My grandmother completed her 95th trip around the sun last week, and I went and hung out with her, along with my aunts and uncles last weekend. The day was full of a normal birthday gathering. Plenty of food, alcohol, and of course, birthday cake to close out the day. As we were getting ready to have some cake, one of my uncles refused a slice. “No, no, no, I’m diabetic,” he said. I was previously unaware of this. What came as even more of a shock was one of my cousins shouting back, “So am I, you’re fine, just make sure you take your medicine!”
This impromptu exchange led to EVERYONE at the table taking turns discussing which meds they were on, as well. Blood pressure medication, insulin, you name it. What was even more bizarre to me was the utter normalcy this was all being discussed with. It was as if this was just a fact of life. It was as if once you hit 50, that’s it, you’re just supposed to end up on some type of pharmaceutical drug that manages whatever metabolic disease you have.
I don’t know when we got to this point as a country, but I certainly know HOW we got there. The how of it too though is widely irrelevant. People in the food and pharmaceutical industry need to make money. The food people know we like sugar and the pharmaceutical people are banking on the fact that you would rather take a pill instead of exercise and eat chicken and broccoli. Were their marketing campaigns misleading? Yes. Did you need a scientist or doctor to tell you that staying away from doughnuts and getting regular exercise was good for you? No.
At some point there has to be an acceptance of fault on our own part. NO, its NOT normal to be on blood pressure medication or insulin in your 50s, 60s or 70s. There were PLENTY of cultures with people living WELL into their 80s, 90s, even centenarians, before the advent of modern medicine. People back then were dying of ACTUAL disease. Pneumonia from lack of proper shelter in the winter. Viruses like polio and the spanish flu before vaccines were available. How did they manage to never have diabetes, heart disease, or high blood pressure? They didn’t consume the processed sugar we do. They worked jobs that involved manual labor.
Alzheimers, diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, and 95% of all cancers are things WE have control over. They are diseases with symptoms that can be reversed through diet and exercise. I know I’m preaching to the masses here but lets be the NEW normal. People alive in their 60s, 70s, 80s without the need of pharmaceuticals. People physically capable well into their advanced years. That is what was normal all along.
To learn more about how you can get back in control of your health, schedule a time to talk with us or text us at 210-361-3114.