 New Year - New Beginnings!
Hi <<First Name>>,
2020 has been the year for perseverance, patience, gratitude, the unknown, and taking care of your health. With the start of a new year, I'd like to use this newsletter to keep you up to date on the latest COVID news, how to keep yourself healthy, and what's new at my clinic.
Tragically, COVID 19 is now the number 3 cause of death In the US. However, according to the CDC, 90.6% of people who die from COVID 19 had at least one underlying health condition. Given that chronic disease is the number 1 killer of Americans and people with a chronic disease are more prone to die of COVID 19 it is more important than ever to deal with your health issues. Can preventing chronic disease prevent further pandemics? For more on this, see the article below.
Protecting our immune system from toxic exposure is also important. The new year is a good time to do a detox. Toxic exposure can be due to glycosides in nonorganic foods, GMO’s, mold, heavy metals, chemicals, processed foods, sugar, etc. If you have persistent symptoms that are not resolving, you may have had a toxic exposure. Studies show that 9 out of 10 people have a nutritional deficiency that can lower your immune system.
People always look at the latest diet fads every year. Studies across the board show that the best overall diet for health and reducing your risk for chronic disease is the Mediterranean diet. The more veggies you eat daily (I recommend 5-12 veggies a day to all my patients) the more vitamins and minerals you will obtain from your food. Many people also have food allergies or celiac disease which can play a big role in the cause of your health issue. If eating healthier is not helping to resolve your symptoms set up an appointment today to identify what can be the cause of your underlying health issue at 970-926-7606 or wiancek@healthref.com. Check out 25 heart-healthy meals you can make in 25 minutes
This year I am seeing most patients through telemedicine appointments. Although I have done telemedicine for the last 20 years and have patients all over the world I find that locals also prefer virtual visits. Telemedicine is safe, convenient, and efficient. With telemedicine, I can also treat family members that live in other parts of the country. I also ship products in the Vail Valley and all over the country with free shipping on orders of $50 or more.
Check out my new website at www.healthref.com which is more interactive and mobile-friendly, You can now order products online, set up an appointment, send messages, and complete intake forms online.
I conclude the newsletter with an uplifting poem: Inspiration of Life by Rick Griggs.
Can Preventing Chronic Disease Prevent Further Pandemics?
According to the CDC 90.6% of the individuals who died from Covid 19 had an underlying chronic disease. The most reported underlying medical conditions in individuals getting Covid 19 were hypertension (55.8%), obesity (48.5%), diabetes (41.2%), and cardiovascular disease (32.5%). Prevention is the key to treating chronic disease. Taking a drug to mask your symptoms is not the answer. Prevention and getting to the cause of chronic disease may be the key to preventing further pandemics. If we work to obtain a healthy immune system, our bodies would be able deal with this virus and other viruses as this is not going to be the last pandemic. With the population growing we will continue to be exposed to many different types of viruses, bacteria, and fungus. Studies show that viruses can even play a role in causing autoimmune disease and cancer. Therefore, we should not take our health for granted. We need to take charge of our health and not ignore the symptoms.
Chronic disease includes heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity, dementia, autoimmune disease, cancer, stroke, high cholesterol, and chronic lung disease. According to the CDC, ninety percent of the nation’s 3.8 trillion in health care costs are due to chronic disease and mental illness. Six in ten Americans live with at least one chronic disease and four in ten Americans of two or more chronic diseases. Why the epidemic of chronic disease? Because treating chronic disease with drugs never gets to the root cause. In fact, study after study shows that chronic disease can be prevented by simple dietary and lifestyle changes such as healthy eating, eliminating smoking, exercise, and weight loss. Yet very little is done to prevent chronic disease in our society. In fact, our children are becoming predisposed to chronic diseases such as heart disease and diabetes at an early age because of their poor eating habits. Studies show that thirty percent of all thirty-year-olds already have heart disease, diabetes, and even dementia. The main store where this age group buys their food is 7-Eleven and ninety-five percent of the products in 7-Eleven are processed foods.
- Heart disease is associated with too much saturated fat in the diet, high stress levels, and not enough exercise. Studies show that if a person has an angioplasty and does not change their lifestyle such as diet and exercise their chances of having another angioplasty in 4 yrs is 90%.
- High blood pressure is associated with too much salt, caffeine, and alcohol in the diet, high stress levels, and not enough exercise. I commonly see blood pressure levels come down when patients eliminate alcohol. Toxic exposure can also be a cause of high blood pressure.
- High cholesterol is associated with too much saturated fat in the diet. Saturated fats include red meat and dairy products. High cholesterol is also associated with not enough fiber and not enough exercise. Statins are not the answer to lowering cholesterol. If you do not remove the saturated fat you will increase your risk for heart disease. The side effects of statins include muscle pain, dementia, asthma, etc. We need cholesterol to make our hormones. Lowering cholesterol too much will affect our hormone production such as testosterone, progesterone, and estradiol.
- Diabetes is also associated with too much saturated fat, not enough fiber, too much sugar, and not enough exercise. We are now seeing kids 8-9 years old with adult-onset diabetes which was unheard of ten years ago. Kids today are not playing outside as much they’re more likely to watch TV, play on the computer, do video games, and eat junk food.
- Increased cancer rates are associated with too much saturated fat, not enough fiber, not enough exercise, cigarette smoking, sugar, processed foods, and charcoal grilling of foods. According to the American Cancer Society, one-third of all cancers is due to dietary factors and another third is due to tobacco use. The other third may be related to different factors such as genetics, heredity, chemical exposure, environmental factors, etc. We spend billions of dollars a year on finding the cure for cancer. Yet, 60% of Americans are obese and people today still smoke.
I want to stress that the epidemic of chronic disease is not being treated properly. People are getting on drugs merely to treat the symptoms and they are not getting to the root cause of the health problem which is their diet and lifestyle. Many people have a hard time believing that changing their diet, not smoking, exercising, having social support, and reducing stress levels can cause even more powerful changes than drugs or surgery. People simply do not know what they need to do to change these habits.
Simple dietary and lifestyle changes may even reduce health care costs nationally and individually. It can also increase overall health and longevity and prevent future pandemics. We all need to start taking greater responsibility for their overall health. Since most chronic diseases can be prevented look first to dietary and lifestyle changes before you seek out that magic bullet approach. You may end up saving a lot of money on your future health care cost. For further questions or to set up an appointment with Dr. Wiancek please call 970-926-7606 or email wiancek@healthref.com.
COVID Updates
The pandemic is not going to be over for a while. I am hoping that we will see progress by next summer. The John Hopkins dashboard shows that the U.S., with over 4% of the world's population, has more than 25% of the infections and nearly 20% of the deaths. The CDC reports that the most frequent underlying medical conditions in individuals getting COVID 19 were hypertension (55.8%), obesity (48.5%), diabetes (41.2%), and cardiovascular disease (32.5%). Among children hospitalized 52.0% had at least one reported underlying medical condition such as obesity (37.5%), neurologic disease (13.3%), and asthma (11.3%). A little over two percent of the US population has had COVID 19 and ninety-three percent have survived. Seven percent of the patients have died from either COVID 19, pneumonia or the flu. Stay safe we will get through this.
News about the vaccine
We currently do not know how effective this vaccine will be for the new strains of the virus nor do we know for how long the vaccine will be effective. The more contagious the virus strain the more deadly it becomes because it infects more people. Even though you get vaccinated does not mean that you cannot get COVID. We do not know how long antibodies will last once you are infected. Some people have been reinfected after having the virus once. You still must wear a mask, social distance, wash your hands frequently and stay at home as much as possible. Dr. Fauci is currently recommending double masking because of the more contagious strain.
Your second vaccine shot should be within a month of your first shot. There may be a third recommended shot for the new variants of the virus. Side effects of the vaccine include pain and/or swelling at the injection site, fatigue, headache, chills, diarrhea, and fever. Before getting vaccinated drink plenty of water. Apply a cold towel at the injection site if you’re having pain. Taking an Epsom salt bath (2 cups) can also be helpful. Antoxidants such as Vitamin A, C, D, zinc and probiotics can help with side effects.
Travel
When traveling internationally and coming back into the US you will have to get tested for COVID within 3 days of your travel date before boarding an airplane. The test can be an antigen test or the PCR test. You will have to show the airline documentation of the negative test. Once back in the US even though you had a negative test you will have to quarantine for 10 days. The current tests for COVID 19 may not be effective for the new strains of the virus. We are seeing a lot of false-negative tests.
Samsara Life a poem for the inspiration of your daily life.
Honor the stillness that purifies your soul. It has been in you since before your birth. Your private voyage began generations ago. Your actions will determine its destination. Respect other voyagers—even adversaries. You do not know their compass. Avoid angry and embittered people— they stir up trouble. We fall asleep with our dreams yet, wake with our habits.
Build your habits first—dreams will follow. Stick to the confidence deep in your heart. Believe in a guiding star—great figures have trusted in the same. Substance grooms confidence. With power comes humility, but never forget to take your bow and accept the esteem of your success. Happiness is measured by happiness—not dollars, square footage or years of marriage.
It is sublime to touch bliss in music, leisure, art or sport. Command your anxiety by doing the hard thing first. Do not let cynics and false experts shake your mastery. They choose to tear down rather than build up. Don’t worry, they will not last. Focus on those who are proud to be a part of this world. Listen closely to people who can change their mind—they show courage.
Seek achievement before publicity. If the world deserves you, it will recognize you. Be diligent and patient. An old farmer once said, “Le travail, c’est la santé.” So, if ‘work is health,’ work hard and be well. Do your part to stay strong. Enjoy walks, rides and stretching— they give mental peace. For your body, eat an apple, banana, carrot and orange each day. Use your own hand to write cards and letters. This will clear your mind and bring joy to others.
Explore and travel. The world is magnificent and perplexing—see as much of it as you can. Relish your time to read, study and gather advice, but you are still responsible. Look fear in the face and calm any guilt about taking time for yourself. Life blossoms with delayed, not deleted, gratification. You deserve what you have built and you merit the legacy they engrave to your memory. Like the colorful, etched layers in grand canyons, the true meaning of life is to find your place in history and to live it well.
Short or long, every life makes its full circle. And, when your time gently glides to its horizon―with head unbowed, in perfect poise, balance and dignity―let them say you were a master who kept a regal bearing, did not complain, and left a worthy mark.
Rick Griggs speaks on Balanced Mastery, The Samsara of Life and his Role storming Creativity tool. He is a former Intel Corporation training manager.
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