As one of the co-founders of World Wellness Education you might think that I have always lived a healthy lifestyle but I want you to know that this is far from the truth. I am a typical American who has grown up on fast food, fried foods and junk food.
Now don’t get me wrong. I have always valued my health. I knew it was important to exercise and eat right. However, because I have always been healthy I have never really given it much thought. I have been blessed because when I went to see the doctor, he always told me that I was one of his healthiest patients. Therefore, it was okay if I ate french fries on a very regular basis… almost daily in fact. It was okay, if I ate meals high in fat and calories. I was healthy. I knew I was gaining weight but the doctor said I was healthy, so no worries for me. I looked around and although I no longer could consider myself thin, I certainly did not consider myself fat. There were plenty of other people around me that were much bigger than I was.
It wasn’t until I was doing a little research for an article that I realized I was right, I wasn’t fat. I was borderline obese. Wow! Let me tell you that was a shocker!
So I looked into it some more. What I learned was being overweight made it more likely I would develop lifestyle diseases such as coronary heart disease, high blood pressure, type two diabetes, liver and gallbladder disease, sleep apnea, osteoarthritis and respiratory problems including allergies and asthma. Being overweight also increases the risk of endometrial, breast and colon cancers.
Being obese means that it is not a matter of if I will start having health problems but a matter of when. Being obese has nothing to do with what others looked like. It had to do with what was going on inside my body.
Another thing I wanted to understand is why so many people seem to be getting sicker and sicker today than in years past.
I found out that the number of people who will have type 2 diabetes is expected to double in the next 15 years. Currently 8% of the population in the United States has been diagnosed with diabetes and it is estimated that another 25% of our population has diabetes but have yet to be diagnosed. This means that if we continue on the path that we are headed down two-thirds of America could have type 2 diabetes in just 15 short years. For the first time in history, our children may have a shorter life expectancy than adults.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, America is the most medicated nation on earth. Over 10% of our population over the age of 18 takes prescription medication for depression. Five out of six people over the age of 65 take at least one medication with more than 50% of them taking three or more. For each prescription medication taken there are on average 70 harmful side affects. These side affects damage other systems and organs in our body causing us to be more dependent on even more prescription medication.
I realize that this sounds depressing. That is because it is depressing. We are killing ourselves and we are killing our loved ones. We are allowing advertisements, the food industry and big pharma to influence our decisions and these decisions are slowly killing us.
There is good news though we can change where we are headed. Our bodies are incredible and will easily heal themselves if we provide them what they need and eliminate many of the toxins. We can heal cancer, diabetes and many autoimmune diseases by making lifestyle changes. This includes providing our bodies with foods full of nutrition, exercising regularly, drinking plenty of clean water, getting enough of sleep and reducing our stress.
I hope you start thinking about your decisions like I did mine and start making changes.
Traci Brosman has studied the mind and the role it plays in success, happiness and health for over twenty years. As co-founder of World Wellness Education she educates and inspires people to live healthier lives via her speaking appearances, TV shows, wellness tip videos, articles and conference calls.
Traci believes integrative medicine will become the medicine of first choice and not the medicine of last resort. This has led her to start Holistic Marketing Mentors and help wellness professionals create ease and flow in their business while increasing profits. Her clients learn to leverage their businesses so that they can help more people and not work twelve and fifteen hour days. Her powerful mastermind sessions are known to help participants break past barriers and stop the cycle of self-sabotage.
Brosman’s latest book, Mastering Your Wellness Business, gives you core business principles to running a successful wellness business and staying sane while doing it.
This information is not meant to be medical advice. No action or inaction should be taken solely on the contents of this information. Instead, you should consult appropriate health professionals on any matter relating to your health and well-being.
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