Diabetes
A picture is worth a 1000 words. Your health is priceless. Those who depend on you know this. Metabolic Disease is established by hidden processes that you can prevent or retard by good choices.
Dr. William Makis posted this image in an email message that recently reached my inbox. It is the perfect picture for the most significant health crisis of the twenty-first century — one that affects over 200 million people people: INSULIN RESISTANCE.
As co-author of METABOLIC DISEASE: Harming Our Citizens And Our Healthcare, I try to bring awareness to everyone of this epidemic through My Life Lens bulletin on Substack. I am very aware of this problem, and it affects my opinions of people. For example, when I see a crowd of people, I cannot help but notice the people who are most likely to be Insulin Resistant. They are easy to spot and include men of all ages with waistlines of 40+ inches; women 34+ inches.
The exceptions.
A close friend age 65 recently returned home after quadruple bypass surgery with complications. I doubt his waist size is over 30 inches, but he had the misfortune of being born a Type 1 diabetic. Some people are dealt a poor hand in the genetic lottery of life, but he has done his best to make the best of his circumstances.
Another friend, ~ 50, was a smoker until this year. He has dropped 100 pounds in the last two years simply by changing his eating habits. I do not know what inspired his “wake-up call” but whatever it was, it has given him a new lease on life.
A local woman, late 60s, drinks too much and carries at least 40 pounds she could do without. She abandoned her commitment to regular exercise long ago justified by all the typical excuses. Serving as caregiver to others is her priority and source of self esteem but she has yet to do the simple math: “You cannot help others when do do not help yourself to remain fit and healthy”
No One Likes A Crusader.
I try to find a balance between being a Health & Fitness Crusader and someone who minds his own business. I know how I react when someone pushes their beliefs and priorities on me and I try not to “be that guy.”
Unfortunately, I fail more often than I care to admit including with members of my own family. I am not alone, however, because others within my greater family are just as passionate and vocal about topics that concern them most. There are a lot of opinionated people in my family tree. 😳
The Trump Haters are a strange bunch of zealots. 🤨 Sure, he manifests personal qualities that are not endearing to many people, and he does make decisions that are popular will some citizens while vile to others. However, the assessments offered by the Trump Derangement Syndrome crowd are never balanced concerning the actual job he is doing as POTUS 🤔.
It is easy to be an armchair critic and impossible to be an elected national leader hoping to please everyone as Prime Minister Stephen Harper revealed in Right Here, Right Now.
Dr. Shiva
Another friend sent this YouTube video on Truth Freedom Health to me yesterday.
Is Dr. Shiva a crusader❓Most certainly❗️
However, I see his crusade as very Libertarian, based on the principle of Freedom of Informed Choice. For example:
He does not advocate for mandates, regulations or enforcers paid to police your health or vice choices.
Shiva urges Personal Responsibility over assigning that responsibility to impersonal institutions and their designated and certified authorities.
Along with Personal Responsibility comes Personally Liability. There is no one to blame but yourself if you fail to fulfill your goals and expectations. Likewise, success is yours if you succeed and you can wear it with pride.
You can choose your helpers and not feel obligated to use those who are funded by your taxes. After all, no one knows your body, mind and circumstances better than you and the “one size fits all” policies, prescriptions and programs offered by many public institutions and their licensed (heavily regulated) service providers do not always offer you the best remedies or meet your needs in a timely and efficacious manner.
I resemble that remark.
By now you may have concluded that I am a Libertarian Health & Fitness Crusader.
Perhaps you will forgive me because I posted this “for the good of your health.” 👀🤓
As a type 1 diabetic for close to half a century, eating sensibly and exercising regularly are disciplines that I was forced to adopt as I entered my teenage years. That said, type 2 diabetes seems to be much more dangerous as it quietly lurks in the background of middle aged adults, and usually reveals itself through complications like neuropathy, cardiac issues or vision loss.