The Alphabet Art Challenge - Day Eight- 'H' for Health

I’m sure you’ve heard the old saying 'your health is your wealth' or maybe 'health isn’t everything but without it everything is nothing'; well take it from one who knows, good health is one of those things that you don’t really notice until you lose it.

If you’re under 50 I’ve probably lost you already but hey, wait a second….there is a growing body of evidence to suggest that many of the neuro -degenerative diseases of old age, such as Alzheimers, may be triggered by our much earlier diet and lifestyle choices, beginning decades before any symptoms develop.

So, we may be living with a loaded gun but maybe we don’t have to pull the trigger. We may be predisposed to certain illnesses but that doesn’t mean we are destined to have them. Apparently, the foods we eat, along with our stress and exercise levels, can change the expression of our DNA. We influence our genes with every thought we think and every bite of food we eat.

Think the computer science acronym GIGO (garbage in garbage out) and Hippocrates' old saw about food as medicine, Think mind-gut connection. With your choices now, you may be determining your future mental health. Something to consider?

So what can you do?

Eat less carbohydrate and more good quality fats. Too many simple carbohydrates = high blood sugar = high insulin levels = inflammation which is a major factor in cognitive impairment and brain shrinkage. People with type 2 diabetes for example have a two-four fold risk of developing Alzheimer's.***

Reduce your toxic load by eating organic, filtering your water and avoiding exposure to mercury in fish and vaccines.
You know eating organic makes sense. Pesticides are known neurotoxins and long term low dose exposure has been linked with Parkinson’s* and other neuro -degenerative diseases. ** Glyophosphate, a widely used herbicide in conventional farming, has been declared by the WHO as a probable human carcinogen. How many more reasons do you need?

Exercise, preferably at high intensity. A recent study at the University of Jyvaskyla in Finland has shown that in adult rats, exercise causes new cells to be formed in the hippocampus, a key area for long term memory......so get on that running wheel!

Don't put your health in the hands of your doctor. Doctor doesn't always know best. You don't need a pill for every ill. Inform yourself.

You can’t change your genes but you can change your gene expression through exercise, lowering stress, getting quality sleep and diet.

To quote the divine Oscar, and I often do, ’’I can’t stand people who do not take food seriously.” Considering that what you stuff in your gob today could make the difference between being able to explain calculus to your great grandchildren and languishing in some dismal nursing home having your arse wiped, do you really want that big mac and fries?

*(Pesticide exposure and risk of mild cognitive disfunction, Lancet 9/9/2000)
**Cache County Study 2010
***High-sugar diets, type 2 diabetes and Alzheimer's disease.Study at Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, Portugal.(2013)

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This post is part of a challenge proposed by @tonyr to post a work of art each day for 26 days, each corresponding to a letter of the alphabet.

Images are my own