Holistic Disease Prevention and What Constitutes a Healthy Lifestyle - Essay Example

? Running Head: Holistic Disease Prevention Holistic Disease Prevention and What Constitutes a Healthy Lifestyle Introduction The lifestyle of most people today has been greatly influenced by technology. Through the vast improvements provided by the technological advances that has virtually characterized the new century, the way people live their lives have been greatly changed. Businesses have been operating 24-7 and the fast paced corporate life seems to have been the norm nowadays. Hence, people are not really sleeping the way they used to do and the foods they take have been mostly from fast food counters. Contrary to the information from commercials, these products are bombarded with chemicals that enable them to be preserved longer. Once eaten, these chemicals find their way to the human bodies which are not biologically programmed to take in such substances (Holistichealthtools.com, 2011). These cause severe health problems such as obesity which can open the floodgates for a host of health problems such as diabetes, heart disease and a myriad of other dangerous health conditions (University of Maryland Medical Center, 2011a). This clearly presents a danger to each person that is basically living on the fast lane. It is important to note that though this has increasingly been the way that most people live their lives, these people are also careening dangerously towards sickness and various health problems. Hence, it is important to be able to somehow strike a balance between how people live their lives to meet the daily demands and still keep themselves healthy. Shorter Life Spans Obesity has steadily gained attention in the US especially because of the threat that it has steadily given to the Americans. According to the NIH (National Institutes of Health, 2005), obesity can significantly slash the life span by about five years. This has really been a cause of alarm considering that being obese puts a person along the cross hairs of serious medical conditions. Therefore, it is important that obesity must be fought against. Five years is indeed a lot of time to be taken out of one’s life and there are so many things that a person can accomplish in that time. Hence, it is really critical that obese people put in serious efforts to trim their waistlines and try to veer away from their unhealthy lifestyles. Even though the demands of the new way that things are done nowadays can really get people living dangerously, it is still possible to shed off those excess fats and somehow get back on track to having a healthier and longer life. This must be seriously considered especially since the experts that have conducted this new analysis have moved away from the traditional historical data to determine life expectancy. These health scientists have zeroed in on the possible cause for the alarming decline in life expectancy by taking into consideration the body mass indices (BMI) along with several other possible causes for the decline in the quality of health as well as the poor well-being of young adults. Olshansky, Passaro, Hershow, Layden, Carnes, Brody, Hayflick, et al (2005) have put forward the need for this type of measurement lamenting that using merely the historical data is grossly inadequate to satisfactorily predict this very threatening development. Engaging from Multiple Front Lines The severity of the situation has prompted various health officials, stakeholders and concerned citizens to search for ways to effectively combat the ballooning threat of obesity. This has already caused much alarm and there have been stern warnings to shape up, tone down or face the risk of living a shorter and unhealthier life. It seems that the situation has really become drastic which seem to logically require a drastic and equally aggressive solution. Hence, the idea of living a healthy lifestyle and having a holistic approach to prevent diseases have constantly gained traction throughout the years. The holistic approach came from the word holism which, in Greek, means entire or all which seems to point to a total approach to having a healthy lifestyle (Holistichealthtools.com, 2011). This is very important since the escalating problem of obesity has been shown to have increasingly been stronger and more virulent threatening to eat out half a decade of American lifespan (National Institute of Health, 2005). Moreover, it is also important for people to realize that being healthy means more than not being sick. However, being healthy is not limited from doing away with the sickness, the aches and pains but it is about being able to properly care for the person’s totality. This encompasses a total well being of a person from his or her body to the mind and even the soul. However, it seems that this development should not come as a surprise because of the way Americans eat. For about three decades, the number of people with weight problems has steadily increased and much of this has been attributed to the eating habits that may have been greatly influenced by the changing landscape of how people live their lives. About half a decade ago, there has been an effort from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to educate people on through a new food guide pyramid. However, research has shown that there has been a strong inclination towards the unhealthy way of eating due to the voracious consumption of fats and sugars (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2005). This has shown that the food intake is probably the first frontline in attaining a healthy lifestyle and battling against obesity. Eating Right As mentioned, having a healthy lifestyle strongly depends on having a healthy eating habit. Hence, in order to achieve true progress in losing weight, it is very important to be able to watch the food that goes into the body. However, people have thought that the solution to losing weight is to diet themselves which is evident in the promulgation of various diets all over the world. Some have been effective but unless otherwise followed through thoroughly, these become mere fads that eventually, after one has given up, do not necessarily help in taking out the fats in the long term. Hence, Jegtvig (2011) argues that instead of crashing on these fad diets, it would be better to take in healthy foods instead. Usually, fad diets do not really appeal that much to the taste and it needs to be followed religiously. However, it is important to note that not all the foods on the proverbial diet list are healthy since it is the change, sometimes drastic, in one’s eating habit that contributes greatly to success. People need not really go down hard on these routines though. One simple tip would be to examine the food and determine how close it is to its original state wherein the closer usually means the better for the would-be dieter. If possible, it is likewise important to get these fresh. Chemicals pervade the human body easily through the preservatives prevalent in the food that are consumed. And, with the fast paced lifestyle, it is really easy to get lost among the myriad of instant meals that are really handy to be able to live on the fast lane. Hence, being able to diligently watch the foods that are eaten and to be more discerning really helps in maintaining a truly healthy lifestyle. With the escalating costs, it has indeed become very costly to be sick. However, the cliche’ that prevention is better, and cheaper, than cure people are really taking this word more seriously nowadays (Harrison, 2011). Herbs and Health As mentioned, having a healthy and balanced diet can help promote a healthy lifestyle and prevent the onset of diseases. Food therefore plays a key part in attaining a holistic approach to health. Also, to improve flavour and stay healthy, herbs have been added into the equation to add both taste and health in preparing a food fit for a healthy lifestyle. Herbs being natural are probably the most compelling reason why these things find their way into cupboards and even dishes at home. Moreover, these have been used throughout centuries in other cultures such as in India and China. However, although these are indeed natural, a certain degree of caution must likewise be exercised since not all herbs are safe to ingest. Still, it cannot be denied that these can indeed heal and help in the pursuit of having a healthy lifestyle. Also, the centuries old usage can be a testimony to the efficacy of these substances (Anderson & Roach, 2010). Also, these herbs seem to have transcended time and effectively pervaded modern society wherein the herb industry has ballooned to over $60 billion. Perception has likewise diverted from the traditional perspective to a genuine support and even replacement to medicine. It is important to note that to a certain extent, these herbs are indeed effective relieving problems from colds to morning sickness and even nausea. Interestingly, there is even an herb called palmetto that can significantly ease prostate symptoms (World Health Organization, 2003). Relaxing to Revitalize The body, mind and soul must all be taken cared off to be able to muster a holistic approach to health and wellness. Hence, it is very important to be able to have adequate relaxation especially since the aforementioned fast paced lifestyle has greatly bombarded individuals with stress that greatly undermines a person’s health. Probably among the best defence against stress is exercise. Aside from putting the mind out of stressful thinking it can also fight against problems brought about by stress such as blood pressure and heart ailments (University of Maryland, 2011b). Thus, it is important to be able to be relaxed and be able to devote time for relaxation activities to have proper defences against the possible onslaught of sickness and diseases. Being able to live healthy equips a person with the holistic arsenal to ward of the adverse effects of the lifestyle of the new century. Also, doing relaxation activities have been shown to affect genes wherein a study from Harvard have shown a positive effect on those people that do yoga and meditation on their general well-being (Harvard Health Publications, 2011). This further enforces the need for relaxation to be added to the foods and herbs in order to maintain a healthy lifestyle that can withstand the myriad of heath related problem. In so doing, people not only become healthy but are generally more relaxed and happy in order to enjoy their lives. Living in Health Aside from the aforementioned factors, it is also important to consider the surroundings and make sure that the area is safe and the environment is conducive to living a healthy lifestyle. Even if a person does not smoke, this becomes wasted if he lives among smokers and is a recipient of second-hand smoke that is also hazardous to the human body. However, it is disheartening to note that the new century is now filled with unhealthy options wherein the fast foods have become an easy alternative in order to keep pace with the fast lane of life today. However, environmental degradation has exacerbated the situation making it more difficult to really have a healthy lifestyle. Among the greatest threat would be air pollution since it is estimated that about 3,000 to 6,000 gallons are inhaled each day. The correlation has been very evident with heart attacks and other related illnesses and of course lung sicknesses flare up when air pollution peaks up (Harvard Health Publications, 2005). This seems to point out that the food intake, herbal supplements and even relaxation must likewise be complemented by the very important environmental factors. Clean environment indeed plays a very critical role in having and maintaining a clean and healthy lifestyle as well. However, it is a very dangerous environment nowadays and as mentioned the environmental problems of today has greatly increased the risk of sicknesses making it difficult to have the holistic wellness. It is thus very important that various governmental institutions have stepped in to somehow curb the harmful effects of air pollution by putting in place regulations against smoking (Government of Hayward California, 2011). Conclusion A holistic approach is very crucial in attaining a healthy lifestyle. This encompasses the mind, soul and of course the body. The problems of taking for granted one’s health and wellness have seriously manifested slashing by as much as five years the lives of Americans. This has been brought about by obesity which can be the stepping stone for various health ailments to set in (National Institute of Health, 2005). Hence, taking into consideration the food, augmentation from herbs, relaxation and of course the environment is very important to be able to have a holistic approach to a person’s overall well-being. As mentioned, the problem of obesity has greatly weighted down efforts to achieve this healthy lifestyle which has been exacerbated by the societal factors attributed to the fast paced lifestyle prevalent nowadays. The problem has also been compounded by the problems associated with pollution and bad smoking habits that tend to contribute greatly to the amount of chemicals that attack the human body. Hence, it is very important to be really serious about pursuing a healthy lifestyle and be able to develop a holistic approach in order to be able to prevent the myriad of sicknesses that has pervaded modern society. Although it is quite easy to succumb to temptations of unhealthy lifestyle it is important to be able to live a life that is inclined to health and wellness in order to prevent the costly and painful illnesses. Basically, disease prevention requires a total effort from all stakeholders – from individuals, governments and all the other stakeholders. As important as it is in engaging health problems from multiple fronts, the global involvement and the integration of various approaches are critical to really prevent the adverse effects of the various diseases. Prevention is indeed better than cure and this is important to be able to have a healthy, happy and long life. References Anderson, J. & Roach, J. (2010). Herbals for health. Colorado State University. Retrieved on June 18, 2011 from http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/foodnut/09370.html Government of Hayward California (2011). Article 6: Smoking pollution control. Retrieved on June 18, 2011 from http://www.hayward-ca.gov/municipal/HMCWEB/SmokingPollutionControl112610.pdf Harrison, R. (2011). Holistic health: Prevention and a healthy lifestyle, Be whole, be well campaign. Retrieved on June 18, 2011 fromhttp://www.bewholebewell.com/articles/HolisticHealthPreventionandLifestyle.pdf Harvard Health Publications (2004). Herbs and lifestyle changes may reduce symptoms of enlarged prostate. Retrieved on June 18, 2011 from http://www.health.harvard.edu /press_releases/enlarged_prostate_symptom_treatment Harvard Health Publications (2005). Health effects of air pollution : Triggering heart attacks and spur heart disease. Retrieved on June 18, 2011 from http://www.health.harvard.edu/press_releases/health_effects_air_pollution Harvard Health Publications (2011). Relaxation response affects gene activity. Retrieved on June 18, 2011 from http://www.health.harvard.edu/press_releases/relaxation-response-affects-gene-activity Holistichealthtools.com (2011). Adopting a holistic approach to health, info provided by native remedies. Retreived on June 18, 2011 from http://www.holistichealthtools.com/holistic.html Jegtvig, S. (2011). Healthy fodds instead of a fad diet. Retrieved on June 18, 2011 from http://nutrition.about.com/od/nutrition101/a/keepitsimple.htm National Institute of Health (2005). Obesity threatens to cut US life expectancy, new analysis suggests. US Department of Health and Human Services, NIH News. Retrieved on June 18, 2011 from http://www.nih.gov/news/pr/mar2005/nia-16.htm Olshansky, S.J., Passaro, D.J., Hershow, R.C., Layden, J., Carnes, B.A., Brody, J., Hayflick, L., Butler, R.N., Allison, D.B., & Ludwig, D.S. (2005). A potential decline in life expectancy in the united states in the 21st century. New England Journal of Medicine, 352(11), 1138-1145. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (2005). What does the American diet look like? healthy lifestyles, essentials for eaters and dieters. 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