Top 3 Silent Killers: Cardiovascular Disease, Cancer, and Neurological Conditions

Nutrition plays a crucial role in our health, especially in preventing and managing diseases such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, and neurological conditions. In this article, we want to explore this topic and give you a good resource to improve your nutrition and longevity.

Why Silent Killers?

Cardiovascular disease, cancer, and neurological conditions might seem unrelated at first glance, but there's an intricate web that ties them together: high-carb diets. The food you consume isn't merely fuel; it's a powerful influencer in the development and prevention of these conditions. Often referred to as "silent killers," these diseases silently amass their forces within your body, often unnoticed until they strike. Let's dive into the stealthy role of nutrition in their progression and defense.

Chronic Inflammation	Driven by poor diet high in processed foods and sugars
Oxidative Stress	Diets lacking in antioxidants can lead to oxidative stress. consumption of excessive carbs may increase oxidative stress damage linked to cancer.
Constant Blood Sugar Spikes	High-carb foods lead to rapid blood sugar spikes, followed by crashes. This rollercoaster ride can contribute to insulin resistance, a precursor to diabetes, and a risk factor for cardiovascular issues.
Overeating	Carbohydrate-rich but low-fiber foods fail to satisfy your appetite, causing you to eat more. This overconsumption can lead to obesity, a known risk factor for these chronic conditions.

While genetics and other factors also play a role, making healthier dietary choices can significantly reduce the risk of developing these diseases. A diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, and healthy fats, while minimizing sugar, processed foods, and unhealthy fats, can contribute to their prevention and better overall health.

Preventing the Chronic Diseases through Nutrition

As you might imagine, nutrition is key to a healthy and functional body. Good nutrition and an active and healthy lifestyle can keep away most diseases. While the specific dietary recommendations may vary for each condition, there are some common nutritional principles and guidelines that can be beneficial in all cases:

• Balanced diet: A well-balanced diet that includes a variety of nutrient-rich foods is essential for overall health and can help reduce the risk of these conditions. Such a diet typically includes a mix of fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and healthy fats.
• Antioxidant-Rich Foods: Antioxidants, found in foods like fruits and vegetables, help protect cells from damage caused by free radicals. Consuming a wide range of colorful fruits and vegetables can provide a variety of antioxidants, which may be beneficial in reducing the risk of cancer and protecting against neurodegenerative diseases.
• Omega-3 Fatty Acids: Omega-3 fatty acids, found in fatty fish (like salmon and mackerel), flaxseeds, and walnuts, have been associated with a reduced risk of heart disease, and certain cancers, and may have neuroprotective properties.
• Include healthy fats: Fat is one of the macronutrients and plays different important roles in your body, besides providing steady long-lasting energy. Consuming enough fat helps you to absorb the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E & K. In addition, it supports the making of hormones, helps regulate inflammation and immunity, improves cholesterol levels, and maintains bone density. It's also essential to maintain the health of our body cells, and repair damaged tissues. 
• Opt for Low-Carb: Embrace a low-carb diet by favoring non-starchy vegetables and healthy fats. This approach helps stabilize blood sugar, a key factor in preventing cardiovascular disease, cancer, and neurological conditions, as it mitigates the risks linked to excessive carb intake.
• Limiting Processed Foods: Reducing the intake of highly processed foods, which are often high in added sugars, unhealthy fats, and artificial additives, is important for the prevention of all these conditions. Processed foods are typically low in nutritional value and may contribute to inflammation and obesity, which are risk factors for cardiovascular disease, certain cancers, and some neurological conditions.
• Eliminating Sugar: Excessive consumption of added sugars can increase the risk of cardiovascular disease and certain types of cancer. Eliminating the intake of sugary beverages, sweets, and overall sugar is recommended to live a healthy happy life.

​​How To Optimize Your Health and Hormones, and Stay "Hard To Kill"

Dr. Jaime Seeman is a US-certified obstetrician-gynecologist with a background in Nutrition, Exercise, and Health Science. She’s also a current Fellow in Integrative Medicine and a Board Certified Ketogenic Nutrition Specialist, and she’s passionate about preventative medicine since prevention is the best cure for any disease.

Dr. Seeman asserts that the current healthcare system in the United States falls short in effectively addressing chronic diseases. Her mission is centered around a bold objective: to empower individuals to become exceptionally resilient and healthy, essentially rendering them "hard to kill." This vision encompasses striving to achieve the pinnacle of well-being, ensuring protection against debilitating chronic conditions like cardiovascular diseases, cancer, and neurological disorders.

This is why she helped creat BioCoach, which is a platform that aims to provide the tools and resources to take control of your metabolic health. Their approach to health is unique, in that their focus is improving your metabolic health through personalized lifestyle coaching, data-driven insights, and cutting-edge biotechnology. They also combine the power of advanced diagnostics, nutrition, exercise, and stress management to optimize an individual's overall well-being and health. 

How to become Hard to kill

The hard to kill program created by Jaime Seeman, is a program that is focused entirely on educating you on her five pillars for being hard to kill. It is also a book that compiles these pillars and that works as a guide to start your journey towards a healthy life. Let’s dive into these five essentials to be and stay strong and healthy and heal your health.

1. Nutrition

As we’ve previously mentioned in this article and in past articles nutrition is key to being and staying healthy. Nutrition is critically important for maintaining good health because it provides your body with the essential components it needs to function properly.

Food is your body's primary source of energy. The macronutrients in food, such as carbohydrates, fats, and proteins, provide the necessary energy for daily activities, bodily functions, and exercise. However, we have to keep in mind that the most important macronutrients, especially for women, are proteins and fats, these two should be the ones that we consume the most and keep a low-carb intake. Proper nutrition also supplies the building blocks required for cell growth and repair. Nutrients like proteins, vitamins, and minerals are essential for maintaining and renewing tissues in the body.

A well-balanced diet that includes vitamins and minerals helps support your immune system. Adequate nutrition strengthens your body's ability to defend against infections and illnesses. 

Good nutrition also helps with weight management and enhances brain function, digestive health, bone and muscle health, heart health, and mental health, and ultimately affects longevity since a healthy diet is associated with a longer life and a decreased risk of chronic diseases, allowing you to enjoy a better quality of life as you age.

It's important to emphasize that nutrition is not just about individual nutrients; it's about maintaining in time a balanced and diverse diet.

 

2. Movement

By now we all know how important daily movement is for our body. Our body is designed to do hard things, so daily movement is crucial for our body as it helps maintain physical and mental health. Regular activity enriches circulation, strengthens muscles and bones, and supports weight management. It also reduces the risk of chronic diseases, improves mood, and enhances overall well-being, ensuring a healthier and more active life. However, not all movement is created equal. It is important to do resistance training, weight training, and HIIT sessions instead of tons and tons of cardio. Resistance training helps boost your metabolism, is good for your bones and joints, and also keeps your body young and functional.

3. Sleep

In a previous article we’ve mentioned the importance of rest and the different types of rest and how important it is. Getting a good night's sleep and a good sleep routine is key to staying healthy since sleep really plays an important aspect of our health and hormonal health. Sleeping and respecting your circadian rhythms will assure your body the rest it needs to function properly.

4. Mindset

Mindset is key to achieving whatever you want to achieve, always. Keep in mind that the language that comes into our brain comes out as an action in our lives, so it’s important to learn how to stress manage what happens to you and what has happened to you in your life. Also, focus on your goals and adopt a winning mindset that lifts you up instead of bringing you down.

5. Environment

There’s a saying that you are the average of the 5 people you surround yourself with. So you want to make sure that your environment including people, things, and places in your life is aligned with your mindset, your goals, and your lifestyle since it can have a huge impact on your health. 

These five pillars or strategies are the ones that can help you achieve your health goals and make you hard to kill, staying healthier and happier for the rest of your life.