According to the American Heart Association (AHA) Heart disease has been the world’s No. 1 killer for over a century, and experts predict that it will become even more prevalent in the coming decades.
This is the 6th in a series of 9 blogs, stemming from a recent Fox News article 1 about the rise in Cardiovascular Disease, and the driving forces behind it according to the American Heart Association. We have been taking a look at the contrasting wholistic approach to this information about cardiovascular disease – in particular, prevention and restoration using natural approaches.
The article states that the 3 primary causes to cardiovascular disease are hypertension, diabetes and obesity. It also states that obesity is the primary driver of the other two. Based on their findings, we started off with obesity and drilled down over the past few weeks and explored, from a holistic perspective, the causes of obesity as stated by Renato Apolito, M.D., the medical director of the Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory at Hackensack Meridian Jersey Shore University Medical Center. For more on these various causes, and an in-depth discussion about the risk factors to obesity, please see these previous blogs:
1) “A Holistic Approach to Heart Disease”
2) “Cardiovascular Disease – Our Reliance on Packaged and Processed Foods”
3) “A Holistic Approach to Exercise and Cardiovascular Disease”
4) “A Holistic Connection Between Obesity, Lack of Sleep and Cardiovascular Disease”
5) “Impacts of our Standard of Living, and a Hectic Work Life on our Cardiovascular Health”
Today we will look at Diabetes, the second of the three primary causes of cardiovascular disease, from the holistic perspective – the root cause, and can it be reversed, without drugs, using natural approaches (I’ll give you a little heads up on the bottom line answer to this one – the answer is a resounding “Yes!”).
The AHA report in this same article from Fox News, states that “Diabetes, another major risk factor (of cardiovascular disease), is also expected to rise (16.3% to 26.8%).”
What I’d like to show you is the why diabetes develops and then share some solutions from a holistic perspective – getting to the root cause, and then restore the body back to health and away from this all too prevalent disease.
One thing I want you to be encouraged with and what folks simply never hear from the medical establishment is this: You do not have to be doomed with the diagnosis of diabetes the rest of your life, it CAN be reversed!
3 Organs or Systems of the Body That Can Extend Your Health!
Adrenal Glands
The adrenal glands are two triangular shaped glands that sit on top of each kidney. These two little glands have so many major functions, and yet unless there is a full-blown pathological problem with them (which is fairly uncommon, thankfully), they are tremendously overlooked by traditional medicine. They are so vital to our life and our health that we can’t live without at least one of these glands.
Cortisol – What is it?
The first major role of the adrenal glands is to release a hormone called cortisol. Too little of this hormone makes us vulnerable to inflammation and hypoglycemia (low blood sugar). Too much (cortisol) makes us vulnerable to autoimmune diseases, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes,and a lowered immunity making us susceptible to viruses, bacteria, and cancer.
There are four words that are interchangeable: stress, inflammation, acidic pH, and toxic. If you don’t remember anything else from this blog, remember this statement. I repeat, there are four words that are interchangeable: stress, inflammation, acidic pH, and toxic.
Typically, the first thing we think of when we hear the word “stress” is mental and/or emotional stress, such as family, financial, health, or career issues. But stress is also physical (e.g., having surgery, breaking your arm, over-exercising, not sleeping well), and there are chemical stresses too (like the foods we eat, the air we breathe, the water we drink, medications, etc.).
Cortisol is also upstream of the hormonal pathways that are constantly flowing in the body. In particular and in part, it is formed from cholesterol and then ultimately plays a role in the production of our reproductive hormones like estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone.
Cortisol responds to all of these stressors. In time, this overworks the adrenal glands and throws them out of balance, which then affects all the other roles they perform as well.
What Else Do the Adrenals Do?
- The adrenal glands also release hormones called epinephrine and norepinephrine. These are your “fight or flight” hormones. When we are constantly on the go, foot on the gas pedal of life full throttle, 24/7 for days, weeks, months, and years on end, we can burn out our adrenal glands. Once that happens, they are not able to properly perform any of their other functions well, leading to a multitude of health problems.
- Another role of the adrenal glands is to tell the liver to release glucose , our body’s natural energy source and our brain’s fuel. Glucose is vital to life and we cannot live without it. Symptoms like brain fog, lack of energy/fatigue, and blood sugar highs and lows can be a result of the adrenals being out of balance.
- Finally, the adrenals release a hormone called aldosterone that signals the kidneys to regulate the fluid levels in our body, particularly those at work inside and outside our cells, including the blood cells. Things like edema and blood pressure imbalances can be a result of the adrenals being out of balance.
Stress and inflammation are huge culprits and essentially the “root” of not only the adrenal glands being thrown out of balance, but the root of all chronic and degenerative diseases.
I hope you can already see how important the adrenal glands are to not just our glucose levels and our blood pressure, but to our overall health.
For more about stress and the adrenal glands see my blog “A Holistic Approach to Stress – is it Silently Killing You?”
Before we move on to the next system of the body, I would just like to point out some major stressors, especially as they pertain to all that we have been addressing these past 5 weeks:
- Lack of deep sleep—going to bed too late, and/or waking in the middle of the night and not being able to go back to sleep are some examples.
- Eating an inflammatory diet—fast food, fried food, packaged and processed foods, and sugars (this one is huge). The foods that heal or are non-inflammatory are fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds, good fats, and water.
- Being dehydrated—water flushes the waste and toxins out of the body on a daily basis. If you are dehydrated, these toxins stay in you causing inflammation in the body.
- Lack of exercise—prayer and exercise are much better stress relievers than an anxiety or depression medication.
Three of these four were addressed by Dr. Apolito as the primary drivers of obesity. And Obesity drives hypertension and diabetes as the three main causes of cardiovascular disease. Do you see how all of this is starting to tie together? Remember in an earlier blog that I said inflammation is the common denominator off all chronic and degenerative diseases. Are you starting to see how and why?
Here are just a few of the physical health problems that occur as a direct result of the body being stressed:
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Digestive disorders
- Diabetes
- Hypoglycemia
- Hypertension
- Auto-immune disorders
- Cancer
- Obesity
- Arthritis
Let’s move on to the next organ —
The Liver
The liver has over 500 functions that we know about; there are likely even more. I’ll share just a few of them here as they pertain to our topic of cardiovascular disease, and diabetes in particular. The liver maintains blood volume and controls blood coagulation. It also stores glucose.The liver cleans the body of its toxins in a process called detoxification, and gets rid of bilirubin, cholesterol, and drugs through excretion. It is responsible for metabolizing carbohydrates, proteins, and fats, and also regulates blood glucose. The liver chemically alters or excretes thyroid hormones. It activates Vitamin D. This is just the very tip of the iceberg of what all it is entrusted to do. But all of this work the liver has to do can cause the liver to get dirty – especially if it is not functioning properly.
So How Does the Liver Get “Dirty?”
The processed foods we eat, the air we breathe, and the water we drink all affect the liver. Stress will also cause the body and the liver to be toxic. If the pH of the internal environment of our bodies is too acidic, the body is toxic. Of course, just the natural process of cells dying off is also a waste product the liver disposes. Mental/emotional stresses our bodies have been under, whether in the past year or the past 10 years, can also affect the liver. A major illness, surgery, loss of a loved one, loss of a job or home, relocation, marriage, divorce, childbirth—all kinds of major life events, good or bad, can cause stress to the body.
Some of the more common signs and symptoms of toxic buildup are:
- allergies
- arthritis
- blood sugar problems
- brain fog
- carpal tunnel syndrome
- chronic backache
- chronic fatigue
- colitis
- constipation
- headaches
- hormonal problems
- hot flashes
- immune weakness
- indigestion
- gas
- bloating
- joint or muscle pain,
- mood changes
- PMS
- sinus congestion
- skin conditions
Once again, are you starting to see the connections? More importantly, the point I want to emphasis is that the organs and systems of the body don’t work independently of each other – they all work synergistically together. Another vital piece I want to point out is that there can be many possible causes to just one symptom. That’s why it is so vital that you get to the root cause of the imbalance, whether it be obesity, diabetes, hypertension or any number of other health imbalances. That’s why it is important to address your health holistically, not just address the symptoms.
The Digestive System
In reclaiming your health, another important aspect to address is bringing your digestive system back into balance.
What makes up the digestive system? The main organs are the stomach, small intestine, and large intestine (also known as the colon). Other organs that contribute greatly to the digestive process are the gallbladder, liver, and pancreas. Believe it or not, the appendix has a role as well.
Seventy percent of the immune system is in the gut, so it is imperative that it be healthy. Trillions of live, good bacteria reside in the colon—or at least there should be. Yet when we eat the Standard American Diet (SAD), take medications (especially antibiotics), are mental and/or emotionally stressed, consume foods we are sensitive to, and don’t have daily bowel movements, our colon becomes overtaken with bad bacteria causing inflammation in the body. When our digestive system is exposed to this multitude of inflammatory stressors, it then starts taxing the other organs we have just talked about – the adrenals and the liver – of which both play a huge role in regulating our glucose levels, not to mention all the other functions these organs do.
Let’s Tie it All Together
- The adrenal glands respond to all stress and inflammation to the body. There are 3 types of stress:Mental/Emotional – a hectic work life and standard of living
Physical – poor sleep and rest habits are an example
Chemical – packaged and processed foods, including sugarsThese 3 examples of stress (and there are many, many more in each of these types) have been identified as the drivers of obesity; and obesity is the driver of the other 2 factors – hypertension and diabetes that contribute highly to cardiovascular disease. And cardiovascular disease is our ultimate focus of this series. - The adrenals signal the liver to regulate our glucose. (make this a pull quote)The liver has over 500 functions that we in our finite minds even know about. In addition to regulating glucose – the storage of it, the breakdown of it and the creation of it – the liver has to move all of the body’s waste along — natural and man derived i.e. the poor diet, other stress factors etc. — to the various organs of elimination – kidneys, lungs, skin & colon.
- The adrenals signal the kidneys to regulate our fluid levels, including our blood pressure, which when not in check causes hypertension leading to cardiovascular disease.
- The digestive system processes everything that goes into our mouths, including the inflammatory foods like wheat, gluten, dairy, sugar and all the other packaged and processed foods. When an abundance of these foods are consumed on a regular basis over time it wrecks havoc with our digestive system as well as our immune system – 70% of the immune system is in the gut. When there is excess inflammation going on, once again the adrenals are called upon.
Are you starting to see the connection not just between these vital organs and systems of the body as it relates to our blood sugar levels, but also as it responds to all of the things that directly or indirectly contribute to cardiovascular disease.
And can you also see why just giving metformin, or insulin or any of the other dozen or more medications given to treat diabetes is not the solution? Because in addition to an inflammatory diet, all medications cause side effects – some just worse than others – because all medications are a foreign substance to the body. Instead of reversing the problem, the medications contribute to it – causing inflammation – over-working the adrenals; over-working the liver, by having to get rid of these toxins, and messing with the digestive system. Getting to the root cause is the only real solution to reversing diabetes, and yes, it can be reversed! You truly are not doomed with this diagnosis for the rest of your life, sending your health down a slippery slope to death.
Holistic Solutions to Reverse Diabetes
The solution is simple, it’s addressing and changing all of the things we have been talking about the past 5-6 weeks. Eat a non-inflammatory diet; get plenty of sleep and exercise; get on a budget, start managing your time; maintain healthy boundaries with your work – know how to say no; and live below your means. None of this is impossible, but it does take a commitment to making change. Set goals, instill discipline and get to work. It’s simple, but it’s not easy.
In Summary
Go back and review the earlier blogs – start from the beginning. Pick up a copy of my book and the accompanying workbook “Are You Being Deceived About True Wellness” – they go into much greater depth, answers the why’s and gives practical steps to taking control of your health. Because your health is in your control when you get to the root cause and start restoring the body back to good health using natural approaches. And above all, don’t be a statistic of the American Heart Association!
Next week we will address hypertension, the 3rd driving factor causing cardiovascular disease.
To book Dr. Jackie for speaking engagements go to:
https://jackiemckool.com/schedule-jackie/
Looking for a great beach read this summer? How about digging your toes in the sand, or swinging in the hammock with a copy of “Are You Being Deceived About Truth Wellness?”
Did you miss some of these earlier blogs? These could give you some great insight — especially as you pursue your health journey:
“A Holistic Approach to Heart Disease”
“Cardiovascular Disease – Our Reliance on Packaged & Processed Foods”
“A Holistic Approach to Exercise and Cardiovascular Disease”
“The Connection Between Obesity and Lack of Sleep”
“Impacts of our Standard of Living and our Hectic Work Life on our Cardiovascular Health”
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(1)To reference the Fox News article go here.