Now is the Time to Take Charge of Your Health!
Due to current events, it’s a safe bet that you (and everyone else) is paying more attention to health information from the government, specifically the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) than you have in the past.
There’s a report that I hope everyone saw (I’ve embedded it at the end of this post in case you want to read the whole thing). As more data becomes available, things may change…but for now, let’s examine what data we have.
In the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR), of patients that were hospitalized, about 89% had one or more underlying conditions.
The most common conditions were:
hypertension 49.7%
obesity 48.3%
chronic lung disease 34.6%
diabetes mellitus 28.3%
cardiovascular disease 27.8%
Here’s some additional data from the CDC - as of 2018, the obesity rate for adults over 18 is 30% and for adolescents is 15% (2017).
While some of these conditions have a genetic component, most can be managed by lifestyle choices. Genetics can explain how you got certain characteristics from your parents (DNA and all that stuff), but epigenetics is about environmental factors (things you CAN control) that determine if those genes get “turned on” and carry out their functions or if they have a more limited impact to your health.
the only person worried about your health is you
Food companies are worried profits and gaining/keeping market share…
Big Pharma is worried about profits, favorable legislation, and public opinion…
Elected officials are worried about re-election, pleasing lobbyists, and campaign fundraising…
Who does that leave to look out for your health???? YOU
There’s a lot of information out there - so making decisions about your health can seem confusing or like it’s “too much work” to keep up with all of the latest information.
Here’s the good news - it’s pretty straightforward to get started and reclaim your health. Here are 5 tips to help you get started reclaiming your health.
5 tips to get your started Reclaiming your health
Eliminate added sugars in your food and drinks
Reduce, or ideally, eliminate processed foods - eat more whole foods
Drink plenty of water
Eat organic foods, when possible
Get enough good quality sleep (at least 7 hours per
BONUS tip - MOVE - get sufficient movement every day - walking is just fine - research shows that it’s not how fast you move, longevity seems to be more directly related to the amount of movement (walking). (see Step Count study in References if you want to read more).
Start now!
Pick 1 of the 5 tips and do it now or at your next meal - there’s no reason to wait!
Once you’re regularly doing that one tip…add another…and then add another, once you are doing both regularly…in a few weeks, you’ll be doing all 5 (or 6) and your health will be benefiting from these changes.
Post your questions or comments (or send me a private message) - let’s make ourselves healthy again!
References:
Association of Daily Step Count and Step Intensity With Mortality Among US Adults