Health is Wealth: I
THE REAL PANDEMIC — Part I of III
Imagine a world where people were rewarded for good health; a world that emphasized nutrition, exercise, mindfulness, sleep, and positive relationships. Imagine a world where toxic habits like cigarette smoking were illegal due to their cancer-causing properties and because second-hand smoke can be equally fatal. Imagine a world where fast food restaurants became extinct because their low-nutrient selections did not meet the standard of nourishment that food is expected to provide. Imagine employers offering health incentives to reduce employee body fat percentage and BMI in an effort to "stay safe." Imagine a world where preventing cardiovascular disease — continuously the #1 killer in America — and obesity was met with passionate intensity. Imagine a world where children's health was such a priority that every school included physical education and healthy meals.
Now imagine a world where a global pandemic has put immune system health at the forefront of human priority. Imagine that the majority of directives from political leadership, doctors, and scientists have actually led to a worse state of mental and physical health — Stay Home, Stay Away, Stay Afraid. Imagine that these same leaders have decided that some professions are "essential" while others are not. Imagine being locked in your home with unlimited access to your technological devices and getting bombarded by constant updates of death and fear. Imagine that we have been conditioned to believe that one breath of air could kill your grandma or your neighbor's grandma. Imagine that young children must learn to communicate without seeing the facial expressions of their teachers or peers. Imagine that 17% of children are obese and likely to experience serious current and future health problems. Imagine being told that wearing masks to school and work is the "new normal" with no end in sight.
Which one of these worlds sounds like our reality?
I like to read books, especially when I'm on the bus or on the train. Over the years, I have accumulated a library across topics such as athletic performance, martial arts, motivation, leadership, breathing, and reiki. I like to read for pleasure and information because I might learn something that I can use to help someone (including myself). I will often re-read books, because it's possible that my brain will understand concepts differently now versus when I read it the first time. Out of pure serendipity, I recently picked up Vibrational Medicine: The #1 Handbook of Subtle-Energy Therapies, by Dr. Richard Gerber. Published in 2001, the book has been on my shelf for years and talks about acupuncture, meridians, chakras, and numerous other natural healing methods. Pages 209 and 210 hit me like a truck because it spoke about immune system health, almost 20 years before it became today's essential topic:
A key factor affecting an individual’s ability to defend self from attack...is the general level of energy and vitality. Someone who is in a weakened, debilitated state from any number of causes will become ill more easily when exposed to negative environmental agents. The general vitality of an individual is an indirect reflection of the level of functioning of the immune system. The immune system is one of the most important factors in the human defense against illness...The immune system surveys and destroys potentially threatening viruses, bacteria, fungi, even cancer cells. If, however, the immune system is weakened, then the body as a whole becomes more susceptible to illness. As the body becomes weakened by stress, depression, starvation, and chronic illness, the immune system is also impaired in its ability to function properly...It is well known that emotional depression, physical stress, chemical toxicity, and nutritional deficiencies can adversely affect the body's immune defenses.
Wow! The simple conclusion to draw from the above paragraph is that if our immune system is weakened, we are more likely to become ill—we don't need doctors, scientists, or experts to tell us this. Flash forward to 2020-2021, and consider the havoc that COVID-19 has wreaked on the United States and the world. What happened to our immune systems and why aren't they doing their job? Collectively, why are they so weak? What can we do to strengthen them? Why aren't the experts using their mediums to offer information on how to better protect our health? Why are simple immune boosting supplements such as Zinc and Vitamin D missing from Dr. Fauci’s briefings?
One of the reasons why the United States has been hit hard with this virus is because a large chunk of Americans are overweight or obese. If 42% of the country is obese, and a total of 74% of the population is overweight, then almost 250 million Americans are living day-to-day with a weakened immune system. This is problematic under any circumstances, as obesity increases the risk of bacterial and viral infections. Now, add a virus to the mix — ANY virus — and exhausted immune systems are unable to protect their hosts. Considering that cardiovascular disease —not COVID-19— was the number one cause of death in 2020, it stands to reason that if America dealt with its real epidemic (heart disease/obesity) by promoting exercise, good nutrition, and more active, healthy lifestyles, then the serious effects of COVID-19 would be greatly reduced. At the conclusion of the JAMA article linked in the prior sentence, Dr. Dean Ornish:
Twice as many people died in 2020 from heart disease (690,882) as from COVID-19 (345,323). This doesn't even include another 159,150 who died from stroke and another 106,106 from diabetes (mostly type 2), which have the same risk factors as heart disease. While COVID-19 is an airborne disease, and cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes are predominantly lifestyle and food-borne diseases, it would be wise for the CDC and HHS to put at least as much effort into preventing these chronic conditions as COVID-19.
Back in April, original research from the British Journal of Sports Medicine led to an article titled Physical inactivity is associated with a higher risk for severe COVID-19 outcomes: a study in 48440 adult patients. One of their main conclusions was that "we recommend efforts to promote physical activity be prioritised by public health agencies and incorporated into routine medical care." The CDC, Chicago Department of Health and Governor JB Pritzker have all failed to mention this in their daily briefings. During the lockdown Mayor Lori Lightfoot ran a whole campaign telling Chicagoans to stay home and save lives; city parks were closed and in some cases padlocked, gyms were deemed "non-essential" and closed, and the lakefront was also closed. So, the places where people would go to get exercise — and strengthen their immune systems to improve their health — were all closed.
This entire pandemic, I have been resolute that the key to victory is focusing on humans, not the virus. The stronger someone's health/immune system, the less likely they are to experience severe effects from any virus. Here are a few other important findings from the BJSM article:
A lack of physical activity is a well-documented underlying risk factor for multiple chronic diseases, including those associated with severe COVID-19
It is well known that immune function improves with regular physical activity and those that are regularly active have a lower incidence, intensity of symptoms, and mortality from various viral infections
Regular physical activity reduces the risk of systemic inflammation, which is a main contributor to lung damage caused by COVID-19
Exercise benefits cardiovascular health, increases lung capacity and muscle strength, and improves mental health
In the USA, education about the benefits of physical activity and advice to maintain or increase physical activity during the pandemic has been essentially absent
Americans have at least 4-6 hours each day of leisure time, the majority of which is devoted to sedentary activities, particularly electronic media
These are crucial pieces of the coronavirus puzzle that have been missing from the mainstream media reports. We know that COVID-19 hits weakened immune systems the hardest and we know that 76% of America is overweight — leading to weakened immune systems. We also know that "regular exercise helps prevent the worst symptoms and helps prevent obesity." Obesity has a strong connection to cardiovascular disease, COVID-19, and even cancer — the #2 cause of death in 2020. The top three killers in 2020 are all linked to obesity, and 42% of America is obese! Page 390 of Prescription for Natural Cures: A Self-Care Guide for Treating Health Problems with Natural Remedies Including Diet and Nutrition, Nutritional Supplements, Bodywork, and More, by Dr. James F Balch and Mark Stengler, reads:
Obesity is the single most common problem that doctors see in their practices...And since heavy people are likely to consume higher quantities of toxic food, their immune systems are depressed, leaving them susceptible to any virus or bug that happens to be going around at home or in the office.
Balch and Stengler's book was published in 2004; Dr. Gerber's book in 2001. Before COVID-19 existed, both books accurately foreshadowed our current situation. Where are the mainstream suggestions to fight the obesity pandemic, which has steadily increased every year? Why aren't scientists, doctors, and politicians unilaterally using their platforms to combat adult and childhood obesity? If we focus our attention on lessening the number of people that are overweight and obese, we can help reduce cardiovascular disease, cancer, and in many cases mitigate the severity of COVID-19.
So, how about instead of lockdowns, mask mandates, and "emergency usage" vaccination requirements we start promoting exercise, clean eating, and better overall health? Can you imagine the public outrage over mandatory body fat percentage checks? (Sorry, sir, I don't "feel safe" knowing that your high body fat percentage will most likely lead to the worst COVID-19 symptoms.) What if employers forced their employees to weigh-in on a daily basis to show evidence of a low BMI? Or if travelers had to take their shirts off at the airport so the TSA could examine their belly fat? Would there be riots over a health passport that limited inflammatory foods and required everyone to get the recommended 60 minutes of daily exercise in order to travel internationally? Or if there was blatant discrimination against anyone deemed overweight or obese and thus a high-risk COVID-19 case? These premises are absolutely absurd, shameful, and inhumane. But, certain mandates are already starting to mirror this discriminatory behavior. Has humanity lost its empathy?
We are at a very strange intersection of health, science, and technology. In theory, they should all complement each other but instead fear has reigned and social judgments are the norm. Personal stress levels have never been higher which has negatively impacted mental health and wellness. Social media has made everyone's opinions readily available, and it can be hard to differentiate between fact and fiction. Instead of planning a global strategy on virus avoidance, maybe we should accept that everyone will test positive for COVID-19. But, the state of our immune system when we test positive is uber important. "The science is changing..." and "From what we know now..." are some of my favorite quotes from the news, because here's what we've always known: Health is the most precious resource in the world, and very few of us have enough of it. This is why, since 2003, I have dedicated myself to helping people improve their health (and my own). The Harvard School of Public Health stated:
The worldwide increases in obesity over the past three decades have already led to increases in obesity-related chronic diseases, a trend that threatens healthcare systems, economies, and individual lives.
No mask, vaccination, or booster shot will make up for poor health habits and a weak immune system. There has never been a more critical time to make serious lifestyle changes than right now. To beat this virus, we need the proper long-term health strategy. We can take the power back with personal accountability. Opportunity lies within this crisis; are we taking advantage of it?
Let's change the way we eat
Let's change the way we live
And let's change the way we treat each other
You see, the old way wasn't working so it's on us to do
What we gotta do, to survive
2Pac, "Changes", 1998