There are three basic factors or causes for every disease known to man. It doesn't matter if it's heart disease, cancer, auto-immune, internal or external symptoms. If you were to address these three things, you could basically live a disease free life. It is possible to have a body that is strong, healthy, pain-free and drug-free. So what are these three causes?
Nutritional imbalances and/or deficiencies.Toxic accumulation.Inflammation.Let's breakdown each category for further insight.
1. HOW CAN NUTRITIONAL DEFICIENCIES CAUSE DISEASE?
We know the effects of vitamin and mineral deficiencies such as osteoporosis(calcium), scurvy(vit C), pellegra(niacin), Beri-Beri(vit B1). We are all informed by the RDA on vitamin bottles of the minimum daily recommneded doses of the vitamins and minerals needed to prevent those and other diseases.
However, this is the MINIMUM DAILY DOSE. But who wants a body that is operating at the minimum levels of efficiency!? And this is precisely what I am referring to when I talk about vitamin deficiencies. When operating at the minimum levels of efficiency, your body will function minimally, eventually wear out and finally break down. To work efficiently, your body needs the proper nutrients every day. And in America, most of us are not getting them.
Especially not with the Standard American Diet(SAD). McDonald's anyone? Let's face it. We are a fast food nation. Food is processed, altered, irradiated, treated with pesticides, herbicides, growth hormones, antibiotics and more. The nutrient levels of processed food is negligible at best and down right harmful at its' worst. There is no way your body is getting what it needs to function properly and to fend off infections and fight diseases.
There is another reason we are not getting the proper nutrients and why most of us are suffering from malnutrition. And that is the state of your gut or your stomach and intestines. Over time, these critical organs have basically become sick, clogged up, overly toxic and are actually now a cause of many of the conditions, diseases and symptoms we experience daily.
So now that we're symptomatic and don't feel good, what do we do? Take more drugs, which in turn further deteriorates the normal flora and trillions of "good" bacteria that we need to thrive. There are 10 times the number of bacteria in your gut than there are cells in your entire body. So they are there for a purpose. Not only that, the proportion of "good" to "bad" bacteria is likely even more important.
WHAT DESTROYS THE "GOOD" BACTERIA?
There are many causes but the #1 cause is antibiotics. They were designed to kill the "bad" bacteria and they do a great job. But they are not selective. They kill all of them. And if you have ever taken an antibiotic, even once(and some live on the stuff) and did not take a good quality probiotic supplement to replenish them, you are deficient. Not to mention using antibiotic hand soaps every day. Make no mistake. What gets on your skin, gets into your bloodstream.
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN "GOOD" BACTERIA ARE DEPLETED?
When you think of your immune system do you think of your gut? Probably not. But approximately 80% of all immune tissue cells are found in your gut. It is called GALT(Gut Related Lymphatic Tissue). Now imagine that these immune cells, which are totally dependent and rely on the proper functioning of the "good" bacteria that live there, were to become over-worked. This is exactly what happens. These immune cells become agitated when they are exposed to something called an antigen, such as pet dander, dust, smoke and even certain foods. The immune cells sound an alarm. Your body then mounts an all out war by releasing histamines and alerting your white blood cells and antibodies to attack the "offending' organism. Unfortunately, they also attack normal tissues along with them, be it in your nose, sinuses, lungs, your joints, your skin or your stomach. Any body site location can be the "battleground" where the war is waged. This is when we take more drugs to: lower histamine release; to impede your immune cells; to dull the pain; to reduce the itchy watery eyes; to clear your throat; to un-stuff your nose.
Actually, the first signs that your body's becoming toxic and your immune system is overactive and going haywire are: chronic sinusitis and allergies(food or environmental). But we ignore the signs, not recognizing the real cause, and allow it to get worse and worse by merely masking the symptoms. After a while, your immune system becomes overworked to the point of exhaustion. This is when a major illness can now occur.
2. HOW DO WE BECOME TOXIC?
Just by living in today's society we literally are breathing, drinking, and eating toxins. We think of isolated areas of the world as toxic dumps. Well, look in the mirror because that is the closest toxic dump near you.
There are a number of ways you can reduce the amount of toxic substances entering your body.
Get a HEPA filter(s) or purifier for your home.Get a reverse osmosis and/or a good water filter system in your house, drink bottled water, etc. Tap water is loaded with chlorine, a deadly toxin and fluoride which is also very toxic. Of course, tap water is also contains many heavy metals and even prescription drugs!Food? That's a little tougher since the food industry and the FDA are not on your side here and in fact make it that much more difficult to avoid ingesting toxic substances with your food. Obviously, avoid fast food like the plague (although I'm not being fair, the plague didn't kill nearly as many people) A good rule of thumb is to eat foods found as close to nature as possible. Want to give your kids juice?Avoid food that is heavily processed, comes in a box, a bag or a bottle. Eat organic meat, fruit and vegetables as much as possible. There are many great books on this subject so I am not going to get into specific details. My goal is just to make you aware of the things that are slowly making you and your family sick and setting the stage for a major illness.
There are foods that should be avoided as they upset the gut lining; hinder the growth of "good" bacteria; encourage yeast overgrowth; lower blood PH(too acidic); cause blood sugar, insulin and other hormones to spike; promote the overproduction of mucus and cause an allergic response.
These are: dairy products(milk, cheese, butter, yogurt, cottage cheese, sour cream, etc.), shellfish, pork products, wheat, refined sugar and peanuts.Question: So, what is the most popular child's lunch(and why may there be so much hyperactivity and other child hood problems)?Answer: A big glass of milk and a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. YES!
4. These are the obvious ways we are ingesting toxic substances every day. What about the not so obvious? Like things that you rub onto your skin, lather into your hair and scrub into your gums and teeth. Have you ever bothered to really read the ingredient lists on shampoo, deodorant, skin lotion, toothpaste and the like? It reminds me of experiments in organic chemistry classes. Now the FDA has determined that all of these ingredients are completely safe at the levels that are in those products(Whose paying off who?). Maybe that's true, not likely, but maybe. But I guarantee they never tested the safety or the effects of combining hundreds of them, being used everyday...together...for years!
Did you know that propylene glycol, for example, is found in most shampoos, conditioners and even toothpaste? It's great for removing dirt and oils from garage floors. But, propylene glycol is the main ingredient in anti-freeze. You know what can happen to you if you swallowed anti-freeze. There is a large caution on that container stating not to. Of course. But what about just scrubbing, brushing and rubbing a little bit of it into your body every day? Common sense tells me not to, so I don't. There are lots of products found in your local health food stores that do not contain propylene glycol or sodium laurel sulfate(another serious toxin). Just read the labels and look for products with all-natural ingredient alternatives. They are out there and growing in numbers everyday. Yes, they cost a little more. But again, are you and your family's health worth it?
WHAT ARE SOME OF THE SIGNS OF TOXICITY?
Due to the complicated nature of the immune system and the many ways in which toxicity can effect it, it is difficult to diagnose that you are toxic. Hair testing analysis and specific blood stress testing can reveal it, but they can be expensive and misleading or inconclusive. Symptoms of toxicity can range from allergies and sinus problems, to chronic infections or chronic fatigue(after all, your body is fighting a constant but losing battle), to joint pains, to more serious and life threatening conditions. So, don't wait. If you suspect you are becoming toxic, and you probably already are, there are other things you can do to assist your body in detoxifying itself in addition to the 4 points above.
Again, there are many great books out there that spell out the types of procedures but quickly:
colonic irrigationa liver flusha gallbladder flushherbal detox formulationsspirulina and chlorella supplements(very powerful natural detoxifiers)milk thistle(powerful liver support herb)fastingjuicing, to name a few3. HOW DOES INFLAMMATION CAUSE DISEASE?
The inflammatory process is a good thing and is, in fact, required for most physiological functions and for chemical reactions to take place in your body. The problem is when the inflammatory response gets out of control and occurs for too long or is too strong. A constant severe inflammation ultimately causes tissue damage and destruction, whether it's a simple single fiber or an entire organ. That being said we do many things, mainly through our diet, that promote chronic inflammation.
WHAT ARE THE CAUSES OF INFLAMMATION?
As mentioned, dietary factors are the number one cause of chronic inflammation. You have heard of good fats and bad fats I am sure. Well, a diet higher in Omega 6 fatty acids and lower in Omega 3 fats will promote the inflammatory reaction. There is a complicated chemical pathway when these unsaturated fats are broken down and of the by-products that are produced, one is pro-inflammatory and one is not. Suffice it to say to just consume more omega 3 fatty acids such as fish oils, olive oil, flax seed and nut oils. The culprits with the highest ratio of Omega 6 fats to Omega 3 fats are corn oil, vegetable oils and safflower oil. So from this list it becomes obvious that most pre-packaged processed foods contain high levels of pro-inflammatory Omega 6 fats.
The biological effects of chronic over production of n-6 eicosanides(a signaling molecule mainly involved in inflammation and the immune system) is associated with heart attacks, stroke, inflammation, asthma, immune diseases, arthritis, obesity, mood disorders and cancer.
Another cause of inflammation in the body, particularly inside blood vessel walls, is high sugar levels. We have known for quite sometime how detrimental sugar is to our health including its' role in Type 2 diabetes. But more and more research is revealing sugar's role in the onset of heart disease and circulatory problems. The excess sugar in the blood causes an inflammatory response at the vessel wall. This in turn causes the body to heal it by placing a "patch" over the damaged vessel wall's lining. It is patched with: cholesterol, fats in the blood, calcium and other substances. Together, this is what makes up plaque and which can eventually block your artery if the inflammation and "patching" is ongoing and extensive.
Other foods that cause inflammation are: red meat, alcohol, dairy and anything deep fried(Omega 6 oils). So a diet high in fish, vegetables, fruits, raw nuts and seeds and some whole grains are the best way to reduce inflammation in your body and keep your immune system functioning the way it was designed to.
No comments:
Post a Comment