This week the CDC has come out to say that the majority (75%) of deaths caused by coronavirus were with people who had 4 or more comorbidities. The top four comorbidities are obesity, diabetes, age, and heart disease. So my question is simply this: who holds you accountable for your health? For your actions? For your diet? For your exercise? The answer is YOU!
You are the only one that can be held accountable for your health. No one else, just you! You are a product of what you put into your body and what you get out of it through exercise. The number one comorbidity that affects people during COV-ID-19 as well as with other health conditions is obesity. From what I have read and gathered, obesity can be equated to anyone with a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 30% or greater.
Does being overweight have a negative effect on our health outcomes and our ability for our immune system to function optimally and help heal and protect us? The short answer is yes. Body mass has a tremendous effect on our overall health – not just with COVID-19.
Let us discuss the effect of obesity on the heart. When your BMI shifts from the ‘normal’ category to the ‘overweight’ category, your risk of death goes up 10%. When you go from ‘overweight’ to the ‘obese’ category the risk of death rises to 30% (Cleveland Clinic). So again, are you holding yourself accountable? Why are we waiting for someone to tell us to be healthy when we know deep down that we should be?
To incorporate the other comorbidities, increased weight is typically correlated to higher blood sugars and associated with Type 2 Diabetes. Increased weight makes our heart work harder to circulate blood through our system. These compounding factors all can be changed with diet and exercise.
Here are some simple tips I discuss with patients and have listed on a whiteboard in my office:
If you practice these five tips daily, you will see a tremendous
BREATHE – Have a good breathing practice. Practice Diaphragmatic Breathing (research it)
WATER – Drink a minimum of half your body weight in ounces. i. e., 100 lbs =50 oz of was
EAT – Three healthy meals per day with proper supplementation of vitamins and minerals
MOVE – Get out and exercise 45 minutes to an hour a day to increase cardiac function
SLEEP – 6-8 hours of sleep per day will help your body recover and regenerate
If you practice these five tips daily, you will see a tremendous change in not only your weight but your energy levels. We as a whole need to get over the notion that the so-called experts can tell us what to do and what the bare minimal requirements to get by in life are. Take action and look into it for yourself. If you have questions, ask people. If you need help, reach out to professionals. We are glad to help you! Find a personal trainer, join a gym, start swimming (we do live in Florida), walk your dog, stretch, practice yoga, play more golf, get out and move! Take control and be accountable. I’m holding you to it!
CONDE CENTER FOR CHIROPRACTIC NEUROLOGY
401 West Atlantic Avenue
Suite #014
Delray Beach, FL 33444
561-330-6096
www.thecondecenter.com
