Fact: Nine out of ten deaths in the U.S. can be ascribed to lifestyle. When you simply eat better and move more, you are less likely to develop heart disease, diabetes, stroke risk, infections and other chronic illnesses. However, for some people (especially those in later stages of disease), a generic diet and exercise might not be enough.
If you’re dealing with chronic illness, you need more in-depth individualized care. That means conquering the cause, not just masking symptoms.
Most common symptoms and chronic illnesses can be traced back to an imbalance in at least one of four areas. Let’s look at each of the four causes.
1. Inflammation
Not all inflammation is bad. In fact, inflammation is your body’s healthy response to injury and acute infection. If you cut your finger, that area will bleed and swell—this is part of the inflammatory response. You need this response because you want your body to focus on healing that break. The problem with inflammation is when it doesn’t go away after your finger has healed or if it shows up for no apparent reason. This is called chronic inflammation.
Chronic inflammation must be calmed, or it will begin to damage organs and tissues. Leaving your chronic inflammation unaddressed is like trying to build a house while it’s on fire. Just when you’ve built one wall, another burns down. When you have chronic inflammation, just as one symptom resolves, two more take its place.
Some conditions and symptoms that involve chronic inflammation include:
- Headaches
- Sinus problems
- Cough
- Joint pain and stiffness
- Chest pain
- Acne
- PMS/Hot flashes
- Weight gain
- Food and environmental allergies
- Diabetes
- Heart Disease
- Asthma
- Eczema
- Psoriasis
- Fibromyalgia
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Irritable bowel syndrome
- And many more[/box]
The best way to address chronic inflammation is through eating anti-inflammatory foods. Not sure where to start with an anti-inflammatory diet? Read further because I can help you!
2. Toxicity
We live in an increasingly toxic world. From the air we breathe, to the water we drink and the food we eat, toxins are literally everywhere and are impossible to avoid completely. This is why your body is equipped with a detoxification system.
The liver, lungs, kidneys, bowels, lymph system and skin act as filters, utilizing the good and excreting the bad. However, if the toxic load is too great or one or more of those organ systems weakens, toxins can’t be fully excreted. Instead, they are set aside or stored to be dealt with later.
Toxic buildup in your body can show up as relatively minor symptoms, such as:
- Headaches
- Hives
- Acne
- Fibroids
- Cysts
- Benign tumors
Without proper attention, however, toxic buildup can lead to more serious symptoms and conditions, such as:
- Diarrhea
- Vomiting
- Kidney stones
- Precancerous lesions
- Lupus
- Diabetes
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Scleroderma\Cancer
The best way to address toxicity is not to wait until the toxic buildup is so great that chronic illness has already started developing.
However, if you have already started to develop any of the symptoms above, it’s time to begin a detox program. But, not all detox support is created equal. Some programs only barely scratch the surface, whereas others are so harsh, they can be incapacitating for a period of time (i.e., spending all day in the bathroom). You want to find a detox program that is effective and allows you to go about your daily activities unimpaired.
3. Immune Deficiency
The immune system is your body’s first line of defense against intruders like harmful bacteria, viruses, fungi, parasites and other invasive microorganisms. Not only can the immune system detect a problem, it employs white blood cells to attack and destroy the problem.
But just as anyone would feel after a big battle, the immune system gets tired and depleted. Sometimes the intruders are too big, too strong or there are too many of them and your body just can’t win.
If you contract every cold and flu that comes around, are unable to get rid of a cold or flu, or chronically feel “off,” your immune system needs support.
Anti-inflammatory nutrition is vitally important for proper immune function. Check out this article for the best foods for your immune system.
4. Excess Weight
While excess weight is a symptom in many chronic illnesses, it can also contribute to the development or worsening of chronic illness.There is no one-size-fits-all approach to weight loss, but addressing the first two underlying causes of disease can have a profound effect on your weight:
Inflammation – When you carry excess weight, you tend to be more inflamed, and when you’re more inflamed, you tend to accumulate more weight. Reducing chronic inflammation can help your body naturally release excess weight.
Toxicity – As mentioned previously, if the toxic load is too great or the detoxification system is weak, toxins can’t be excreted and are set aside or stored to be dealt with later. In an effort to keep you alive, toxins are sent as far away from vital organs as possible: in yellow fat. Your body actually creates fat cells to store these toxins. Therefore, the greater the toxic buildup, the more fat accumulates. If you have tried multiple diets only to gain all the weight back (and then some), it’s probably because your body is overburdened by toxins.
What to Do About It? The SHAPE Program addresses each item in this list, simultaneously!
The SHAPE Program emphasizes anti-inflammatory nutrition.
The SHAPE Program is a gentle, yet effective detox.
The SHAPE Program supports a strong immune system. The SHAPE Program is not a weight loss program or a diet; weight loss is simply a side effect.
This means the SHAPE Program addresses the underlying cause of the most common symptoms and chronic diseases. It is the optimum in preventative care.
Want to learn more about SHAPE and if it might be a good fit for you? Contact me at carlien@healthychoiceswithcarlien.com or follow me for more tips and info on Instagram or Facebook