ONE DEGREE OF CHANGE

Iinvite you to take a moment and imagine what your life will look like in your 60’s, 70’s, and 80’s. Are you full of energy? Are you enjoying your grandchildren? Are you traveling the world? Do you see yourself healthy and happy? Unfortunately, for our society that is not how most of our retirement years look. Instead, our calendars are filled with doctor’s appointments, and we spend mornings counting prescription dosages for the day. A majority of us have difficulty getting around, and some may be wheelchairbound at an early age. What if I told you by making a onedegree shift in your lifestyle you can dramatically change what your golden years look like? Would you be willing do it? Really, sit with that for a moment. How much is quality of life worth to you? What are you REALLY willing to give up to enjoy a lifetime of health, energy, happiness, and enjoyment?

Now remember the commitment and thoughts you just had because the one degree of change I am going to ask you to make is eliminate one ingredient from your life—sugar! What are your thoughts now? Do they sound anything like these? Is she crazy? That is impossible! How does she expect me to do that?

Sugar has many dangers, but the top three are heart disease, obesity, and diabetes. For years cholesterol was thought to be the cause of heart disease. Recently, a growing number of physicians, like Dr. Stephen Sinatra, feel inflammation is the real culprit. Inflammation is caused by a number of things, but eating sugar is at the top of the list. Obesity is at an alltime high in the United States. Why? Because we consume so much sugar. It is everywhere and in everything. The problem with sugar is that it drives fat storage and makes our brain think we are hungry, setting up a “vicious cycle.” Obesity leads us to the next danger, diabetes. For years, type-2 diabetes was solely linked to weight gain, but new research indicates sugar intake may also be directly linked to diabetes.

We can make a significant difference in the quality of our lives by making better choices. Choose not to consume products that contain table sugar (sucrose) and high-fructose corn syrup. Choose not to eat processed foods or drink soft drinks. In addition, pass up artificial sweeteners and instead choose natural sweeteners like raw local honey and Stevia. Replace sugar with whole foods such as vegetables, nuts, avocados, fish, and olive oil.

“Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better do better,” —Maya Angelou

This choice to give up sugar will yield so many benefits! You will enjoy better health, have more energy, and age gracefully. The quality of your life is completely in your control. How do you see your future?

Live well, think well, move well, be well! Written by Dr. Kimberly Besuden, Chiropractic Physician and Certified Functional Medicine Practitioner. She is a frequent speaker and contributor to articles on the subjects of wellness, health, and nutritional issues. Dr. Besuden’s knowledge of human behavior concerning nutrition and the most effective ways to make change happen have helped thousands of people and hundreds of organizations over the years. www.drbesuden.com

WHAT’S GOING AROUND

HAVE YOU HAD A COUGH with a high fever? Or a cough that caused breathing difficulty? Well, Pneumonia “season” typically goes hand in hand with wintertime cold and flu season. Pneumonia refers to an infection of the lungs.

Most cases are caused by a virus, like the flu, RSV in children or parainfluenza virus (which causes croup). Often, pneumonia begins on the heels of an upper respiratory infection, with symptoms of beginning after two or three days of a cold or sore throat. Since the cough from a cold and that from pneumonia seem similar, it is often difficult for the patient or parent to determine how serious the illness is. Pneumonia can be easily diagnosed with a chest X-ray. While it is a relatively common infection of the lungs, it can be dangerous and is the leading cause of death from infection. The most common cases of pneumonia (known as “walking pneumonia”) can be treated with antibiotics at home, but depending on the severity, a person may need to be hospitalized.

SYMPTOMS OF PNEUMONIA INCLUDE:

• Fever

• Shortness of Breath

• Shallow & Fast Breathing

• Coughing (which may include mucus)

• Sweating & Chills

• Headache

• Muscle Aches

• Loss of Appetite

• Fatigue

The symptoms of pneumonia often mimic other illnesses like asthma and bronchitis, so people often wait before seeking medical care. This is a mistake as developed pneumonia can cause severe symptoms and complications. For those at high-risk like those with chronic illnesses such as diabetes or heart disease, smokers, infants and the elderly — pneumonia can be life threatening. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommends a pneumonia vaccine for all people age 65 and older and anyone age 2 – 64 years that is considered high-risk for complications from pneumonia.

WHAT’S GOING AROUND

If you want to know more of What’s Going Around in this area throughout the year, visit CentraCare.org and sign up to receive weekly health email alerts.

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