We live in a nation with incredible technology that sends people to the moon and creates driverless cars. Many areas of our lives have been positively impacted by the advanced technology. For example, advances in medicine are forever emerging with new drugs and new treatments for various diseases always on the horizon.
The question that I ponder is, with all this advanced technology, why is our nation getting sicker and sicker?
For example, The National Cancer Institutes division of the National Institute of Health research indicated that an estimated 1,685,210 new cancer cases were diagnosed in 2016 alone. The National expenditure of cancer in the United States totaled $125 billion in 2010 and is expected to reach $156 billion by 2020? The rate of heart disease and diabetes has also increased and continues to increase.
Why?
There are certainly many variables that are responsible for the increase in cancer, diabetes, and heart disease in the United States. One of the biggest causes is related to diet.
I can still see the big banner hanging in my elementary school cafeteria now. You Are What You Eat. I didn’t quite grasp the full meaning of that until adult-hood.
All the chemicals and added sugar in our diet have been shown to lead to disease. Other variables include environmental toxins and the stressful fast paced lifestyles many of us live.
Working in healthcare for 29 years as a Professional Registered Nurse, I have come to the conclusion that Western Medicine is predominantly about revenue and not healing.
Western Medicine has its place and I’m certainly not here to completely discredit that. The question is would we need as much Western Medicine if we practiced more Complimentary Alternative Medicine (CAM) and a preventative lifestyle. The answer to everything that ails you is not in a pill as the general Western Medicine philosophy has taught us.
Are we looking more for the cure instead of the cause? It seems we are practicing reactive medicine as opposed to proactive medicine. I’ve noticed a tendency to wait until we have a diagnosis to try to cure it as opposed to preventing it in the first place.
My ultimate belief is that our bodies have the potential to heal themselves given the opportunity to do just that.
It is also my personal belief that the creator placed something on this earth to heal and/or prevent all disease. It is often found in the form of a plant, stone, or food.
For the purposes of this article, I certainly cannot get into all the CAM treatments and their benefits. It would take a book. I would like to mention a few however for your consideration and own research. The benefits of each will lead to a healthier, happier life.
1. Meditation
2. Prayer
3. Massage Therapy/Reiki Therapy
4. Health Coaching
5. Regular Consistent Exercise Program
6. Healthy Diet Changes that includes the elimination of sugar.
The cure lies in you.
Adjustments to your diet and lifestyle alone will most definitely lead to a healthier life and reduction in disease and illness. Let’s be more proactive and take great care of our whole self (Mental, Spiritual, and Physical) in an effort to prevent disease.
What are some Complimentary Alternative Methods of treatment you’ve tried? Have they been successful? I would love to hear your stories.
Until next week,
Be Healthy, Be Strong, Be Happy
You raised some very interesting points Vince.
One of the schools I went to in England was a Christian Scientist school.
This movement was started by a Mary baker Eddy, an American lady I believe, back in the 1900’s.
MBE was diagnosed with terminal cancer and was told they couldn’t do any thing for her. Apparently she was a feisty lady and decided that she wasn’t ready to die so she turned to prayer and ‘mind over matter’. I can’t remember all the details, so I may not be accurate but the gist is correct.
With prayer and with her ‘mind over matter’, she beat the cancer and as a thanks to God, she set up the Christian Scientist Movement who believe in just that. However, unlike the Jehovah’s Witnesses, they also believe in medicine, but generally when prayer has failed or in an emergency.
It may have changed now, but at my school, there was morning prayers followed by 5 minutes of quiet time in assembly, we had Religious Education for everyone (no one was allowed to miss this lesson, irrespective of their religion),
There were a lot of sports, tennis, cricket, football, rugby, swimming, cross country running and fun sports ie the children were encouraged to play rounders, football, cricket in our break times,
Food was a balanced diet and there were no overweight teachers or kids but some of the catering staff were large. Don’t get me wrong, we got a good dose of sugar in our desserts but this was counterbalanced with the actual meal which was well planned and made in situ by the catering staff.
If you look at your list and compare it with mine, the only difference is the massage/reiki, otherwise we were doing what you suggest.
Re the pharmaceutical companies – yes they are only there for the money. I actually believe that a cure for cancer in the form of an injection or tablet has been found in the last 30 years but they want to keep it under wraps for the incredibly elite few. The last Royal to die from cancer was the Shah of Iran and in England the last one was our Queen’s father. Who was the last President or the last Prime Minister ? Smoking only went out of fashion in the last 20 years, but before that everyone was smoking. How come these people didn’t get Prostate, Breast, Lung, Heart problems ? No the answer has been found but there is no money or job creation to be made from healthy people.
On the other hand, I think the cure for Dementia has not been found – Thatcher/Reagan.
Thank you for a thought provoking article.
I look forward to the next episode of the Shifflett Chronicles.
Yuri,
As always, I LOVE reading your well articulated thoughts. I am grateful to you for sharing and look forward to a continued relationship with you.
Much love,
Vince
I totally agree with you Vince. I have eliminated sugar which wasn’t that difficult to do. I have also been been doing my best to have a diet that is gluten and dairy free. I feel so much for doing that. I will admit I still have a minimal amount of fetta cheese. My biggest problem is arthritis and a severe scoliosis of my spine. My exercise is mainly walking. I hope soon to use a heated pool for therapy. Cheers .
allysnotebook,
Thanks for your response. Looks like you’re off to a great start by eliminating sugar and dairy. I must admit it is a constant work for me but I keep reminding myself that I only have one body and I must take care of it. I look forward to more mutual sharing with you.
Be well,
Vince