Quest for Vibrant Health

It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent …
It is the one that is most adaptable to change.  — Charles Darwin

 

Interested in a Sharper Mind, More Energy, Less Pain, Losing Weight?

 

 

Adaptability, flexibility, resiliency, versatility — whatever you want to call it — is key to extending both your lifespan and your healthspan. Learn how to expand healthy variety in all aspects of your life. Join John Hansen, Thursdays, 1 – 2:30 pm in the clubhouse ballroom, for his seminar/workshop/support group — a journey of self-rediscovery, self-healing — a step-by-step journey toward a vibrant life: Quest for Vibrant Health

Sickcare or Healthcare

I’d be the first in line at the ER if I had a broken bone or other acute medical episode. Our conventional medical system excels at acute care or “sickcare.” But when it comes to “healthcare,” I don’t have the requisite 30+ years to wait for the medical system to change course and catch up with the facts — and I’m not alone.

Due to the explosion of chronic diseases in the last few years, scary projections for the next decade, and the dismal lack of progress by mainstream medicine, medical alternatives — especially a new brand, “functional medicine” and its corollaries, functional healthcare and functional nutrition — have grown to fill the void.

Traditional Medicine

The essential difference between the two approaches is that traditional medicine asks WHAT; what is the diagnosis so we can prescribe a drug and send you home. If your chronic condition has not degenerated to an acute stage, you’re typically just sent home until you get sick enough. Then if there’s no drug with which to treat you, either you’re “not really sick” or it’s “incurable.” This is not healthcare!

Functional Medicine

Functional medicine asks WHY and seeks to discover the underlying causes of your ailment — often leading to something amiss in your diet, environment, or behavior — and targets what changes YOU can make to correct the problem and even prevent its recurrence. And it works. That’s healthcare! Is this the Holy Grail for curbing the modern epidemic of chronic diseases? Time will tell, but it certainly is a giant leap in the right direction.

A common recurring result of much of the recent research and clinical profiles in functional medicine is that most of the chronic degenerative diseases that head the list of modern epidemics — Alzheimer’s, type 2 diabetes, obesity, depression, heart disease, to name a few — point to a short list of dietary, environmental, and behavioral maladjustments. There are many reasons for this development, and there is an equal number of remedial actions.

Another interesting find from functional medicine is that our remarkable human organism is amazingly resilient. Diseases once considered inevitable may now be avoided. Disease conditions once considered terminal may actually be halted and often reversed. And the best part is that most chronic, degenerative conditions can now be prevented and replaced with an extended, healthy, vibrant life! We grew up sadly watching our parents’ once proud and vibrant generation growing old, stiff, slow, fat, sick, and demented — we have been led to believe that to be our own destiny as well and, worse, that our best years are well behind us.

Consider the possibility that this may not be our life sentence. Our generation has broken many a mold — how about one more?

Everything you think and do feeds either a virtuous cycle of vitality or a vicious cycle of disease.
Learn which is which in every part of your life and make informed decisions. It’s your life — you chart the course, but first get a good compass, and decide where you want to go!

Stress — Eustress and Distress
Good stress feeds the virtuous cycle, whereas bad stress feeds the vicious cycle. Learn which is which, what causes which, and how to take control and tame the beast.

The Inflammatory Cascade
Inflammation in one form or another is at the root of all degenerative health conditions. Learn what it is, what causes it, and how to reduce and prevent it.

Social Isolation Is the New Smoking
Social isolation has actually been found to be a greater risk factor than smoking for heart disease and dementia, among other chronic degenerative conditions. What better social circle could you join than one with the intention of living longer, healthier, and more meaningful lives?

Come join us; we’re much stronger together! Everyone’s welcome.