Should we live with lifestyle disorders forever ?

Life Style Disorders

It's a common sight nowadays to hear cases about individuals as young as early 20's ending up with Type 2 Diabetes, Under or Over functional Thyroid gland, Heart diseases, Obesity, Liver diseases, Kidney ailments,  Vision problems, Fertility , Hormonal imbalances etc., The list goes on and on, and until few years ago, these diseases and disorders used to hit individuals in their late 40's or later. Unfortunately, the trend has changed for the worse.

Contributing Factors

We observed that in most of the clients and patients (> 80 - 85%) who come to our clinic for counseling have very poor lifestyle which over a period of time manifests as one of the disorders / diseases stated above. The amount of time it would take to manifest differs from individuals based on the level of abuse that their bodies were subjected to and their genetic predisposition. However, the key contributing factors can be summarized as below

1. Physical Inactivity (Sedentary Lifestyle)

2. Bad food choices

3. Smoking , Drinking and Substance abuse

4. Lack of Sleep

5. Stress , Anxiety

Any of these disorders  / diseases can impact us both emotionally and financially.  This further adds up to the already elevated stress levels, which in turn aggravates the physical health. It's a vicious cycle, unless changes are made to correct the disorders

End of road ?

Is this the end of the road once an individual is diagnosed with one of these diseases ?

Absolutely not !! 

Human body is an amazing machine. Given an opportunity, our bodies will correct themselves within no time. We hardly give the body a chance. We abuse it so much that the body gives up at certain point.

Fortunately, these diseases are rightly termed as lifestyle disorders, and as soon as we bring order / structure to our lifestyle's, these disorders can be corrected. Unless there is an underlying medical condition, most of these disorders can be corrected with Lifestyle changes.

Solution & Tips

First and foremost, we have to pledge to ourselves that we are committed to reverse these disorders. Besides our personal commitment, Family, Friends & Well wishers support is absolutely necessary and we need them to help and support us.

Start slowly and take guidance from a professional who can help and motivate you with your health goals.  

1. Physical activity - Start with walking. If walking is not the thing for you, engage yourself in a sport of your choice but start slow. Assess how the body is responding before increasing the intensity

2. Nutritious Food & Hydration - Make sure you are making your food choices wisely. Include healthy foods from  all categories of foods (Proteins, Carbohydrates, Vitamins & Minerals). Stick to home cooked food, fresh fruits and vegetables. Ensure that the body is sufficiently hydrated as well. Hydration helps to eliminate the toxins from the body

3. Smoking / Drinking / Substance Abuse - Best thing is to avoid them. However, if individuals are heavily into these, make a phased approach to avoid them completely. Family & Friends support is absolutely required 

4. Stress, Anxiety and Lack of sleep - Try to get at least 6-7 hours of sound sleep every day, and manage the stress levels. If needed, don't hesitate to seek a professional help for the stress related issues

Wish you all good luck with your Health goals !!

Stay Healthy & be happy :-) !