercises is only 23.2% as of 2018.These factors help contribute to the increase of obesity over the last 60 years. Obesity is a key factor in many health issues based on data from the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and other reputable sources. In 2017–2018, the age-adjusted prevalence of obesity in adults was 42.4%. Stats for kids (not shown) are just as appalling. These numbers are truly pathetic. Further issues to discuss would be how many manage their nutrition by monitoring their intake of sugar, salt, trans fat, alcohol, and other consumables? What about managing stress and emotional health? The US economy needs our citizens to support the fast-food industry and consequently gives the health care industry an overabundance of its own customers. It seems as if the US wants its people to be healthy enough to work, but not too healthy as to put the fast-food and healthcare providers out of business. This is our reality that many choose to deny.
The leading causes of death in the US are all very much influenced by our diet, our sedentary lifestyle, lack of exercise and excessive sitting. Also contributing is our attitude towards managing stress or lack thereof. Thinking that more is always better or if we are not stressed, we are not doing enough. Heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and respiratory issues are all leading causes of death by far. Each of these ailments can be much less if we made it a priority to do so.
Another health issue is our obsession with following the news and the mental stress that can develop from it. Media in the US, love it or hate it, usually focuses mostly on reporting politics, crime and mostly the negative aspects of our society. The phrase “If it bleeds it leads” shows America’s fascination with negative news. This year so far has been mostly the tragedy of Covid19. The media, the government, the entertainment industry and healthcare leaders fail to promote personal responsibility for the individuals’ own actions relative to diet, exercise and lifestyle, and how that can affect on a much broader level the health of our nation. Instead the strong focus is mostly upon wearing masks and social distancing as a way to make an unhealthy nation, somehow immune to disease and illnesses that affect most those that have multiple health issues to begin with. Please understand that even typically well and health conscious people do get sick also. Athletes and health enthusiasts can get sick too. However, people that are active usually recover faster though.
We need to honestly look at the root causes for our health issues, instead of looking to politics or others to blame for our own personal accountability. Blaming others will not make us healthier. We are where we are, because of our choices. I love pizza but I should not be eating it every day of the week. Soda or sugary drinks with every meal? Some TV viewing is fine but 4-7 hours a day is a bit much no? Sitting for 8 or more hours a day negatively affects our metabolic health. We need to own our individual health and well-being.
Our actions support the data that we do not truly put exercise, nutrition and stress as high priorities deserving more action than mere conversation. Healthy living and habits are a choice and a mindset that we as Americans as a whole, fail terribly at practicing. It does not need to be this way. There are things that can move us forward to become a healthier nation.
The 5 Pillars of Health
Eating healthier can be achieved by managing less intake of junk foods, sugar, and salt, as well as reasonable amounts of alcohol. More fruit and vegetables are healthier snacks that have many nutritional rewards. Become more active by getting up and off the couch, stepping away from the PC, TV, smartphone, and other electronic addictions. Better sleep is a major immune system booster and can be earned by being more active during the day. Relieve stress through exercise, meditation, or breathing deeper and more deliberately, or take more breaks from the news and social media. Be nice to others because what you put out, you receive back. Basically, get moving more, eat healthier foods, sleep better, stress less and be a nicer person. Enjoy life but know your limits and take all things in moderation.
Fryar, Cheryl, et al. Fast Food Intake Among Children and Adolescents in the United States, 2015–2018, NCHS Data Brief No. 375, August 2020, www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db375.htm
Hales, Craig, et al. Prevalence of Obesity and Severe Obesity Among Adults: United States, 2017–2018, NCHS Data Brief No. 360, February 2020. www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db360.htm
Chiropractic and Naturopathic Medicine – a basic summary
In 1895 Daniel David Palmer founded chiropractic healthcare based primarily on the importance of the physical structure of the human body and its effects on the vascular system. Also, chiropractic was to have emphasis on the manipulation of the spine due to subluxations or misalignments of the vertebrae (Micozzi, 2018). Chiropractors believe that the nervous system’s signals are transmitted through autonomic pathways to the muscles and internal organs. These signals can cause pain throughout the body and consequently should be able to reduce pain by way of spinal manipulation. Chiropractic draws upon other cultures’ ancient “bonesetting” techniques.The allopathic profession was also becoming stronger in the early 1900’s in establishing a monopoly on medical training and licensure. Allopathic practitioners and the American Medical Association began to forcefully oppose the new chiropractic professions well into the 2nd half of the 20th century (Micozzi, 2018). Chiropractic practitioners’ focus has been mostly to treat neuromusculoskeletal issues, including but not limited to pain in the back, neck, and in the joints of the arms or legs. The main philosophies of using drug free methods of manipulation as a means to promote whole body healing has not changed for chiropractors.
The naturopathy healthcare modality formed in the United States around the early 1900’s, with emphasis on disease prevention and treatment by way of pursuing a healthy lifestyle with the body’s own innate healing abilities. Naturopathic medicine seeks to diagnosis and treat the root cause of the patient as a whole being, rather than treating the pieces and parts of the person (Millstone, 2019).
Naturopathic doctors may use a variety of therapy methods such as:
Management of diet through nutritional supplements and medicinal herbs
Acupuncture
Physical therapies (heat or cold therapy, ultrasonography, and massage)
Hydrotherapy (warm-water or cold-water applications)
Mind-body therapies
Exercise therapy (Millstone, 2019)
Naturopathy also follows a Natural Order of Appropriate Therapeutic Intervention, where:
1. Reestablish the basis for health:
Remove obstacles to healing.
Establish a healthy environment.
Address inborn susceptibility.
2. Stimulate the healing power of nature.
3. Tonify and nourish weakened systems.
4. Correct deficiencies in structural integrity.
5. Prescribe specific substances and modalities for specific conditions and biochemical pathways (e.g., botanicals, nutrients, acupuncture, homeopathy, hydrotherapy, counseling).
6. Prescribe pharmaceutical substances.
7. Use radiation, chemotherapy, and surgery (Micozzi, 2018).
Be well!
References:
Micozzi, M. S. (2018). Fundamentals of complementary and alternative medicine (6th ed.). Philadelphia: Saunders.
We are here…right here where the rubber hits the road.
When the action really begins, is when you begin the job, when you really get serious.
So the question I have is, how serious are you folks about doing anything? Likes and smiley faces are nice, but really don’t make us healthier, more fit or more connected.
None of us really have “extra” time but rather “make” time for what we prioritize in our lives. True is true, either we walk the talk, or we talk the walk.
Talk is cheap, time is priceless.
If every person in American spent 5 minutes (or more) every day by exercising, more people could better manage their weight and suffer less from related illnesses.
If every person in American spent 5 minutes (or more) every day calming their mind by practicing deep breathing exercises, more people would be less stressed and suffer less from related illnesses.
If every person in American spent every day becoming more conscious of their nutrition habits, more people would be able to maintain their health through the choices they make while eating and drinking, and suffer less from related illnesses.
If everyone could assume personal responsibility for their own health, our nation would not have to spend as much time, effort, energy and money trying to keep people healthy.
These concepts seem easy enough, but in reality, most people lack the desire or self-discipline to take the effort and do what it takes to stay healthy, prevent illness or cure their own ailments. Self-discipline is one of five steps known to help achieve better mental and physical wellness.
1) Respect– This is where values begin. You must understand and have respect for yourself (self-respect) before you can demonstrate it to others. Taking the steps to take care of your physical and mental well-being effects you first and then those closest to you second.
2) Discipline– Developing control of one’s own desires, commitments, and ultimately your own actions, leads to self-discipline. Control of physical exercises can lead to management of thought and emotion.
3) Self-Esteem– As you review your achievements of respect and discipline, your sense of worth is elevated and appreciated.
4) Confidence– Understanding and accepting your weak areas as well as your stronger aspects removes insecurity. When you feel that you are physically well and mentally sharp, confidence can fill your personality. You can accomplish whatever goal you set out to achieve.
5) Determination to Achieve Goals– The positive sum of the previous aspects leads to one’s determination. Good judgment and focused effort toward positive goals result in true personal success.
Qigong, Tai Chi and Yoga all are methods to achieve these traits.
It doesn’t matter so much that you do these exercises, as much as it matters that you do some type of exercise. Walk, jog, swim or whatever – just get going and do something. 5 minutes here and there can quickly turn into 15 or 30 minutes at one time or over the course of a day. Once you are moving or mentally engaged, it is much easier to stay motivated and try a few more exercises for a few more minutes.
Be well, become healthier, be wise.
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I write often about topics that affect our health and well-being. Additionally, I teach and offer lecture about qigong, tai chi, baguazhang, and yoga.
United Martial Arts Association 