By Dr. Joseph Mercola with Rachael Droege
It's no secret that Americans suffer from a hearty array of aches, pains and other maladies. In fact, I challenge you to think of someone in your life, particularly someone over the age of 30 or 40, who does NOT suffer from one of the "common" diseases you'll see mentioned below. It is alarming that a person free from disease and health problems is becoming the rare exception rather than the norm.
The sad fact is, these "common" diseases have become so much a part of the way we live that they're just as much a part of the American Dream as a house with a white picket fence. Along with that two-car garage and 2.5 kids, we have high cholesterol and hypertension, anxiety and depression, chronic pain and insomnia. It's sown right into the seeds that plant our freshly mown lawns.
But what if I told you that for each of these common diseases, there is a very real, very attainable alternative that can help? You don't have to accept these conditions as a way of life or resign yourself to a lifetime of medications and other elixirs. The following natural options will set you free from these common conditions and soon the healthy life you've really been dreaming of will become a reality.
High Cholesterol
Number of Americans with high cholesterol: 37 million
Cholesterol is an extremely important nutrient that your body needs to survive -- in fact, it is a structural precursor of the membrane around each of your 10 trillion cells. It is also the major precursor molecule for every major steroid hormone. Your body converts cholesterol into pregnenolone, and from there into important hormones like estrogen, progesterone, cortisol, testosterone and DHEA.
There are two types of cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein (HDL), which is known as "good" cholesterol, and low-density lipoprotein (LDL), or "bad" cholesterol. HDL is so important to your body that it actually protects against atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries). This is why total cholesterol levels are not typically very helpful in predicting heart disease. Instead, it is the proportion of HDL to total cholesterol ratio that is so important.
Popular cholesterol drug: Lipitor (Pfizer)
Safe and Healthy Alternatives:
Exercise Can Increase Your HDL - Read this article to find out how exercise, along with a healthy diet, can play a major role in increasing your levels of "good" cholesterol. Lower Your Grains and Lower Your Insulin Levels - Learn about the importance of limiting grains in your diet, and why making this dietary change can actually help to normalize your cholesterol levels while contributing to other healthy changes in your body. Low-Grain and Low-Carbohydrate Diets Treat Nearly ALL Chronic Illness - This comprehensive article by Dr. Joseph Brasco explains why limiting your intake of carbohydrates (especially as cereal grains and starches) will improve human health.
Exercise Can Increase Your HDL - Read this article to find out how exercise, along with a healthy diet, can play a major role in increasing your levels of "good" cholesterol.
Lower Your Grains and Lower Your Insulin Levels - Learn about the importance of limiting grains in your diet, and why making this dietary change can actually help to normalize your cholesterol levels while contributing to other healthy changes in your body.
Low-Grain and Low-Carbohydrate Diets Treat Nearly ALL Chronic Illness - This comprehensive article by Dr. Joseph Brasco explains why limiting your intake of carbohydrates (especially as cereal grains and starches) will improve human health.
Hypertension (High Blood Pressure)
Number of Americans with high blood pressure: 50 million
Many people are unaware that insulin, the hormone secreted by your pancreas to normalize your blood sugar levels after you eat a sugary snack, plays a large role in high blood pressure. Raised insulin levels cause blood pressure to rise, so if you eat sugars and grains that break down into sugar, such as bread, pasta, rice, potatoes, beans, cookies, cakes, cereals, oatmeal, toast and rice, your body will be releasing insulin to balance out your blood sugar and blood pressure will therefore increase.
Insulin is not the only factor, however. Emotional stress is also plays a major role. High blood pressure is a serious issue that can kill or permanently impair you, and it should not be ignored, but it is important to remember that high blood pressure normally kills you slowly over time (giving you time to address the problem without taking high-priced drugs).
Please note that if your systolic blood pressure is over 160-180 there is a danger that you could have a stroke, so you need to be careful about stopping your blood pressure medications without monitoring your blood pressure carefully.
Popular Hypertension Drug: Norvasc (Pfizer)
Sunlight Can Lower Your Blood Pressure - Did you know that regular sun exposure could help your blood pressure levels to go down significantly? Read this article to find out more. Exercise Will Lower Your Blood Pressure - Learn how engaging in regular exercise such as walking, cycling, jogging or swimming can help lower your blood pressure -- and your subsequent risk of heart attack and stroke. Stop Eating Grains and Sugars - For some this may sound like heresy, but even whole unprocessed sprouted grain bread can break down to sugar and raise your insulin levels. Sugar and all sweets are even worse. Elevated insulin levels can increase your blood pressure, so it's best to avoid grains and sugars until you normalize your weight and blood pressure. Have Better Tools to Handle Stress - It is possible to have hypertension even with a perfect diet and exercise program if you do not have an effective method to address the inevitable stressors in your life. My personal favorites are brain wave entrainment technologies that passively allow you to achieve the benefits of meditation. Insight CDs are a great option here. Additionally, you can download the free instructions on an effective energy psychology tool called EFT.
Sunlight Can Lower Your Blood Pressure - Did you know that regular sun exposure could help your blood pressure levels to go down significantly? Read this article to find out more.
Exercise Will Lower Your Blood Pressure - Learn how engaging in regular exercise such as walking, cycling, jogging or swimming can help lower your blood pressure -- and your subsequent risk of heart attack and stroke.
Stop Eating Grains and Sugars - For some this may sound like heresy, but even whole unprocessed sprouted grain bread can break down to sugar and raise your insulin levels. Sugar and all sweets are even worse. Elevated insulin levels can increase your blood pressure, so it's best to avoid grains and sugars until you normalize your weight and blood pressure.
Have Better Tools to Handle Stress - It is possible to have hypertension even with a perfect diet and exercise program if you do not have an effective method to address the inevitable stressors in your life. My personal favorites are brain wave entrainment technologies that passively allow you to achieve the benefits of meditation. Insight CDs are a great option here. Additionally, you can download the free instructions on an effective energy psychology tool called EFT.
Anxiety And Depression
Number of Americans with Anxiety: 30 million Number of Americans with Depression: 18 million
Depression and anxiety are absolutely devastating conditions that can figuratively paralyze a person from living their life. If left unaddressed, these mental challenges can cause physical symptoms and leave a person unable to deal with relationships, work and even day-to-day activities.
What causes depression or anxiety? There are many theories out there, which include:
Popular Depression/Anxiety Drug: Zoloft (Pfizer)
Treatment Options for Healing Depression - Read this article to find out diagnostic criteria for major depressive disorders and treatment facts about depression from a more traditional perspective. New Findings About Omega-3 Fatty Acids and Depression - Find out why omega-3 fatty acids in fish oil are so important for anyone who may be suffering from depression. Exercise Better Than Drugs for Depression - Exercise has many mood-boosting effects that can fight clinical depression faster and more efficiently than leading antidepressant drugs. Exercise Good for Depression - Read this article to find out how exercise can reduce anger, fatigue and tension among people in depressed moods.
Treatment Options for Healing Depression - Read this article to find out diagnostic criteria for major depressive disorders and treatment facts about depression from a more traditional perspective.
New Findings About Omega-3 Fatty Acids and Depression - Find out why omega-3 fatty acids in fish oil are so important for anyone who may be suffering from depression.
Exercise Better Than Drugs for Depression - Exercise has many mood-boosting effects that can fight clinical depression faster and more efficiently than leading antidepressant drugs.
Exercise Good for Depression - Read this article to find out how exercise can reduce anger, fatigue and tension among people in depressed moods.
Insomnia
Number of Americans with Insomnia: 60 million
During the deepest phases of sleep growth hormone is released, energy is restored and the immune system is strengthened, and during REM (rapid eye movement) sleep we have vivid dreams and our brains may be working on consolidating memories.
It's no wonder, then, that insomnia, or routinely having trouble falling asleep and staying asleep, causes numerous health problems in those who are afflicted, as well as secondary effects like lost productivity and the ability to enjoy precious daytime hours. Insomnia has named as a contributing to factor to many diseases, including diabetes, depression, obesity and cancer.
Popular Insomnia Drug: Ambien (Sanofi-Aventis)
A consistently effective tool that works well for most of my patients is brain wave entrainment, which can be achieved by listening to a sound source that has different frequencies that play in different phases in each ear. The degree that the frequencies are out of phase causes your brain to sympathetically resonate at that frequency. Typically, this is done by listening to a stereo CD before sleeping.
The CD sounds like rain falling and actually slows down your brain waves to the same frequency you would experience had you been meditating for many years. I am continuously amazed at how consistently effective this tool is for helping the patients I see that have difficulty sleeping. The specific CDs I use in my practice are the Insight CDs , and I could not endorse them more for helping restore normal sleep patterns.
Guide to a Good Night's Sleep - In this article you'll find almost 30 excellent tips to help you fall asleep and wake up feeling rested and refreshed. Insomnia will be a thing of the past -- and no drugs are needed. One of the BEST Cures for Insomnia - Read this article to find out how exercise was able to help the participants of one study to fall asleep about 15 minutes earlier and sleep about 45 minutes longer at night.
Guide to a Good Night's Sleep - In this article you'll find almost 30 excellent tips to help you fall asleep and wake up feeling rested and refreshed. Insomnia will be a thing of the past -- and no drugs are needed.
One of the BEST Cures for Insomnia - Read this article to find out how exercise was able to help the participants of one study to fall asleep about 15 minutes earlier and sleep about 45 minutes longer at night.
Chronic Pain
Number of Americans with chronic back pain: 26 million
Chronic back pain affects some 80 percent of Americans at some point during their lives. Causes of the pain are varied and include physical impairments or injuries, psychological factors and an inability to recover (due to other illness, lifestyle or emotional factors).
Because we depend on our muscles, especially those in our backs, for our very survival, chronic pain that results in an inability to move freely is debilitating, causing emotional, financial and psychological strain on those afflicted. Chronic pain symptoms vary almost as much as the causes, and can be dull, aching, burning or sharp, broad or centered in one place. It can come on gradually or appear suddenly with little warning and accompanied by muscle spasms and stiffness.
Popular Pain Drug: OxycoNtin (Purdue Pharma)
Do You Struggle With Back Pain? - You may be surprised to learn that psychological factors can contribute significantly to back pain. Read this article to find out how the Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) can safely and inexpensively treat even the most stubborn of chronic aches and pains. Beyond Bad Backs: What Chiropractic is and How it Can Help You - Find out how chiropractic can not only help you to deal with chronic back pain, but also can help you to make health gains in other areas of your body and life as well.
Do You Struggle With Back Pain? - You may be surprised to learn that psychological factors can contribute significantly to back pain. Read this article to find out how the Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) can safely and inexpensively treat even the most stubborn of chronic aches and pains.
Beyond Bad Backs: What Chiropractic is and How it Can Help You - Find out how chiropractic can not only help you to deal with chronic back pain, but also can help you to make health gains in other areas of your body and life as well.
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