Urgent Effective Actions are needed to Protect Our Health

Most conditions are our self-inflicted health issues and hence are easy to reverse.

Health risks requiring urgent attention of all mankind:

During my 72 years of life, I had my share of health conditions. I am now convinced that these ailments were on most part results of myself following a general understanding of “how to live and eat” in present modernized conditions. Unfortunately such consensuses are not always correct; e.g. the prevalent consensus only a few hundred years ago that “the earth is flat” was completely wrong, as we all know now.

While I am aware of the fact that every life has to come to an end, I also now firmly believe that a healthy body can be maintained until many long years without being dependent. However, I conclude from my own experience, vast reading and close observations that while modern living do provide us comfort and amenities, it may preclude us from healthy living. This may sound alarmist but I believe we need to urgently find ways and means to protect our health before the epidemic of our unhealthy habits and surrounding conditions engulfs us all beyond a point of no return.

We are paying undue cost for modern amenities that can be reduced if we use our ancestor’s experiences and common sense:

Let us take a stock of what we have gained from modern living and how much have we paid in the form of unnecessary illnesses. Once we have considered these both, the connection will be clear. It is absolutely clear that we have treaded in our health and longevity for the short-lived pleasures of modernity and pleasures. Let us do this exercise together. I believe that following three are most important factors affecting our health:

• Lack of exercise and sedentary indoor life style
• Lack of nutrition and increased calorie intake
• Exposure to toxins from chemicals, radiation and even side effects of prescription medicines

Changes of past two centuries:

We are lucky to be living in present times when human beings on this planet earth has progressed in many different ways materially adding comforts and amenities. Here is a short list of some of them:

• Population of planet has increased three folds to over seven billions
• Industrial revolution has brought many comforts providing amenities and pleasures through mass production
• Our travel is now much faster, thanks to electricity and electronics. We can travel around the world in a few hours, which was only possible in weeks
• Our communication is far wider; we can talk, text and fax to almost any corner of the world within seconds, which was almost impossible only 30 years ago
• Energy availability is increasing from fossil and non-fossil origins resulting in increased comforts
• Many new processes have been introduced to prolong the shelf life of foods
• Processed foods, mass production of animal protein and Genetically Engineered foods (also called GMO foods) are created to feed the increasing population 

Adverse health results we are facing today:

Let me enumerate some of the diseases that have either appeared recently or are increasing in incidence almost exponentially, so much so that many scholars are referring to these as epidemics. These are as follows:

• Obesity
• Diabetes
• Cardiac diseases
• High blood pressure
• Cancers of all kinds

Incidence of the above mentioned diseases have increased several fold in past century. All above are somehow related to insulin and glucose levels.

“New” diseases of past few decades:

• Attention Deficit Disorders; and there is broad spectrum of such disorders
• Alzheimer’s disease
• Many new viral diseases like HIV, bird flu and flu epidemics

First two seem to be closely related to Fructose and carbohydrate metabolism and Genetically Engineered foods.

What has changed in past 100 years?

Let us look at some important changes that occurred in past century:

• Industrial revolution has changed many aspects of our ways of living
• Migration from rural to urban regions has been immense; majority of population on the planet now lives in urban areas
• Until beginning of last century most human beings went to sleep in evening as darkness set in because there was no electricity. Now most humans are awake at least three or more hours adding to the stress and reduction of sleep time
• Our life style has changed from active to sedentary
• Whole grains are disappearing from food
• Increased population of world by two to three times in past few decades and still increasing
• Plant based diet is generally considered inferior and NOT liked by many people
• Larger portion of our food now come from animal protein, either because people have developed taste for such proteins or it is in vogue to turn “non-veg” from being vegetarian
• Large portion of our food, be it plant based or animal protein, is now processed
• Confined Animal Feeding Operations (CAFO) was unheard of in 1800s, which is now our main source of food
• Nuclear fission was invented only few decades ago and use of radioactive material is increasing by armies
• Radioactive material used in medicine and industry is also increasing
• Electromagnetic Fields (EMFs) are all around us in the shape of electric motors and cell phones
• Genetically Engineered (GE or GMO) foods have been introduced in our diet in past two decades only
• Petrochemicals and its derivatives in different forms are used indiscriminately since 1950s
• Environmental changes have markedly increased in last few decades
• Carbon dioxide is increasing around us to alarming level and is considered to be the cause of environmental changes
• Substantial percentage of acreage of wild forests have been leveled to accommodate population and new agriculture to feed the same
• Many species of plant and animal kingdom are disappearing through extinction

Consequences of such changes:

If we consider the changes in our life style that we have accepted and the disease load that we have acquired in the similar time frame, in the shape of phenomenal increase of incidences and appearance of new diseases, the correlation becomes clear.

A look at history is most useful. The diseases that we are facing are almost direct result of the recent introduction of modern amenities and increasing pollution. Some of them are also results of usage of energy, electricity, experimentation with radiation and electromagnetic fields. Add to this the effects of chemicals, decrease of forests and increase of population and the significances of many unintended consequences become easier to understand.

We must act fast and bring about changes wherever necessary. We need to do the following for a longer and healthier life. These are all simple and common-sensical actions learning from how our ancestors lived, without giving up most of our facilities and comfortable living.

Simple tips to save our health and prevent many diseases:

• Go back to plant based diet. This should be fresh and locally grown. Become vegetarian or preferably even vegan
• Start whole grain diet and stop processed foods in our food
• Eliminate added sugar completely; we are eating almost 10 times more sugar than what we did only about 100 years ago
• Avoid all sugary drinks and sodas; they now contain high fructose corn syrup that is considered worse than sugar
• Stay active by working or exercising daily to keep fit
• Keep you weight within its ideal limits; you may look up life insurance company’s tables for such information
• Keep you vitamin D level optimal by staying in sun or by taking supplements
• Have enough sound sleep of about seven to eight hours a day
• Stay out in open fresh air at least for substantial number of hours
• Do not over-eat. Stay hungry. Follow Confucian teaching of “Hara Hachi Bu” meaning eat 80% of your need. It will help digestion and keep weight in control
• Eat fermented foods like yogurt and probiotics to stabilize your intestinal bacterial colonies
• Drink a lot of water to flush toxins produced in body

At the end let me repeat what Hippocrates said 2500 years ago: “Let the food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food”.

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Why fight the labeling of GMOs?

Food and Hippocrates:

So many pundits and experts in medicine say this. It is time tested and has been the main guide line by many authorities, including the Father of Medicine Hippocrates, who said 2500 years ago that “Let food be thy medicine and the medicine be they food”. This dictum is followed closely by generations before us.

New age fast foods:

In the past 200 years many changes have occurred in our life styles. These started with industrialization, railway, use of oil as energy and electricity, advancement of health science with antibiotics, better understanding of hygiene and human body and its functions. These all led to innovations of faster surface and air travels reducing distances, reducing Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) and increasing longevity with higher percentage of old seniors in population, explosion of population by three folds in past 100 years and pressures on the need of resources to food, cover and shelter this population burst. Usage of radioactive materials in producing electricity, preservation of foods, increased electro magnetic fields effecting our minds and body, and need of increased yield of crops per acre and unit of efforts put in, like water, seeds, fertilizers etc. became a necessity.

This brings us to fast foods, its preservation by newfound chemicals and increased yield by usage of genetically modified (GM) crops. Fast foods have been around for over five decades because of their conveniences but the have now started showing its ugly side of high calorie content, highly processed carbohydrates, much larger consumption of fats including saturated and trans fats. All these started showing their ill effects in the shape of higher incidences of Heart diseases, diabetes, metabolic syndrome, cancers and many other diseases.

GM Foods:

Yet another innovation has been the GM foods. This is the cause of contention over Prop 37 in California. This requires special attention to understand the issue. This is the most recent untested addition to our foods. In 1992 the scientists found that a bacteria called Bacillus thuringiensis or BT found in normal soil has a toxin to kill pests and can be used as biological pesticide. Genes from the BT was introduced in the genes of seeds of several crops by genetic engineering (GE). Better selections of breeds have been used for centuries for crops and animals. However, use of GE is something new when genetic material from one organism is introduced forcefully into the genes of the other. Most GE is used today are in crops like cotton, soya, beet, and rapeseed and rice and potatoes are perhaps next ones. The GE uses the genes from the soil bacteria in these crops but GE scope has been looking at introducing genes of cold water fish into strawberries to make them frost resistant and other similar applications.

Since the use of GM or GE foods, it is generally alleged and observed that a number of disease incidences have further increased. Conditions like Attention deficit disorder (ADD) that was a rare condition is now found in one in less than 100 births.  Disease incidence has been increasing in the past century, but it has progressed much faster in the past two decades, it seems.

Yet another addition to our food is the use of Human growth hormone called rBGH in the production of beef and poultry. This is used in poultry and beef industries along with GM corn to fatten the animal quickly. For example, only about 50 years ago, a chicken would take almost four months to come to dinner table from its hatching from the egg, This now takes as short as three weeks. Same also holds good for the beef industry’s enhanced production. European Union has not allowed use of rBGH, but it is freely used in the USA.

Activism against GM, or GE or GMO foods:

GM Foods started in the USA and so is rBGH. GM has spread like wild fire because of seemingly better yield of crops. A sizeable number of scientists and people who cared against any adulteration in their food stared taking notice of such tempering with our foods. This accompanied by the apparently increased incidence in many diseases and findings of many new diseases like ADD and Alzheimer’s, which were almost unknown, has given the activists the reason to ask for proper testing of such additives to our food. In some States in the United States, legislation is underway to curb on the GMO food and rBGH usage, one way or other. California takes a lead in such matters usually and it has in this matter also. Californians have gathered enough signatures to put this on the ballot to be voted by Californians on Nov 6^th 2012 elections. It is called Prop 37. The Prop 37 demands that if the food contains any GM or GE material, FDA should enforce its listing on the mandatory label.

Story of GM food becomes more interesting here. Many food producing and agricultural corporations producing or promoting GM foods have come out against the mandatory labeling of foods mentioning GM contents. They are allegedly spending an amount exceeding 40 million dollars for their movement called “No to Prop 37”. Activists who are wanting the labeling of GM should be mandatory have been able to muster up about 4 million dollars for their movement called “Yes to Prop 37”.

My take on this fight:

I am all for science and innovations. But what I read about GM foods is scary. One You Tube link is serious to overlook. I am also for the right of people to know what they are eating and feeding their children. But the proponents of GM foods in the industry make it look that this is a fight by a few who have vested interests. I am simple logician; I wonder why the industries a are spending such a large amount to fight the labeling on excuses that the labeling will be very expensive and that the food will become expensive because of the scare it may cause because it contains GM foods. Personally I think right to know what we are eating is important. So if labeling is made mandatory, there is not much to lose. Those who are against GM are so convinced with the increasing health problems that are becoming evident, combined with the fact that not enough tests have been done to ensure that GM are definitely safe and the fact that EU authorities are strongly against rBGH makes their gut feeling stronger.

Let us see what decision does Nov 7^th bring to us about this labeling issue.

Challenges from Modern Amenities and Simple Strategies to Combat those

AMENITIES AND BLESSINGS OF MODERN ERA:

We are lucky living in these modern times when science has advanced so much to ease our many health related issues. We are now able to take care of our health much better than what we could few decades ago. In past century alone, we had many innovations. For example, antibiotics were discovered, cholesterol is better understood, blood sugar meter invented, tests like HbA1c developed and we now know that peptic ulcers is caused by H. pylori and many such ingenious discoveries and breakthroughs.

CHALLENGES AND ISSUES FROM THE BLESSINGS OF MODERN ERA:

While these inventions and innovations have provided us so many amenities and blessings, they have brought many challenges and issues to our health also. If we understand these issues well, we can protect our health by avoiding many pitfalls that affect our health adversely. I suggest use of simple common sense to combat these challenges. I have explained some of the major issues and challenges and have suggested recommendations and strategies to keep enjoying the amenities and blessings and yet stay in control to preserve and protect our health.

Why this question? So many people are asking this question lately. Such apocalyptic prophecies are told every so often by someone. They seem to misinterpret facts. This particular prophecy emanates from Mayan calendar. Mayan was a civilization in South America, extending from almost mid Mexico to the Southern tip, centered mainly on Guatemala.  It went extinct about 5000 years ago.

Mayans left behind an old calendar, which is based on short and long cycles. Present long cycle of the calendar ends on Dec 21, 2012. Because the cycle just ends there, those who believe in such unusual and inexplicable possibilities believe that the world with all its life will come to an end on that day.

Disappearance of Civilizations: It is true that many civilizations have disappeared suddenly in the past without leaving any clues, of which there are several examples in history. Those that immediately come to mind are civilization around Egyptian pyramids, Mayan culture, Easter islanders, Incan empire etc. The reasons postulated for their disappearance are several theories. Such reasons are, for example, natural disasters, tsunamis, plagues and small pox epidemic, giant polar eruption, reversal of global poles, super eruption of Yellowstone caldera in US, earth to be hit by a large planet sized Asteroids or Meteorites etc.

Role of cults in such stories: Different cults have spread such apocalyptic rumors ending in many deaths, usually by suicides and killings by their security personnel raising lot of questions. One of the infamous events of recent time is that of Jonestown in Guyana, when 909 deaths occurred due to cyanide poisoning. Yet another more recent is that in France when 94 members committed suicide belonging to the Order of Solar Temple. The French government’s Interministerial Mission for Monitoring and Combating Cultic Deviances delivered a mass-suicide warning last year and is vigilant on such rumors. Even NASA has added a page of FAQs on their site to dispel the worries of people about this.

My take on this rather logical and simple:

• I have heard more than a dozen such prophecies and none have come true.
• I think the Mayan calendar will have its one long cycle ending on Dec 21, 2012 and a new one will start the next day, just like we do change calendars at the end of any year.
• NASA says there is no planet or Meteorites that may cause such accident.
• The Yellowstone activity is of no worry at the moment.
• The solar activity cycle is not at its height
• If the civilization was to end radiation accident seems to be one possible way with the existing and increasing nuclear arsenals. This may be started by a mad man or a group of people creating a chain reaction of nuclear bombing all over the planet. Our information about radiation is scant; it is worth remembering that Mm Curie, who found radio-isotopes only about 100 years ago, herself died of radiation poisoning.
• History shows us many civilizations disappearing, which may happen once again, but that will be act of nature or God.
• If that happens, and that is a big IF, no one will be there to discuss who believed in it and who did not. So why worry about such things?

Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food. Hippocrates (460-377 B.C.)

Hippocrates the father of modern medicine said this about 2,500 years ago and it was practiced by our ancestors to stay healthy. However, in the past 200 years the new modern life style has made it difficult for us to follow this old adage. With intelligent reasoning and common sense it is possible to follow Hippocrates’s advice and preserve our health.

The measures we need to take are simple but its positive effects on our health can be tremendous.

Whole grains food: Our ancestors ate whole grains. For longer shelf life of foods our industries are processing foods, thus removing vital nourishments and fiber from the grain by removal of bran and endosperm. Remaining processed grain contains very high percentage of starch. This is claimed to be the higher incidence of diabetes, heart diseases Alzheimer’s and cancers. Starch turns into glucose that spikes insulin secretion, which increases triglycerides and plaques in our arteries.

Fresh vegetables: Eat as fresh vegetables as best as possible. The veggies should be green, leafy and colorful. More color will usually mean better antioxidants. If you can consume raw, well washed vegetables, it is better still. To increase the yield the agriculturists have been using excessive fertilizers and pesticides. Many chemicals are new, untested and even totally unknown causing diseases.

Meat form grass fed animals: Grass fed animals provide better omega 3 essential fatty acids. Meat from animals fed on corn and artificially fattened animals provides fewer omega 3 and also contain inferior quality of micronutrients. Such foods also cause inflammation in body, which is touted for many modern illnesses.

Poultry products: These are also different in quality when compared to farm raised versus poultry raised chickens. Free range raised chicken eggs provide better omega 3 and nutrition than overcrowded poultry farm raised birds. Poultry farm also has problems of possibilities of infections. A lot of discussion is also taking place about the unhygienic and unacceptable conditions of poultry farms.

Fish consumption: Try and eat fatty fish once or twice a week. This also should be preferably from wild stock instead of farm raised. Fish is rich in anti-inflammatory essential fatty acid like Omega 3. Water pollution from industrial wastes contains a lot of PCB and high levels of mercury, which gets to us through fish and we should be mindful of this.

Ultra violet rays of sun for Vitamin D: Almighty has made sun available to the universe. Ultra violet rays of sun light makes Vitamin D in our skin. Recently we are getting habituated to live in air conditioned homes and indoor offices all day resulting to our exposure to sun to minimum. It is estimated that half the population of the USA is Vitamin D deficient because of this. It is claimed that vitamin D is not only a vitamin but a hormone because unlike other vitamins it is produced in our body. It is said to affect every cell of the body

SUMMARY:

In the name of modernization and conveniences we have either overlooked the importance of quality of our food. . Some experts believe that high incidence of cancer, ADD, Alzheimer’s, depression, diabetes and heart diseases is partly attributed to our attitude to the quality of food.  We need to learn some simple hints to follow the healthful advice Hippocrates. These are as follows:

10 simple hints to keep ourselves healthy and avoid diseases:

1. Eat fresh vegetables, preferably raw.
2. Consume only whole grains.
3. Stay away from Starch, Salt and Saturated fats.
4. Consume Mono and Polysachurated fats and only sparingly Saturated fats.
5. Consume a lot of antioxidants from Vit C, fruits and vegetables.
6. Consume a lot of nuts containing anti-inflammatory Omega 3.
7. Consume enough micronutrients and vitamins.
8. Put in habit daily exercises, cardio and weight lifting both.
9. Keep your weight to ideal level.
10. Stay away from radiation, ionizing and electromagnetic both.

Life styles of human being have changed hugely over the past two centuries. This started about two hundred years ago with industrial revolution. Use of oil and energy created another big change because these changed the pace of life fto very fast. These changes provided a lot of conveniences and luxuries but they have also changed our eating habits, which has adversely affected our health because our genes have been used to what our ancestors were used to for thousands of years. These conveniences have caused unintended consequences because of sedentary life style hence increasing risks to human health.

Let us see some of the changes that have damaged our health:

Over Abundance of Calories and Carbohydrates:

Few thousand years ago our ancestors lived on hunted food and gathered wild plants vegetables. This consisted mostly of protein and fat. Agricultural revolution brought us abundance of carbohydrate in our diet. High fructose corn syrup was added only 50 years ago. This is causing increased disease load in people with diabetes, obesity and metabolic syndrome.

Lack of Exercises:

Cars and means of communications are added to our lives just about 100 years ago. Fastest means of transport was horse or camel until then. Now we have become sedentary and non-active with cars and airplanes. Remote-controls fax and internet has made us even worse. Our daily walking used lot of calories in past, which has disappeared and those who are conscious of it now need gyms to work out.

Lack of sunshine and Vitamin D:

With facilities of air conditioning and fast transport our exposure to sun has been severely curtailed. In developed world a substantial percentage of us are hence Vitamin D deficient. This is causing a number of illnesses like depression, Alzheimer’s and cancers. Pundits say that Vitamin D is not only a vitamin but an enzyme that works on every cell of the body.

Radiation:

Our experimentation with radiation is also only about a century old when we started finding the radioactive isotopes. Our experience of radiation started with bombing of Japan in WWII and then three accidents in nuclear reactors since then. With such minimal experience we are thinking to embark on having major part of our need of electricity with nuclear power plants, which is frightening.

Genetically Modified (GM) foods:

We have embarked on this without enough experience and we do not know how it may hurt us. We need to know its long term implications before it is allowed universally.

Hormone supported animal rearing:

Major part of our meat and chicken now comes from farms where hormones and unknown chemical feed stocks are used to fatten the birds and animals. These substances are consumed by us every day with our food.

Chemicals and fertilizers:

These are now major industries to provide us food. The chemicals in the form of fertilizers and pesticides are ingested by us with our food on daily basis. Aside from that the chemicals produced in industries as by-products are disposed in water channels eventually consumed by humans through fish meals.

Possible ways to avoid damage to our health:

1. We should avoid excessive calories and carbohydrate to avoid diseases.
2. We all need to exercise regularly to keep fit, burn calories and avoid insulin resistance.
3. We need to make our own natural Vitamin D by exposing ourselves to sunlight for a few hours a day.
4. It is wrong to allow something in our food like GM foods, about which we do not know enough. We must discourage its use until we are sure.
5. Natural and synthetic chemicals are growing in number by millions. We should restrict use of unknown chemicals and of those known to hurt.
6. Radiation is a new issue from last century. We have accepted its use despite that we know it causes cancer. We need to have more information about it.
   

“Let Food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food” – Hippocrates (460-377 B.C.)

We must use logic, reasoning and common sense to stop hurting our health.

Let us look at a few facts: Mankind has been living on this planet for many millions of years if you believe in theory of evolution or about ten thousand years if you believe in religious scriptures, from Adam and Eve until now. Either way, we see first mention of sugar in history 500 AD and not before. People used to eat all that was available on daily basis, hunted animals and birds to berries, plant leaves and berries.

So it seems that for thousands of years our ancestors must have had a moderate amount of carbohydrates in vegetables and berries but sugar from sugar cane  started only about 1500 years ago and that from beet just over a hundred years ago. Separated fructose is yet more recent innovation of 1960s from Japan and very quickly picked up by beverage industries because it is sweeter than sugar and yet cheaper than that.

Beverage and fruit juice industries made fructose so prevalent that sweet taste has not become only human weakness but probably turned into an addiction also. Hence sugars, which was not part of our diet for most of our existence on this planet has relatively suddenly become the main component of our calorie consumption.

Yet another fact is lost in history is that in 1931 Otto Heinrich Warburg was awarded Nobel Prize for the discovery of the fact that cancer cells thrive on glucose. Since then a number of alternate therapies of cancer have been tested with this discovery in mind with some success. Using Laetrile (bitter almonds and apricot pits), which contains Nitriloside is one of them. It is claimed that Nitriloside combines with Beta-Glucosidase, an enzyme within cancer cells and create Hydrogen Cyanide and Benzaldehyde, both of which are poisons. As these are released within the cancer, they kill the cancer cells. Nitriloside rich foods include apricot kernels, lima beans, sprouts, lentils, black-eyed peas, walnuts, brown rice, black berries etc. Another is Hydrazine Sulfate (HS) promoted by Dr Joseph Gold a research scientist of NASA. He promoted HS to stop glycogenesis (formation of glucose from protein) to starve cancer cells.

Despite that we know this relationship of cancer and glucose, our sugar consumption has grown four times per capita in the past one hundred years; some literature puts this increase to almost 400 times in last 200 years. Fructose syrup, which is recent innovation of 1960s, has taken up half of sugar’s place in our intake.

All the serious diseases like Diabetes, Obesity, Cardiovascular diseases, Alzheimer, ADD and Cancers seem to be increasing in same proportion as the increase of sugar and Carbohydrate consumption. And increased sugar consumption is directly related to our new life style indulging in fast foods, processed grains, Vit D deficiency, increased exposure to various chemicals and man-made radiation.

We must plan seriously to prevent the increasing disease load. We may not have a direct proof but there are no doubts that all the circumstantial evidence points to the increased sugar consumption as primary reason for increasing diseases load along with other factors for our present dilemma.

I watch with stunned feelings the following issues faced by mankind on our planet earth:

a)     Increase of disease load in last century, like diabetes, obesity, heart problems, metabolic syndrome, depression, Alzheimer and cancers.

b)     Man made radiation has increased our exposure to it by almost 25% in the past century or so.

c)     Population explosion on this planet; from few millions about 2000 years ago, to about one billion 200 years ago, to just over 2 billion in 1950, to seven billion in 2011, projected to rise to ten billion in few decades.

Here are my suggestions of possible response to the above issues as follows:

1. We humans are most intelligent on this planet. We must try connecting the dots and start having some plans to intelligently face this and correct our course. I am convinced that the disease conditions are caused by our modern sedentary life style, excessive intake of calories with high intake of starch, sugars and fructose, Vit D deficiencies, genetically modified foods, artificially fattened animals and poultry with corn and bovine growth hormones, and intake of chemicals via excessive use of fertilizers, pesticides and preservatives and byproduct waste of industries reaching our drinking water.
2. Our experience with radiation is only about 100 years old. Yet we are dealing with ionizing radiation of nuclear energy so very casually despite the fact that we all know of proven association of radiation with cancers. We seem to disregard the disastrous outcome of nuclear exposures in wars and accidents compared with its limited use in energy generation, medical diagnostics and irradiation.
3. For population increase I do not have any specific answers because it is an emotive issue. However, we all know this is already causing stress on all our needs and resources aside from conflicts and wars due to that. This issue is differently perceived by nations. In Western world the population has either negative growth or is increasing very slowly. In developing world the increase is very fast. Some countries are taking measures to slow it by family planning but attitudes differ vastly. Best example is Pakistan and Bangladesh, which were one country only about 40 years ago. Pakistan is one of the fastest increasing populations, whereas Bangladesh (formerly East Pakistan) has slowed down their increase very successfully by inculcating right attitude particularly amongst women who practice family planning.

Then there are other issues that have been identified of late. They are:

• Global warming and green house gases causing wild climate changes. This issue needs to have a global consensus, as to how do we address this. Every country has to agree to the right methods practiced together to succeed.
• Industrial waste being discharged into rives causing chemicals and mercury build-up in sea foods making them unfit for human consumption. Many pundits are predicting the wars for drinking water. Despite the fact that two thirds of planet surface is water, the potable water is scarce and we need to find ways to make more available to us.
• Monarchies and dictatorships disappearing giving way to democracies, hence liberating populations with or without experience of governance and economy like in China and former USSR. Again the UNO needs to have a plan to train the new nations on how to govern themselves equitably to avoid further wars and destruction.
• US bill of rights is the hall mark of aspiration for all suppressed people in the world. But it also being misused in the shape of too much freedom with very little responsibility. Unless the freedom is exercised with responsibility and moderation it will go awry and become the enemy of itself.

These topics need to be discussed by all concerned and intelligentsias; and a definition of moderation in all respect ought to be spelt out.

We all need to think through and definitely change our life styles to avoid diseases and cancers. First step would be to eat right, raw and natural as our ancestors did. Personally cancers weigh heavy on my mind because of personal losses in family. I also suggest we reconsider our relationship with nuclear energy. Going through the medical literature and history, I am convinced that most of these diseases are preventable and even reversible.

It is important to preserve and promote health and well being of mankind and our progeny. This may allow us to enjoy blessings of benefits of recent innovations of past two centuries and affluence that we enjoy because of it. I believe if we did not act wisely now, we may endanger the life on this planet by ongoing deterioration of health, invitation to diseases, scarcity of resources, wars due to it and /or a nuclear accident. This sounds apocalyptic but we all know that this is not only a distinct possibility but some of this is already happening. With possibility of such disastrous outcome, we need to approach all this with comprehensive strategy to avoid reaching a point of no return.

At a central level like that United Nations, all countries need to practice its charter and assist each other to avoid mutual suspicion and problems arising from that.

Five lifestyle factors linked to lower Diabetes risk.

United States National Institute of Health (NIH) press release September 5, 2011; here is the summary:

A new analysis of data collected from more than 200,000 adults for 11 years has found that a combination of five healthy lifestyle factors is associated with a reduced risk of developing type 2 diabetes. The research team, led by Jared Reis, Ph.D., of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute at the National Institutes of Health, found that

Each factor people incorporate into their lives may lower their diabetes risk by about 31 percent for men and 39 percent for women, while all five factors together may lower risk by about 80 percent.

The lifestyle factors the team examined were following:

Healthy diet,

Maintaining an optimal body weight,

Engaging in recommended amounts of physical activity,

Minimal alcohol use and

Not smoking.

The study suggests that being overweight or obese is the strongest lifestyle determinant for whether a person develops diabetes, but that those who are already overweight or obese may still be able to reduce their risk by adopting other healthy lifestyle factors.

The study also found that while family history of diabetes is strongly linked to the disease, people may be able to largely prevent or delay diabetes by leading a healthy lifestyle. In other words, said Reis, their risk may not be “predetermined” by genetics.

The study will be published in the September 6 issue of Annals of Internal Medicine.

For more information or to schedule an interview with Dr. Reis, contact the NHLBI Office of Communications at 301-496-4236 or nhlbi_news@nhlbi.nih.gov.

My comments:

Well, the truth about Diabetes has been spoken by the ultimate authority of the US, the NIH. Happily though, all that has been identified and suggested by NIH is easy, simple, logical and appealing to common sense. Now the onus is on us to follow such a simple guide line and reduce the prevalence of diabetes to a large extent and/or delay it. Let me also add that if we can prevent or delay diabetes, a large portion of our disease load and its complications will also be reduced. This will also reduce incidences of heart diseases, strokes, depression, Alzheimer’s and even cancers, since without much doubt they all seem to be interconnected with diabetes.

I have been strong proponent of life style correction to prevent diseases. I am fairly certain after reading a lot of medical literature, that we invite many diseases by adopting wrong and faulty life styles, or accepting modern amenities and affluence in large doses. Examples of these, aside from those studied by NIH are:

Excessive calories intake,

High carbohydrate diet,

Additional fructose addition in our diet,

Avoidance of sun light causing Vit D deficiency,

Excessive radiation exposure,

Excessive chemicals around us and in our food,

Artificially fattened animal meat and poultry,

Sedentary life style

Inactivity promoting devices like motorized and electronic communication etc.

I would agree that we all would like to enjoy the fruits of our successes and adopt modern amenities. However, we must think twice before accepting almost anything that lead us to artificial and unnatural life style since these are bound to increase disease load in human beings in this and next generations.

I was reading Dr Mercola’s article about how Carbohydrate ingestion is causing the disease load of Obesity, Diabetes, Metabolic Syndrome, Cardiovascular diseases, Alzheimer’s and even Cancers. The link of his article is here: http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/06/30/we-have-known-bread-has-been-bad-for-your-health-for-over-a-century.aspx

He quotes from The Daily Mail London of June 15, 2011: “[In modern times], the Real Bread Campaign, a non-profit pressure group, claims that bread has actually gotten worse since 1911 in terms of secret adulterants — enzymes that do not have to be declared on labels — still being smuggled into it. Today, despite the modern fashion for healthy eating, ‘nutritionally empty’ white bread accounts for more than 50 percent of what we buy.”

So, we are aware for almost 100 years that the bread is nutritionally empty. And almost half of what we eat consists of bread or some similar grain flour product, which is again same carbohydrate. We also know that all carbohydrate that we eat turns into glucose and raise blood sugar. This is normal if it was in moderation and in a healthy individual. This is what we all need to understand, as to when it gets out of hand and abnormal, and hence starts causing problems.

It is a little technical but bear with me and I will try and make it simple in one paragraph. Even after that if there is any question, please email me and I will try and explain again either on email or on telephone:

Insulin is secreted by pancreas and its normal function is to reduce the levels of glucose (sugar) in blood. A) However, if pancreas is exposed to high demand due to excessive intake of carbohydrates, the insulin it can produce may not be enough to do the job. B) Another important aspect we need to logically understand is that where does this sugar go from blood? Answer is that it is stored in liver or muscle for future use. But then if the intake is too excessive and the storage capacity is also full then what happens to this excess glucose? This is important to remember; such extra glucose is removed from blood but because the storage is full, it turns into FAT, which is stored in separate storage called fat cells. Whereas the stored glucose converts into blood glucose readily when needed for use, the stored fat does not easily convert and hence it increases obesity and all its related problems.

Other problems that excessive intake of carbohydrate will cause is Insulin Resistance because of continued high levels of insulin present in blood to fight with high blood sugars. Such insulin resistance is touted to be the cause of high blood pressure, cardiovascular diseases, obesity, which are all collectively called metabolic syndrome. Aside from this Alzheimer’s (which is now referred to as type 3 diabetes by some experts) and cancers are also connected by many researchers to the same basic phenomenon.

Our aim should be to simply try and follow the following food intake:

1.     Maximum use of greens leafy and colored veggies.

2.     Substantial intake of all proteins like fish, eggs, meat, lentils etc.

3.     Moderate amount of fat to meet calorie requirements.

4.     Remaining needed calories from carbohydrate from whole grains.

If the above regimen is followed, we may be able to reduce the human disease load of all kinds. By following this people are known to have lost weight, prevented diabetes and coronary artery disease an even regress these diseases and enjoy better health.

Add to this the following:

• Enough exposure to sunlight or supplements of Vit. D
• Supplements of Omega 3 essential fatty acids
• Protection from undue exposure of radiation
• Enough exercises, aerobic and resistance both
• Staying away from chemicals as best as possible
• Eating organic where possible

We will deal with these subjects in our future postings. Good luck and great health to you