Tuesday 22 January 2013
Colitis was a blessing
May sound strange to say it, but now that I've come through and beaten this horrible disease I'm actually glad it happened to me. Firstly, it showed me that modern medicine does not have all the answers. My UK doctor told me that the cause was unknown, but it definitely wasn't dietary! I was put on steroids and immune suppressants, horrible drugs, and when they stopped working after a while the dosage was upped. At one meeting with my GP he actually advised my to consider smoking! I kid you not. Now, I had read this on Wikipedia, that smoking somehow alleviates colitis symptoms, most likely because the body is too busy fighting off the toxins from cigarettes to worry about what's going on in the bowel. This reminded me of my brother who had been told by an NHS dentist to consider snacking on crisps instead of fruit, because fruit acid could damage teeth - unbelievable!
I wonder why we spend more and more on health care each year?
I've no doubt that I would have ended up having part of my colon surgically removed. Interestingly this is what Manchester United footballer Darren Fletcher is currently having done to try to save his football career. If only he knew what I know.
Anyway, I see colitis as a blessing most of all because it has made me change my diet and lifestyle to one that is conducive to long term good health. If I hadn't had colitis in my late 20s it may have been cancer in my 50s, or heart disease, or arthritis, or depression or any number of non viral or non bacterial, lifestyle diseases. I feel lucky everyday.
I wonder why we spend more and more on health care each year?
I've no doubt that I would have ended up having part of my colon surgically removed. Interestingly this is what Manchester United footballer Darren Fletcher is currently having done to try to save his football career. If only he knew what I know.
Anyway, I see colitis as a blessing most of all because it has made me change my diet and lifestyle to one that is conducive to long term good health. If I hadn't had colitis in my late 20s it may have been cancer in my 50s, or heart disease, or arthritis, or depression or any number of non viral or non bacterial, lifestyle diseases. I feel lucky everyday.
Wednesday 16 January 2013
Secret social lives of bacteria
This TED.com talk is excellent for a rudimentary understanding of how bacteria live. I'm in no doubt that when my colitis was at it's worst, the bad bacteria took over and launched an attack on my system that would last for weeks and weeks.
http://www.ted.com/talks/bonnie_bassler_on_how_bacteria_communicate.html
http://www.ted.com/talks/bonnie_bassler_on_how_bacteria_communicate.html
Tuesday 15 January 2013
I should point out, that while I am essentially a raw food vegan -upwards of 75% of my calories are from raw fruits and greens- I am not some sort of eco-warrior hippy type. This is purely for health reasons and I continue to see the benefits. Anyone interested in this lifestyle should definitely read "The China Study" by Colin T Campbell. Also, check out his posts on YouTube and those of Dr Esselstyn. As for the protein argument I in reply say "Where does our closest living relative the Chimpanzee get it's protein? Not from meat". Most plants foods contain around 5% protein and in the form of amino acids - protein building blocks. I have noticed no diminishment in muscle strength since becoming vegan - now 20 months in. The body can start building protein from the amino acid building blocks. Meat protein has to be broken down by the digestive system before being rebuilt and we don't possess the same digestive system as carnivores. The stomach acid of a dog is 1700% more acidic than ours. We are not carnivores, we are not even omnivores and if we are we should only be consuming a tiny proportion of meat in our diet, not the ridiculous amounts most westerners currently consume.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)