All You Have to Do is Nothing

I recently watched a lecture from several years ago given by Dr. Doug McGuff, who is the co-author of "Body by Science" and "The Primal Prescription." Both books are must-reads, in my opinion, for anyone that wants to learn the nuts and bolts of exercise as well as the paleolithic nutritional philosophy. Dr. McGuff is an emergency room physician and the owner of Ultimate Exercise (a studio with the same philosophy as Total Results) in Seneca, South Carolina, and is a highly sought-after speaker. In the above-mentioned lecture, Dr. McGuff spoke about the pitfalls of the current U.S. medical and insurance systems, and the picture that he painted was not a pretty one.

Dr. McGuff gave an interesting history lesson on how the system got to this point, and detailed the origins of medical insurance going back to the Great Depression (much of this was talked about in "The Primal Prescription"). The good doctor's advice is to stay out of the medical system at all costs, because it is a chaotic mess as it's currently constructed. This is unlikely to change anytime soon; in fact, it's likely to get worse. He treats an increasing number of patients that are suffering from chronic, rather than acute conditions, and he describes his emergency room as crowded and short-staffed. Frankly, it doesn't sound like somewhere I would want to be. During the question and answer period at the end of the lecture, someone from the crowd asked how Americans became so collectively unhealthy. The doctor's answer was pretty simple: all you have to do to become chronically diseased is nothing.

Physiologic headroom can be defined as the difference between the most that you can physically do and the least you can physically do. When those two points overlap, death occurs. Dr. McGuff also pointed out that, "The essence of life is fighting entropy." Entropy can be defined as, "Lack of order or predictability; gradual decline into disorder." The sad truth is that an increasing number of Americans are suffering from chronic disease, which in turn increases everyone's medical and insurance costs. If you go to any place where a large number of people gather (stadium, amusement park, airport, or even the grocery store), you will likely see a startling number of people who are obese, look generally unhealthy, or use some form of assistance to get around. From my office front door, I see diseased people walking in and out of Quest Diagnostics every day. Many of them have canes, walkers, wheelchairs, and oxygen tanks. This is sad to see, and even more disappointing to know that it was preventable. The infirmities that these people suffer from didn't happen by accident; it is a product of one's lifestyle.

If you regularly consume processed foods and refined sugars, cook with vegetable oils, take prescription medications, smoke, drink excessively, and do nothing to improve your strength, functionality, and immune system, this can happen to you! Remember, to become diseased, all you have to do is nothing. Over 100,000 people in the U.S. die each year from taking the prescribed dosage of medication as instructed by their physician. Yes, you read that correctly: the prescribed amount. Why is there no outrage from our elected officials or the FDA, and why is there little to no accountability from the pharmaceutical companies? Dr. Jennifer Daniels, a board-certified physician, posted two videos on YouTube, titled "Murder by Medicine", that detail how this happens. They are worth watching. While we're on the subject of medicine and bureaucrats, Dr. Anthony Fauci has been considered (at least by the establishment) as "America's Medical Authority" for nearly 40 years. During that time, the rate of chronic disease in this country has skyrocketed, yet he has kept his job. During the height of the Covid insanity two years ago, did Fauci ever talk about preventative measures? No, it was largely about quarantining the healthy and waiting for FDA approval for a "vaccine." Not once did I hear Fauci talk about the importance of proper nutrition, exposure to sunlight, supplementing with Vitamin D, exercise, or anything that might boost one's immune system against Covid, which is a virus that disproportionately affected the diseased and the elderly. This just underscores the fact that you cannot sit around and wait for your government or establishment medicine to take care of you.

How do we keep this from happening to us? Educate yourself and be your own advocate. There is a wealth of information out there from numerous reputable, non-establishment sources. Modern medicine has devolved into doctors examining a patient for less than five minutes before writing a prescription. Do not blindly follow what your doctor says, simply because he or she wears a white coat! Challenge your doctor to consider alternative therapies and natural treatments. If they are not comfortable with being questioned or open to a discussion, consider finding a new doctor. Consume a diet largely consisting of single-ingredient whole foods. This will give you the most bang for your buck, and help you to meet all of your body's nutritional requirements. What you put into your body is going to have the greatest impact on your outward appearance. When you shop for groceries, stick to the perimeter of the store. The most nutritional food (meats, produce, dairy, etc.) is on the outer edge, and the junk you don't want is typically in the middle aisles. Proper supplementation will help to fill in any nutritional gaps and boost your immune system. I recommend taking the following: zinc, Vitamin C, Vitamin D, fish oil, and magnesium.

Get regular exposure to sunlight. One of the worst consequences of the draconian Covid lockdown was that people spent way too much time indoors. Allowing the sun to shine on your skin in reasonable doses helps the body to produce Vitamin D, which is essential for health. Strive to get between seven and nine hours of sleep per night, with a consistent bed and wake time each day. Limit your exposure to artificial light in the hour or so just before bed, as this can disrupt your body's production of melatonin. Stress management is also key. Practice mindfulness, meditation, or some other means of quieting down your brain in order to relieve stress and improve sleep.

Finally, exercise! One or two high-intensity Total Results workouts will do wonders for reestablishing functional independence, improving insulin sensitivity, increasing metabolic and cardiovascular conditioning, and will build a level of strength that makes everyday tasks much easier to perform. It doesn't matter where you are now; all that matters is that you have the desire and fortitude to get to where you want to go. Less than one hour a week is all that you need. Don't wait; DO IT NOW!