Healthy Movement for Staying Tuned

As a doctor, I cannot stress enough the importance of regular physical activity for maintaining overall health and well-being. It is recommended that adults engage in at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic exercise per week, along with muscle-strengthening activities at least two days per week.

Some Benefits:

1. Improved Physical Health

Physical activity can help prevent a range of chronic diseases, including heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and certain types of cancer. It can also help manage and reduce the symptoms of existing chronic conditions such as arthritis, back pain, and depression. In addition, regular exercise can help maintain a healthy weight, reduce the risk of obesity, and improve overall cardiovascular health. Exercise can also help improve bone density, which is especially important for older adults who may be at risk for osteoporosis. Overall, engaging in regular physical activity can improve physical health and reduce the risk of chronic diseases.

2. Improved Mental Health

In addition to physical health benefits, regular exercise can also provide a range of mental health benefits. Exercise has been shown to reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety. It can also help improve mood, reduce stress, and improve self-esteem. Exercise has also been shown to improve cognitive function including memory and attention. In addition, exercise can improve sleep quality which is essential for overall health and well-being. Overall, regular exercise can improve mental health and well-being.

3. Social Benefits

Exercise can also provide social benefits. Engaging in physical activity with others can help build social connections and improve relationships. Group exercise classes, sports teams, and outdoor activities are all great ways to meet new people and build a sense of community. Regular exercise can also help improve teamwork and communication skills which can be valuable in both personal and professional settings. Overall, exercise can help build social connections and improve social skills.

4. Improved Longevity

Regular physical activity has been linked to increased longevity. In one study, adults who engaged in regular physical activity had a 30 percent lower risk of early death compared to those who were inactive. Exercise can help improve overall health and reduce the risk of chronic diseases which can contribute to a longer and healthier life.

5. Improved Brain Health

Exercise has been shown to have a range of benefits for brain health. Regular physical activity can help improve cognitive function including memory attention and executive function. Exercise has also been shown to increase the production of certain hormones and proteins that are important for brain health such as brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1). These hormones and proteins can help improve neural connections, promote neuroplasticity, and protect against cognitive decline.

Regular physical activity is essential for overall health and well-being. It can provide a range of benefits to both physical and mental health including improved cardiovascular health, reduced risk of chronic diseases, improved cognitive function, reduced symptoms of depression and anxiety. In addition, exercise can help build social connections and improve social skills by maintaining a healthy weight, improving cardiovascular health and reducing the risk of chronic diseases. Regular exercise can contribute to a longer and healthier life- overall exercise is an essential tool for maintaining overall health.

I hope this chapter will help you maintain a healthy lifestyle by following these exercise habits.

Everyone is health-conscious, especially about weight. Many people say, “I spent the whole Ramadan fasting and didn’t eat much, but I still gained weight.” This is because of a simple scientific fact related to insulin, a hormone that makes you feel hungry. When you break your fast with food that produces more insulin from our pancreas, you end up eating more and more because you never feel full. This food is typically high in carbohydrates or sugar.

During Ramadan, we often consume a lot of rice, bread, sugar, drinks, and meat. Too much meat and carbohydrates can lead to an increase in insulin production. As a result, we keep eating even though our body is full because too much insulin has flooded our body. We feel hungry because we’ve consumed food that is mostly sugary and high in carbohydrates and meat.

Instead, if we follow the Sunnah for Iftar (breaking the fast), which involves eating three dates and some water, our body can handle this amount of food better. Consuming too much food right after fasting all day can lead to the body storing the excess calories as fat cells due to the high sugar content.

Some people try to combat this by buying machines, trying protein shakes, doing exercises, and following various diets. However, the simple science is to identify which foods are making more fat cells and which foods are breaking down the fat cells. Consuming less carbohydrates and sugar and more plant-based foods can help in this regard.

As Allah says in the Quran, “for all types of crops.” So instead of focusing on meat and bread and rice, try to consume a lot of plants. Of course, you can have meat, bread, and some rice but in limited quantities because your fasting body is not ready for too much sugar. Your body is looking for nutrients, and more nutrient-dense foods are colorful plants.

Some fruits are okay to consume after fasting even though they contain sugar because it’s fructose sugar. Overall, maintaining a balanced diet during Ramadan can help you stay healthy and successful in your spiritual journey.

In fact, you don’t have to limit your food intake, but you should avoid overeating. In society, there’s a misconception that after a long period of fasting, it’s time to eat as much as you can. However, Ramadan is a month of abstaining from food and focusing on worship.

Instead of preparing for Ramadan with fasting and other spiritual practices, many people focus on food and spend more money so they can buy more food. But we should focus on what nutritious food we can eat, what Prophet Muhammad ate in his lifestyle, and what science shows us to stay healthy.

The first thing is to consume less carbohydrates, less sugar, and less meat. Instead, we should eat more plant-based foods. Dinner should not be heavy. Prophet Muhammad used to break his fast with dates and honey or milk or one of them and then went for prayer. After fasting for a long time, the body is ready to digest the later meal with the nutritious dates.

For dinner, consume a lot of plant-based food, some carbohydrates, some fish, some lentil soup, and some eggs. But the mistake would be to skip Suhur (pre-dawn meal). The body needs some nutritious food at Suhur. Prophet Muhammad used to eat dates again at Suhur.

During Suhur time, people often consume rice and bread again. Bread and meat or fruit and meat are not good for the body because they contain a lot of calories and sugar that will produce insulin which makes you feel hungry. Instead of focusing on the meat and bread, focus on the Sunnah: dates.

In the morning also eat dates. If you want to do more, you could have fruits, yogurt with some honey in it. You can also have some oatmeal with raw milk. People having pasteurized milk often end up bloating from lactose intolerance.

You can also have fruit salad or avocado salad. Avoid bread during Suhur too. So bread and meat and fish and rice should not be in the Suhur meal. If you eat meat during Suhur time that will again produce insulin which will make you thirsty during the day.

Therefore, maintaining a balanced diet during Ramadan can help you stay healthy while successfully completing your spiritual journey.

Too much insulin

I want to emphasize that if you consume too much food that is sugar-rich, like carbohydrates, you’re going to increase insulin production and store fat- and won’t be able to burn it. This is, in part, because insulin makes you feel thirsty and you won’t be able to burn your fat.

When it comes to food, I learned something important during my nutrition studies at Harvard University. No food is bad unless people add something bad to it. So, we cannot say biryani, pakora, or roti is bad. It depends on the ingredients..

For instance, if pakora has semolina or besan (chickpea flour), it’s good. If it has wheat flour, which is genetically modified, you should replace it with rice flour.

People often fear oil, but oil is the one that burns fat because fat makes ketone bodies and ketones burn the fat. This is simple science. If you consume sugar or carbohydrates or fruits, that produces fat because sugar directly combines with the fat cell. Fat doesn’t convert into a fat cell.

The problem arises when we consume vegetable oil or corn oil. These are not real oils but are processed synthetic oils. There’s no such thing as vegetable oil because vegetables don’t have that amount of oil. Pure oils are coconut oil and olive oil. Olive oil is the best for raw consumption because when you cook with olive oil, the heat modifies it into an unsaturated (unhealthy) oil. .

When frying something like pakora, use coconut oil, put besan on it, and use rice flour instead of wheat flour. You can also use ghee (clarified butter), which is perfect if you get organic ghee from pure milk. Cheese and butter are also good for frying.

Frying is not a problem; the problem lies in what ingredients are used. However, frying meat is a problem because meat produces class one carcinogens (cancer-causing substances) when fried.

After fasting all day, your body needs nutrients first. You can get enough calories with brown rice, quinoa, millet, buckwheat instead of white rice or wheat. These are real carbohydrates that are pure nutritious complex carbs-meaning it takes longer for them to break down and you do not get sugar and insulin spikes..

Real carbohydrates

I want to emphasize that refined bread and white rice are refined carbohydrates and lack most nutrients. Instead, choose brown rice, quinoa, millet, sweet potato, and buckwheat. These are real carbohydrates that provide energy and nutrients.

You can have some meat, but don’t eat meat at Suhur (pre-dawn meal). You can have some fish in the evening. Lentils, bean soup, vegetable soup, fruit salad, and nut cream are all good choices. The key is to eat healthily at Suhur and in the evening.

People often ask about diabetic patients and people with chronic diseases and whether they can fast. There is a lot of research on this topic. Diabetes arises from lifestyle factors that lead to insulin resistance and obesity. Research shows that intermittent fasting, which was prescribed by Allah 1400 years ago, is powerful and can change the whole body’s physiology.

Dr. Bravis in the UK conducted a study on a group of people who fasted during Ramadan with a proper nutritious breakfast (Iftar) and early meal (Suhur). He found that one month of fasting can reduce insulin resistance, the true cause of diabetes. People can also lose weight and detoxify their bodies with intermittent fasting.

Fasting for one month cleans up the body and develops new cells. It’s like natural chemotherapy. Cancer cells die off when you fast because they don’t get sugar. In diabetic patients, insulin resistance goes down, toxins get removed from the body, fat cells burn, and the immune system becomes more optimized.

However, if you have diabetes and your morning sugar is 70 milligrams or your fasting sugar becomes 60 milligrams, that’s dangerous. Then you have to break your fast. Anyone who has diabetes should talk to their doctor first to understand what level they are at.

If you’re fasting and your sugar level goes down to 60 milligrams, you need to get food right away because you are going very low on sugar. Sugar needs to circulate to keep the organs surviving.

For those with kidney disease at stage four, where maybe only 20 percent of kidney functioning is left, fasting is not recommended. The same applies to type 1 diabetic population who cannot fast because they need food to get insulin, as their own body doesn’t produce insulin. People with liver cirrhosis or heart problems should talk to their doctor first before fasting.

Before Ramadan, we have Shaban. This is the time for people with diabetes and heart disease to prepare for Ramadan. They can see how their body functions and monitor their sugar levels to see if they’re going to get hypoglycemia or not. This way, they can get to know their level and get ready for Ramadan.

A lot of people also ask about hydration during fasting. If you drink a lot of water in the morning, you might feel too full. And if you don’t drink enough water in the morning, then you might get dehydrated during the day. To avoid dehydration, my advice would be to make sure you drink from Iftar (breaking of fast) to Suhur (pre-dawn meal) very slowly. This is a Sunnah too.

Drinking water slowly allows the body to absorb water. But if you drink a whole glass of water at once, it will just go straight through your system without being absorbed. The body is like a tree; if you dump 10 gallons of water onto a tree, the tree roots will lose the soil instead of getting the water in. But if you put water slowly, the tree will be happy and absorb the water.

In the body’s cells, water doesn’t go into the cell unless the cell has enough salt in it. So, you need to have enough salt in your body. The human body needs 92 salts all the time to survive. Our saliva, our blood, our tears in the eye – they all have 92 minerals. These minerals help water go into the cell.

Salt in your diet

I want to emphasize the importance of salt in our diet. We often consume white salt, which only contains one type of salt. However, there are salts like pink salt, black salt, and caramel salt that contain up to 92 minerals. These are the salts that our bodies need.

Year after year, we only consume white salt and become deficient in the other essential salts. This deficiency can lead to dehydration because our bodies need enough salt to retain water. So, before drinking water, especially during Ramadan, take some salt and then drink water. Your body will be able to retain the water and you will feel hydrated.

Another tip I have is to consume raw plant salads every day. These salads are rich in minerals that your body needs. Consuming these salads will help your body retain water so that you won’t feel dry during the day.

If you don’t have enough salt in your body, you might feel thirsty and hungry because your body can’t differentiate between these two signals. So, it’s very important to consume enough salt, raw salads, fresh fruits, and drink water slowly.

In conclusion, maintaining a balanced diet with enough salt and staying hydrated can help you stay healthy while successfully completing your spiritual journey.

In conclusion, maintaining a balanced diet can help you stay healthy while successfully completing your spiritual journey.

The dangers of extreme exercise

I’d like to talk about the dangers of extreme exercise by discussing the case of a great athlete and one of the top social media influencers with 7 million Instagram followers. He promoted health, wellness, fitness, athletics, and exercise extensively.

However, his life took a tragic turn when he died suddenly at the age of just 30. His girlfriend posted that he had died suddenly after being rushed to the hospital. The doctors couldn’t find any reason for his death, but it’s suspected that he may have had a mild stroke.

His death raises several questions about his lifestyle, diet, and the things he promoted. While anyone can die at any time, it’s important to understand what might have contributed to his untimely death.

He had been taking a lot of steroids. Harvard Medical School has clearly stated that long-term steroid use can lead to cardiovascular health issues and aneurysms. The disease Joe died from is clearly a vascular issue – his blood vessels got weak and stopped the blood circulation, leading to a stroke.

He couldn’t grow his body naturally, so he had been taking testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) to help him build his body back up. But when I looked at his diet, I noticed something was missing – he wasn’t taking in enough fat. He was consuming a good plant-based diet with high protein and low carbs, but healthy fat was missing. Healthy fat is the precursor for testosterone.

Moreover, Joe wasn’t taking in enough minerals. He was consuming a lot of caffeine which depletes minerals in the body. A lack of minerals can weaken blood cells and without enough fatty acids, blood vessels cannot regenerate as healthy fat cells. This can weaken the vascular system and lead to vascular diseases like aneurysms.

We should learn from his untimely death. When following someone’s advice or lifestyle, it’s important to know what is true and what isn’t. Just because a licensed doctor or practitioner tells you not to eat fat or to do certain things doesn’t mean it’s right. You need to do your own research, and consult with someone specifically trained in and experienced with clinical nutrition and physiology

While exercise is important for maintaining health and wellness, extreme exercise without proper nutrition can lead to serious health issues. It’s crucial to maintain a balanced diet that includes enough fats and minerals and to be cautious about the use of substances like steroids.

If you take steroids for an extended period of time, you may experience vascular issues. Testosterone replacement therapy, for example, can cause hormone imbalances. Instead, hormones come from cholesterol and pregnenolone, which can be improved by increasing your intake of healthy fatty acids. This includes foods like dark chocolate, nuts, olive oil, and grass-fed fatty meat, and especially wild cold water fish, like salmon.

Interestingly, people often prefer lean meat, but it’s the fatty part of the meat that’s more important. Egg yolks are also powerful. Many practitioners advise against consuming egg yolks and recommend eating only the protein part. However, this can lead to other nutrient deficiencies..

From such instances, we should learn a lesson and apply it in our lives. Educate yourself and look at patient success stories. What I tell my patients is to get comprehensive treatment and adopt a holistic lifestyle with the right diet.

Don’t just eat what someone else eats. Educate yourself about a diet that should be optimal in the right fats, high in plants, low in carbs, moderate in protein. Intermittent fasting, sunlight exposure, social and spiritual connections, and healthy movement all contribute to better overall health.

Try natural remedies first, because your body is natural. Get natural medicine! If you have a serious condition or an emergency, of course, you may need surgery or pharmaceutical drugs to address the issue.. But it’s important to remember that pharmaceuticals- while very helpful and important rarely fix a disease.

Despite what the American Medical Association might tell you about diseases like diabetes and high blood pressure not being reversible, we have thousands of patients who have reversed both diabetes and high blood pressure, with a lifestyle-based approach.

Look at the videos on each health issue to understand what you can do, what natural supplements can help you improve your health, and what therapy you should take when you have any health issue.

Each disease has a unique diet and lifestyle that you should follow. We should learn from those like the media influencer discussed above, who died at such an early age of 30.

Chemistry of Exercise and Importance for Long-Term Fitness

1. What is considered exercise?

Exercise can be described in many ways. According to everydayhealth.com, by Barbara Robb, “exercise is a specific form of physical activity — planned, purposeful physical activity performed with the intention of acquiring fitness or other health benefits” (1). These physical activities can be in the form of rowing, running, swimming, or sports activity. These activities can be differentiated by intensity levels (light to moderate in intensity) that can impact one’s cardiovascular fitness, e.g., jogging, walking, or running (1). These can be measured with a heart rate monitor.. According to the Mayo clinic, one must subtract their age from 220 to get their maximum heart rate. To identify one’s moderate level, one must multiply their heart rate by 0.7 (70 percent), then add their resting heart rate to this number. To identify one’s vigorous intensity level, their heart rate must be multiplied by 0.85 (85 percent), then add their resting heart rate to this number(2).

1. Components of Physical Fitness/Activity

Physical exercise can be labeled as cardio-respiratory endurance, muscular strength, muscular endurance, and flexibility.

• Cardio-respiratory endurance enhances the respiratory endurance, e.g. jumping rope, rowing, iron man triathlon, or marathons.
• Muscular strength increases muscular strength by lifting weights like barbells or dumbbells.
• Muscular endurance can be enhanced by calisthenics or conditioning exercises, e.g. pushups, sit ups, or pullups.
• Flexibility is worked by performing stretching exercises through yoga or pilates.
• Yoga is a spiritual discipline based on an extremely subtle science, which focuses on bringing harmony between mind and body.
• Meditation is the practice of training attention or awareness through mental clarity and an emotionally calm and stable state. It provides a sense of peace, calm, and balance that improves overall emotional well-being.

1. Effects of exercise in different age groups

In an 18-Year Longitudinal Study called Different Types of Physical Activity and Fitness and Health in Adults by Steffen C. E. Schmidt examined the relationship between different types of daily life physical activity, and physical fitness and health throughout adulthood. The data was drawn during a community-based, longitudinal study in Germany with four measurements in 1992, 1997, 2002, and 2010. The study comprised a total of 723 different subjects of 366 females and 357 males aged 28–76. The study measured physical activity (sports, habitual, and work-related activity) via questionnaire, physical fitness test (2km walk-test, timed push up and sit-up, and handgrip strength), physical health status (health examination), and Socioeconomic Status (education and wealth). The results were:

“This study shows that different types of daily life physical activity differ in a meaningful way in their effects on fitness and health when a large lapse of time is observed. Whereas sports activity was positively associated with fitness and health apart from high amounts of sports activity at high BMI levels, comparable amounts of habitual activity showed only small benefits and work-related activity showed no or inconsistent effects. These findings show that the context and content, for example, adequate intensity, frequency, and execution, of physical activity are very important to utilize its benefits in daily life (3).

In other words, physical health is impacted by the different intensity worked by each type of exercises, showing that sports activities has a bigger impact compared to habitual and work-related activities, however, no matter what physical level each age group performed, they were still able to reap the positive effects of exercise in their body. “Exercising in general shows significant positive effects on maintaining a good physical health status” (3). This study lacked a control group and a lack of educators for the ongoing participants pursuing their fitness goals.

1. Chemicals Released During Exercise

Exercise has great benefits not only on the body, but also in the brain. “When you work out, your body releases a variety of hormones and brain chemicals that help build a healthier brain” (4). These are the chemicals being released into the body and brain:

• Serotonin is a mood-boosting brain chemical that reduces the risk of depression and can boost motivation levels. It can replace antidepressant medications.
• Norepinephrine is a hormone that can boost memory retrieval. This can also improve focus, attention, and the ability to concentrate; can also assist with ADHD.
• BDNF, or brain-derived neurotrophic factor, is a chemical released during exercise that promotes the formation of new connections between nerve cells, or neurons (4). This chemical can also repair damaged nerve cells and can assist the hippocampus (memory and cognitive function).
• Dopamine is a big part of motivation and happiness. It can assist with people struggling with depression and assists with the chemical, serotonin.
• Endorphins is another “feel good” chemical and can help to relieve pain. This chemical can also help to calm fear and anxiety, and boost self-esteem and sense of well-being (4).

These five chemicals can explain the positive effects during and post-exercise. Aerobic exercise plays a big part in activating these chemicals since one must move the large muscles of the body (legs, hips, and arms), creating an increase in blood flow and oxygen to release these chemicals into the brain and body.

1. The Physical benefits of Exercise

Exercise can also benefit your physical body as well. Spending a minimum of 30 minutes a day can allow one to improve their health and reduce the risk of developing diseases (5). Here are a few benefits of exercise:

• Reduces your risk of a heart attack
• Helps manage your weight better
• Helps ower blood cholesterol level
• Reduces the risk of developing type 2 diabetes and some cancers
• Lowers blood pressure
• Maintaining stronger bones, muscles and joints.
• Increased fitness may lift your mood and improve your sleep patterns.

To gain strength is simple, lift weights and muscles will grow. Also, exercise can promote youthfulness.. A study was conducted that included 116 older adults (ages 60 to 90) and 106 younger adults (age 18 to 36), to keep track of how they feel when they have more control of their lives and get more exercise (6). Among the older adults, there was a significant link between perceived level of control and how old they felt. Another study included 59 adults, ages 35 to 69, whose daily step counts were tracked. After five weeks, those with greater increases in their step counts felt younger (6). Physical therapy and personal training can also play a big factor in promoting exercise to the ageing population.

1. Short-term vs Long-term Effects of Exercise

The cardiovascular, respiratory, energy and muscular systems are all components of performing an exercise. To perform an exercise, the muscles require more oxygen into the lungs, which is also used for blood flow to pump the body. These are the short-term effects of exercise (7):

• Tiredness and fatigue can be experienced in the days after heavy training or a big competition. This can be both physical, but also mental tiredness. Therefore, sleeping well after training is very important and can be thought of as part of an excellent recovery.
• Light-headedness can be experienced in the hours after training and is usually a sign of either dehydration or low energy stores, or even both.
• Nausea is a feeling of sickness that can take place during the hours and even days after very intense physical exercise. Athletes need to try to refuel even if they feel a little sick.
• Delayed Onset of Muscle Soreness (DOMS) occurs when muscles experience pain for 24-48 hours after intense exercise due to microscopic tears in the muscle fibers. DOMS typically follows a change in training or performance intensity and the muscles need to be rested while in this condition to avoid injury.

After developing a routine of exercise performed three times per week for six weeks, the long-term effects of exercise can be (7):

• Changes to heart rate during exercise: During exercise, the heart rate increases so that sufficient blood is taken to the working muscles to provide them with enough nutrients and oxygen. An increase in heart rate also allows for waste products to be removed.
• Change to stroke volume during exercise: Stroke volume increases which means more blood is pumped out of the heart each time it contracts.
• Changes to cardiac output during exercise: At rest, a person’s cardiac output is approximately 5 liters per minute, while during exercise it can increase to as much as 30 liters per minute, as both their heart rate and stroke volume increase.
• Changes to blood pressure during exercise: As exercise increases, cardiac output also increases. This has the effect of increasing blood pressure. A typical blood pressure reading for a person at the start of exercise would be around 160/85 mmHg.

The difference between short-term and long-term effects of exercise are parallel. The short-term effect deals with how the body reacts to change in activity and hormonal/chemical level, while the long-term effect deals with the overall changes in body composition and mental health.

Scientific Approach On How To Live A Disease Free Life

1. Definition of Diseases / Effects of Having a Disease:

Billions of people today living on the Earth either have a diagnosed disease, an undiagnosed disease, are predisposed to disease, or are fearful of developing a disease. What is a disease? Why do people so eagerly want to avoid it? The answer varies. If we look through any medical dictionary, a word, disease, is defined in very vague terms. Some scientific research papers even mention, articulating a satisfactory definition of disease is surprisingly difficult and concepts such as disease and health can be difficult to define precisely (6)(7). The main reason that a disease is an ambiguous term to define and not just a disorder of structure or function in a human, is because it varies greatly between people with different races, genders and ethnic groups, and also depends upon perception. A disease can be absent or present, have signs, symptoms or be asymptomatic (without any obvious symptoms). So, is it possible for all humans to live a disease-free life? Realistically no, but theoretically yes. In order to live a life without any (or with limited) disease, it is critical to keep at least two relatively-controllable factors in optimal condition, which are physical health and mental health. More detailed methods and explanations are going to be discussed in next sections.

2. Definition of Good Health:

Similar to the term disease, health is also a ‘vague concept’ that is difficult to be defined clearly. In 1948, when the World Health Organization was asked to define the termhealth, they responded that “health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity” (8). This response was unclear, and most importantly, it did not indicate how it should be measured and compared in order to set the exact state of ‘well-being.’ On the other hand, they did highlight that there was more to health than simply absence of a disease or infirmity!

So, how do we know if we are in a state of well-being? The answer can be extremely simple. For example, if an individual is considered to be active and presumably healthy, his or her temperature will come close to 98.6 F (37 C). Besides temperature, normal range can be established for pulse, blood pressure, sugar level, height and the presence of diseases. However, is it logical enough to say if we meet all those normal criteria, we are normal or healthy? In order to answer that, we must consider all ranges of the state of our body, and that range can be divided into two main categories: physical health and mental health.

Physical health:

In a person with good physical health, bodily functions are working at peak performance, due not only to a lack of disease, but also to regular exercise, balanced nutrition, and adequate rest. Additionally, physical well-being involves pursuing a healthful lifestyle to decrease the risk of disease. Maintaining physical fitness, for example, can protect and develop the endurance of a person’s breathing and heart function, muscular strength, flexibility, and body composition.

Mental Health

Mental health refers to a person’s emotional, social, and psychological well being, and it is as important as physical health to a full, active lifestyle. However, it is more difficult to define mental health than to define physical health, because, in many cases, diagnosis depends on the individual’s perception of their experience. Mainly, mental health is not only the absence of anxiety, depression, or any disorder. It also encounters an individual’s ability to enjoy life, bounce back after difficult experiences, achieve balance, adapt to adversity, feel safe and secure, and achieve your potential (9).

3. Causes of Diseases (Risk Factors):

The investigation of the causes of human diseases dates back to ancient times. Hippocrates, a Greek physician of the 4th and 5th centuries BCE, is credited with being the first to adopt the concept that disease is not a visitation of the gods but rather is caused by earthly influences (10). After his discovery, scientists worldwide, for centuries, have continually sought for the causes of disease. Currently, we have discovered a great deal of information about disease origins- and continue to discover both new diseases/disorders, and root causes.

In the development of a disease, more is involved than merely exposure to a causative agent, meaning that many host factors determine whether the agent will develop into a disease or not. In the pathogenesis of disease, there are five main factors that cause disease.All play a role in determining whether a disease will result.

1. Consuming processed food – The American diet has evolved to depend on processed foods. Increased intake of processed foods, however, can lead to increased susceptibility to diseases. When foods become processed, they have less nutrients because active/live nutrients in food perish faster, and for shelf-life and transportation purposes are loaded with preservatives. Our bodies need appropriate amounts of nutrients to regulate our immune systems properly, so decreased nutrients in processed foods weakens the immune system overall. Processed foods also contain chemicals, preservatives, and non-biological substances that are considered toxins in the body and must be detoxified by the liver. (15) Sugar is also a main substance in processed foods and is responsible for a variety of health conditions including obesity and type 2 diabetes. Studies have shown that consuming more than 25% of daily calories from added sugars increases the risk of heart disease causing death. (16)
2. Toxic reagents in food (comes with food or environmental condition) – Toxic reagents are considered chemicals that threaten the health of an organism upon exposure. One main form of a toxic reagent are pesticides. Although a number of pesticides are banned in the US to limit environmental harm, the US is the largest exporter of banned pesticide to third world countries. Although the presence of pesticides, like DDT, are banned from the US within the crops of America, selling pesticides to third world countries means that they are in the US in the crops of countries that America imports food from. The consumption of these toxins can lead to increased risks of autoimmune diseases or weaken your body to make it more susceptible to diseases. (14)
3. Gut health – Gut health is an important component of the body that can lead to the development of diseases when out of balance. The presence of a leaky gut refers to the permeability of the epithelial lining that normally functions to protect the intestines from the external environment of the bloodstream. If the tight junction proteins are compromised, this increases the risk of toxins, antigens, and bacteria entering the bloodstream, thus leading to a “leaky gut”. Having a leaky gut can lead to autoimmune diseases, inflammatory bowel disease, thyroid problems, and food sensitivities that could lead to its own illnesses. Since the immune system is more susceptible to external threats, having a leaking gut increases the risk of causing a disease. (13)
4. Emotion and Hormone imbalance – Emotion and Hormone imbalance occurs when you have too much or too little of one or more hormones that alters the balance of your chemical messengers that can lead to mood swings and makes you more susceptible to diseases. (17) Hormone imbalance can be categorized as hypo or hyper imbalance that can lead to obesity, diabetes, and thyroid diseases. Hypo (low) imbalance of hormones in the thyroid can lead to fatigue, depression, weight gain, and constipation. Hyper (high) imbalance of hormones in the thyroid can lead to insomnia, weight loss, excess sweat, etc. (18)
5. Genetic means (the resistance, immunity, and age of the host) – Another risk factor for diseases is through genetic means of the bacteria or infectant. The use of antibiotics to treat diseases can lead to antibiotic-resistant bacteria that can resist the effects of the antibiotics. Over time, generations of bacteria learn to adapt by gaining stronger resistance to antibiotics until immunity emerges. Immunity then protects the bacteria from the effects of antibiotics or medicines. Aging of the host also increases the risk for diseases. As you age, you gradually disrupt host resistance and disease tolerance because your body’s immune function slowly becomes compromised as you get older. Aging can weaken the unfolded protein response, lead to progressive mitochondrial dysfunction, and alter metabolic processes. (19)

4. How To Live A Healthy Lifestyle:

In today’s society food has become very easily accessible, you can stop by at your local grocery store and buy everything you want with a wide variety of products to choose from, but these industrialized grocery stores have many disadvantages that can be harmful to your health. The dairy industry has factory farmed animal products, which have been given growth hormones, antibiotics to produce milk, butter, and cheese. These genetically modified animals are also harming your body when you drink their milk or eat their meat (2). Along with livestock being raised improperly, fruits and vegetables are also affected by human interference creating GMOs which are very harmful to your health. To avoid all these health risks look for items in the grocery store that are Non-GMO products or organic, which are the healthiest kinds of food products, those raised on grass, outdoors, and not given antibiotics and other harmful hormones. Aside from modified foods, the type of foods which are the most harmful on your body are processed foods. The idea of processed foods originated from consumers wanting shortcuts and quick sources of nutrients, but it turned into the complete opposite. Processed foods are also referred to as “fake food” because they are made up of genetically modified ingredients, and are artificial colors, sweeteners, and flavors. They contain high amounts of trans fats which can lead to heart disease, have chemical preservatives, and are packaged in plastics that have been known to cause cancer and birth defects (2).

The first step in living a healthy life is to start with your diet, because everything in your body works on the food you put into it, which is why it is important to eat foods that contain high concentrations of nutrients. There are all kinds of food choices nowadays but the thing which is the most important is how much and what kinds of nutrients are in those foods. Many of today’s diseases are due to nutritional deficiencies because most of the foods eaten by people today are processed and do not contain vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, which are all crucial things needed by your body to be able to fight off illnesses. Shown below is a diet with equal amounts of calories from 3 of the main food energy sources 33% proteins, fats, and low carbohydrates proven to provide your body with the necessary nutrients to improve mental health, and increase energy levels (1).

A.) Physical Health

1. Maintain Healthy Diet

Nutritional Foods:

• Ions and Minerals:
  • The substitute for high sugar unhealthy foods is low glycemic carbohydrates in the forms of natural organic fruits and vegetables that have high amounts of fiber, enzymes, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that help you age slower, improve energy levels, lose weight, and naturally detoxify your body (1).
• Fats:
  • Nowadays processed foods contain many unhealthy fats, a solution to this is to replace these bad fats with good fats such as polyunsaturated fatty acids and monounsaturated fats which are important to hormone production, cancer prevention, brain development, weight loss, and cellular healing (3).
• Proteins:
  • For many people meat is an essential part of your diet, and needs to be taken seriously, but some commercialized meats are not raised properly and contain many harmful chemicals. To avoid this buy grass fed and free range meats which contain Omega 3 / Omega 6 fats (1).

Harmful Foods:

• Remove Refined Sugars and Grains From Your Diet:
  • Remove foods like white rice and white bread from your diet because 2/3 of sugars come from hidden sources such as pizza, crackers, fruit drinks etc. The reasoning behind this is because refined sugars elevate glucose levels, which elevates insulin levels leading to faster aging and degenerative diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, and cancers. Sugar is an anti-nutrient offering insignificant amounts of vitamins and minerals and robbing your body of precious nutrients. This eventually leads to diseases such as chronic fatigue, ADHD, heart disease, diabetes, and cancers.
• Remove Bad Fats From Your Diet:
  • Bad fats such as trans fats, saturated fats, and most vegetable oils are associated with multiple health problems such as heart disease, cancer, and chronic fatigue. Bad fats create chronic inflammation which damages your cells and induces diseases throughout the body.
• Remove Bad Proteins and Commercialized Meats:
  • Studies show that commercial meats are linked with cancer and heart disease. The grain fed to animals, which were meant to eat grass changes fatty acid ratios and denatures proteins, when consumed by humans, are associated with many modern day diseases. These contaminants in the soil, in the food animals eat, in the chemical processing, all combine to enter the final food product that, if consumed over long periods of time have all been associated with the leading chronic health conditions of the modern world: heart disease, diabetes, cancers, and neurologic development, etc.

1. Exercise / Maintain a Regular Workout Schedule:

The second step in living a healthy life starts with exercise because not only is eating healthy important, but keeping your body active and burning the extra calories intake which occurs on some days. The benefits of exercise include feeling happier and boosting energy levels, but it’s a proven way to reduce the risk of chronic diseases and cancer (4).

• The Benefits of Cardio Workouts on Your Body:
  • 1. The basics behind how your body works starts with adenosine triphosphate (ATP) which gives it energy to function. Our bodies store limited amounts of energy so we need to eat foods that give our body energy sources, along with our food, we also need more oxygen to create more ATP, so by exercising more, blood starts flowing throughout your body to provide oxygen to your muscles and cells. To get that oxygen circulating, your heart rate will rise, enabling your body to circulate blood more quickly and efficiently where it’s needed. Proving that the more you exercise, the better your heart becomes at delivering that oxygen. With all this occurring, more blood and oxygen will reach your brain which is beneficial to your brain cells firing them up, making you feel more energized and alert by releasing endorphins, like dopamine, giving you that post-workout high (5).

B.) Mental Health

As previously mentioned, mental health is overall psychological well-being.. This includes the way you feel about yourself and others as well as your ability to manage your feelings and deal with everyday difficulties (11). Moreover, because your mental health impacts how you feel, behave, and think in daily life, it also affects your ability to cope with stress, overcome challenges, and recover from life’s hardship.

Maintaining good mental health does not only mean keeping away from mental health problems and seeking professional support and treatment. It also means trying to improve your emotional well-being on your own; thus, mental health refers to the presence of positive characteristics, rather than the absence of mental illness (12).

• A person with good mental health has:
  • A zest for living and the ability to laugh and have fun.
  • The ability to deal with stress and bounce back from adversity.
  • A sense of meaning and purpose, in both their activities and their relationships.
  • The flexibility to learn new things and adapt to change.
  • A balance between work and play, rest and activity, etc.
  • The ability to build and maintain fulfilling relationships.
  • Self-confidence and high self-esteem. (12)
• Tips for being mentally healthy

Value yourself

Treat yourself with kindness and respect, and avoid self-criticism. Research shows that how you think about yourself can have a powerful effect on how you feel. When we perceive ourselves and our life negatively, we can end up viewing experiences in a way that confirms that notion. Therefore, practice using words that promote feelings of self-worth and personal power, and make time for your hobbies and favorite projects.

• 1. Take care of your body / Maintaining good physical health
     • What you eat nourishes your whole body, including your brain. For instance, carbohydrates (in moderate amounts) increase serotonin, a chemical that has been shown to have a calming effect on your mood. Protein-rich foods increase norepinephrine, dopamine, and tyrosine, which help keep you alert. And vegetables and fruits are loaded with nutrients that feed every cell of your body, including those that affect mood-regulating brain chemicals (11).
     • Your body releases stress-relieving and mood-boosting endorphins before and after you work out, which is why exercise is a powerful antidote to stress, anxiety, and depression (11).
  2. Do not skimp on sleep
     • If you lead a busy life, cutting back on sleep may seem like a smart move. But when it comes to your mental health, getting enough sleep is a necessity, not a luxury. Skipping even a few hours here and there can take a toll on your mood, energy, mental sharpness, and ability to handle stress. And over the long-term, chronic sleep loss can wreak havoc on your health and outlook (12).

3. Stress-Free and Balance of Hormones

Hormones are the body’s chemical messengers, playing a pivotal role in the body’s functions. Their balance is crucial for our physical and mental health. Stress, diet, and lifestyle can significantly impact this balance, leading to various health issues.

The Impact of Diet on Hormones

Diet is a significant factor when it comes to hormones. The energy and nutrients obtained from food represent the raw materials to produce hormones and fuel the body¹ For instance, all steroid hormones are derived from cholesterol, which is mainly obtained from one’s diet¹. A well-balanced diet has an enormous impact on many hormonal systems and aspects of our health¹.

The Role of Microbiota in Hormone Regulation

The gut microbiota plays a crucial role in hormone regulation. The microbiota produces and secretes hormones, responds to host hormones, and regulates expression levels of host hormones². From birth, bacterial colonization of the intestine has a role in the maturation of the immune system and the endocrine system².

Hormonal Imbalance in Women

Hormonal balance is particularly important in women’s health. Hormonal changes influence all stages of a woman’s life, and the effect is variable between individuals³. A proper hormonal balance during the different stages of life has benefits in the Central Nervous System (CNS)³.

Conclusion

Stress-free living and hormone balance are interconnected. By maintaining a balanced diet, nurturing our gut microbiota, maintaining regular physical activity, getting quality cleep, and understanding the unique hormonal needs of our bodies, we can promote a healthier, stress-free life.

References

1. Special Issue “The Relationship between Diet and Hormones” – MDP. Retrieved from: https://www.mdpi.com/journal/nutrients/special_issues/diet_hormones
2. Hadar Neuman, Justine W. Debelius, Rob Knight, Omry Koren, Microbial endocrinology: the interplay between the microbiota and the endocrine system, FEMS Microbiology Reviews, Volume 39, Issue 4, July 2015, Pages 509–521, https://doi.org/10.1093/femsre/fuu010
3. Del Río, J. P., Alliende, M. I., Molina, N., Serrano, F. G., Molina, S., & Vigil, P. (2018). Steroid Hormones and Their Action in Women’s Brains: The Importance of Hormonal Balance. Frontiers in Public Health, 6, 335107. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2018.00141

disease free references

1. Dr. Axe. (n.d.). Healing Diet. Retrieved from https://draxe.com/healing-diet/
2. Dr. Axe. (n.d.). Ultra Processed Foods. Retrieved from https://draxe.com/ultra-processed-foods/
3. Harvard Health Publishing. (n.d.). The truth about fats: the good, the bad, and the in-between. Retrieved from https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/the-truth-about-fats-bad-and-good
4. Dr. Axe. (n.d.). Exercise Reduces Chronic Disease. Retrieved from https://draxe.com/exercise-reduces-chronic-disease/
5. Dr. Axe. (n.d.). Exercise Help Live Longer. Retrieved from https://draxe.com/exercise-help-live-longer/
6. Scully JL. What is a disease? EMBO Rep. 2004 Jul;5(7):650-3. doi: 10.1038/sj.embor.7400195. PMID: 15229637; PMCID: PMC1299105.
7. Boyd KMDisease, illness, sickness, health, healing and wholeness: exploring some elusive conceptsMedical Humanities 2000;26:9-17.
8. Tulloch A. What do we mean by health? Br J Gen Pract. 2005 Apr;55(513):320-3; discussion 321-2. PMID: 15826449; PMCID: PMC1463144.
9. Medical News Today. (n.d.). Title of article. Retrieved from https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/150999.php
10. Britannica. (n.d.). Human disease. Retrieved from https://www.britannica.com/science/human-disease
11. Psychology Today. (n.d.). 9 Ways You Can Improve Your Mental Health Today. Retrieved from https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/women-s-mental-health-matters/201510/9-ways-you-can-improve-your-mental-health-today
12. HelpGuide. (n.d.). Building Better Mental Health. Retrieved from https://www.helpguide.org/articles/mental-health/building-better-mental-health.htm
13. Dr. Axe. (n.d.). 7 Signs & Symptoms You Have Leaky Gut. Retrieved from https://draxe.com/health/7-signs-symptoms-you-have-leaky-gut/
14. YouTube. (n.d.). Title of video. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6LK2vbthHpM
15. YouTube. (n.d.). Title of video. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6mCKxGiaERc
16. Dr. Axe. (n.d.). Processed Foods. Retrieved from https://draxe.com/nutrition/processed-foods/
17. Cleveland Clinic. (n.d.). Hormonal Imbalance. Retrieved from https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/22673-hormonal-imbalance
18. YouTube. (n.d.). Title of video. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AqufWFYK_r8
19. L. Mok, D. Z., Yue Chan, C. Y., Ooi, E. E., & Chan, K. R. (2021). The effects of aging on host resistance and disease tolerance to SARS-CoV-2 infection. The FEBS Journal, 288(17), 5055-5070. https://doi.org/10.1111/febs.15613
20. Conclusion

Exercise involves the body’s movement and can affect the overall health of a person. Exercise compose of cardio-respiratory endurance, muscular strength, muscular endurance and flexibility. Any age group can participate, whether it be sports related, habitual, or work-related. It’s important to exercise because it can release good chemicals that can impact a person’s physical and mental health that can ward diseases and impact health long term. Exercise can potentially unlock the secrets of the fountain of youth and benefits all different generational gaps. Although, there are negative effects initiating exercise, the long-term effect of performing exercises have shown a greater benefit in the body and mind. Overall, exercise benefits everyone and can be performed and/or accessed anywhere.

References

1.https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lif=iestyle/fitness/in-depth/exercise-intensity/art-20046887

2. https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/fitness/in-depth/exercise-intensity/art-20046887

3. Schmidt, S. C. E., Tittlbach, S., Bös, K., & Woll, A. (2017). Different Types of Physical Activity and Fitness and Health in Adults: An 18-Year Longitudinal Study. BioMed Research International, 2017, 1785217. http://doi.org/10.1155/2017/1785217

4. https://cathe.com/5-brain-boosting-chemicals-released-during-exercise/

5. https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/physical-activity-its-important

6. https://www.upi.com/Study-Control-exercise-makes-seniors-feel-act-younger/2451533921230/

7. https://efintheline.wordpress.com/2017/11/16/long-and-short-term-effects-of-exercise/