The American Diet: The Pursuit of Disease
The Three Metrics of Health: (1) Microbial Homeostasis, (2) Hormonal Balance, (3) Immunity
We are the product of every substance we consume. I cannot control what you put into your body, but it is still upsetting to watch those that are struggling with health conditions to consistently make the same conscious choice of making the incorrect decision. These choices are no other persons responsibility other than your own. The mistakes we make now will come full circle and catch up with us. We are putting more effort into medicine for diseases rather than maintaining a healthy diet. It's backwards thinking and promotes an unhealthy lifestyle as the normal.
What can we do as a society to become proactive? Education and implementation. We need to remind ourselves that we are no longer the exception. I am not here to judge you, but to remind you to ask yourself, are you fulfilling your expectations in life? The secret to a healthier, happier lifestyle begins with your faith, put faith in yourself, and faith that God will provide you with every resource you need to eat this way. Be kind, not only to others, but to yourself as well. A diet starts with your attitude, which becomes habit, which becomes a lifestyle, and the start of your journey begins when you say enough is enough, and you never look back.
Inflammation is at the root of almost all systemic illnesses, including autoimmune diseases, cancer, behavioral disorders, bone and joint disease and pain, cardiovascular disease, neurological diseases, diabetes, pulmonary disease, and metabolic disorders. Cancer is fed by the consumption of dietary sugar and inflammation [Makarem], and clinical implications have shown that tumors can be selectively starved by dietary manipulation [Simone].
Fungus is an opportunistic parasite. Candida albicans express virulence factors that may have an important role in periodontal disease, colonizing in sub-gingival sites of human patients with chronic periodontitis [Machado et al.]. The World Health Organization (WHO) reported that severe periodontitis affects approximately 10–15% of adults worldwide, roughly 1.3 Billion adults. C. albicans is most commonly associated with biofilm formation, enhancing anaerobic growth conditions and change oxygen concentration around surrounding cells [Al-Ahmad et al.]. C. albicans pairs with pathogenic bacteria to enhance antimicrobial resistance, as well as propagating a tolerant state of inflammation with the host. Tolerance of the inflammatory state explains the high prevalence across the globe, and why inflammation often goes undiagnosed and untreated.
The gut microbiota and the immune system are inherently linked [Wu]. Over 70% of the immune system is developed in the gastrointestinal tract [Vighi], which explains how gut microbial communities can cause immune dysregulation, leading to autoimmune disorders. Tolerance or elimination of toxins can sometimes provoke damage to the intestinal immune system, triggering coeliac disease or food allergies.
Eat Fats to Burn Body Fat: Ketosis
The Deflame Diet Guidelines are centered around narrowing the ratio between nutritional omega-6 fatty acids (inflammatory fats) and omega-3 fatty acids (anti-inflammatory fats). The average American, as in 75% of all Americans, eat within a ratio of 10:1 or even 20:1 inflammatory fats to anti-inflammatory fats [The Deflame Diet]. The proper ratio needs to be under 4:1 to inhibit inflammation and resist or reverse systemic illnesses.
Omega-3 and omega-9's are considered anti-inflammatory, and are primarily found as plant fat. Anti-inflammatory fats raise HDL (high density lipoprotein) cholesterol. Omega-6 is considered to be an inflammatory fat, increasing LDL (low density lipoprotein) cholesterol.
The majority of your calories should come from eating fats. When your body enters ketosis, your body will become a fat burning machine, as ketones will be able to break down body fat, releasing sugar into the blood stream for tissue and cellular use. This is an effective way to stabilize the blood sugar, rather than ingesting sugar to turn off the innate ability, particularly in diabetic cases.
Ensure that you are eating the correct proportion of fats in a diet, which is about the equivalent of a 1/3 of your plate of food, as shown in "Eat In Peace."
Eat fats to burn body fat
New Metrics in Social Determinants of Health
Health standards and inequities include more than just a number on a scale. Health is determined by the microbial composition, balanced hormones, and immunity function to prevent disease. Education and implementation, affordable and accessible health care, strength in community determinations for positive cultural change, and economic stability all effect our well being as we live amongst one another.
Social determinants of health are categorized by 5 underlying factors: economic stability, education, social and community context, access to health care and overall health, as well as neighborhood and environment. Large data sets have been useful in large population genomic studies for the purpose of monitoring microbial communities that could potentially contaminate and harm our food systems, environmental ecosystems, or create illness in the human body. A new metric for social determinants needs to include a microbial analysis of our DNA to properly evaluate and monitor individual health for large communities. Utilizing next generation sequencing of stool samples is the only current method for detecting microbial shifts and imbalances, but this test will more than likely never be administered as a preventative measure unless a patient is suffering from either dietary or intestinal distress.
Generational Poverty
The poorest of the poor require the highest expenditure of healthcare
The 'system' is indeed, broken. The poorest individuals have the highest need for medical care, requiring the most expensive treatments. Buying cheap food does not necessarily allow someone to save more money to break the cycle, it further puts the individual into debt as their body is taxed by medical bills, low productivity, and cognitive decline due to systemic inflammation. This is a perpetual cycle, and has generational consequences as the parents hand down their poverty, lack of education, and poor health by lack of adequate nutrition to their children.
Alleviation from world hunger, generational poverty, poor systemic health, declining cognition and academic performance, and adverse childhood experiences is possible if you are able to eat for your health. What we put into our body is a choice. With the amount of people on Earth without access to a variety of foods, we should feel a responsibility to take care of our health in anticipation of being able to serve the less fortunate.
Citations
Al-Ahmad
Al-Ahmad, A., Roth, D., Wolkewitz, M. et al. Clin Oral Invest (2010) 14: 391.
Simone
Simone BA, Champ CE, Rosenberg AL, et al. Selectively starving cancer cells through dietary manipulation: methods and clinical implications. Future Oncol. 2013;9(7):959-976.
Machado
Machado, Adriana Gadotti et al. “In vitro adherence of Candida albicans isolated from patients with chronic periodontitis.” Journal of applied oral science : revista FOB vol. 19,4 (2011): 384-7.
Makarem
Makarem, N, and et al. “Consumption of Sugars, Sugary Foods, and Sugary Beverages in Relation to Cancer Risk: A Systematic Review of Longitudinal Studies.” Annual Review of Nutrition 38 (2018): 17–39. National Institute of Health.
Vighi
Vighi, G et al. “Allergy and the gastrointestinal system.” Clinical and experimental immunology vol. 153 Suppl 1,Suppl 1 (2008): 3-6.
Wu
Wu, Hsin-Jung, and Eric Wu. “The role of gut microbiota in immune homeostasis and autoimmunity.” Gut microbes vol. 3,1 (2012): 4-14.