What is your story going to be?
So to be honest with you, I hugely look up to Dr Rangan Chatterjee, I listen to his weekly podcast as a highlight of my week, I have seen him live and have all his books. This is due to his passion on making a difference in the world and how the information and stories he has shared has helped me change my life. He wants to share knowledge to empower people to make change that lasts and improve their health. It has helped me help myself and fueled my passion to share what I learn and to make a difference in the world. For every person who reads anything I write or speak and it provokes a thought which may or may not make a change I feel I have done what I aim to do.
I have recently watched the impactful programme he has put together to share what he’s learnt, its called the Live Well with the Drug Free Doctor, I highly recommend a watch. This is an overview from what I took from it and I hope you get something from this and choose to give it a watch.
https://www.channel4.com/programmes/live-well-with-the-drug-free-doctor
So the facts 1 in 5 people are off work sick. The reasons for this statistic is 80% due to the modern life style. Many of this 20% of people end up with prescription for life problems without life solutions. They aren’t made aware of options to prevent their symptoms or even cure them without medication.
In the programme he looks at 3 chronic conditions, type 2 diabetes, depression and chronic pain,
The main cause of type 2 diabetics is that you are consuming more calories then your body can process, which results in the excess blood sugar being deposited all over you body, in your eyes which can result in blindness. In your kidneys, which caused a range of health problems and can be in body parts which then result in amputations. Yes really!
Its not your fault, the world has the temptations everywhere of food high in calories. Food companies make profit from us eating, a staggering 1.9trillion dollars. They have departments whose job is to make you get addicted!
What can you do I hear you say in desperation….
Only eat food your grandmother would recognise
Make choices of food which has had minimal processing and is as close to natural as possible.
Check the ingredient label, if there is something you don't recognise, don't eat it!
This epidemic is resulting in 14% early deaths
Diabetes is not caused by mainly eating sweets, its caused by the volume of starchy carbs in peoples diets.
Dr Chatterjee went to a Clinic on the show that has gone from 56 patients with diabetes to 600 in 40 years. There was a story about a lady and if hadn't had side effects would of kept same lifestyle and just taken drugs to counter act it.
It shared examples of sugar content in carbs, white bread 8 teaspoons of sugar, white rice 10 teaspoons of sugar.
For people who are healthy insulin will get rid of the excess glucose, however when you abuse it and stretch the body too much, you become resistant of insulin.
This is not your fault!! Everywhere you look low quality, high calorie food is marketing to you, It looks pretty, it looks too good to walk by, its marketing to make you buy more as its on offer to attract you to be a deal too good to miss to name a few ways they are enticing you everywhere you turn.
They discussed the benefits of having a fasting window, if you eat within 12 hours for the next 4 hours your body is breaking down what you've eaten. When you have the 12 hr break your body uses the food and then starts burning fat as its taken all it’s energy from the food you ate.
The second condition discussed was Depression. Anti depressants are the most prescribed drug 70million people take them, which is 1 in 5 take. anti depressants.
There was a story of a man with depression who went to the doctors, he was told until tablets kick in you can't help yourself, There is many side effects, suicidal thoughts been the most scary.
Unfortunately most Doctors have limited time with their patients so it’s easier to give drugs and then repeat prescribe them and this can go on for the patience whole life.
The story most people believe leads to depression is that people have a lack of serotonin and the anti depressants take it back into balance. Many people have been told it's a scientific fact, however there is no evidence to support this.
Do drugs work? It will be elevating serotonin, however it will also numb emotions. What's the harm? It will numb all emotions sadness and also joy, pleasure, happiness.
Strong medications shouldn't be stopped without advice from doctor.
Over diagnoses of depression, maybe not a problem with you, maybe the way you feel is a reflection of what's going on in your life. To truly understand what you need, health professionals need to understand your life.
Example of person who didn't like how medication made him feel, was only option he was given by a doctor, he started taking short walks, noticing trees, nature, fish jumping in the river rather then been in head feeling depressed.
Walking outside has massive health benefits for everyone, walking to work lowers cortisol the stress hormone by 37 % walk in nature 53 %.
When do things for yourself everyday, you build momentum. Start with the small things, if you are still struggling to think what you could do, ask yourself what's the one thing you could do for yourself today?
-Walk
-Breathing exercise
-Small things add up quickly
Commit one small thing every day, builds momentum, find something that gives you purpose.
There is so many benefits to talking about it with others, sharing your story enables other people to open up and share their lives and it helps you feel normal.
Another thing that can be really good for mind and body is Cold water emergen. On hard mornings 6 minutes in ice bath change outlook to the day. Cold water therapy can send natural feel good chemicals dopamine and nor adrenaline soaring making you feel alert and energised. Lift your mood and motivation. You don't need ice bath, at end of warm shower, for the last 10-20 seconds turn to cold.
Life's more comfortable then ever, coming at a cost engaging with discomfort can be powerful like the ice bath. Teaching yourself you are a resilient, capable individual that can do hard things!
The fact is that Medicating Britain is crippling the NHS and the drugs don’t even ease the condition.
The third condition they discussed was chronic pain, there was an example of a patient on loads of drugs and the pain never got any better,
Chronic pain is hard to define, it is classed as pain over 3 months or persists longer then you’d expect a injury to heal. They weren’t offered to be referred to physio. The options were strong painkillers or surgical interventions.
The patient broke her ankle at 10 and then after healed felt other pain. She had a range of scans couldn't find anything wrong with leg or back, they gave lots of pain killers, ended up in wheel chair. She had nerves in her spine burnt, injections into ligaments which are very invasive procedures and nothing worked long term. She was a medical mystery.
They introduced Pain reprocessing therapy (PRT). What do we misunderstand about pain? 90 % of pain is neuroplastic created by the brain, it thinks it needs to protect you from something.
Pain is the Brains protective alarm system, PRT focuses on a neutral sensation, live breath so in real time sending safety signal to brain. The alarm system works properly when danger to an area, the brain gives you pain to protect from further injury. Research suggests this can malfunction to protect you from movement that are actually safe if you are always on high alert.
Some people might not believe it's that simple, however we can all learn.
When you have a calm alarm system, you are telling the brain you are safe and it no longer needs to send pain signals to protect you.
They are starting to research pain reprocessing therapy and it could be the revolution in medicine.
University of Colorado did a study on patients who had 10 years of back pain. They put them in 3 groups, one treatment as usual, second group injection spine which was placebo, the third group received pain reprocessing therapy. 3/4 of the PRT participants were pain free in one month and there was very little improvement in other groups. They did a 5 year follow up with the them and majority still pain free.
There is benefit to all of us, even if don't suffer chronic pain. Stress effects every organism system in the body. So if you are stressed and in flight or fight this will have negative affects on your health.
Dr Chatterjee came up with the 3,4,5 breath. breath in 3 seconds, hold breath for 4 seconds and then exhale for 5 seconds.
What this does is turn off fight or flight which turns off cortisol and lowers inflammation which will boost your immune system.
They went back to the person who ended up in wheelchair, she didn't believe it would work, tried it couldn't believe it was so simple in a week made a difference and could see it made sense to retrain the brain. Her story had become the story of the pain, even though didn't believe would help, it was worth to give it ago.
When you understand directly what in your life isn’t serving you well, doesn’t make a positive impact, causes you stress then you have an opportunity to make the difference.
The examples are people who have seriously struggled and were very open with how severe things could of been if they hadn’t changed their life. It showed their conditions can be prevented or overcome without medication.
You have the power to change your life
What's your story going to be?
This may not seen brief, however it really is from the content in the show. I hope it has empowered you that there is always hope and people heal with people. Community is key, having someone who you can talk to, they will be by your side no matter what. If you need this then get in touch. I am offering my first session for only £10 if you quote chatterjee, this is after a free initial discovery call to ensure we are the right fit.
I hope to hear from you soon and if not I still hope you are able to take something from this and take the opportunity to watch the show and see the stories and information for yourself.
J x
