Wednesday, December 30, 2015

Wisdom Wednesday: 2015 In Review


I posted just under 150 blogs this year. As I search the internet on various health issues, my blogs are beginning to show up. Imagine my surprise when I found my blog on Betafood had over 50,000 hits. So far it’s only the unusual topics that make it close to the top of any search list. After all, how many people have written about Betafood? The timely topics are still flying below the radar.

In reviewing the past year, my most common topic was the adverse effects of various drugs. More and more studies are being published about negative drug effects forcing physicians to reevaluate their drugs of choice. Reverse medical thinking, admitting that the drug or procedure that has been the standard of medical care for years is apparently not good medicine, is slow to gain momentum. Doctors are concerned that the general public will lose faith in medicine if they admit they were wrong. Faith is not the issue, it’s honesty and quality of care.

The second most common topic was nutritional supplementation. I often hear from physicians and patients alike that there is no credible research on nutritional supplements. Certainly, more research needs to be done, but there are tens of thousands of peer reviewed published studies available on PubMed on a host of nutritional supplements. About half of all new drugs developed by Big Pharm are still based on natural substances. However, you can not patent a natural substance. If you isolate and alter, creating something that is unique – then you can hoard that substance and have exclusive rights to its’ production and sales.

Third was dietary recommendations. I’ve written about Paleo, Mediterranean, Atkins, vegetarian and others. All have merit and all have limitations. The only diet that has been proven to extend life is reduced caloric intake. Here in the United States, we just eat too much – of everything. The rate of type II diabetes parallels our rate of obesity, with a ten-year time lag. Obesity rates hit 50% in 2000 and in 2010, just over 50% of the population was either diabetic or pre-diabetic. Of note, obesity rates have now leveled (not declined). If this trend continues the rate of diabetes in the U.S. should level off by 2025.

Number four was toxic changes to our environment. Pollution of the water, air, and soil continues to increase. Mercury contamination of deep water fish, like tuna, is increasing by 4% per year. Although sanitation standards in the U.S. are very high, I won’t drink the tap water, neither should you. There are over 800 BPs that are known estrogen disruptors that are still allowed to be used in the food industry. As much as we try as individuals to keep our bodies clean, the collective effort by the governments of the world are lagging way behind. I’ll keep up the effort, but I honestly think it’s too late. The planet will survive, but we won’t.

Coming in fifth was exercise. I wrote about running, swimming, cycling and evolving technology to monitor your efforts. I have become very attached to my Fit Bit, tracking all my exercise, including ADL (activities of daily living). The software does all the work and the feedback is extremely valuable. Personally, it has really helped me transition from intense exercise that was a factor in stimulating AF (atrial fibrillation) to a more moderate format that helps prevent AF.

The Bottom Line:
My first impression on review of my blogs for 2015 was that there was too much focus on the negative. However, I believe people must be aware of a problem, then create a solution. To that end, I hope that the information I provide helps you to work to improve your health and life.

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