The 10 Things you need to know about your Health and Health Care.

     As we age our bodies succumb to  many types of illnesses and ailments, most of which, believe it or not, goes hand in hand with getting old. If you really take a step back and look at the bigger picture, the reason why Healthcare is always rising in cost is because of two reasons; the world's population density is increasing exponentially every year and more and more people succumb to lifestyle diseases. If you ever go to a rain forest and happen to come along an indigenous tribe living there you will realize that most of these people rarely or ever saw a syringe at all.  The simple reason of they being secluded from the rest of the world insured that they are with better health despite their crude and often inhabitable living conditions, at least to western standards.
   
     But what am I saying here? Well, in a nutshell, we live in a society where we have lost harmony with mother Earth, with nature. We have forgotten how it felt like to catch and grow our own meals eliminating the need for processed and artificially flavored foods. Furthermore, these people have no notion what exercise is because the daily toils necessary for them to undertake for survival are much more rigorous than any exercise regiment you can formulate. This, perhaps, is the basic premise for the Paleo Diet, as you would imagine, when we regress back to a paleolithic hunter-gatherer mode of self sustenance.

     So what are your options, you ask. Before we consider solutions or alternatives let us digress further on some basic facts and principles. As mentioned earlier, as we age we are more prone to more ailments and diseases. Some diseases develop over time, especially lifestyle diseases, and some diseases we inherit genetically or are more predisposed to acquiring due to our genetic makeup. With that it is important then to realize that over time our immune system isn't as adept to dealing with ailments such as infections simply because our cells age and succumb to cell death and free radical damage. Cellular turnover rate also decreases as we age simply because our metabolism slows down and the necessary building blocks are becoming fewer and farther in between.

The Ten things you need to know about your health NOW are the following

1. Smoking and drinking alcohol makes you age faster. Not only does smoking predisposes to Lung Cancer and increases the risk of other co-morbid conditions like Heart Disease and Colon Cancer but causes free radical damage to the body's cells.
2. Juicing can extend your life if done regularly, at least 3-4 times a week, by about 5-7 years. Juicing unlocks the metabolic powerhouses contained in organic food. I highly suggest taking the time to juice more often and read the literature about the benefits of juicing.
3. Avoid processed foods. It used to be the slogan was," Read the label" before you buy anything from the grocery store. Your slogan should be," If it has a label, don't buy it." You see, the processed foods we eat are far from being healthy. Yes, they have nutritive value but along with the nutrition they provide are chemicals and preservatives you would rather do without.
4. Exercise more often. Do not think of exercise as something you would have to make time for. It's all a matter of perspective. Many brisk stints of activity over the period of a day is far more beneficial than, say, scheduling a trip to the gym 3-4 times a week. It is about regularity and more importantly about maintaining it.
5. Sleep more. The more you sleep the more chance you give your body to rejuvenate your cells and release hormones for cellular growth and turnover.
6. Body Cleanse once in a while. Do a fasting stage in the days you expect the least activity. This allows your body to rid itself of those unwanted toxins and improves immunity.
7. Expect that as you age you will find that your doctor will discover something down the road and next thing you know you have prescriptions to pick up at your local pharmacy every month. Don't be afraid to ask your doctor about your Disease. Remember, the more you know about your ailment the better prepared you are and you will have an adept understanding in terms of symptomatology and disease progression. This is especially important for lifestyle diseases such as Heart Disease, Hypertension, Diabetes, and Hypercholesterolemia.
8. Don't be afraid to seek new alternatives of treatment. Alternative Medicine is no longer "alternative" but an important and often overlooked treatment modality. Read about new trends in Holistic and Alternative Medicine. I'll give you an example- years ago, it was discovered that Bittermelons (Ampalaya) can cure Diabetes.
9. Seek a calmer and truer path in life. Avoid things that will stress you and cause you anxiety and grief. Always seek the path of least resistance and always keep an open mind, a loving heart, and do the things that give you the most enjoyment. I keep telling my patients that the one key  Medicine that almost everyone overlooks is HAPPINESS. Being calmer, more relaxed, joyous, and stress free makes your body more alkali therefore lessening free radical damage and, in turn, adding some more years to your life.
10. Lastly, do not over supplement. Don't get caught up with the latest fad out there. When weight loss is concerned do not buy the latest "Lose 30 pounds in 30 days" wonder pill because IT DOES NOT WORK. Forcing your body to lose that much weight over that period of time is not only dangerous but will cause you to gain back 2 pounds for every pound you lost. Lose weight naturally. It takes a lot of Self-control, Dedication, Hard Work, and most importantly, Time.

I would like to apologize from my long absence from my blog. I always considered writing for whoever may read this a privilege. It was always my goal to share and be informative and lend a helping hand in matters of life, love, and prosperity. I have had this blog for several years now and I would like to keep it active again. I love to write because It helps me relax. I know I really don't have a following but if you are reading this, thank you for taking the time. My other posts are just as helpful, if not more so. I will do my best  to write again soon. JowelMD signing off but not signing out. Take Care. God Bless.

The Pacquiao- Mayweather fight; why even bother.

     In the world of sports, there are perhaps only few which cause so much excitement and hype and the world of boxing certainly tops that list. If you go beyond the monetary gains, both for the fighters and gambling fans alike, if you distill it down to its purest form, it really all boils down to the David and Goliath thing.
     Of course it wouldn't be so exciting if  both were antagonists. One must always be the underdog. However, who is trailing behind and aiming for a glorious win isn't always clear cut. Often times it's a matter of perspective and almost always people differ in that arena as well. A fight between two opposing forces must always represent something in order to be worthwhile in its purpose. In the classical sense, its almost always good versus evil, light versus dark, the oppressor against the oppressed, and the greater the odds of winning the better it gets.
     Well, let's think about this for a minute. We are willing to spend money to watch a prime event in television which is talked about the world over and over the period of many years culminating finally to that "fight" night under the scrutiny of the whole world to see and enjoy. How is that different from the gladiator matches of roman lore? It's much more similar than you think.
     The truth, plain and simple, is that we enjoy struggles. We crave for it. Only when we face enormous adversary do we truly feel alive. Only when we take sides to a cause do we really feel fulfilled. So, with the fight in question, we have to ask ourselves if Mayweather the defender can withstand the endless barrage of Pacquiao the aggressor. Will intense concentration win over sheer speed and heart? So many questions, and so many possible answers, still.
     Like everything in life, however...we will just have to wait and see. For my money, I want someone who represents more than the world of boxing, to win the fight. I want the ambassador to all cultures to win, the silent man who is not about the hype, the money, the material things, or even the fame that comes with multiple wins. I want Pacquiao to win. That is why I bother.