Educational Information

Customers who order our blood test panels often ask why we measure fasting insulin.

One reason is that higher fasting insulin levels are correlated with lower life expectancy’ and increased risks of cancer^2-5 and cardiovascular disorders.^6-8

Insulin production is regulated by blood sugar levels and hormones. Fasting insulin increases in response to insulin resistance.^9,10

At first, higher insulin levels can initially help drive glucose out of the blood into cells.¹⁰

As insulin resistance worsens, even greater insulin secretion fails to adequately normalize blood glucose.¹⁰

A missed opportunity for early diagnosis occurs when fasting insulin is omitted from blood panels that measure glucose and Al c.

Higher levels of insulin can temporarily reduce glucose and Al c in a way that masks glycemic control issues.¹⁰

In other words, glucose and A1c may appear “normal” on blood test results. But without testing fasting insulin, this may create a false sense of security by not recognizing that the “excess” insulin is helping to keep glucose and Alc within ) acceptable ranges.¹¹

Before full-blown type II diabetes manifests, subop¬timal glycemic control is associated with increasing risks of the most common diseases12 of aging.^13-16

Further, worsening glycemic control can silently contribute to diabetes, leading to peripheral nerve damage (neuropathy), chronic kidney disease, and/ or loss of vision (retinopathy).¹⁷

Newly diagnosed diabetics often ask why so many morbidities afflict them so quickly. The answer is these pathologies were festering for years as a result of suboptimal metabolic control, which could have been identified earlier with proper blood tests.

Some studies have shown that fasting insulin levels are a more accurate predictor of cardiometabolic risk, compared to tests for insulin resistance.^18,19

One of the most serious global health problems today is metabolic disorders related to obesity and insulin resistance.^20-2 Effective methods (diet and exercise) can slow or halt progression to type II diabetes—but prevention is critical.

That’s why it’s essential to include fasting insulin with glucose and Alc blood testing to get a more accurate understanding of your glycemic status.

Type II diabetes is surging higher worldwide among all age groups.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is running public service ads (one copied on this page) warning that one in three American adults is at risk for prediabetes.²⁰

The term “prediabetes” can be misleading.

Few realize that the initial stages of glucose imbalance inflict severe tissue damage. This happens before full-blown type II diabetes is officially diagnosed.⁶

These pathologies are not limited to adults. There was an astounding 95% increase in Americans under age 20 living with type II diabetes between 2001-2017.²²

Need for Early Intervention

Most cases of type II diabetes begin when cells slowly become resistant to insulin.²⁰

When this occurs, glucose buildup in blood causes the pancreas to secrete higher levels of insulin to force glucose into cells. This temporarily helps compensate for insulin resistance in target tissues (e.g., skeletal, muscle, liver).

During the period of insulin resistance, weight gain may be an outward sign of loss of glycemic control. This happens as elevated levels of glucose + insulin contribute to unwanted fat storage.^1,23

Weight gain and physical inactivity increase the risk of developing insulin resistance.²

As insulin resistance worsens, insulin levels often rise as the pancreas attempts to compensate and literally force glucose into target tissues that have become resistant to the action of insulin at a cellular level.¹

If a blood test reveals high fasting insulin before glucose and Alc become elevated, this provides an opportunity to identify diabetes earlier in the process, before extensive damage occurs.

Published data suggest elevated fasting insulin can be a useful diagnostic tool for identifying early-stage insulin resistance.²⁴

One study found insulin resistance to be the most important predictive risk factor in the development of coronary artery disease.²⁵

Other studies recognize the prognostic value of fasting insulin and suggest that hyperinsulinemia (high fasting insulin) is often both a result and a driver of insulin resistance.¹⁶

A consistent association exists between hyper¬tension (high blood pressure) and elevated insulin.²⁶

Mechanistic factors have been identified to explain why tissue damage associated with “excess” insulin and insulin resistance causes blood pressure to spike.²⁷

Kidney Damage

Chronic kidney disease is surging, coinciding with an increased prevalence of obesity, hypertension, and diabetes.

Insulin resistance and hypertension predispose to premature atherosclerosis^28,29 and other pathologies that contribute to chronic kidney disease.^21,32

Cardiometabolic syndrome, (a constellation of metabolic dysfunction characterized by insulin resistance, impaired glucose tolerance, dyslipidemia, hypertension, and intra-abdominal obesity) is associated with an increase in cardiovascular disease^33,34 and kidney failure.^35,36

Recognition of the role of insulin resistance and hyperinsulinemia in cardiometabolic syndrome provides a rationale to measure fasting insulin blood levels.

Based on the currently available data, we believe that fasting insulin above 5 pJU/mL is likely suboptimal. Steps that can be taken to improve metabolic health include a healthy, plant-based diet low in simple sugar, processed animal products, and saturated fat, and high in nutrients that help support metabolic health.³⁷

Physical activity is also important for metabolic health.

Along with these lifestyle changes, and if appropriate for an individual based upon his/ her unique health needs, the use of medications under a physician’s care, including mefformin^38,39 and/or an SGLT2 inhibitor^40.41 like Jardiance® can further improve metabolic health before full-blown type II diabetes manifests.

Advanced-stage kidney disease is currently irrevers¬ible. Identifying causative risk factors early with blood tests that include fasting insulin can enable one to take corrective actions in time.

Cancer

Insulin has direct and indirect effects on cancer cell progression, proliferation, and metastasis.^42,43

Studies investigating the association between hyperinsulinemia and cancer-related mortality have been inconsistent. Reasons might include the upper-limit reference range used to define hyperinsulinemia.

For example, the standard reference range for fasting insulin begins at 2,6 uIU/mL and extends to a startling high of 24.9 ulU/mL.”

Life Extension® long ago urged readers to target fasting insulin below 7.0 ulU/mL with optimal fasting insulin below 5.0 ulU/mL.

Today’s laboratory reference ranges don’t define hyperinsulinemia until fasting insulin rises above 24.9 ulU/mL. This is 3-to-5-times higher than what we consider optimal.

A study found lung cancer incidence doubled in men in the highest quartile of fasting insulin compared to those in the lowest insulin quartile. The conclusions from this study were:

“Higher fasting serum insulin concentrations,
as well as the presence of insulin
resistance, appear to be associated with
an elevated risk of lung cancer.”⁴⁵

A gender-based subgroup analysis of seven different studies found significant association between fasting insulin and cancer mortality. The risk of cancer mortality in men with high insulin levels is almost double as compared to those having lower fasting insulin levels.⁴²

Ignorance regarding “optimal” fasting insulin levels might be obscuring the impact of high, but “normal” insulin resistance markers on cancer risk and overall cancer mortality.

Why the controversy?

Life Extension° has published articles over the decades about the disease risks associated with excess fasting insulin.

Yet there are inconsistencies in the literature and in medical opinion as to what levels of fasting insulin increase disease risks.

One impediment in reaching consensus is varying definitions.

Hyperinsulinemia and Cancer

A massive review article (369 references) published in 2021 describes the health risks and mechanistic dangers of excess insulin.⁴⁶

What follows is an excerpt from this review titled: “Hyperinsulinemia in Obesity, Inflam¬mation and Cancer”:

“Hyperinsulinemia was associated with a 2-fold risk of cancer death.⁴⁷
This increase of cancer mortality is also observed in people with normal body weight if they had hyperinsulinemia.⁴⁸
Therefore, hyperinsulinemia is associated with increased risk of both cancer incidence and death. However, unlike hyperglycemia, there is no widely accepted insulin concentration to define hyperinsulinemia, so it is difficult to compare across studies. Nevertheless, the rationale to study the contribution of hyperinsulinemia to cancer is strong.”

Hyperinsulinemia is sometimes defined as:⁴⁶

“The amount of insulin in blood being
higher than considered normal.”

With laboratory reference ranges defining “normal” as high as 24.9 ulU/mL, doctors who test fasting insulin may not realize the risks in patients with higher than optimal insulin levels.

We believe fasting insulin levels above 5.0-7.0 ulU/mL may indicate cellular insulin resistance, yet today’s laboratory reference ranges define normal as between 2.6 and 24.9 ulLi/mL.

A better definition of hyperinsulinemia is a condition in which:

“There are excess levels of insulin circulating
in the blood relative to glucose.”

Even this definition can make interpretation of blood test results challenging since the majority of Americans today are overweight and prone to large fluctuations in fasting glucose and insulin levels.

Even thin people can suffer from insulin resistance, which is another reason for testing blood for fasting insulin.

A mass education program about insulin resistance is urgently needed, along with knowledge that it can be detected early by properly interpreting fasting insulin, glucose ^and Alc blood test results.

What you can do today!

Insulin resistance can be reversed by aggressive dietary and lifestyle changes, including increases in physical activity.^40,49-54

Nutrients with glucose-lowering effects can help in combination with diet and more physical activity. For some this is not enough, and for these individuals, medications like metformin and/or an SG LT2

Hyperinsulinemia is a risk factor for other diseases.

Excess insulin and insulin resistance cause deleterious changes in many biochemical pathways that can lead to a number of degenerative diseases and potentially life-threatening metabolic consequences.

inhibitor may also be needed to optimize metabolic health. SGLT2 inhibitors are sold under brand names that include Jardiance®, Farxiga®, Invokana® and others.

An AMPK-activating drug called metformin improves insulin sensitivity and can reduce fasting insulin levels indirectly, largely as a result of improvement in peripheral insulin sensitivity at the cellular leve1.^49,55

Sodium-Glucose Co-Transporter 2 inhibitor (SGLT2 inhibitor) drugs increase urinary excretion of glucose from blood. This drug class helps reduce the progression of chronic kidney disease in patients with type II diabetes and reduces adverse cardiovascular outcomes in many of these patients.⁵⁶

Some studies show SGLT2 inhibitors reduce fasting insulin, likely a result of the reduction of excess blood glucose.^57-69

The first step, however, is blood tests that measure glucose, Alc and fasting insulin.

We suggest you target:

• Fasting Glucose between 80-86 mg/dL
• Hemoglobin A1c between 5.0%-5.4%
• Fasting Insulin <5 plU/mL

While these numbers are not achievable by everyone, you can at least ^lower them to safer ranges by initiating steps to improve glycemic status.

A popular blood test panel outlined on the next page includes Al c, glucose, fasting insulin, lipids, C-reactive protein, and other measures.

Commercial labs charge about $2,000 for these tests, but once a year we discount the popular Male and Female Panels down to $224.

You can order these tests 24 hours/day by calling 1-800-208-3444 or visting www.LifeExtenson.com/bloodtests

I hope this editorial explains why fasting insulin is included in many of our comprehensive blood test panels.

The article on page 24 of this issue describes an easy-to-take fiber approved by the FDA in 2020. One of the benefits found with this soluble plant fiber is reduced glucose and insulin blood levels.

For longer life,

Cellular Insulin Resistance

The cells of many people with impaired glycemic control tend to be more resistant to insulin-stimulated glucose uptake than those with normal glucose tolerance.

The ability of insulin to stimulate cellular glucose uptake varies widely among individuals.

Resistance to insulin-stimulated glucose uptake and compensatory hyperinsulinemia represents a basic defect in many patients in the early stage of type II diabetes.¹

As the condition worsens, insulin-producing pancreatic cells fail, thus some type II diabetics to require insulin injections.¹

Increases in pancreatic insulin production can temporarily prevent elevations of glucose and Alc. This does not mean that this compensatory (hyperinsulinemic) response is benign.

Early-stage diabetic development (and related complications) is predictable by including fasting insulin with conventional blood test panels.

Omega-3 fatty acids are healthy fats that serve multiple roles.

They are particularly concentrated in brain and heart muscle.^6,7

Omega-3 fatty acids are essential for balancing inflammatory responses.⁸

Getting enough omega-3s helps counter several major contributors to heart and blood vessel disease, including:

The above actions may help slow or halt the devel¬opment and progression of cardiovascular disease.

Observational Studies

The omega-3 index is a blood test that measures the percentage of omega-3s in the blood. The higher the number, the more omega-3s in the body.

An index of 8% or higher is considered ideal.²²

In an observational study that evaluated close to 30,000 individuals, having an omega-3 index of 8% or greater predicted about a 30% lower risk of death due to coronary artery disease than an omega-3 index below 4%.²²

The Framingham Heart Study is one of the larg¬est and longest-running observational studies in existence.^2,23 It has consistently found that a higher omega-3 index is associated with significantly lower risk of total mortality and cardiovascular-related events such as stroke and heart attack.

The Framingham study even found that the omega-3 index is as good at predicting risk of death as factors like smoking, high blood pressure, diabetes, and age.2 Those with a higher index live almost five years longer on average than those with a low index.

In one of the papers from the Framingham study, people with the highest omega-3 index levels com¬pared to those with the lowest, had a 34% lower risk of all cause mortality and their risk of developing car¬diovascular diseases was 39% lower.²³

Dear folks,

Do you want to know how to survive the Corona virus? In the 30th year of this newsletter, I don’t want you to merely survive, I want you to thrive during this deadly pandemic. Sounds impossible? I’ll let you be the judge when you see the facts. For even if the virus wanes in the summer, it will come back with a vengeance in the fall. And remember I’m no smarter than any doctor, I was just sicker. I had to learn how to overcome over two dozen “incurable” maladies. As a result at 77 I have no symptoms, no medications and play tennis daily. I don’t even have gray hair.

But it hasn’t been an easy journey. I ended up with four specialties. And whenever I took recertification exams for any of the specialties, I had to take a week off to memorize the wrong answers. For if I had answered that we had cured atrial fibrillation, heart failure, high blood pressure, diabetes, arthritis, asthma, migraines, memory loss, IBS, allergies, depression, MS, MCS, IBS, CFS, early Alzheimer’s, etc. as we did every day in the office, I would have failed. The only acceptable answers were that you must use specific drugs that are in the practice guidelines. And you’ve seen the evidence in previous TW how the practice guidelines are influenced by the pharmaceutical industry.

But remember from your years of TW there are only two causes for all disease. It doesn’t matter what the label or title of the disease is. What matters is what caused it, and the causes are simple. (1) The nutrient levels go down and (2) the toxicity levels go up. However, in all the practice guidelines of United States medical specialties, there is no mention of finding the cause and cure by assaying the nutrients and toxins. Instead every disease becomes the deficiency of a drug. When drugs fail there are devices and surgery. That’s another reason why I insist on having everything that I say to have been referenced some place in our 30 years of this monthly newsletter TW and 15 books. I am definitely an incurable reference junkie. I must have the scientific evidence for everything I say.

For you this month

What makes the coronavirus different?

First let’s take a quick trip down memory lane regarding some of the facts regarding the unprecedented Corona virus also known as Covid-19, Wuhan flu, Covir-19, plus names associated with SARS and MERS. For just like 9-11, it has changed the course of the world. According to the South China Morning Post, within less than two months of the outbreak, there was an unprecedented lockdown of over 80 million people quarantined to an area about five times the area of London and containing over three times the population of LA.

The level 4 biosafety super laboratory in Wuhan was the only one in China studying coronavirus along with HIV and Ebola viruses. Six types of Corona virus have been studied for over a decade by multiple labs around the world. But the new variety, the 7th, is the only one that contains remnants of amino acids from genes resembling HIV and Ebola. This new Corona is so pathogenic that as soon as the infection erupted, within days two HIV drugs (Kaletra, contains two protease inhibitors) and inhaled alpha interferon were the very immediate, potent and very expensive treatments used by the Chinese. This use of highly toxic drugs and the speed with which the treatments were implemented is unprecedented in medical history.

Yet when researchers in other countries meticulously documented the genetics of the new Covid-19, I saw the nasty politics of medicine rear its ugly head once again. Don’t forget in my 50 years of practice and lecturing around the globe, I’ve lectured with some of the most brilliant people (who have proven how we should be changing the course of medicine and actually healing people), from Linus Pauling, Jacques Benveniste, Robert Becker, Hal Huggins, Theodore Randolph, William Rea, etc. to Heimlich, Burzynski, etc. I have seen enough attack article withdrawls and faked denigrations, totally unsubstantiated by real science.

This is surpassed only by the flagrant ignorance of God’s miraculous biochemistry of healing that has been documented repeatedly in the last few years of the Journal the American Medical Association (evidence in TW). So enough of that. My mission is not to re-expose the well-documented nasty unscientific politics of medicine, but to focus on how to show you how to get healthier, and actually thrive during the Corona crisis.

Meanwhile, the Corona virus deaths literally doubled within weeks and days in many countries. The rest is history as the rapid spread in less than 3 months throughout the planet disrupted everything. Yet in monitoring not only our CDC recommendations, as well those from the WHO and other countries, social isolation and personal hygiene in the form of handwashing and masks were all that were recommended. The “authorities” are absolutely clueless about the real causes and cures of disease. So you need to know how to protect yourselves for the next event. For there will be many more and they will be even more devastating.

Toxic Tips

Nutrients in commercial foods are continually dropping

Even 2 decades ago studies showed that over the last 40 years there has been more than a 20% drop in calcium, magnesium, iron and other nutrients in foods.

This is due to the fake fertilizers, toxic weedkillers, recycled human sewage used as cheap fertilizers also containing heavy metals and Rx drug residues, processing, GMOs, radiation, inferior storage and shipping, and more. The time, energy, and money spent seeking out more organic and local foods pays for the time, money, and longevity you would have lost in physicians’ waiting rooms. But added to our unprecedented chemical exposures, this explains why some will never be well until they stop working blindly and assay where they are now. You can’t repair deficiencies, leaky gut, warning crystal ball tests, deficiencies, and toxicities that you don’t know are there (much more information in TW 2015-20, prestigepublishing.com).

How does this virus get into our cells?

First, you need to know that the virus is merely a hunk of genetic material (RNA) wrapped up in a clever sugar protein coating (glycoprotein). Because it is not a complete cell, it needs to burrow its way into our cells in order to hijack our chemistry. Viruses need our internal cellular chemistry in order to survive and replicate, because they don’t have a complete chemistry for replication of their own. When the virus does make new “baby viruses”, these then leave the cell to infect all of our other cells.

So wouldn’t it be cool if we actually knew what the cellular gateway for the virus was? Well scientists have known this for over a decade (Zhou, Nature, 2020; Wan Y, Journal of Virology 2020; Qiao T, JAMA Internal Medicine, 2020 etc.). It’s a specific receptor called ACE2 (angiotensin converting enzyme receptor 2). Remember those spikes you saw projecting off the virus in the photomicrographs? The coronavirus actually inserts these spikes into very specific receptors on our human cell membranes, via the ACE2, to inject its viral RNA into us.

The neat thing is we know many ways to make these receptors resistant to the virus and will begin with just a few of them in this month’s issue. I will go through many others in future issues, because as always I want to make you too smart to fail. And even though you may not like science, remember your life depends on this because I know of no other place where you can get this much life-saving detail. In fact every time I discover “new” findings that look promising, I end up saying to myself, “They are so far behind that they think they are first.”

So back to our cellular gateway that determines whether or not the Corona virus gets into your cells. In normal healthy cells, there is very little of this ACE2 doorway for viruses. But in cell membranes that have abnormal chemistry, these receptors increase proportionately. In other words, the more disease labels you have, the more symptoms, or the more medications you have or the more damage to your cell membranes, the greater number of ACE2 receptors there are on the cell membranes. And the greater the number of ACE2 receptors on the cell membrane, the greater the number of doorways which enable the virus to insert itself right into these receptors and hijack your cells. The more ACE2 receptors you have the more susceptible you are. You are Corona bait. And those of you who have caught up with the 7M know that the 7M multipy the doorways or gates for viruses to enter your cells (details in 2019 TW, prestigepublishing.com).

Dr. Sherry Rogers’ Total Wellness™ (ISN: 1522-8282) is published monthly by Prestige Publishing, 3160 Erie Boulevard East, DeWitt, NY, 13214; website: prestigepublishing.com, telephone: 1-800-846-6687. Annual subscription rate $72.00 for hard copy, and $48.00 for e-version and back years $36.00. Sherry A. Rogers, M.D. is an internationally recognized expert in environmental medicine. Board Certified in Environmental Medicine as well as Board Certified in Family Practice, and a Fellow of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, and a Fellow of the American College of Nutrition, she is the author of over 17 books on environmental illness and finding the cause and cure of diseases, she has published over 20 scientific papers, as well as written for many of the current periodicals, text book chapters, served on medical journal editorial boards, as well as Academy Board of Directors, and given over 100 lectures to physicians at Oxford and in six countries, and more in her over 50 years of medical practice.

Editor: Sherry A. Rogers, M.D., Editorial Assistant: Mary Austin
© Copyright 1998, Prestige Publishing. Orders fulfilled by Natural Dispensary: orders@naturaldispensary.com. Photocopying or reproduction is strictly prohibited by the publisher. The goal of Total Wellness™ is not to treat, but to inform the public about health related issues based on Dr. Rogers’ over 50 years of expertise in the field of Environmental Medicine. It is further her goal to provide relevant and timely information, enabling individuals to help themselves live healthier lives. As always, each individual’s ultimate health decision should be a joint effort between himself and his/her personal health care providers. While every attempt has been made to provide accurate information, the author and publisher cannot be held responsible for any errors or omissions. All health decisions should be made by you and your chosen physician.

How to close the Corona virus gates

Before you can repair these receptors and reduce their numbers, you must understand the many forces behind their creation. Clearly folks with the most ACE 2 receptors are serious Corona bait. They have many more times the gates for entry of the virus in their bodies than the healthy person does. So absolutely #1 you must know this: you can never reduce the number of ACE2 gateways without stopping the 7M. There are many reasons but I’ll just give you a sampling. If you have forgotten what the 7M are, you should definitely review them in 2019 TW, for they are the basis of all disease and make us leaders of the world in chronic diseases.

For one, the FDA-approved 7M have actually created new humans in the last 50 years. In other words, humans now don’t have the same internal chemistry of humans 50 years ago. The ratio of the most important fatty acids (for docs, n-6:n-3) in human cell membranes that make up these ACE2 virus receptors or gates has been changed from 1:4 to an unprecedented 20:1. In other words we have created humans with an abnormal new chemistry. This change in the cellular chemistry of humans is partly why we have the #1 most expensive healthcare system on the planet, but we are not #1, 2 or 3 in health. We are an abysmal #43 in world health. Forty-two other counties have better health (JAMA).

The United States actually leads the world in chronic diseases. And that’s another reason that even though the US was late to the show, it more than made up for its ability to double deaths within days, compared with the predecessor countries. For remember, even though it was deadly in Italy, France, Spain, China, and Japan, these countries are in the top 10 of healthy countries. The U.S. is way down at #43. I have forecasted on several radio shows weeks before it finally hit the U.S., it emerged with an unprecedented vigor.

Another reason we knew that it would hit the US with more force is that when laboratories around the world want to create animals with chronic diseases for their experiments, they use our FDA-approved standard American diet to create these diseased animals. Researchers around the world use the words “Western diet” in their research journals rather than “American” so that they won’t hurt our feelings and let us know how stupid they think we are. Remember from previous TW that when scientists need 500 rats with cataracts, for example for experimental surgery, they give them give them Tylenol. Or to create rats with diabetes, they use the statins. Or if they need 500 rats with diabetes or fatty liver, or cancers they merely give them various doses of the phthalates. These are the same chemicals that leach from our plastic water bottles (how to get rid of them is in Detoxify Or Die).

So clearly (1) folks who continue ingesting the 7M, are among the most vulnerable for these new viruses. They must know and memorize what they are in order to stop them. And of course next (2) folks who are not playing with a full deck of nutrients are extremely vulnerable. They are the first folks to get sick. For remember, there only two causes for all disease: the nutrient levels are abnormally low and the toxicity levels are elevated. And as people get more symptoms, disease labels, and medications, I will show you some of the ways that the body tries to compensate by multiplying the ACE2 membrane viral gates or receptors. In other words the viral gateways vastly increase the sicker you get. So let’s see how we get rid of some of these viral gateways.

American medicine specialists work blindly

Did you ever ask your doctor how he’s going to cure your high blood pressure, angina or atrial fibrillation or diabetes? He will tell you it’s not possible, but you can certainly help your odds with the latest drugs. They are absolutely clueless of the fact that there only two causes for all disease. But none of the practice guidelines in the United States tell doctors to look for the causes and cures. The recipes for all specialists begin with drugs. But since when is high blood pressure or cancer or memory loss a deficiency of some drug?

Obviously the best remedy would be for each person to know their own biochemical deficiencies. For we don’t all just look different, we are different biochemically. As one example, if you have 100 people with atrial fibrillation, one is cured with magnesium, another with selenium, another with Phosphatidyl Choline Powder or the membrane repair, or another with gut repair or detox, etc. (for details start with The High Blood Pressure Hoax then go to Is Your Cardiologist Killing You?). But unfortunately medicine wants to treat A-fib first with a beta blocker, then a calcium channel blocker, and then another anti-arrhythmia drug before jumping in to destroy the heart’s nerve connections, called an ablation. But this is merely hiring your doctor to give you a heart attack. These cardiovascular ablation “specialists” are called electrophysiologists.

The sad thing is that over 50 years ago no selfrespecting electrophysiologists would ever dream of permanently destroying humans’ heart nerves, muscle fibers and blood vessels without knowing (and correcting) the levels of all the minerals. Yet in interviewing many cardiologists in the last decade, I can confirm that they are utterly clueless about the molecular biochemistry of healing the heart. They don’t even know what a tocotrienol is! If you think they’re smart, just give them the test in 2019 TW. So far I have not found more than one physician who can pass it. They don’t know any chemistry of healing. They are merely highly trained drug dispensers, whose guidelines mantra is “drugs, devices and surgery”.

And remember I was no smarter than any other doc. It’s just that I have read many hours of molecular biochemistry every day for the last 15 years. In addition, I also have had the advantage of seeing the chemistry of our readers in many countries on a variety of diets, medications, environmental exposures, medical treatments, and more for over 3 decades, during phone consults. In fact, I get to see the records also from the most high profile clinics such as Harvard, Johns Hopkins, Cleveland, Mayo, etc. And I can emphatically say that all US medical specialties work absolutely blindly. They do not assay for cause and cure, but merely are handcuffed by their practice guidelines which dictate the use of drugs, devices and surgery. And that’s because of the pharmaceutical hold on American medicine that you have seen evidenced in TW.

So having said that, from 50 years in medicine the 80-20 rule can be pretty powerful. In other words, 80% of the people can be helped with 20% of what you have to offer. So having helped our readers in two dozen countries interpret their individualized 11 page assay to determine their nutrient deficiencies, there are certain deficiencies that prevail and keep recurring. We have detailed the most common deficiencies with not only the nutrients but their sources, websites and 800 numbers in How To Cure Diabetes. So let’s take a quantum leap now to see how many people we can improve by just showing them how to resurrect some of the most common deficiencies in the cell membranes that house the ACE2 virus receptors or gateways.

Timely Tips

Medicines that make you Corona bait

Obviously if you have too many ACE2 receptors, you are Corona bait. You have far too many gateways that are inviting the virus into your body cells. One way you know you have way too many ACE receptors is if your doctor actually has you on medication categories called ACE inhibitors or ARBs (angiotensin receptor blockers). These include such generic and trade names as: Lisinopril (Prinivil®, Zestril®), enalapril (Vasotec®), benazepril (Lotensin®), quinapril (Accupril®), captopril (Capoten®), fosinopril (Monopril®), moexipril (Univasc®), ramipril (Altace®), other brands include Aceon, Mavik and many more. And of course we can’t forget candesartan (Atacand®), irbesartan (Avapro®), losartan (Cozaar®), olmesartan (Benicar®), telmisartan (Micardis®), valsartan (Diovan®). There are many more drug names, these are just some of the most commonly prescribed.

If you have had a heart attack, high blood pressure or cardiac arrhythmia, most likely you’re already on one of these. This makes you absolute Corona bait. You have so many ACE 2 receptors that the only thing a physician who knows nothing about the molecular biochemistry of healing can do is poison those extra receptors. Will these medications make you more virus resistant? Absolutely not, for the many reasons that we have detailed in previous TW. First of all, all medications steal detoxification nutrients from your body that you could have used to fight off the virus.

What should you do? Start with The High Blood Pressure Hoax and Is Your Cardiologist Killing You?, and learn how to get off these and cure your condition.

If that doesn’t motivate you, at least realize that being on an ACE inhibitor or ARB also increases your vulnerability for Alzheimer’s. It does so by robbing your brain of other chemistries that are needed to degrade or get rid of the Alzheimer’s protein, amyloid. You recall amyloid is a special protein that acts like a glue in your brain. It literally clogs and glues down brain nerves, bringing the creation of new memory to a halt. That’s why it’s a mistake to think that people who can remember things from the past don’t have Alzheimer’s. They merely had good chemistry back then to make those memories. It’s the new memories they can’t make.

America needs an oil change

For starters you must repair the chemistry of the human cell membrane to reduce the number the ACE2 gateways or receptors on the cell membranes. America clearly needs an oil change. Folks need to repair their chemistry. In fact it’s hard to even go to any less industrialized country without being greeted with our fast food industry’s franchised presence. I’ve been extremely blessed in being able to look at the chemistry of our readers over the last 30 years. It’s easy to verify the 7M pattern of 20fold cellular destruction that permeates our culture.

For starters, most folks have cell membranes that are literally starving for the right fatty acids and choked with the wrong ones. And these membrane fatty acids are key elements for producing not just the electricity of the body that we call “life”. The appropriate balance of the 34 membrane fatty acids determines the number of ACE2 gates on our cells. Clearly, in order to close the virus gates you must repair the cell membranes’ unbalanced over 34 different types of fats. I have been interpreting the test since it was created, a quarter of a century ago. Consequently, I have amassed an enormous amount of data affirming what scientists throughout the world have piecemeal discovered. That is, most Americans are extremely deficient in the Omega-3 oils. Yet if you ask your doctor how many fatty acids he has examined in your blood, it will be none, much less 34. So that repair would begin with the best form of omega-3 oil that I’ve found which is Lemon-Flavored Cod Liver Oil in glass, not in capsules.

In fact if you choose another form, one of the most popular forms was proven in the February 2019 Journal Nutritional Biochemistry to become esterified and useless. All the reasons and evidence for these recommendations versus others are in past TW. For the cell membrane’s ACE2 gates, electricity, hormone and other receptors, plus cytokines that fight cancers as well as the other duties of the cell membrane are highly dependent upon the best Omega-3 fatty acids you can put in your body and you want your level over 200.

One of the reasons for the right balance of fatty acids in cell membranes is that they in part determine the flexibility of the red blood cell. Why is this important? Because the capillaries (tiniest blood vessels that supply all of your organs like your lungs, brain, heart, liver, kidneys, etc.) have a diameter that is twice as small as the size of the red blood cell. In other words, if the red blood cells does not have the right fatty acids in its membrane, it cannot squeeze itself into capillaries that are half its size. Therefore, you get damage in that particular organ (heart disease, memory loss, shortness of breath, etc.). The organ just can’t get the oxygen and nutrients that it needs. But medicine attributes the preceding “fatigue” to aging!

Yet there’s always more to the story. For the cod liver oil also must have the anchor which is phosphatidyl choline, my favored form being PC Powder. And the cell membrane must have its guard dogs to protect it from invaders which includes the 8 forms of vitamin E as found in one daily E Gems Elite, one Gamma E Gems, and two Tocotrienols. Recall the unbelievably ignorant study in the Journal the American Medical Association that denigrated vitamin E, saying that it was not only worthless but promoted prostate cancer. As you saw in TW, the ignorance of these researchers actually created the cancers. For example, using only one of the eight forms of vitamin E, alpha-tocopherol, was as ignorant as going to the car dealer and saying you want to buy a new car, but you can only afford one out of every eight parts. But you expect the car to work! As well they underdosed the nutrient, used it for too short a time, and as always used it as a solo act as though it were a drug. They unknowingly broadcasted their incredible biochemical ignorance to the rest of the world. For nutrients are part of an orchestration. They are not a solo act like a drug, which is designed to merely poison an already damaged pathway. That’s why there are so many drug categories of blockers, inhibitors, anti-inflammatories, etc. They poison.

Mineral magic can make or break your success

Too bad repair wouldn’t be as simple as the above. For you definitely also need some crucial minerals to pull this protection off. In fact remember from 2019 TW how just being low in zinc can produce any symptom or any disease. And we only looked half a dozen of the 200 enzymes to show you how devastating this common deficiency is.

Furthermore, scores of scientific studies document the serious Corona virus-fighting capacity of zinc. For you really can’t fight any virus without adequate zinc levels. You need a daily Chelated Zinc. Clearly your physician should measure your RBC zinc (not serum or plasma), and the RBC level should be in the 5th quintile (top of normal). If he is unwilling, you can always order your own, as we have repeatedly shown.

Frankly I don’t see how any of the “specialists” that you heard repeatedly on television could be so ignorant about the importance of even recommending a simple mineral like zinc for fighting off the coronavirus. For this has been known for over two decades:

te Velthuis AJ, et al, Zinc (2+) inhibits coronavirus and artrivirus RNA polymerase, PLoS One Pathog, 6 (11) e 1001176, 2010

Berg K, et al, Zinc potentiates antiviral activity of human interferon-alpha tenfold, Journal of Interferon & Cytokine Research, 21; 7:471-4, 2001

Read SA, et al, The role of zinc in anti-viral immunity, Oxford University Press, Advances in Nutrition 10; 4:696-710, 2019

Hamming I, et al, Journal of Pathology 203; 2:631-7, 2004, and so many more

As you saw in 2019 TW, there are multiple mechanisms for zinc’s over 200 enzymes. These include the zinc fingers which are proteins dependent on zinc for the transfer of messages from the cell membrane to genes. As well, RNA polymerase controls gene structures, superoxide dismutase sops up damaging free radicals, detoxifying glutathione peroxidase is crucial for reversing disease (see Detoxify Or Die), carbonic anhydrase is important for keeping you alkaline since viruses love and thrive in an acidic pH, and so much more. Unfortunately many people are zinc deficient. And if they go by the “norms”, remember they were determined on bloods from sick people decades ago. You want to be in the top half of “normal”, preferably the very top.

Meanwhile, I’ll have to save other crucial nutrients for future issues. For example, scientists have known for years exactly what vitamin controls the ACE2 receptor. And scientists have acknowledged that the majority of people have dangerously low sub-therapeutic levels of this vitamin for a variety of reasons. And of course there are any other minerals, fatty acids, amino acids, and vitamins that are crucial for bringing the human chemistry back to pre-7M levels.

Medicines that make you Corona bait

Obviously if you have too many ACE2 receptors, you are Corona bait. You have far too many gateways that are inviting the virus into your body cells. See the medications in this month’s Timely tips box. For not only do you want to get off those because they make you Corona bait, but they also as you saw make you more vulnerable for developing Alzheimer’s. Unfortunately, ACE inhibitors and ARBs are not the only medications that increase your ACE 2 receptors

Meanwhile, the journal Military Medicine Research (Guo Y, et al, March 2020) showed there are 20 times more ACE receptors in humans binding for the Corona virus compared with the SARS virus. And you recall how devastating that was. ACE 2 receptors are especially prevalent in the lung and gut, which is one reason why people severely infected with Corona virus die from lung failure which is really “leaky lung”, which is often preceded by asymptomatic leaky gut (much more on that in past and future TW). Even though the incubation in this study was 1-14 days, folks were still contagious as asymptomatic latency subjects for over a month. Plus fever was only in 88% of severely infected folks. But this was used as a solo criterion in many places. As well, cough was present in only 68%, while fatigue was in 38%. And you couldn’t even qualify for the death statistics unless you had had a test proving that you had Corona. And these are just tiny examples of the many holes in the diverse state-directed and public health recommendations. For example, if they had been exposed to confirmed cases but were asymptomatic, they could go to work.

Stay away from statins

Where do we go from here? In TW, we will go through many more ways to empower yourselves. But always remember that even though we may be talking about another problem like sepsis or ICU or kidney damage or something else that you don’t think relates to you, you’re wrong. The more you learn about every one of these things, the more you will understand God’s miraculous biochemistry of healing built into every body. Meanwhile, drugs merely poison pathways that are already broken. That’s why they are all called inhibitors, blockers, anti-inflammatory, anti-histamine, anti-this, anti-that. They merely poison an enzyme that’s already malfunctioning or trying to compensate for your nutrient deficiencies and toxins. For example, as you saw in The High Cholesterol Hoax, cholesterol is merely a messenger or a Band-Aid. It is meant to patch up holes that nasty chemicals are drilling in our cells which then deteriorate and morph into various diseases. Cholesterol is one of nature’s many ways of compensating and protecting.

But back to our cell membrane, you’ve learned about a few nutrients that are absolutely crucial for its repair. But what’s in the center or the core of the cell membrane? It’s cholesterol. That’s why when you take a statin (Lipitor, Crestor, Vytorin, etc.) to lower your cholesterol, you also are vastly increasing your risk of sudden amnesia (which leads to unusual unexplainable accidents and then self-corrects within a few hours), as well as increasing your risk of Alzheimer’s, cancers and much more. For you cannot poison the very center of your cell membranes, which is cholesterol, without serious consequences, one of which is increasing your ACE2 receptors. Never forget that the Cod Liver Oil, PC powder, and the eight forms of E that you just learned about wrap around one of the most crucial chemical components of the cell membrane, cholesterol.

So how did we get such a love affair with destroying cholesterol? It happened over 50 years ago when doctors saw that people dying of heart attacks had plugged arteries. So they looked at what the plugs were made out of. It was cholesterol. So that started the war on cholesterol with recommending a lowfat diet and vegetable oils, instead of lard and butter. Unfortunately the vegetable oils went rancid very fast, so food processors discovered the chemical process of hydrogenation which completely changed the oil chemistry. When the resulting trans fatty acids (Crisco, Mazzola, margarines, corn oil, soybean oil, safflower, etc.) were inserted into the core of the body’s cell membranes, it dramatically damaged their function.

In fact one of the biochemical side effects of the trans fatty acids (from the hydrogenated oils) in cell membranes was that they actually created high cholesterol. But no worries. Now the drug industry came to the rescue with the billion-dollar industry of statins. And you saw in TW the evidence for how the FDA has permitted verbiage so that a food package can say “no trans fats” when the average consumption possesses levels dangerous to your future health.

One major underappreciated problem was that by incriminating cholesterol and fat as the cause of cardiovascular disease these policymakers violated basic rules of science. They made the unscientific assumption that association means cause. Following that ridiculous logic (upon which the last 50 years of medicine’s fat fear has been based), it must mean police are the cause of all crimes since they are always found at crime scenes. And firemen must be the cause of all fires since they are found at conflagrations. It is my belief that statins will go down in history as one of the most dangerous mistakes medicine has made in this century (as well as the 7M which have made us world leaders in chronic diseases).

But our faithful readers have seen the proof of all this in the books and newsletters that we’ve written in the past 40 years. They already know how to make themselves Corona-proof. In TW we’ve given you the proof that the high carbohydrate diet, especially sugars, induce insulin. Extra insulin creates storage of body fat which causes obesity which becomes a powerful hormone that actually creates inflammation, insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome, arteriosclerosis, mitochondrial dysfunction, fatty liver, prediabetes, and a host of other current diagnostic labels. Unfortunately most practitioners are unaware of the interrelatedness of all of these conditions and how to actually cure them. For many folks it comes down to insulin resistance.

Just the last couple of decades of merely two journals, the Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry and the government’s leading toxicology journal Environmental Health Perspectives, contain enormous evidence for all of this and the fact that insulin resistance is really behind most pathology. In fact it makes us leaders of the world in heart disease, hypertension and diabetes. Do you have insulin resistance?. All you have to do is see if your triglycerides divided by the HDL is greater than 1.2 and that’s insulin resistance. These values are on every standard blood test, but their relevance to insulin resistance is ignored by most physicians. Check your own out values from the blood tests taken at your last physical.

Meanwhile if you want to speed your progress along, start with at least 2019-2020 TW, and How To Cure Diabetes. In fact during quarantine, it’s a perfect time to use electronic ordering of TW (Total Wellness, prestigepublishing.com, 1-800-846-6687) and then of course you can read it electronically at home. So there’s no contamination. If you need to have more evidence or convince your friends, have them go to thepowerhour.com, scroll down to “listen”, you need to put in “Dr. Rogers”, and then select to hear the archived broadcasts on April 3, 10, 17, & 24, 2020 (and March 13, 20, 27). It’s an easy way to get smarter while you are jogging or exercising.

For those who want much more information I would then read as many other years of TW and the books as you can. For we never leave anyone out when we write a book or newsletter. Just because you don’t have what’s in the book title, just bear in mind that all the information still applies to you. It’s God’s chemistry. We just all carry a different load of deficiencies and toxicities, genetics, environments, etc. You need to know as much as you can about every disease in order to cure any disease and make yourselves disease-proof. It’s my way of sending you to the medical school of (hopefully) the future. For indeed I hope that medicine will eventually morph into acknowledging and embracing the proven causes and cures of chronic diseases, while properly reigning in the pharmaceutical industry which certainly has its undeniable merits.

So there you have it. I have purposely abandoned our normal format to bring you this timely information. Unfortunately very few people will take the bull by the horns and make themselves healthier. They’re waiting for some doctor, some insurance company, some government agency, or some easy quick solo treatment. Or they are waiting for a magic viral drug or vaccine. And then on the flipside you have those who will empower themselves, read, take control and get well. It’s Biblical. The choice is always yours.

Because this is such an important issue, you have my permission to copy and send this May 2020 TW newsletter issue to anyone you wish.

Dear folks,
Total Wellness™
3160 Erie Blvd. East
DeWitt, NY 13214

If you do have a fever and cough, definitely have a D-dimer and LDH (lactic acid dehydrogenase) drawn. Just tell the doctor that the recent Journal the American Medical Association showed that folks who were in need of ICU, many of whom died, had actually doubled their D-dimer and LDH levels. If yours are elevated you need ICU regardless of whether your ER has Corona virus tests available, as many do not (reference pg 8). Also buy an oximeter to make sure your oxygen doesn’t dip below 97%, another danger sign.

Sources of this month’s recommendations:
Item Supplier 800#
Chelated Zinc, E Gems Elite, Gamma E Gems, Tocotrienols,
Lemon-Flavored Cod Liver Oil in glass, Vitamin D3, 10,000 IU
……………………Carlsonlabs.com ……………….323-4141
PC Powder, Natural Calm Magnesium ……..
……………………happybodies.com ……………..1-800-happybo
All TW and books…prestigepublishing.com…1-800-846-6687
For personal phone consults.. …………………..315-488-2856
Remember in these trying times, there may be huge deficiencies of these priceless nutrients. So check out needs.com (1-800-634-1380), happybodies.com, thepowerhour.com for their Power Mall, or alternativemedecinesolution.com (1-877-676-1615), your local health food stores, Amazon, etc. to find any remaining stock of nutrients, for availability may be limited indefinitely.

References:

• Hemming MI, et al, Amyloid beta protein is degradation by cellular angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) and elevated by an ACE inhibitor, J Biol Chem 280; 45:37644-50, 2005
• Despres JP, et al, Hyperinsulinemia as an independent risk factor for ischemic heart disease, New England Journal Medicine 334:952-7, 1996
• Landsberg L, et al, Hypertension and associated metabolic abnormalities—the role of insulin resistance in the sympathoadrenal system, New England Journal of Medicine 334:374-81, 1996
• Teicholz N, The Big Fat Surprise, Simon & Schuster, 2014
• Enig M, Know Your Fats, Bethesda Press, 2000
• Cohen S, Drug Muggers, Rodale, New York, 2011
• Lustig RH, Fat Chance, Avery, New York 2012
• Wang D, et al, Clinical characteristics of 138 hospitalized patients with 2019 novel coronavirus-infected pneumonia in Wuhan China, Journal the American Medical Association 323; 11:1061-9, Mar. 17, 2020
• Del Rio C, et al, 2019 Novel coronavirus—important information for clinicians, JAMA 323; 11:1039-40, March 17, 2020

The emotions involved with a terminal cancer diagnosis can be enormous, but the costs can be overwhelming as well. With that being said, if you?ve just been diagnosed with terminal cancer and are still reeling with emotions, you may want to stop and save this article for a later date. If you think you?re ready to face this difficult time head on and are ready to answer some difficult questions, know that doing so can relieve a great deal of stress for you, and added financial pressures for your family members.

Will Your Family Be Able to Afford Your Funeral?
Thinking about aspects of your own death is never pleasant. Considering your financial options now, though, can ensure that your loved ones are not left struggling financially. With burial insurance, your loved ones will get help with paying for funeral and other end-of-life expenses. The benefits can also be used to pay outstanding bills and loans. It?s wise to have this sort of burial or final expense coverage, especially since funeral costs can exceed $10,000. Another way to ease this immense financial burden during an already emotionally strenuous time for your family is to take the time to plan your funeral. By laying these plans out ahead of time, you can save your family the stress of making hard choices during their time of bereavement, and you can lessen the chance for disagreements among surviving members. Planning your funeral may also be a useful step in helping you and your family come to terms with what may happen in the future.

Will Your Loved Ones Be Able to Pay for Palliative Care?
Funeral costs are not the only expense that should be part of financial planning for the terminally ill. It?s also important to understand hospice care, and the role that these palliative and supportive services will play in the time ahead. While you may currently be planning on using chemotherapy and other treatments to prolong your life, know that planning for hospice care before you need it is a smart choice. The levels of hospice care provided will determine the costs in many cases, so you should spend some time familiarizing yourself with each. For instance, if you are able to receive care in your home, continuous care may come with more expense than routine care. These designations are most important for those covered by Medicare, since Medicare benefits can pay for hospice in most cases. If you are not enrolled in Medicare, Medicaid or insurance can offset care costs as well.

Will Your Family Be Responsible for Any Leftover Debts?
Right now, your primary focus should be to make the most of whatever time you have left with your loved ones. It stands to reason, however, that enjoying that time may be tainted if you?re worried about leaving behind massive debts, such as mortgages, medical bills, or student loans. How these leftover debts impact your family depends on several factors, including your link to loved ones and which lenders you owe. For instance, student loan debt may be completely forgiven after your death if the lender is provided with acceptable proof of death. The collection rules around other types of debt can vary, so your best bet is to speak with each lender or to consult a financial expert, so that you can have the peace of mind of knowing that grieving loved ones won?t be left paying these debts alone.

Being prepared for the costs of your diagnosis is equally as important as being prepared for the emotions that come with the diagnosis. So do your best to take care of the financial planning steps mentioned in this article, but also make sure you get the best care possible during this difficult time. That includes the care you give yourself. As difficult as it may be to think about, preparing for death can provide a sense of peace and calm.

While fad diets have circulated for decades, one meal plan that’s never lost traction is plant-based eating. By adding more plants to our daily meals, we can lower the risk of heart disease and diabetes. Additionally, we’re also helping to reduce some of the harmful effects of climate change. Less meat, healthier living? Yes, please. Here are some practical tips for adopting a plant-based diet for your health (and the planet).

Stay Away from Convenience Foods

An influx of “fake meat” has recently inundated the plant-based food market. However, are these packaged food items better for us than fresh produce and other closer-to-nature menu items? As multiple health experts told the Guardian, not necessarily. Like other packaged foods, faux meats can pack a lot of extra “stuff” onto their ingredient lists. Excess sodium and fillers, for example, are common in these products.

Plus, the more you rely on convenience foods, the less likely you are to consume the healthiest plant-based foods: actual plants. Sticking with nutrient-dense plant foods such as legumes, seeds, leafy greens, and enriched grains is optimal. Of course, fortified plant milks and soybean foods also make the list of healthy vegan menu items.

Expand Your Menu

When embarking on a new nutritional path, it can be challenging to figure out what to eat. You might find that by going plant-based, you’re severely limiting your diet to several staples you know you like. The problem with this is it makes plant-based eating feel like a diet. Experts have confirmed that fad diets don’t work, and it’s because they’re too strict to stick with long-term.

Fortunately, eating less meat and dairy doesn’t mean you have to eat from a boring menu — vegetarian and vegan dishes can be just as delicious as any other meal. In short, the secret to eating more plants is including a range of colors with each meal.

And it’s not just dieticians who want you to expand your palate. As CBS News reports, experts say to consume 10 or more servings of fruits and veggies per day. You’ll find more antioxidants, vitamins, potassium, and tons of other nutrients in darker fruit and vegetables.

Keep Things Simple

Unless you’re a budding chef, there’s no reason to get overly complicated with your meals. There are plenty of complex recipes out there for those turning toward more plants and less animal-based foods. However, when it comes down to it, you only need a balance of nutrients — protein, carbohydrates, vitamins — to keep your body moving.

Cooking simply — and avoiding additives, preservatives, and excess sodium and oil — is accessible and healthy for us all. As a bonus, you’ll get more creative with the flavors in your meals without additional prep steps. Remembering that fresh food itself has plenty of flavor can help you avoid additives in your kitchen. For example, Medline Plus recommends using natural flavoring for your meals to skip the salt, such as:

Seniors and Plant-Based Diets

Although they’ve recently become trendy, plant-based diets aren’t just for younger generations. A diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and healthy grains can offer benefits for people of all ages. Concentrating on eating better is an essential first step toward longevity.

Of course, just because you improve your diet doesn’t mean you can abandon regular exercise. Exercising regularly well into your golden years is still crucial. And if you have Medicare Advantage, you may be eligible for the SilverSneakers program. Participants in the program receive access to over 13,000 participating fitness centers across the nation. SilverSneakers provides better access to fitness facilities — all through your existing healthcare plan. Furthermore, to take advantage of SilverSneakers, you also need to be 65 or older (or qualify for Medicare due to a disability) and a citizen of the United States.

Eating more plants is a simple way to get on track toward a healthier future. And regardless of your age or fitness level, consuming healthy foods is an excellent means of improving your lifestyle. Fortunately, what’s good for your body is also great for the planet.

Photo via Pixabay

There are two types of inflammation in the body. The first is natural inflammation that is welcome as a part of healing. The second is unwelcome and can have damaging effects on your body. If you struggle with the second type of inflammation and learn to manage it well, you can live a long, healthy, and thriving life.

What Is Inflammation?

Inflammation is a natural part of the body’s immune system response. If you experience an injury or infection, your body naturally responds with inflammation as the first step to the healing process. Signs of inflammation include pain, redness, inability to move the region of the body that is inflamed, swelling, and heat. As inflammation decreases, the symptoms will dissipate.

Sometimes, inflammation goes away, which is a cause for concern. Prolonged inflammation results in whole-body impact. Essentially, your body’s immune system is consistently attempting to recover. When you’re in this state, acute inflammation is referred to as systemic inflammation.

What Is Systemic Inflammation?

Systemic inflammation reveals itself in various forms, and the resulting symptoms are different for everyone. Systemic Inflammation results in inflammation throughout the body and can either be caused by disease (such as type II diabetes, Lyme disease, cardiovascular disease, and many cancers) and auto-immune disorders or can cause disease, sepsis, and organ failure. Inflammation becomes chronic when the immune system is working on overdrive to combat an infection, it becomes confused and attacks parts of the body that resembles infection or injury, or it senses a problem but mistakes the remedy and sends white blood cells to attack healthy tissue or organs.Systemic inflammation can be worsened by some of the following:

How Does Systemic Inflammation Affect the Body?

Many people suffer from inflammation and do not know about it. If you’re experiencing the swelling that comes with a broken bone, bruising, or heat to the touch, it’s evident you have inflammation; but with systemic inflammation, the symptoms are not as obvious.Systemic inflammation can result in or exacerbate the following:

How Do You Treat Systemic Inflammation?

The first step you should take is to consult with your healthcare provider and rule out inflammation being the symptom of a disease or other serious underlying issue. You may consider getting a blood test and allergy test done to rule out foods or a lack of the right vitamins being the source of the problem. Check with your doctor and do research to determine if CBD oil is right got you. CBD oil has been shown to reduce pain and inflammation. Look at different CBD products and review their pros and cons to help determine which one fits your specific needs.

Many have found a change in diet to be beneficial to reduce or eliminate inflammation. Ketogenic diets, which are low in carbohydrates, may prove to reduce the pain associated with inflammation or inflammation itself. Reducing or eliminating dairy, sugars, gluten, and salt intake — while adding fruits, vegetables, dark leafy greens, fiber, healthy oils, and foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids — have shown to help many in managing inflammation. Improving the health of your gut can also help fight inflammation. You can improve the state of your gut by eating foods such as yogurt, apple cider vinegar, or sauerkraut or by taking 1MD probiotics. By trying to take control and treat the root problem of your symptoms, you will feel great, experience fewer illnesses, sleep better, lose weight, and have better skin.

If you struggle with systemic inflammation, you can reverse the effect by taking control of your lifestyle. By changing your diet, exercising, getting enough sleep, finding methods that relax your body, reducing your exposure to harmful toxins, and proactively alleviating pain through alternative options (such as CBD oil), you could experience a total transformation. Be proactive and you can begin to take your life back today.