Abstract
In the current health scenario, the old adage ‘prevention is better than cure’ is outdated ("A New Vision of Wellness", 2011). Health costs are increasing day by day, but diseases have become more prevalent than before. Incidences of impaired mental health are on the rise. Isn’t it high time that we stop and take a look at the current medical scenario? People are suffering from chronic diseases like asthma, depression, diabetes, heart disease, pain, and even attention and learning problems. Moreover, the pharmaceutical companies are always introducing newer and better medicines and expensive ones too, but still, there is no cure. Obviously, the cure is like ‘around the corner’. We just have to get up, walk the required distance, and find the solution. Yes! It is food. The food contains all nutrients required by the body. We need to have a variety of fruits, vegetables, and grains to provide the required vitamins and minerals to our body (Denton, 2013) and avoid all types of processed food. We also need to watch the quantity we consume. No medicines or supplements can replace a well-balanced healthy diet. The excess nutrients that reach our bloodstream can be burned away with some form of physical activity. Thus, through varied nourishment, we can provide our body the required nutrients, and exercise maintains the body for optimal functioning.
Keywords: Diet, Exercise, Medicine, Nutrient, Obese
It is common knowledge that the American health is not what is projected by the sponsored banners and media. The chances are that while a healthy, muscular model is doing the ‘in-thing’ on the screen; the onlookers are mostly on the wrong side of the BMI (body mass index). Though overweight people can also enjoy good health, it is seen that proper diet and active lifestyle are the main factors, which determine the overall wellbeing of a person. An unhealthy body with lots of accumulated fat is prone to develop many diseases. These diseases are treated with the help of medications. These medicines often come with precautionary, possible complications or side effects, which are treated with more pills and the cycle becomes endless until the passing away of the individual. On the contrary, a simple adaptation to a good food habit minimizes health complications and coupled with some activity can even replace medications in some cases.
The most disturbing factor affecting American health is obesity. Most of the children are overweight and the number of obese has tripled over the last four decades. People are suffering from chronic diseases and medical expenses are increasing every day. The website bestmasterofscienceinnursing.com lists statistics that three-fourth of the American population is on prescription drugs and almost the same number is overweight. One-third of Americans have cholesterol and high blood pressure related concerns, like cardiac diseases ("Food vs Medicine", 2016).
A huge amount is spent on treating obesity-related diseases and cholesterol medications, still diseases like cardiac problems, respiratory issues, cancer, diabetes, and stroke are on the rise and responsible for most of the deaths. The question is though the medicines can work much faster and better than before, then why the quality of life is not improving. Obviously, the answer to the problem is not in medications but in changing the lifestyle. Moreover, most of these chronic diseases are preventable in the early stages and can be treated with diet and exercise. Then, why do the doctors promptly write prescriptions, instead of suggesting alternative treatments? This would also put less pressure on the national coffers and personal means, and would reduce instances of untimely deaths.
According to Marcia Angell, MD, the pharmaceutical industry is led by profits rather than social wellbeing. She points out that medicine manufacturing companies recorded most profit and used this money to buy power. They manipulate studies to only highlight the positive ones and sell on-demand medicines, which have shown serious complications in test subjects. They indiscriminately hike the prices of prescription drugs, sometimes several times in a year, to maximize profit. They have actually turned the helplessness of sick people into business opportunities (Hoey, 2004). Helen Epstein writes in her article “Flu Warning: Beware the Drug Companies” that Avandia, a medicine for diabetes, and Vioxx, a pain killer, were found to be the cause for many heart attacks; and Paxil, an antidepressant, was found to prompt suicidal tendencies in young patients (qtd. in Kohls, 2015). How did these come into the market? Either sufficient tests or researches were not done, or there had been some foul play. Whatever be the reason, the very ideology of medical profession becomes doubtful.
Few people understand that medicines do not always cure – sometimes they are given to lessen discomfort, as in the case of pain killers, and sometimes as maintenance therapy, especially in cancer patients. When a disease cannot be cured, like diabetes, the medics just try to control it through continuous treatment (administering insulin) throughout their lives ("What's the Difference Between a Treatment and a Cure?", 2013). As a result, the patient is able to lead a near-normal life, while the pancreatic condition remains the same. This is quite favorable to the medicine manufacturers but is the patient informed on the long-term consequences of using insulin? Though some might disagree, observations revealed that prolonged insulin intake increased the risk of developing cardiovascular disease (Muis, Bots, Grobbee & Stolk, 2005). These reports have a strange way of having you hanging in the balance as they start out saying there is a complication and then end saying that the method used for this study does not allow correct inference. No sooner had one’s apprehension settled down than another study came out claiming that a substance called C-peptide, which is already found in our body, helps curb the negative effects of insulin on the cardiovascular system (University of Leeds, 2010). The real issue here is that the blood glucose level is high and the body cannot by itself handle it. Therefore, the person must curb the intake of foods that introduce glucose into the blood stream and burn away those, which are present in the blood stream; i.e., all that is needed is to watch what one eats and some physical activity. The question is would a doctor advice modification of lifestyle and let the patient choose a healthier option? This way the pharmaceutical companies will lose out in a big way. Therefore, they devise new ways to get our attention. Now, they agree that insulin can give rise to complications, and so, one of them came up with Symlin, to be given with insulin. Another company then came up with an even better finding of C-peptide (Allison, 2010); however, the company quietly closed down after raising millions of dollars for the research. The reason given for the closure was that researches on their medicine Ersatta were inconclusive in “phase 2b” (Bigelow, 2015). There was not a word about the diabetics, who were left high and dry with no improvement of their condition in sight.
Other chronic diseases those affect the American population are asthma, depression, obesity, to name but a few. A closer look reveals that most of them can be treated with simple lifestyle modification. Drugs and inhalers used to treat asthma also have serious side effects, like osteoporosis, muscle weakness, cataracts, etc. ("Breath of Fresh Air: Feature Articles", 2010). Mostly, allergies and environmental pollution cause asthma. Therefore, a careful choice of diet, avoidance of triggers, and easy activity can help treat this condition. Depression is usually treated with antidepressants, which do not have a lasting effect on the patient. Again, it had negative side effects on teenagers. It also affects the elderly and even the infants, whose mothers were on antidepressants (Smith, Robinson & Segal, 2016). On the contrary, a healthy diet and exercise help in alleviating depression by improving the general mental state of the depressed person ("Diet and Depression", n.d.). Obesity can lead to numerous health conditions, like hypertension, heart disease, pain, asthma, etc. According to National Institutes of Health, this condition occurs mainly due to unhealthy diet and little or no activity (qtd. in Finkelstein, Trogdon, Cohen & Dietz, 2009). Various medications are used to treat obesity but each come with serious side effects ("Side Effects of Weight Loss Drugs (Diet Pills)", 2014).
Where medicines fail, common sense creeps in. You hear so many stories, where patients tired of medical regimen, voluntarily opt for diet regimen and record improvement in their overall condition. Researchers have found out that balanced nutrition coupled with an active lifestyle can effectively ensure a healthy body, improving the mood and general thinking too. Almost every day, we hear or read discussions about eating healthily but the rate of obesity and chronic disease among the population is still on the rise. Also, varied nutritional advice, like some ask to avoid fats and others carbohydrates, confuse the general populace. While one research claims one type of food is good, another decries it altogether, and again a new research establishes yet another form of diet to be the best. Various diet plans designed to promote various brands of food serve to further commercial interests rather than individual needs. There is so much information about the “right diet plan,” that the whole issue gets ignored and people just continue with their old eating habits (Denton, 2013).
Carolyn Denton, LN, writes in her article ‘Food as Medicine’ that processed foods are convenient and tasty but lack in nutrients. They contain mostly corn, rice, soy, or wheat (Denton, 2013). Dr. Bruce Miller, DDS, CNS, writes in his book ‘Raising Disease Free Kids’ that to make the commercial foods safe for consumption and uniform, they are subjected to high heat and various processes; which, ultimately destroy the natural flavor and all the nutrients present. Thus, the manufacturers end up adding artificial flavors and nutrients, which are nothing but chemicals. People must be also aware of pesticides in fruits and vegetables. Dairy products and meat contain antibiotics, which play havoc with the immune system, and growth hormones , which are a quite unnecessary addition in a healthy body (Miller, 2010).
Nowadays, supplements are the readymade answer to the ‘0-nutrient’ diet. But are they efficient enough? American Heart Association in its website heart.org clearly states that a healthy balanced nutrition is more desirable than taking supplements. None of the studies done till date can claim that supplements actually help in improving health condition ("Vitamin Supplements: Healthy or Hoax?", 2015). According to Penny Kris-Etherton, a nutrition expert, nutrients in food are easily absorbed by the body compared to that of supplements. Moreover, supplements, lack in dietary fibers, which play an important role in the digestive process (qtd. in "Vitamin Supplements: Healthy or Hoax?", 2015).
Supplements become necessary when the body becomes severely deprived of a nutrient as in the case of postmenopausal women. A study conducted by National Institute of Health revealed that calcium and vitamin D supplements helped to strengthen the bones of postmenopausal women (Zelman, 2011). Studies have also revealed that mineral and multivitamin supplements protect the elderly from various ailments ("Nutrition and the Immune System", 2001). Here, it is to be noted that studies have proved that supplements do not have any effect on healthy people ("Nutrition and the Immune System", 2001).
Kathleen M. Zelman in her article ‘What Vitamin and Mineral Supplements Can and Can’t Do’ quotes Roberta Anding, MS, RD, that supplements should be seen as complementary rather than a replacement for missed nutrients in the regular dietary intake. Also, excess nutrient intake can be harmful in the long run (qtd. in Zelman, 2011). For example, our body needs minerals like zinc, iron, and copper to function well. Zinc stimulates the immune system, and its deficiency can suppress T-cell function; however, the body needs it in very small quantity. When it is present in large numbers, it negatively affects the immune system. Thus, it is best to have a steady supply of it through food rather than taking it as a dose ("What Foods are Good for My Immune System?", 2016).
On the other hand, researchers have found out that if every person decreases the salt intake by about 1000 mg per day, the number of hypertensive patients will substantially lessen. This, in turn, will reduce medical expenses by about $18 billion per year ("Food vs Medicine", 2016). Again according to bestmasterofscienceinnursing.com, eating vegetable help reduce high blood pressure and cholesterol with effective weight control. Celiac disease can be treated by avoiding gluten. People can adapt to different diet depending on their desired health goal. For example, a Mediterranean diet reduces inflammation as in arthritis, appendicitis, etc. Less carbohydrate intake not only helps to trim down body fat but also lowers the risks of heart disease ("Food vs Medicine", 2016). Whole grains, fruits, and vegetables are good for health and one must avoid fizzy drinks and sugary foods. One must also watch the number of portions or servings one has. Good food habits and exercise help the body’s immune system to function better, which in turn keeps the body healthy.
Hippocrates, the father of Western medicine, said, “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food” ("Hippocrates Quotes at BrainyQuote", n.d.). Though this is believed to be a misquotation, researchers believe that Hippocrates and his disciples used different food regimen to treat some diseases. Whfoods.com explains how diet helps to build a healthy immune system. Choline present in shrimp, eggs, chicken, tuna, and collard greens; vitamin A in carrot, spinach, and kale; fatty acids in walnut, sardines, and olive oil (to name a few); and fiber help to maintain the gastrointestinal barrier and thus strengthen the immune system. Protein present in eggs, fish, vegetables, and grains; vitamin C in citrus fruits, vitamin B5 in mushrooms, lentils, peas, and yogurt; folic acid in lentils and spinach; vitamin B6 in tuna and banana; vitamin B1 in peas and beans; vitamin B2 in soybeans and spinach; vitamin B12 in sardines, cod, and cow’s milk; vitamin A in carrot and spinach; vitamin E in almonds and peanuts; and vitamin K in green leafy vegetables ensure optimum function of the immune system and protect us from various diseases ("What Foods are Good for My Immune System?", 2016).
A report published in 2003 points out how nutrition affects the immune system of our body and leads to obesity and other disease conditions (Marcos, Nova & Montero, 2003). On one hand, a low-fat diet enhances the immunity of the body, and on the other, certain types of fat present in some fish, nuts, etc. are good for health. While our immune system protects us from various microorganisms, probiotics actually are beneficial. Regular intake of different nutrients by eating a variety of food helps the body to keep up its resistance to foreign invasions ("Nutrition and the Immune System", 2001). Along with a good diet, regular physical activity can do wonders to human health. Though there is not yet any definitive scientific conclusion about the benefits of exercise, or how much or how little to exercise, regular physical activity is linked with a better overall health condition ("How to boost your immune system", n.d.). Therefore, the dietary regimen is best tailored according to the individual needs and background.
The website bestmasterofscienceinnursing.com hosts a pertinent question that before prescribing drugs should doctors first look into the food habits of patients ("Food vs Medicine", 2016). It is also a cheap alternative to buying various medications. To this end, doctors could be trained on diet and nutrition, and encouraged to treat more symptomatically with food and exercise rather than traditionally putting the patient on drugs. Roberta Anding states that a well-balanced diet and exercise can keep chronic diseases at bay (qtd. in Zelman, 2011). Most of the common health problems can be healed with the proper foods. The effectiveness of nutrition-based approaches can reverse diseases such as arthritis, diabetes, or heart attacks. Foods are a better approach than harmful medicines. What we eat is pivotal to determine a person’s overall health and it can make a dramatic difference in preventing or curing a disease.
Dr. Travis went a step further. He introduced the “wellness model” ("A New Vision of Wellness", 2011), in which he rather than writing prescriptions, motivated people for their wellbeing – mental, physical, and spiritual. Thus, he took into account all the facets of healthy living – emotions, attitude, behavior, social interaction, expectation, hygiene, food, exercise, self-care, occupation, and spiritual interests ("A New Vision of Wellness", 2011). In other words, a healthy mind will nurture a healthy body and lift the spirits of an individual. A little encouragement in this direction can work wonders.
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