Are we killing ourselves: A new phase of survival of the fittest?
Times have changed and continue to do so! Some thoughts to help us all lead our healthiest and most effective life.
Are we killing ourselves: A new phase of survival of the fittest?
"_______ is killing me." Ever heard that expression? Does anything come to mind? This phrase is meant to be over the top, but maybe there is some truth to it.
While attending an Endocrinology conference focused on diabetes, obesity, and high cholesterol I could not help but think, how did we get here? Meaning a society whereby we need so many classes of medications to cover our ailments? Where we need medications to treat the side effects of the medications we are already taking.
We are in a crisis of imbalance. The pillars of health (nutrition, physical activity, stress management, and sufficient sleep) have been cracked. It is time focus on health rather than disease.
The origin of the survival of the fittest theory is running from predators and finding food. Now, we are forced to run from ourselves since we may be our biggest threat. Our environment is changing rapidly, mostly due to technological advances. I wonder about the potential detriment of technology. Don't get me wrong, I love it, but the constant connections can be a tremendous source of stress.
At medical conferences many of us are on our office electronic medical records catching up on work. In this arena for us to learn and be with our colleagues, we are being pulled out of the moment. Just like getting a work email "after hours" pulls us away from something else that deserves our full attention. The problem is, for many of us, there is no such thing as after hours. The immediate gratification that we have come to expect from others and ourselves can rob us of our relaxation and may have long-term health consequences. I recently saw a TV segment titled, "death of the 9 to 5." Does the word "death" here hold more meaning?
If you break up the word "disease" you get "dis-ease," coincidence? This smacks me in the face when I am talking to patients. I often ask them, "how is work?" I almost universally get, "it's good, but stressful." Stress causes us to be more resistant to insulin (which regulates our blood sugar), raises our blood pressure, and causes us to store fat. Our body goes into flight or fight response mode, just like we are running from a tiger.
The best way to outrun the "tiger," is to eat healthy, be fit, and make sure we are well rested. Or better yet, eliminate the tiger from our environment all-together!
The biggest issue is that perhaps we don't know that the tiger exists...so let me take this opportunity to warn you! Start preparing now. Here are 4 areas that can help us survive and thrive.
1. Nutrition: this is our body's fuel. We want to run on premium fuel for optimal efficiency. However, our fuel source has been compromised in many ways. As Michael Pollan eloquently describes, we are now "consuming edible food like substances." I have patients who have moved to the United States that say they are eating the same "foods" that they ate at home but have gained weight, feel bloated, and are fatigued...this pains me as an American.
Rather than try and come up with something unique (and probably not as good), I yield to Michael Pollan, "Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants. Don't eat foods that have ingredients that you can't pronounce and shop on the outer edges of the grocery store since that is where the fresh food is located (that will eventually rot).
2. Physical activity: The more hours we spend sitting the worse we are. In order to remedy this phenomenon, standing desks and treadmills have hit the market. Not ready for one of these, try to walk 10 minutes 3 times per day. Can you get off the subway/bus one stop early in both directions? Can you take a walk during lunch? Find an activity you enjoy. If you hate running, you are probably not going to stick with it. Like to dance, try Zumba. Like riding a bike, hit a spin class.
Fitness apps and wearable technology (a market force created by the downsides of technology?) are everywhere. You can even donate to charity while you exercise, thanks to an amazing app called Charity Miles. These developments put the onus on us for our health and will help us to be an ACTIVE participant. Health is personal, and therefore, we should take it personally.
3. Stress management: We all have stress! Have you ever gotten to the end of the day and realized that you have not taken a real breath? Life can be all about to do lists and a fight against the clock. I love the Ariana Huffington essay, “There’s enough time in your life for everything important,” which describes our culture’s obsession with time. We have come to have a time famine, rather than time affluence.
It is amazing how focusing on our breath can slow it all down and instantly bring a sense of ease. Try to institute a breathing routine into your daily routine; there are great meditation apps to guide you towards time affluence.
4. Sleep: Most of us never forget to charge our devices at the end of the day, but do we remember to give ourselves the necessary charge? Research has demonstrated the impact of insufficient sleep on health, and most of us are sleep deprived. Appetite hormones and cortisol levels increase when we don’t clock enough hours of rest. No matter how hard we try, there is always going to be something else that needs to be done. To be our most effective selves, we must recharge so that we wake up with a 100% battery.
I should take my own advice, and wrap this up so that I am ready for tomorrow.
These are awesome times that we are living in. Let’s take care of each other and ourselves so that we can enjoy every moment.
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