The Real Pandemic | I Do Well: Reverse Diabesity and Enhance Public Health

The Real Pandemic

0 Submitted by on Wed, September 09, 2020, 5:41 pm
One of the most interesting things about this viral “pandemic” we are in is that there is a pandemic within the pandemic. It accounts for the largest percentage of mortality of people infected by the Covid-19 virus. So what is it? It’s blood sugar dysregulation or Insulin Resistance. What’s that?  It’s the underlying condition that produces obesity, diabetes and hypertension…chronic high blood sugar due to insulin resistance. The latest research indicates that 60-80% of Americans have some form of insulin resistance in play due to physical inactivity and a refined artificial diet. And because so many people have diabetes and are overweight, this phenomenon has also been referred to in medical circles as DIABESITY.
 
First, we know that obesity causes chronic inflammation. And having more pro-inflammatory cytokines in circulation increases your risk of experiencing a cytokine storm. Obesity also makes you more vulnerable to infectious diseases by lowering your immune function. Adipose tissue (especially “belly fat”) is now considered an extremely active endocrine organ that secretes cytokine-like hormones, called adipokines. 
 
When a virus or other pathogen invades the body, inflammatory cytokines are released by your immune system in response to foreign invaders. They, in turn, act as messengers that instruct other immune cells to fight the pathogen. In some cases, this immune response goes into overdrive, resulting in what’s known as a “cytokine storm” that can cause severe tissue damage and lead to death.
 
cytokine storm response is typically the reason why people die from infections, whether it’s the seasonal flu, Ebola, urinary tract infection or COVID-19. But interestingly, “the inflammatory response to influenza infections is also known to drive up glucose metabolism,” The Scientist reports, “in part so that immune cells have the necessary energy to mount a strong response, and also because the virus needs the sugar to replicate.”
 
Worldometer data shows that only 1.7% of American COVID-19 cases require hospitalization, and of those an even smaller ratio will actually die. Is it really reasonable to shut down the entire country and place everyone under house arrest over a 1.7% hospitalization rate? It is the lifestyle factors that are contributing to the COVID-19 caseload in the U.S.
 
Recently, Dr. Aseem Malhotra, a London-based cardiologist, told the BBC that “Obesity and chronic metabolic disease is killing COVID-19 patients: Now is the time to eat real food” He also said “In light of the mounting evidence that obesity and poor diet increases the risk of a severe response to COVID-19 infection, medical professionals now want the public health message urgently updated”.
 
A researcher, Dr. Shi Liu recently said: “We believe that glucose metabolism contributes to various COVID-19 outcomes since both influenza and COVID-19 can induce a cytokine storm, and since COVID-19 patients with diabetes have shown higher mortality”
 
But while obesity may top the list of comorbidities — underlying conditions that make COVID-19 worse, a recent study looking at 5,700 New York City patients found 88% had more than one comorbidity. Only 6.3% had just one underlying health condition and only 6.1% had none.  In this particular study, published in JAMA, high blood pressure at 53.1% beat obesity (41.7%) as the No. 1 most common comorbidity among hospitalized patients, followed by diabetes at 31.7% and coronary artery disease at 10.4%. One of the authors of the study said: “The real pandemic here appears to be dysregulated glucose metabolism; in other words, insulin resistance, which is exceedingly prevalent in the U.S. Insulin resistance, is a diet-induced condition.
 
However, while a diet laced with refined carbohydrates (fructose-sweetened drinks, pastries, pastas etc) is a primary contributor to the obesity-diabetes-hypertension epidemic, physical inactivity is just as culpable. When we put people on a program of brisk walking 30 minutes twice a day, we see dramatic reductions in insulin resistance and also accelerated weight loss. And if we can get them to drink two glasses of water before each meal, we see dramatic differences in the hematocrit (blood clotting) levels, and significant differences in their energy levels.
 
So what can you do about reducing these comorbidities in yourself and your family and friends? Go to https://www.idowell.org  It was established back in 2014 to help us to solve the insulin resistance problem. There is a program there called “Reversing Diabesity”. For a small contribution, you will have access to six video presentations that explain insulin resistance, how it is generated and how to overcome it with just three simple interventions. Share the videos with your family and friends. Encourage them to use the three interventions daily. It is a lifestyle change and does not involve the use of drugs. If you are on drugs for these conditions, share it with your physician.
 
If your physician discounts or rejects these simple lifestyle intervention methods, find an enlightened physician! Eighty percent of people who use these methods respond and begin to experience significant improvement in decreased insulin resistance and weight loss in only ten days. Remember that if you are going to “prosper and be in health” as the apostle John suggests, you need to invest the time and resources in your personal health. Set a time each day for physical activity. Set a smart phone alarm to remind you, and honor your commitment to eat whole plant-based foods daily, exercise regularly, and drink two glasses of pure water before each meal.
 
The rich returns in improved health that are generated by simple obedience to the laws of health given by our Creator are more than enough reward for your investment of time, energy and resources. To your health! 
 
PS: If you happen to need extra help in getting started, I am available by phone (or better yet, Zoom) for personal counseling.
 
Yours in His Service,
 
Jack McIntosh B.Sc.
Health Educator/Lifestyle Interventionist
360-314-8714   M

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