Six out of ten people suffer from one or more chronic diseases in the United States (U.S.). Therefore, we spend more money per person on disease management than any other country in the world. This has led to American’s consuming over 50 percent of the world’s pharmaceutical drugs. Yet, we only have 5 percent of its population. How did our country become so sick, and what can we do about it?
We can reduce the incidence of major diseases by 80 percent by lowering three risk factors.
- Pathogens (viruses and bacteria)
- Oxidative Stress
- Poor diet (too much sugar, trans fats, and processed foods, not enough fiber and healthy fats, and depleted essential nutrients in today’s produce).
Pathogens
Viruses and bacteria invade healthy cells. As much as everyone is talking about viruses right now, bacterial superbugs are actually a much larger issue. These bugs killed over 750,000 people in 2019. Drug-resistant superbugs could be the largest health threat in the history of medicine. We find most superbugs in hospitals. They exist because of the overuse of antibiotics, and often, antibiotics can’t kill them.
Besides superbugs, viruses such as the Coronavirus, flu, and severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) are feared. The best and most powerful force against viruses and superbugs is the human immune system.
Oxidative Stress
Our body naturally produces antioxidants, but oxidative stress occurs when the level of toxins (free radicals) in our cells exceeds the level of antioxidants our bodies produce. Free radicals have destructive effects on our cells. Oxidative stress contributes to aging, diabetes, cancer, and neurodegenerative diseases.
Chronic inflammation is the primary cause of almost every disease. It is the root cause of autoimmune disorders. So what can we do to prevent pathogens, oxidative stress, and inflammation from taking over our bodies?
Diet
Improving your diet is the simplest but most effective way to boost your body’s immune system. Here are two steps you can take.
- Eat a healthy, mostly plant-based diet including plenty of fiber and healthy fats. Supplement the essential nutrients lacking in your food. Avoid processed foods, sugar, and trans fats.
- Choose natural health solutions instead of treating symptoms with drugs. Drugs produce side effects and create more symptoms that require more medications. Drugs are the leading toxin found in most people.
These steps will help you optimize your immune system so that your body can take care of viruses and bacteria that you might encounter. Turning on the immune system and having it function optimally is critical to life, especially in this day and age.
We need to be responsible for our own health by paying attention to what we’re putting in our bodies. By doing this we will enable our bodies to heal as God intended.
As a Healthy Lifestyle Coach, Lisa Kafer’s mission is to empower the public to reduce their risk of disease. She helps her clients improve their health, energy, and sleep and lose unwanted pounds. Through her classes, Lisa teaches children and adults how to cook healthy and live healthily. Contact Lisa Kafer at cleanfoodcleanyou@gmail.com or check out her book “The Layman’s Guide to a Healthier You.” For healthy cooking classes for children, visit her website, https://www.cleanfoodcleanyou.com/store
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