Today is National Chronic Disease Day, and as it typically goes with “national days” like these, one of the objectives is to raise awareness of chronic disease.

Well, all I can say is that, as a nation where 7 out of 10 of us have at least one chronic condition, it appears we are very well “aware” of chronic disease. In fact, we’ve become experts and that’s nothing to celebrate.

But how did we get here? And what can we do about it?

Let’s look at some of the biggest driving forces behind our appalling states of health and most importantly, how you can turn the tables on disease and stack the deck in your favor for great health.

pHARMa plays a huge role

Most physicians recite the Hippocratic Oath at their medical school graduation, and one of the statements they attest to says this: 

“I will prevent disease whenever I can, for prevention is preferable to cure.”

Sorry, but I don’t see a lot of disease prevention going on in our modern medical system.

What I DO see is a lot of customers being created for pHARMa, and this is a double-edged sword.

First, with very few exceptions (such as an antibiotic destroying a bacterial infection), no one is being “cured” of anything with medications! They are experiencing a chemically induced absence of symptoms and false health.

Second, they are actually becoming sicker because every single drug in existence comes with side effects, so your list of symptoms and health issues will undoubtedly grow. It might not happen right away, but sooner or later, trust me, the tide will roll in.

What makes this worse is that most doctors have little knowledge of, or downright poo-poo the effectiveness of natural measures like a healthy diet and proper supplementation!

A nutritious diet and helpful supplements as needed can go a LONG way in helping your body work the way it’s supposed to and thus preventing disease!

See the difference?

The cold, hard truth

We are now at a point where we are the sickest we have ever been in our entire existence.

The vast majority of us are overweight, chronically ill, and medicated, and shockingly, that includes our kids.

It’s time to wake up and realize that, with the exception of acute/emergency care, our modern healthcare system is an abysmal FAILURE, and if we don’t do something about it, we’re doomed to be sheep for drug companies.

A shift needs to take place from disease management to disease prevention and the creation of health!

The promising news is some doctors (including my personal physician here in Florida) are on board already and have pursued additional training and education in integrative medicine, natural healing measures and nutrition.

But even if your doctor is not as forward-thinking as mine, or if perhaps your choices are limited because of insurance or whatever, there is still a lot you can do to push the envelope towards the creation of health.

Here’s what I mean:

Do your part!

Although doctors bear a good amount of responsibility for our horrible health, that’s doesn’t get you off the hook, my friend, because you do your part too.

So if you want to start turning that around, here are 4 places you can start:

1) Eat real food

If you are sickly and overweight, your diet is most assuredly one of the primary reasons why.

Admit it, own it, and DO SOMETHING about it!

Concentrate on proteins (meat, poultry, wild-caught fish, eggs and nuts), fresh fruits and vegetables, healthy fats (including real butter, coconut oil, olive oil, avocado and lard) and whole grains. 

On the flip side, stay far away from processed foods (aka anything in a package with ingredients you can’t pronounce), soda, fast food and refined carbohydrates (including white breads, pastries, cookies, crackers and chips).

If you make a concerted effort to eat mainly real foods, you will be astounded at how much better you can feel and how quickly it will happen. Plus you’ll probably take off a bunch of weight to boot.

So clean out your pantry, refrigerator and freezer and get going.

2) Move

No, I don’t mean change residences—I mean move your backside (and the rest of you too).

Exercise can take many forms, and you just need to find the one that works for you.

There are countless gyms out there, many of which provide instruction and guidance if you are a novice.

There are also classes (like yoga or dancing), home DVDs or TV programs that take you through a workout, or even home exercise equipment if you are disciplined enough.

Even walking in your neighborhood counts!

It’s never too late to get in shape! Start now.

3) Challenge your doctor with alternatives to medications

In many cases, there are safe, natural measures to pharmaceutical drugs that are just as effective, and it’s time to have a conversation with your doctor about them.

Here are some examples:

Instead of medication for high blood pressure or cholesterol, how about trying fish oil (found in our VitalMega-3 fish oil formula) and regular exercise? Plus grapefruit has been shown to help lower blood pressure too!

Feeling depressed? Vitamin D (as in our Optimum DK Formula) and vitamin B12 (in our Hydroxaden Vitamin B spray) have been shown to be extraordinarily helpful with depression and they’re far safer than antidepressants. Ask your doctor to check into that for you.

And if you have elevated blood glucose and/or insulin resistance, ask about turmeric (as found in our Optimal Turmeric Blend) as an alternative to Metformin. A study published in the International Journal of Endocrinology and Metabolism has shown that curcumin (the compound that gives turmeric its golden color) can lower blood glucose levels and inflammation, stimulate pancreatic function, and reduce insulin resistance.

4) Quit smoking

A study conducted by Harvard researchers established 12 risk factors that were considered to be preventable causes of death. As you might expect, smoking was ranked right up at the top.

Smokers have a 20-25 times greater risk of developing lung cancer than non-smokers. In addition, according to the CDC, smoking accounts for as many as eight out of 10 COPD-related deaths. 

Do whatever you need to do to put that habit behind you for good.

And don’t give up! Most ex-smokers report having to try quitting several times before they were successful.

Just keep trying and eventually you too can succeed. You couldn’t do anything nicer for yourself.

Our healthcare system seriously needs to change, but you can be the source of some of that change.

So get going, start creating health, and don’t be afraid to ask questions of your doctor.

To your health,

Sherry Brescia