Evolving Wellness^TM

Okay, so it is no surprise that today, more than ever, most of the North American population is on one or more prescription medications.

It is quite disturbing to see that we have reached such a catastrophe. And do not fool yourself into thinking this is somehow normal - it is in fact a catastrophe when most of us cannot make it through the day without taking one or more prescription drugs.

So who or what is to blame? That is an easy question to answer. Aside from the government, businesses and the economy, the main culprits are: one, the drug companies (obviously) and two, the consumer (unfortunately).

See, the drug companies have discovered there is a great market in “trying” to help people get so called “better”. The key word is that they are stuck in the process of trying, because really they can’t ever have you get better or else you would end their lucrative cash flow. So they put out massive numbers of emotion induced commercials and ads that target the vulnerable consumer, and talk many a doctor into prescribing the latest and greatest drug to their patients.

As for the consumer, well sorry to say, but you are just as equally to blame. Many of us have not only bought into the ads, but have evolved to think that when it comes to our bodies, any unpleasant symptom needs a quick fix (treatment) instead of leading lives in the first place that focus on prevention. We get a headache, joint pain, or a cough… and what do we do, run to get a drug that will quickly erase the symptoms. The problem with this approach is that of course it is a short term solution as it never really solves the root of the problem, just masks it or gives us a quick way of coping with it.

Hence in this article, I want to talk about the greater cons rather than pros of taking many prescription meds and share with you the latest research, which states that Americans are likely exposed to unacceptable side effects of FDA approved drugs due to how these drugs are tested and marketed.

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Well this is not the first and definitely not the last article that I will be writing about alcohol.

By now most of you know my stance where alcohol and optimal health are concerned and that is the fact that you cannot have one along with the other.

In the latest study from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, excess drinking has been linked to people developing metabolic syndrome.  Metabolic syndrome may seem like some rare disease or condition to some, but it is quickly becoming the next disease that is taking over the world in epidemic proportions.

Hence in this article I will first explain a little about what metabolic syndrome is and then the results of the study and finally share with you some tips on how you can prevent this condition.

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Back in April, Evolving Wellness featured a 5 Part Series on How to Live a Long and Healthy Life, based on the documentary “How to Live to 101″ by Horizon BBC.

The documentary introduced us to 3 populations of people in the world that seem to all be beating the odds and having the largest amounts of the longest living citizens. The 3 populations were from: Okinawa (Japan), Loma Linda (California) and Ovodda (Sardinia).

Based on the research done for this documentary, as well as taking the common thread from other world studies, I have compiled a list of 10 Guidelines for a Long and Healthy Life.

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Well here is another example where I cringe at what society has instilled in many of us and especially our youth…that grows up to be the future adult generations in our world.

What is this topic… drinking alcohol!

I have researched a recent study that is going to be published in the June 2008 issue of the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology that examines how binge drinking, especially the famous “19^th or 21^st birthday” drinking greatly jeopardizes ones health.

In Canada the legal age to drink is 19 (18 in the province of Quebec) and in the United States it is 21.  Despite this fact wherever one lives, the age where one is “legally” allowed to drink is usually celebrated by heavy drinking episodes in various bouts of partying.

Most young people accept this as a completely normal part of life and what is unfortunate is that most of society not only accepts it but in some cases even promotes these types of events.  Naturally so, as there is a lot of money at stake here. As a fairly young person, no one can tell me that this is the way to go and it is in any way the “fun” thing, the “in” thing, or pull any of those “you only live once” ideas things to do.

The bottom line is alcohol is toxic to our body in small or large amounts and in the cases of “binge” drinking is EVEN more dangerous to our health and life span than most people realize.

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Today brings us to the last part of our 5 part series on “how to live a long and healthy life.”  For the past four days we have been learning about the populations who live the healthiest and longest and the reasons for their success.  Yesterday we learned that the most important link to health and longevity is having good coping mechanisms for stress and we also found out that the residents of Glasgow, UK have the shortest lifespan in the world and the genetic reasons for that.

Today we conclude the documentary entitled “How to Live to 101″, by revisiting the residents from Okinawa, Japan and seeing if their health and longevity still prevails when they emigrate to new countries or in their children’s generations.  Watch the last part now, and follow up with the summary of this session after your viewing.

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