How to Move from Chronic Illness to Abundant Health
Even
though there is more awareness through the media and increased scientific
research, some autoimmune conditions (i.e. systemic lupus, Sjogrens syndrome,
rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis) continue to rise. Interesting fact,
considering that we also now know that nutritional interventions can have a
major impact on many autoimmune conditions. Auto immune disorders occur when
the body creates antibodies against itself and attacks healthy cells, but the
body has an amazing ability to build, defend and restore itself when we feed it
properly.
But
what exactly does that look like? Many of us understand that we must eat
healthily to maintain wellness; however most of us don’t know what nutrients
are essential to maintain optimal health. There is so much information out
there, especially online, that it can be confusing and overwhelming.
Disease
is like an iceberg----by the time you notice it, all too often it is too late
to make a correction or to survive the impact. Typically, there is a whole lot more
going on under the surface than what is showing. Avoiding the disease iceberg
takes planning a well-charted course if you want wellness. A prevention and
repair strategy will help you to avoid a lot of pain and suffering, not to
mention the vast amounts of money you can spend with today’s healthcare system.
Feeling good can be an illusion.
Don’t be mistaken that good health is present when there is an absence of pain
or symptoms. Symptoms are the last and final stages of breakdown that has been
in process for years or even decades. Just because you don’t feel bad, doesn’t
mean that you are disease free. It is a common mistake which could end up
costing you or a loved one dearly!
Have
you ever lost someone close to you or watch helplessly as someone you care
about suffers from a sickness or disease? It’s a desperate feeling. Many times
you find yourself wishing you’d spent more time with them or were much more
proactive in protecting their health. Hopefully, you haven’t had to deal with the
pain of realizing it’s too late to save someone. Many have not been so lucky.
Think about your loved ones. How much would it be worth to you if you could
help protect and enhance their health?
The
media, statistics, the healthcare system and what we are generally told can
easily make us feel helpless and believe that it is out of our hands whether we
or a loved will become afflicted with one of these terrifying conditions.
But, what
if you could supplement your diet with the basic building blocks that would
help your body build defend and repair itself on a daily basis? What if you
could supplement your diet with nutrients to increase muscle mass, increase
bone density, increase strength, increase aerobic capacity, decrease total
cholesterol/HDL ratio, decrease percentage of body fat, decrease high blood
pressure and increase blood glucose tolerance? All factors in maintaining good
health to keep the wolf of disease at the door.
The human body must perform 8
fundamental processes to build restore and support overall wellness. Each of
these 8 systems requires certain raw materials from nature, many of which are
largely deficient from our modern diets. They have been refined, processed,
green harvested, chemically sprayed, genetically modified and cooked out of our
food…. But that is an entirely different conversation that I will keep for
another day. The good news is that science now knows what they are, where to
find them and how to provide them effectively in a form as close to nature as
possible.
Giving the body what it needs to
promote health is critical to maintaining wellness. If you really want a
healthy body you will need healthy systems (gastrointestinal system,
respiratory system, nervous system, vascular system, central nervous system,
autonomic nervous system, cardiovascular system, lymphatic system).
If you really want healthy systems you
will need organs functioning at peak efficiency and those organs function well
if the cells that make them up are functioning well.
So what are these 8 fundamental
processes?
- Communication
- Protection
- Balance
- Nourish
- Digestion
- Hydration
- Body fitness
- Harmony
Let’s take a look at each of these a
little closer, and what your role is in optimizing these processes.
1. Communication
Our
bodies are made up of trillions of cells which are constantly evolving and
changing to perform their various functions. The proper function of every cell
greatly depends on its ability to talk to itself and to other cells. Here are a
few questions that these cells ask each day:
I am
a heart cell, can you help me get more oxygen…..?
I am
a cartilage cell can you help me repair this crack?
I am
a pancreas cell and I’m under attack and can’t produce my hormone. Can I get help!
Every
cell has basic needs it must communicate to other cells and it uses an alphabet
of various combinations of specific sugars to accomplish this task. Sugars like
glucose, galactose, mannose, xylose, fucose, N-acetyl Glucosamine, N-acetyl
Galactosamine, N-acetyl Neuraminic Acid are the letters that create the words
that allow us to communicate with each other. These sugars are also called glyconutrients.
I,
personally, consume a glyconutrient product called Ambrotose complex because I
can’t get these critical sugars in ample amounts from the food I eat on a daily
basis. If these sugars are not supplied in the diet, and the body fails to make
them properly, cellular communication is diminished. That is one of the reasons
an increasing number of medical professionals, including myself, are now
recommending supplementation of these valuable nutrients.
2. Protection
The
human body is a very efficient machine. It is constantly recycling or
regenerating cells every second of every day because all cells essentially have
an “expiration date”. The breakdown of this process is generally referred to as
aging. There are many invaders such as free radicals and toxins that can damage
cells and speed up the aging process. Cells are designed to protect themselves
from environmental factors that can shorten their lifespan, but they require
certain nutrients to be prepared.
If
our cells do not receive the necessary equipment to put up their defenses, and
the body is unable to keep up with the growing demands of damaged cells, then
we will likely begin to lose the battle and we may begin to show the signs of
premature aging.
Here’s
a list of nutrients from which to obtain daily (ANTIOXIDANT) protection
Vitamin
C
Grape
Seed Extract
Vitamin
E
Green
Tea Extract
Quercetin
Broccoli
Brussels
Sprout
Kale
Cranberry
Raspberry
Blueberry
Cherry
Spinach
Strawberry
Cabbage
Turnip
Garlic
Onion
Carrots
Cauliflower
Tomato
Papaya
Pineapple
3. Balance
The human body has a system that
produces and excretes 87 hormones which regulate the biochemical actions of
every cell throughout the body. Hormones affect growth patterns, mood,
programmed cell death, activation of the immune system, inhibition of the
immune system, metabolism, preparation of the body for fighting, for fleeing
for mating, for a new phase of life such as puberty, for menopause, andropause
and for reproduction. Maintaining this delicate hormonal balance is critical
for these processes to occur naturally in the body. Although the body is responsible
for balancing its internal environment, there are certain raw ingredients it
requires from nature (real food) to produce hormones. These raw materials are
known as precursors. For example: If the body determines the level of a certain
hormone is too low, it must have the raw materials from plant sources to make
it.
If the body is not provided with these
raw materials (precursors), then hormone production may be disrupted. A hormonal
imbalance can have drastic effects on how we feel and the way our bodies
operate.
Here is a list of nutrients needed to
accomplish proper balance:
Beta Sistosterol
Wild Yam
Amino acids
L-Arginine
L-Lysine
Glycine
L-Glutamic Acid
Boron
Rice bran fiber
Rice bran
Next week we will cover the next
processes the body must perform on a daily basis. Until then, remember that
WELLNESS is not a quick fix. It is a conscious decision you make every day to
give your body what it needs to be well. Good nutrition is crucial. When you
supply your cells with the right nutrients, your cells can help keep you well.
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