They call it GWD and there is an official website telling us
“One day can change your whole life.” (1)
Why the World needs Global Wellness and the main aims of the day are:
To recognise the value of our lives.
So what on earth are our values in life?
Have we ever stopped to feel what we value?
What do we see as important in our life?
What do we class as valuable in our lives?
What do we regard as worthy of our attention?
What do we think deserves our time?
What do we rate as being of true value?
Could it be possible that for someone it maybe their daily drugs?
Could it be possible that others value alcohol even though it is a poison?
Could it be possible that some of us value sports that hold a high risk?
Could it be possible that we all have different things we value?
Could it be possible that we think we value others but not our self?
Could it be possible that not everything we value is of benefit for our body?
Could it be possible that we only value things that we do, but not who we are?
Could it be possible that we value what our mind can do, whilst our body is ignored?
Could it be possible that some of the stuff we value is deeply harming us and others?
Could it be possible that what we hold as value may not actually support our wellness?
To pause and think, even if for just one day of the year.
Is it enough really to pause and think for just one day of the year?
Is our life going to have any true change with a ‘pause and think’ annual day?
Is a pause going to get our mind thinking differently if we have ingrained behaviour?
Is a stop moment for just one day going to shift life-long patterns of ill behaviour?
Is our intention enough to remain consistent for the rest of the year?
Is our mind going to give us the answers our body needs, to keep well?
Is our thinking on just one day of the year going to serve us in the long-term?
Is thinking the way forward for our body or is there another way?
To be free from the stress of everyday city life and bad habits.
What about those of us who have stress and are not in the city?
What about the bad habits that just keep coming back to haunt us?
What if being free from the stress of everyday life requires the word Responsibility?
How can we be truly free of something if we do not get to the root cause?
How can words on a list make any true change for us in the long-term?
How can we truly move on from the stress that everyday life brings?
How can we be sure that we are free of all stress from bad habits?
How can we evolve from our everyday bad habits?
What if we do not see ignoring our kids as a bad habit?
What if we do not see domestic violence as a bad habit?
What if we do not see our addiction to TV as a bad habit?
What if we do not see our sugar addiction as a bad habit?
What if we do not see our over-eating everyday as a bad habit?
What if we do not see our daily puff of smoke as a bad habit?
What if we do not see our daily tipple of alcohol as a bad habit?
What if we do not see our gambling on the side, as a bad habit?
What if we do not see our daily ‘go to’ porn relief as a bad habit?
What if we do not see our consistent late nights as a bad habit?
What if we do not see non-stop checking on social media as a bad habit?
What if we do not see caffeine, which stimulates our nervous system as a bad habit?
To make peace with ourselves.
How on earth do we make peace with ourselves?
When do all those constant ugly thoughts go?
When can we put an end to our fleeting useless thoughts?
Is making peace with ourselves the real answer or is there more?
How can we be certain that we have made peace with ourselves?
What about the constant War Inside Us that our blog talks about?
Are we truly free inside when we can feel the disturbance in our world?
To raise awareness about living well and increase motivation, not just for today, but for the remaining 364 days of the year.
2012 – Global Wellness Day 1st celebrated.
2016 – Global Wellness Day officially celebrated in over 90 countries at 3000 locations.
2017 – Global Wellness Day celebrated today in 100 countries at 4000 different locations. (1)
So what are people around the World saying YES to on Global Wellness Day?
It seems the purpose of this World Day is for all nations to give their version of Wellness.
Different countries posting in their language, telling us how this day is going to be celebrated from cruise ships to a posh palace garden.
From influential Wellness authors to Ambassadors advertising their brands at the same time as hash tagging this important day and what better way than our platform of social media to spread the words. (2)
So, what exactly is WELLNESS?
Where does this word come from?
WHY do we have different versions of WELLNESS?
WHY is WELLNESS a modern day buzz word in our world?
Who defines this word and is it the real Truth?
What exactly are we celebrating on Global Wellness Day?
What does the dictionary have to say about this word?
What are the Google searches telling us?
How many apps have we got for Wellness?
How BIG is the WELLNESS industry in the world?
Are the WELLNESS programmes designed to really get us well?
Are we missing something when it comes to our own WELLNESS?
Do we have blind spots that we cannot see in our own WELLNESS?
Do we have a comfort level, so we take WELLNESS to a point and no more?
Is WELL-BEING the same as WELLNESS?
Concise Oxford English Dictionary
Well Being – the state of being comfortable, healthy or happy (3)
Dictionary.com
Well Being – a good or satisfactory condition of existence;
a state characterized by health, happiness, and prosperity;
welfare (4)
English Oxford Living Dictionaries
Wellness – the state of being in good health, especially as an actively pursued goal (5)
Global Wellness Day official website
Wellness – an active process of becoming aware of and making choices towards a healthy and fulfilling life. It is more than just being free from illness, it is a dynamic process of change and growth. (6)
They then add exactly what is said in dictionary dot com above.
World Health Organization
Wellness – a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. (6)
National Wellness Institute
Wellness is an active process through which people become aware of, and make choices toward, a more successful existence. (7)
Dear World
The above is spelling it out – we are not ALL united and unified with our meaning of well-being and wellness.
Is this WHY we are not clear what TRUE WELLNESS is?
Could it be possible that being comfortable in life actually stops us evolving?
Could it be possible that our version of healthy may be different to others?
Could it be possible that being Happy as our blog talks about may not be the answer?
Could it be possible that a good and satisfactory existence robs us of our potential?
Could it be possible that any form of existence is just bopping on in life, not living life?
Could it be possible that most of us have different views about the word ‘prosperity’?
Could it be possible that being successful in material terms may affect our well-being?
Could it be possible that flourishing financially is causing problems in our well-being?
What if we simply don’t want to actively pursue goals for our state of health?
What if our own definition of ‘good’ health is way off the mark to what true health is?
What if our awareness is limited because of all our bad habits and ill behaviours?
What if we want change and growth but our daily ill choices do not allow this process?
What if a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being is not possible, as we simply do not have an agreement on what ‘well-being’ actually is?
What if our choices towards a successful existence simply ticks the boxes?
What if existing is not the same as truly Living –
in other words, we don’t feel alive and connected to the ALL?
The National Wellness Institute has been around for 40 years now and the website says the Annual National Wellness Conference is the most highly acclaimed professional conference in health and wellness. (8)
If we can be totally honest – what is the real state of our global wellness after 40 years?
Dear World
We have Global Wellness Day today so how well are we?
Would it be wise to start asking questions about global wellness?
Are we ready to look at our own individual wellness first?
Could the micro observations give us a clue about the macro?
Do we say we are well but we are Not well?
Do we think we are well compared to others?
Do we constantly change the meaning of what well is?
Do we live a quality that is true health in our body?
Do we put effort into our mind but not our body?
Do we find ways to fill our mind up and think that is wellness?
Do we question if our mind is actually supporting our wellness?
Do we ever feel that our mind runs the wellness of our body?
Do we ever consider that the mind runs the show on its own?
In other words, could it be possible that our mind makes choices that are not in respect to the body?
If our world is doing great and we are celebrating Global Wellness Day, would it be worth considering the following information taken from our library of blogs published thus far –
Chronic Kidney Disease affects 1 in 10 people worldwide. (9)
Kidney Disease costs more than breast, lung, colon and skin cancer combined in England.
NHS Kidney Care (9)
75% cases of Chronic Kidney Disease are Diabetes and High Blood Pressure. (10)
High Blood Pressure
90% increase from 1975 – 2015. (11)
Diabetes
422 million adults with Diabetes worldwide.
$825 billion – global cost of Diabetes. (12)
Diabetes just ravages most of the systems.
Dr. Jyoti Baharani – Clinical Director, Renal Medicine
Heart Of England NHS Foundation Trust (13)
Diet
$206.4 billion expected Weight Loss and Weight Management market by 2019. (14)
Tobacco
Tobacco epidemic one of the biggest public health threats the world has ever faced. (15)
7 million people die from tobacco use every year. (16)
6,000,000,000,000 trillion cigarettes smoked every year. (17)
$1,000,000,000,000 – one trillion US dollars.
Tobacco industry’s annual revenues. (18)
Over 1 billion smokers in the world. (15)
Cancer
Leading cause of death worldwide. (19)
8.2 million global cancer deaths in 2012. (20)
Heartburn
15 million people experience Heartburn everyday in USA.
The American College of Gastroenterology (21)
1 in 5 estimated suffer with Heartburn in UK.
50% increase in Heartburn over last 10 years. (22)
Chronic Fatigue
20,000,000 people suffer from chronic fatigue in our world. (23)
Asthma
Given that our population statistics are already outdated by the time they are published in the leading medical journals, and not to mention that asthma diagnosis is either controversial or limited by diagnostic resources in many developing countries, additional 100 million people with asthma by the year 2025 is an under-estimated number … Thus the whole framework of ‘universal health care’ is threatened’ when a single disease adds another 100 million people within a decade. (24)
Dr. Sam Kim – MBBS FRACP MPH MBA
Respiratory & Sleep Medicine, Spring Hill
University of Queensland, Brisbane, AUSTRALIA
Marijuana
The most commonly used illegal drug. (25)
Marijuana has the largest drug market globally. (26)
There is now evidence to show that those who use cannabis particularly at a younger age, such as around the age of 15, have higher than average risk of developing a psychotic illness, such as schizophrenia and or bipolar disorder. (27)
Amphetamines
The 2nd most commonly used drug. (28)
Crystal Meth comes in clear chunky crystals resembling ice and is most commonly smoked.
It is used as a “club drug”, at nightclubs and rave parties.
It is a potent and dangerous chemical and as with all drugs, a poison that first acts as a stimulant but then begins to systematically destroy the body.
It is associated with serious health conditions including: aggression, memory loss, psychotic behaviour and potential heart and brain damage.
This highly addictive drug burns up the body’s resources, creating a devastating dependence that can only be relieved by taking more of the drug. (29)
World leaders now agree that the ‘War on Drugs’ has failed. (30)
There have been 654 Wars in less than 200 years. (31)
Human Trafficking is the world’s fastest growing global crime. (32)
$150 billion illicit human trafficking industry. (33)
150,000,000,000 dollars.
$150,000,000,000 billion dollars in illegal profits per year from forced labour in the private economy.
International Labour Organization (34)
Female Genital Mutilation
More than 200 million girls and women alive today that have been ‘cut’. (35)
Coffee is the second largest traded commodity in the world.
$48 billion dollars – estimated retail value of U.S coffee market 2015. (36)
Alcohol
For alcohol to cause intoxication, it must get into the brain. (37)
There is no such thing as a safe level of alcohol consumption.
The idea that drinking small amounts of alcohol will do you no harm is a myth.
Professor David Nutt (38)
Mental Health
49% inmates in state prisons with mental health problems had violence as their most serious offence. (39)
4 in 10 Approved Mental Health Practitioners were experiencing depression and anxiety disorders – 2012 (40)
So here we have 40% of the people who help those with mental health suffering with their own mental health.
Note the figure is 5 years ago so what would it be today?
Is this something we need to be concerned about?
What on earth is happening when it comes to mental health?
Suicide
60% increase in suicide rates in last 45 years.
Rates among young people are increasing. (41)
Second leading cause of death globally among people age 15 – 29. (42)
90% all cases of suicide associated with mental disorders (particularly depression and substance abuse). (41)
Depression
Depression is the largest cause of disability worldwide. (43)
Major depression – number one psychological disorder in western world.
Growth is mostly in teenagers. (44)
Depression and Anxiety
$1 trillion US dollars per year – Global Economy cost. (45)
12 billion working days lost each year as a result.
Equivalent to 50 million years. (46)
Happiness
People have become no happier in the last 50 years, despite average incomes more than doubling. (47)
Lord Richard Layard
HELLO – is this an Oh my Lord moment? Pun intended
Can we say that earning more money does not make us happier?
Would some of us agree as we are living proof of that fact?
Sleep
150 million adults suffering from sleep-related problems across developing world. (48)
$80,800,000,000 – Global sleep aids market will reach by 2020. (49)
Perfect Life
Traditional teenage pressure to look slim has been dramatically accentuated by the growth of social media and intense pressure from online bullying.
9 out of 10 girls in some schools are doctoring their pictures to appear thinner.
Dr. Pippa Hugo – Consultant Psychiatrist, London Priory Hospital (50)
Internet
25% of the on-line safety cases in 2015 received through the Child Focus Helpline were about sexting that had ‘gone wrong’. (51)
Revenge Porn Helpline has received almost 4,000 calls in the past year with cases as young as 11 years old. (52)
Bullying on social media has been identified as one reason for the increase in young people self-harming (Daine et al, 2013). (53)
Youth
95% of imprisoned young offenders have a mental health disorder. (54)
87% of young people that self-harm do not go to an acute hospital for treatment. (55)
71% young offenders in UK released from custody reoffend within 12 months.
£100,000 – current average cost of a place in youth custody. (56)
HELLO
Can we just stop and re-read what is actually going on in our world today and what are we really celebrating on our Global Wellness Day?
Can we simply join the dots and say our World is not well in anyway?
Can we start with our children and ask some serious questions?
WHY on earth are they having mental health problems?
What are we as parents doing that is not in their best interest?
How are we raising our kids, that gives rise to their ill well-being?
Are we aware that our youth are our future generations?
Are we passing on great wisdom or our ill behaviour patterns?
If our World was a business, would we consider buying shares?
Would we want to invest in a business knowing what we know about our world?
Can we be honest and ask – how well are we doing as a world business?
Is there any area where we can say truly that we are excelling as a world?
Is it true to say we have great advancements in our world today but the human body is telling us another story?
Can we agree that something is seriously not adding up?
Can we admit that the way we are choosing to live affects the global statistics?
Can we all unite and say YES – we as a world have a wellness problem?
Can we really celebrate our wellness as a world after reading the above?
Can we truly continue to celebrate after reading the figures below?
$7.28 trillion cumulative lost output in low and middle income countries associated with non-communicable diseases projected over period 2011 – 2025.
$500 billion annual loss due to major non-communicable diseases for low and middle income countries. Cardiovascular disease including hypertension accounts for nearly half of the cost. (57)
40 million deaths occurred due to non-communicable diseases in 2015.
70% of the overall total deaths. (58)
6.5 million deaths caused by indoor and outdoor pollution in 2012.
Western Pacific bore the largest burden of these deaths.
871,000 deaths from unsafe water, sanitation and lack of hygiene in 2012.
Majority of deaths were African and South-East Asia region.
468,000 estimated murders in 2015. (59)
2015
$3,720,000,000,000 trillion Global Wellness Industry. (60)
Wellness is one of the world’s fastest growing most resilient markets – clocking double-digit growth while the global economy shrank by 3.6%.
New Global Wellness Institute Research
We predict that consumers, governments and employers will continue to spend big on wellness because of these megatrends:
An emerging global middle class
A rapidly aging world population
A chronic disease and stress epidemic
The failure of the ‘sick-care’ medical model (resulting in uncontrollable healthcare costs)
A growing subset of more affluent, educated consumers seeking experiences rooted in meaning, purpose, authenticity and nature.
Ophelia Yeung – Senior Research Fellow
Global Wellness Institute (60)
Wellness markets analysed from 2013 to 2015.
Fastest growing were –
$534.3 billion revenues – Preventative/Personalised Medicine and Public Health
$542 billion revenues – Fitness and Mind-Body
$118.6 billion revenues – Wellness Lifestyle Real Estate
$563.2 billion revenues – Wellness Tourism
$647.8 billion revenues – Healthy Eating, Nutrition and Weight Loss
Then we have some more below that some of us may be subscribing to –
$999 billion revenues – Beauty and Anti-Aging Industry
$199 billion revenues – Complementary and Alternative Medicine
$98.6 billion revenues – Spa Industry
$51 billion revenues – Thermal/Mineral Springs Facilities
$43.3 billion revenues – Workplace Wellness (60)
Wellness Tourism
2013 – 2015
This industry grew more than twice as fast as overall tourism expenditures.
2015
691 million wellness trips made by World travellers.
17.9 million jobs worldwide created by this industry.
Spa Industry
2015
121,595 spa locations.
2.1 million workers.
Thermal and Mineral Springs
2015
27,507 thermal mineral springs’ properties earning revenue.
Workplace Wellness
10 – 15% of global economic output is the cost of unwell workers.
As a result, employers are spending more on employee wellness each year.
$43.3 billion markets revenue concentrated in Europe and North America. (60)
322,000 working days lost in UK due to labour disputes – 2016. (61)
Wellness Lifestyle Real Estate
2013 – 2015 one of the fastest growing wellness sectors. (60)
We now have Wellness Homes and Residences that have –
Advanced air systems
Advanced water purification systems
Circadian rhythm lighting
Dawn simulator lighting
‘Floating’ cork floors
Reflexology stone pathways
Centralised aromatherapy dispensers
We have some University dorms that have –
Nutritional Counselling
Healthy Cuisine
Fitness, yoga and meditation classes
HELLO HELLO
IS THIS AN OH MY GOD MOMENT?
Can we go back and re-read the billions and billions of dollars we are spending to be WELL?
Are we really that UNWELL that we need all this stuff to make us WELL?
How come our rise in illness and disease is escalating?
How come mental illness is now the latest plague on earth?
How are we living that we need a global wellness day to bring us awareness?
Have we seriously Lost the Plot here?
What is our Priority?
Where is our Intelligence taking us?
It would be true to say that there is just more and more new stuff being supplied to us and we can start with the blame game because it’s a multi trillion dollar industry.
But what if we the consumers are demanding this and so they supply?
In other words, we cannot blame the wellness industry because it is us asking for all of this and so they give it to us and keep coming up with more and more.
Do you remember or recall when ‘wellness’ meant and was, a vital and full-of-life body? – What we refer to as being ‘well’ today is simply a mere measure against what we would deem cancerous or terminal and hence ‘wellness’ today, is not the same ‘well-ness’ that we once enjoyed. Ponder on this.
Serge Benhayon, The Way of Initiation, p.166
Is there some wisdom here for us all to consider?
Have we lost the true meaning of the word vitality?
Are we at the stage where we can only dream of a body that is full of life?
Would it be honest to say that we have deviated away from our true state of being?
Can we be deeply honest and say we measure being well against being unwell?
Can we admit that we think we are well just because we are not terminally ill?
Have we heard about Pre-Operative Wellness Kits?
Few people would dream of attempting a marathon without at least some training, yet more people head into surgery without preparing themselves for the experience.
The reality is most of us are not healthy enough for surgery.
Dr. William Wooden – Director of Operative Services
IU Health and the James E. Bennett Professor of Surgery – IU School of Medicine (62)
Patients who followed Dr. Wooden’s protocol before surgery had shorter hospital stays, lower chances of returning to the hospital and half the rate of overall complications.
Delaying surgery to better prepare a patient’s body was recommended in some instances. (62)
Is this the common sense that we are choosing to forget?
We get unwell and we end up having surgery, but we do not prepare our body to go through the trauma of what it actually takes to have the procedure?
Would it be true to say that most of us go in to get fixed, get rid of the ugly stuff so we can get back to ‘business as usual’ – in other words, life how it was before we got sick?
Would it be true to say we are not interested or bothered about how we got ill in the first place?
Could it be possible that what Dr. Wooden is saying is that we each need to take RESPONSIBILITY for our body and not just expect the medics to sort us out with surgery?
Next –
How many of us think people who are slim or thin are well and healthy?
How many of us actually envy people who eat anything and never get fat?
How many of us don’t like people who never exercise but stay skinny?
Have we heard about Skinny Fat?
Being skinny does not necessarily mean you are healthy.
In fact, it is possible to be visibly thin but metabolically obese.
Edward Tiozzo PhD – Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Sciences
University of Miami Miller School of Medicine (63)
Two types of fat are responsible for the distinction between being healthy and being skinny fat.
1. Subcutaneous – this lies beneath the skin and is what makes people appear larger or smaller, depending on how much of this type of fat they have.
2. Visceral – this fat is found inside the abdominal cavity and surrounds the organs on the inside of our body. This type of fat can be much more dangerous to our health than subcutaneous fat.
It is also possible for someone with a healthy amount of subcutaneous fat to have too much visceral fat, which can raise the risk of heart attacks, strokes, diabetes, cancer and dementia.
Our society tends to focus on people who are overweight and obese.
However, those who are thin also have cause to worry. Seemingly healthy people may actually lack muscle and have high cholesterol or blood pressure or be pre-diabetic.
Angel Planells – Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Seattle (63)
How many of us know about this?
How many of us think being skinny is the answer?
How many of us on a diet would really benefit if we knew this?
How many people with eating disorders do not know about this?
WHY are these simple facts not all over our social media platforms?
WHY is stuff like this not in our newspapers and glossy magazines?
WHY are we not educated about basic stuff like this at school?
Would it be true to say that some skinny people are not really Getting Away with It?
In other words, their body is copping it even if the mirror is telling them otherwise?
Dear World
Simple Living Global is not celebrating the state of the world today – we are simply presenting what we know is the truth and asking humanity to stop and consider what on earth is going on.
We are choosing to take RESPONSIBILITY in all areas of life.
We are doing our best to not add to the ill and harm that is currently going on in our world – without perfection.
References
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Comments 69
This is certainly a hard hitting exposé.
There is so much written about wellness these days and so many of us are jumping on the bandwagon, trying different things to be ‘well’.
But what if we’ve got the comparison all wrong – what if we are comparing wellness to what we currently have, rather than with what is possible in terms of true vitality?
If we do that, wont it mean we will always just end up with ‘better’?
And reading this blog, I’m asking myself: how many of us really want true wellness, with the commitment and consistency that requires? How many of us actually prefer a watered down version, which is easier to maintain and has an off switch we can hit any time?
Good question JS at the end of your comment as it certainly begs the question how many of us really truly want wellness and that to have that quality we need to make choices that bring about a strong commitment to life.
A diluted version can suit us because on some level we tick the boxes but we need to question if this is a convenient truth or the real truth.
Most of us run for the hills as we see consistency as boring and that word commitment feels like restriction and no more freedom. Of course this is totally untrue but if we are being honest, most of us don’t fancy a life ahead of ‘same same’ so wellness is our new normal.
That same same would mean committing to every area of life and not seeing one as more important or deserving of our time and attention than another.
‘What on Earth is going on with our wellness worldwide’ is a top question for us all.
With my eyes open to what is going on in human kind I can not celebrate what little wellness we are living with because I know we are meant to live with so much more fullness, vitality and togetherness.
I can and do celebrate every drop of honesty chosen because it is getting honest about where we are at that moves us toward addressing the root cause of our discomfort, disease and disharmony.
This blog leaves me wondering how much of a connection there is between individual wellness and global wellness.
If we unlocked true vitality as individuals, what would that unlock in our everyday choices, interactions, businesses, politics, spending, families etc?
If we did that as individuals globally, what impact would that collective vitality have on the issues and wellbeing of the wider world?
I feel we have lost any concept of what wellness is. There is so much stuff out there telling us what to do to get well, that we are confused as to what to do.
The only person that really knows what I need to do to be well is me.
This concept made so much sense to me. I realized that I had been looking outside of myself for answers most of my life. Does a book or person that has never met me really know what I need?
With support from Simple Living Global I am remembering how to listen to all the wisdom I have about what I need to do to be well. It is basically just being myself.
This process of trusting myself, that I know what I need, has turned my life around. I feel and look 10 years younger.
I am working full time again, and loving it.
I am in a real relationship with an amazing woman.
I am 66 years old and feel ready and excited about what life has to offer.
Before I found Simple Living Global, I was living a life that was very hard on my body, working and playing with little respect for it. It was easy to do because everybody else was doing it.
But it produced a body that was not well. I basically collapsed with exhaustion at age 50.
So is there another way to do things?
I was fixing a water leak that supplied water for 100 homes, and felt a urgency to get it done. But my body was saying slow down, take a break. In the past I would have just pushed through it and got the job done, but this time I stopped and rested.
As it turned out the part I needed to fix the leak was unavailable that day. So if I had pushed, all I would have accomplished was a worn out body.
Because of the way I had been living, (basically taking better care for myself in every way), I choose to honour the fact that I needed to rest.
Listening to the wisdom of my body. It knew that I did not to have push, because I was not supposed to fix the leak that day.
I am still digesting this concept. It is a very different way to live, but it has totally changed my life.
I am trusting myself and the world more, enjoying work, sleeping better and feel ready to do what ever is needed to help get our world back on track.
This is wellness to me.
I remember when wellness for me was having enough money to be able to attend any exercise classes that I wanted and buy as many fancy and expensive creams and products as I could, but to be honest I was an emotional wreck inside – full of anxiety – so I know for sure that I was not well at all.
How can any pill or potion or lotion we buy, help us be well?
Today I live a life that is engaging with others, that is not all about me and what I can buy for myself, I no longer attend exercise classes and I am no longer obsessed with and scouring magazines for the latest beauty creams. My life is much more about people and taking care of and respecting my body and has a real sense of purpose, without needing to prove myself to others.
I would say that the biggest steps I am taking on the road to true wellness has been in opening up to others, sharing who I am with the world and being more honest with myself about what is true in my life and what is not. These are all things that money cannot buy.
The fact that the wellness industry itself is a trillion dollar business certainly lets us know that we have lost our way about what true wellness is.
This article by Simple Living Global for Global Wellness Day is the first of it’s kind to really question what wellness means and our various definitions of it – a true blessing for the world, if we really accept what this article is presenting.
Your comment made me laugh Shevon about wellness for you meant going to any exercise class. For me my body has never been into anything like that to shape up.
Instead wellness for me meant eating what I thought was healthy foods and stuffing myself with silly prices that they put on these health food shop versions of normal foods.
I then thought of my own version of well-being and wellness as it suited me and of course moving the goal post all the time. Crazy if you think about it.
We as a world have yet to come to an agreement just on the word itself.
With a million different images, pictures, ideals and beliefs of what wellness means we don’t really have a chance of nailing our global wellness.
My take – better off starting with the micro, so that’s us as an individual and then holding consistent and steady so others may just feel that reflection and one day be inspired to be the same, or at least give it a go.
This blog certainly brings attention to the lack of wellness in our world, the statistics you share make it undeniable we are not well as a humanity.
At one time I would have seen having a better day as well, or not as seemingly unwell as people I knew. This has changed considerably now as from my experience of taking loving care of myself, listening to my bodies guidance and building a foundation in my life from this I have more vitality and energy than I have had for most if not all of my life.
I have gone from chronically ill to working full time, and shifts…and I get to enjoy every day too.
I have spent all of my early life attempting to ignore all the messages that my body and life had been sending me.
It used to amaze me how my mom (she has passed on) used to make life ok by denying things that she did not like. I am realizing now that that was a message for me, I was doing the same thing.
I did not want to see that my suffering was because of my own choices. I did not want to take responsibility for what was going on, because then I would have to do something about it.
The key to making changes in my life is to take responsibility for it, nothing will change otherwise.
This goes for the world we have created, nothing will change untill we take responsibility for what we have created.
I grew up just after world war 2 in the USA and I remember it was all about getting things that would make life better. 2 cars, dishwasher, etc. This was considered doing well or being well off. We were enjoying the comforts of modern life. Basically buying happiness.
I remember the feeling of getting something new, it was exciting.
But it never lasted. I always wanted more. But what was it that I was missing?
I was missing the part of me, that I was burying with all the stuff I wanted. Using the acquisition of stuff to make up for what I felt I did not have.
Simple Living Global has supported me to uncover this part of me that I was looking for outside of myself, that actually was inside all along. With love and tenderness I am returning to a degree of wellness that cannot be bought.
I had not heard of Pre Operative Wellness Kits before reading your blog. Our bodies are already undergoing a lot with needing surgery and then to go in unprepared seems to me would put a greater strain on the body and also on the medical team providing the surgery and care. We prepare ourselves for going out or on holiday.. what to wear, when to leave, how long it will take to get there, who we are meeting, what we will eat, early nights and good sleep before we go, well in advance.. so why not do the same for something as important as surgery?
I had an organ removed a few years ago and from the inspiration and support of Serge Benhayon and Simple Living Global I took responsibility with my part in my healing, taking tender care of myself before the surgery, got support from my doctor, ate foods that nourished me and prepared me for the surgery.. that didn’t put an added strain on my body, I got plenty of rest and went to bed early. I looked at what was behind me needing this surgery.. how I had been living and my emotional reactions, so that my body could truly heal from an energetic level to the physical. The surgery went smoothly and so did my recovery, this care of myself is ongoing and I continue to deepen it.
http://www.spaopportunities.com/detail.cfm?pagetype=news&codeID=330647
2 March 2017
This link which is Spa News and Spa Business talks about The World Spa & Wellness Convention in London where the following statistics were presented.
Wellness Communities worth an estimated
$29 billion in Europe
$48 billion in North America
Somewhere in this model of a traditional community, we find what it is we are looking for on this new horizon. The way we lived in our villages 80 – 100 years ago, we had all that we desired.
Professor Terry Stevens
There is more to read on the link but just this bit we could sit with and think about it.
In the past life was SIMPLE – complication, busy-ness and stress were not on the radar.
Illness and disease were around but the medical advancements were not there, so we would be dying a lot quicker as we were not going to be kept alive with surgery and medicine.
Getting on with whatever life delivered was how it was and the choices like today were just not available.
If we can be deeply honest for one moment – Lifestyles today for most of us are crazy busy with little or no regard for the human frame which enhouse these precious organs that have a job to do to keep us going.
We live in total self neglect and dis-respect to our body and merely treat it as something that functions. We do not value things like quality sleep rhythm and our heart most often holds back saying what it truly feels. These are a few things we are doing today that confirms to me we have seriously LOST THE PLOT.
Then we demand the world to fix us, give us solutions and anything they can come up with so we do not need to stop, pause, reflect on the choices we are making, take responsibility and be accountable for the way we are living.
This means we have a multi – trillion dollar wellness industry and its growing fast as we all demand this will sort us out and this means the industry supplies.
No point blaming all these people making money from us when we are the ones who are asking for it in the first place.
I trust this makes sense?
For me, wellness right now is about not rushing the body. It is about giving myself space to see and feel what is going on and what is needed and not pushing through life. It is about appreciating that space and the ease it brings.
Compared to my fitness and ‘health’ freak past, that’s a total redefinition and it feels amazing.
The Week – Issue 1105 dated 24 December 2016
28 million people in the UK are living with chronic pain.
140,000 people
19 studies analysed by Imperial College, London.
1 in 7 adults under 25 experience some form of chronic pain.
14% adults live with pain that is so bad, it is either moderately or severely disabling.
So what is this news story spelling out to us?
What is going on for almost a third of the whole UK population that they are living with chronic pain?
Have we accepted chronic pain as a part of life and what it brings?
Have we ever stopped to consider how we got the pain in the first place?
Could we possibly have had a hand in why we have chronic pain?
Do we think it just appears overnight and it’s a bad luck thing?
Do we notice the odd ache and slight pain first and then one day it is chronic?
Do we do nothing when we have pain other than reach for painkillers?
Do we have a habit of ignoring the signs our body is giving us?
Do we have a tendency to override the pain that we do feel with numbing distractions like excess eating, alcohol, over exercising, indulging in hobbies and fantasies or social media?
Could it be possible that every pain in our body first starts because the choices we are making are not our natural way of living?
Could it be possible that to have chronic pain in any part of our body means that we have been used to ignoring our body for a long time?
Could it be possible that there is another way to live where we simply take stock and get deeply honest about our lifestyle choices so that we can knock out behaviour that does not truly support our precious body?
Could this be the antidote or are we going to wait around for more research and millions more to add to these staggering statistics?
What a great eye opening blog on what can only be described as our ‘lack of well-ness’.
The statistics here are quite astonishing considering that these are only a few of the ailments that afflict our world.
It is quite safe to say that the world is definitely NOT WELL.
The fact that the cost of the so called ‘well-ness’ industry reaches over $3 trillion and is one of the world’s fastest growing markets, speaks for itself.
The obvious conclusion to this is that we are more willing to spend trillions of dollars on trying to fix our health issues rather than taking responsibility and looking at living in a certain way that doesn’t manifest any health issues.
One of the comments that stands out the most for me was the fact that “the reality is most of us are not healthy enough for surgery.”
How far must we have disregarded ourselves to potentially be so lacking in health and vitality that we aren’t able to have surgical treatment?
This is an incredible statement and one that the government and health authorities should be making a lot more noise about.
I agree Tim, to not be healthy enough to have surgery when needing surgery is clearly an indicator of our level of health and wellness in itself really calls for us to stop, consider and look at where are we with our view on wellness.. and are we taking care of ourselves at all?
Instead of spending time going to the gym or getting a massage or doing things that you feel you need to do to increase your wellness, why not live in a way that creates wellness? Then everything you do is wellness.
Yes, there many things that you can do to support your wellness and it is important to ask for support when you need it.
But if you are doing all these things just to counteract all the abuse in your life, it makes no sense.
We naturally know what is good for ourselves if we can be honest about how our lifestyle is affecting us. The key is listening to our bodies.
This concept presented to me by Simple Living Global is so simple.
Just by stopping every now and then during the day and checking in with how am feeling and then making conscious adjustments to how I doing things, has transformed my life.
I am remembering and trusting myself that I do know what I need, to not only be well, but to flourish in the world.
“Why not live in a way that creates wellness?”
This is a great question, Ken.
And I’m feeling that when asked that question, we can all tune in to what living that way would mean.
We know the steps we would need to take.
We know the behaviours we would need to drop.
We pretty much know it all.
The question is: are we prepared to do it?
What would it take for it to be our priority?
Daily Mail news – 27 May 2017
There has been a rising number of experts questioning whether lessons in well-being, which are intended to tackle anxiety are making any difference to children.
Schools are increasingly offering programmes designed to make youngsters less stressed amid exam pressure.
The Department of Education has said that improving pupils’ well-being is a priority and want to include it as a guide to school performance.
So the laser version of this news story is saying anyone can set themselves up as a well-being consultant and this includes snake oil peddlers. It is a huge industry and closer scrutiny is needed as there is a fine line between being stressed and calling it a mental health problem.
As a True Well-Being Consultant and the author of this website, I can say that we do need to discern when presenting to anyone including children.
Firstly, what exactly are we teaching or presenting and where on earth is it coming from?
Next – why do our pupils have anxiety – what is it when they wake up that they do not feel equipped to deal with that gives rise to the stress they feel and the anxiousness that goes with it?
Could it be the lack of sleep or too much time spent on social media?
Could their diet play a part?
Could their family and peer pressure have a part to play?
Without questions, are we really getting to the root cause or is a band aid solution to get through enough?
Are we simply accepting the next well-being consultant, whatever they offer, as the real thing because we have a need or are we discerning?
Could it be possible that those presenting need to live what they are asking others to do?
If anyone wants to call themselves a well-being consultant, there will always be others asking for the service. It is up to the person demanding to see if those supplying are genuine, authentic and really and truly have something to offer that makes sense. If not, it is wise to at least consider asking why we are in need of their services in the first place?
A key test is to observe or find out how the person lives in their day to day life.
Example – if they are presenting ways to de-stress then how are their own stress levels and are they winging it; coming from theory, knowledge based stuff they have studied or are they truly coming from a Livingness of real life experience? In other words, walk the walk and talk the talk.
Could it be possible that to bring real change those supplying need to deliver a quality that the other person, in this case the pupil, can feel without any doubt and know that there is another way and it is equally possible for them to have that too?
When we live and present from a true quality, others feel it and there is no need to justify or try to make them change, as it simply is not needed.
To the average reader on the street, this news article would leave them never wanting to trust or visit a well-being consultant and who can blame them, but the truth is there are those like myself who are the real deal and are getting on with it.
You pose very pertinent questions in your comment Bina about discerning what a true well-being consultant is. These days anyone can set up a website or social media account and claim to be a wellness consultant or claim to have cured this and that but you are right – how do we discern whether what they are offering is true or not?
And can going with something and someone that is not true cause us great harm?
Many years ago I knew someone who was ill and I went with them to see a ‘herbalist’ because I had the need of wanting them to get better. The herbs were prescribed and taken – however that person became became very sick as they reacted to the herbs. Of course I got the blame for not checking the herbalist out but as I had the need for my friend to to get better it never even occurred to me to question whether the ‘herbalist’ was legit or whether they even knew what they were doing. We both just went with the recommendation. There were no questions asked, no checking them out or observing the way that they lived.
We can fine and sue those that we later find out are charlatans, but the damage is already done by then and does that really make any difference?
The real difference is in learning to discern who is really living and offering true wellness and who isn’t. You Bina are without a doubt a true well-being consultant who simply presents what she lives – no more and no less – and for this all of our lives are deeply enriched.
All the blogs on this website add up to showing we as humanity are not well, far from it, the blogs also offer understandings, awareness and many ways as to how to start to change this with simple practical techniques we can apply to our daily lives.. so surely it is worth having a go, starting with ourselves, how we take care of ourselves building a solid loving foundation which we can take out to life and each other.. we can change this.. together.
http://time.com/4903166/purpose-in-life-aging/
Time Health on 16 August 2017 tells us that purposeful living has already been linked to other aspects of wellbeing, like a longer life, lower risk of disease, better sleep and healthier behaviours.
This comes from a long running national study of adults over 50 from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
Add to that an old study dated 2009 quoted in this article from CDC – the Center for Disease Control which states 1 in 3 Americans aged 65 and older say they have difficulty walking three city blocks.
https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5816a2.htm
So as an elder in the community and in our world and in my mid 50’s, I know for a fact that having a true purpose in life is what keeps me going but it does require some discernment.
The best example I could give is that something that would seem like purpose for me was opening my own launderette jumbo size with a drive through so the end of parking problems in London, with a café of my home made food.
Those who know me would agree that it would be incredible and amazing, simply because the food I cook and the recipes I keep coming up with are beyond words.
ADD to that the claim that I have mastered laundry and am currently writing a course – like a mini manual on the subject. This is a no brainer and something I know would work with long term results, which gives me a security based financial foundation that money would always be there. So why not?
This is where the discernment comes in – Yes there are so many who would benefit from me opening a launderette and a cafe, including myself, BUT is that the Truth here?
Is this what would best serve humanity as a whole right now?
Do we need to consider everything and everyone when we have true purpose?
Do we need to look at all my skills and knowledge to see where best I can serve humanity?
Is settling for a security based life the answer for my own evolution and the evolution of all?
Is there a bigger plan here that needs to be considered and worth pondering on?
What if by opening up my launderette and café, I serve me, myself and I and the rest of the world misses another key ingredient that only I can bring but I chose to put my ‘purpose’ on what I thought was going to make me the big bucks fast but at the same time look like it is what is needed?
These are some of the questions I have been asking myself and I have come to realise that purpose is what keeps me going but to have true purpose is a quality that does not settle for anything other than evolution. By that I mean it serves the ALL and is for the ALL and that to me is well worth living for until my last breath.
On that note, maybe I will write a book about true purpose inspired by a man called Serge Benhayon, who lives Absolute True Purpose and has inspired me and many others that it is possible.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/09/24/people-spend-time-sitting-toilet-week-exercising-study-finds/ this is quite an eye opener..
Study finds people in the UK spend more time sitting on the toilet than exercising.
It reports adults spend an average of 3 hours 9 minutes on their loos and only 90 minutes being active.
More than a quarter of people exercise for 30 minutes or less a week, survey showed.
In a poll of 2000 only 12% of people know how much exercise is needed for good health.
“The major health concern here is our lack of exercise, but things like poor diet, lack of exertion and our tendency to play on smartphones in the bathroom are all other factors that are driving this inbalance.”
Could this be worth considering with our current lack of wellness?
Just talking to the boss of a long standing local company, you could even call it ‘old fashion’ and he was saying that no one stops or bothers to talk to each other anymore.
He says he has observed people communicate through their mobile phones and not face to face or they don’t talk at all, as they are too busy on their screen.
He was saying that when he grew up, the back door and the front door were not locked and there was a strong sense of community, but now things are very different as most of us don’t even know our neighbours and the trust element is just not there.
If this small conversation is a microcosm of what is actually going on in our world then we need to look at this and take note. I for one know that not engaging with others or expressing, is a holding back that not only harms me but all of humanity.
Next – another conversation today was with someone I used to work with who is very guarded and protected and simply has zero trust in all humans.
However, I remained open as I can over the few years of knowing this person and today they opened up and said how they felt so much love from me and something they had never experienced growing up and in past relationships. What was interesting is they wanted to hang out with me and then I saw tears when I was leaving on the bus and waving to them. I know beyond doubt that I have touched this person’s life and there are no words here to say what I felt when I saw them. They equally touched my life too.
Could something as simple as this be a microcosm of what Global Wellness could be about and not a trip down the spa?
“We know from research that loneliness is as bad for you as smoking 15 cigarettes a day.”
Psychologists in Australia say loneliness is at ‘epidemic proportions’ and we should be as concerned about it as we are about obesity.
Social isolation has been linked to an increased likelihood of mental health problems, Alzheimer’s disease and reduced survival for breast cancer patients.
On the counter side, greater social connection can halve the risk of an early death.
Experts say the reason for this ‘epidemic’ is primarily social media usage, which is degrading our ‘social connectedness’. They encourage seeking out meaningful relationships, a sense of real community and human connection.
Don’t most of us inherently know that people need human connection as much as we need oxygen? Could prioritising this have an impact on global well-ness?
http://thenewdaily.com.au/life/wellbeing/2017/08/07/loneliness-epidemic-obesity-isolation/
I just read a report in the well-regarded medical journal, The Lancet. It says that 95% of the world’s population is living in ill health.
That’s 95% of every human on Earth – ill.
Only 5% of us do not have health problems.
It also says over 1/3 of the 95% have more than 5 ailments.
That’s 5 ailments at once.
The numbers were in decline and that was in 2013.
Are we realising what is going on?
Is this our lot or is there another way?
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2015-06/tl-tlo060415.php
The report showed that musculoskeletal disorders like low back pain and arthritis, plus mental health issues and and substance abuse predominantly accounted for half of all ‘health loss’ globally.
What are we all living with and accepting as ‘normal’ day to day, versus understanding and living true wellbeing?
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4964462/Bad-lifestyles-crippling-NHS.html
Daily Mail – 10 October 2017
Front page news headlines – BAD LIFESTYLE CRIPPLING NHS
We are living longer but much unhealthier lives, warns hospitals watchdog.
They call it ‘21st century problems and an ageing population’.
How real is this if we just stop for a moment to consider what is being said here?
Can we agree and say this is good news simply because we are living longer?
Do we think living compromised from true vitality levels is a great QUALITY OF LIFE?
Do we honestly believe that walking around with pumps and other medical equipment is how we want to see the rest of our life?
Do we want to rely on the good old NHS to take care of us, because we choose to live everyday with our irresponsible lifestyle?
Do we care that the NHS cannot cope with what they have right now so where on earth is this going to end up?
Have we ever given it a thought that our NHS is facing bankruptcy?
Have we made any effort to at least look at our lifestyle and where we could make some sensible changes?
Have we read blogs like this website are presenting on topics like Heart Disease, Diabetes, Blood Pressure and Alcohol to name a few?
https://simplelivingglobal.com/world-heart-day-part-1/
https://simplelivingglobal.com/world-diabetes-day/
https://simplelivingglobal.com/world-hypertension-day/
https://simplelivingglobal.com/the-real-truth-about-alcohol/
How scary is our future if nursing homes are closing as this news story tells us and more than half our hospital trusts have an overall rating of ‘inadequate’?
This news story goes on to say that the NHS was not created to deal with dis-eases like Obesity, Diabetes, Coronary Heart Disease, Cancers, Dementia, all of which are driven more by lifestyle choices.
How serious is this when we all know deep down that our life is in our hands and we can make sensible choices going forward to lift the burden on the NHS, but it does mean the word RESPONSIBILITY has to go into the core of our choices as we move forward.
This story is about one country and its health system but it could be applied anywhere in the world.
Our Global Wellness starts with us as an individual and the choices we are making for our health and well being every single day. There is no getting away from that fact.
Whatever we do has consequences – no rocket science needed here.
An article in The Guardian, 10th October 2017, talks about the “Global cost of obesity-related illness to hit $1.2 trillion a year from 2015.”
The cost of treating ill health caused by obesity around the world will top $1.2 trillion every year from 2025 unless more is done to check the rapidly worsening epidemic, according to new expert estimates.
Obesity and smoking are the two main drivers behind the soaring numbers of cancers, heart attacks, strokes and diabetes worldwide, grouped together as non-communicable diseases. They are the biggest killers of the modern world.
The US faces by far the biggest treatment bill, with a rise from $325 billion per year in 2014 to $555 billion in 2025. The UK bill is set to rise from $19 billion to $31 billion per year in 2025.
The NHS chief executive, Simon Stevens, has warned that obesity threatens to bankrupt the NHS.
Over the next 8 years, the experts say, the US will spend $4.2tn on treating obesity related disease, Germany will spend $390bn, Brazil $251bn and the UK $257bn if these countries do not do more to try to prevent it.
The new figures come from the World Obesity Federation (WOF), which says there will be 2.7 billion overweight and obese adults by 2025, many of whom are likely to end up needing medical care.
That means a third of the global population will be overweight or obese.
The World Obesity Federation estimates show adult obesity continuing its steady climb. In 2014, a third of men and women in the US were obese – 34%.
By 2025 that is predicted to be 41%.
In the UK, more than a quarter of adults, 27%, were obese in 2014 and will rise to 34% by 2025.
Egypt, 31% to 37% and Australia and Mexico, 28% to 34%.
The experts say spending more on treating and preventing obesity will save countries many millions in the long term.
Bariatric surgery to reduce the size of the stomach is very effective in reducing appetite and studies have shown it can reverse type 2 diabetes, dramatically improving people’s chances of a healthy life – but there is not enough treatment available, says the CEO of the WOF.
“One of the reasons is that the concensus that obesity is a disease is only really emerging now. That will help the stigma. Bariatric surgery is a fantastic intervention but realistically it will only be for a small proportion of the population. It has to be offered in concert with other forms of weight management. Every single individual has to be offered multiple interventions.”
Many Governments are starting to introduce ways to reduce obesity and a tax on sugary drinks is a measure that is being used.
The UK Government has at present, a campaign for healthy eating called ‘Change4Life’, but the problem is that the money being spent on this campaign is being dwarved by top spending confectionery, crisp and sugary drink brands.
Out of 19 companies listed, 13 are spending way more than the Government’s campaign, 2 are spending exactly the same and 4 are just below.
In 2016 Government spending was £5 million while the top advertising spend for a sugary drink was over £12 million.
The potential cost of obesity related illness is huge and it is easy to see, how this one disease, could bankrupt any health service.
Is it possible that campaigns are not enough?
Is it possible that stronger measures are needed against the crisp, drinks and confectionery manufacturers?
OK, so the Government has this ‘Change4Life’ campaign, but the Government has had many campaigns over the years but the obesity rates are steadily increasing.
Is it possible that bariatric surgery is NOT the answer?
While it may work for some, operating on over 2 billion people is not practical and it is avoiding the issue of ‘WHY’ so many people are overweight or obese.
One thing is clear – the Government knows the situation. They know how much this one disease will cost the country over the next few years. The chief executive of the NHS has stated that it threatens to bankrupt the NHS – that’s just one disease.
Why is this not being made a priority?
Why is the Government spending over £60 billion on a train line to get people from A-B a lot faster at the same time as allowing many more people to get sicker a lot faster?
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-41696236
BBC News – 23 October 2017
Patients need rest, not antibiotics, say health officials.
Public Health England are saying that antibiotics are not essential for every illness.
Are any of us bothering to listen or take note that something is clearly not working?
Are we all quick to pop the pills but not look at how we got sick in the first place?
Are we going to continue with our culture of blame like it has nothing to do with us?
Are we demanding antibiotics to speed up our recovery as we are too busy to get ill?
Are we impatient when it comes to having time off to reflect on how we are living that made us sick in the first place?
Is there a sign why we do not need to take antibiotics for common conditions?
Is our body trying to communicate something to us with a cough or a common cold?
Is rest a time for allowing things to heal and give us the space to at least stop the pace at which we are living?
Can we look at our own immune system and start asking questions?
What can we do that would support our immune system?
Can we start with being honest about the daily choices we are making – like late nights, social media, caffeine, sugar and alcohol?
https://simplelivingglobal.com/social-media-day/
https://simplelivingglobal.com/why-is-coffee-big-business/
https://simplelivingglobal.com/the-real-truth-about-alcohol/
Can we read blogs like this website are presenting about Another way to Live?
https://simplelivingglobal.com/is-there-another-way/
Can we find out more about how those with a strong immune system are living – like the author of this blog?
Can we start to consider common sense medicine like going to bed early consistently to build a strong immune system?
https://simplelivingglobal.com/world-sleep-day/
Could it be possible that this alone would contribute greatly to our Global Wellness because we as individuals are the microcosm of this world?
I’m in a hot place for business and it’s interesting to see the impact the warm has on people’s bodies.
People are physically more relaxed, there isn’t the contraction of the cold – no hunching against the temperature. Arms seem to swing more loosely by people’s sides rather than in pockets or crossed or held. The hips and shoulders are open in their gait.
Personally, walking outside feels like stepping into a warm bath and my own body is appreciating that – shoulders drop, cells relax.
We can’t all up and move to warmer climes, but this has shown me the impact and importance of keeping warm and how much the body needs and wants that, whatever the weather.
Being in a warm place for work, my nails have become strong and long – a mark of good health for me.
I have in the past associated this with vitamin D. However on this trip I have hardly been outside.
I realise it has in fact nothing to do with the sun or food choices and everything to do with surrender, by which I mean relaxing into my body and moving with not against it, as can happen when I am tired or stressed.
The warm has helped with that – having a a quick ‘warm air bath’ between meetings served to connect and relax me into my body.
I can see the impact of this well-being in my nails.
Interestingly, this also happened when I was pregnant and that’s for sure a time of deep bodily connection and stillness.
It seems to me that well-being is way more multi-dimensional than we might imagine.
In an article in the Daily Mail – 28th October 2017, Dr Max reports that:
Public Health England had just launched a major campaign called ‘Keep Antibiotics Working’.
The campaign has been set up to warn the public about the resistance to antibiotics and the risk of overusing them.
One strategy that is being used to address this, is for GP’s to use ‘Treating your infection prescription pads.’
GP’s will fill in these pads, which explain how long symptoms will last and what the doctor recommends that the patient does to ‘manage’ the symptoms.
This new prescription also includes a back-up antibiotic prescription that can be collected after a set period of time, if the symptoms do not improve.
The use of the ‘Treating your infection prescription pads’ have been implemented as patients are often only satisfied when they walk out of their surgery with a prescription.
Trials of the use of these new prescription pads have been positive. Patients at one surgery said that it meant the Dr’s spent more time listening to them than explaining that they weren’t going to prescribe antibiotics.
The question that arises is – how many will actually follow the Dr’s Advice in dealing with the symptoms or will we just wait for the set period to pass, so that we can collect the back-up prescription and still receive the antibiotics?
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/2017/11/07/dementia-now-britains-biggest-killer-overtaking-heart-disease/
Telegraph – 7 November 2017
Dementia is now Britain’s biggest killer, overtaking heart disease for the first time.
So is this a true and accurate statistic taking into account that improvements in heart health have been because more people are prescribed statins and beta blockers to cope with high cholesterol and high blood pressure.
The news story goes on to say that there are no treatments currently to slow or stop the diseases behind dementia but research has the power to stop this from being the case in the future.
This is great but what are we as individuals doing about this and is there more we can take action with in our day to day life?
Are our lifestyle choices contributing to memory loss and mental agility?
Do our wayward ways of drug taking play a part in this over time?
Are we aware that caffeine is a legal drug and we seem to override that fact?
Could the rise in kids using social media and screen time trigger a negative effect on the brain?
Could our life with no purpose and just seeking the next distraction have an impact?
Could our daydreaming and fantasy checking out state of being contribute?
Could our lack of respect to our sleep rhythm with not enough quality sleep be a factor?
Could our irresponsible lifestyle choices over decades have something to do with it?
Could our dishonesty, holding back our true expression be another thing to consider?
Would it be wise for researchers to study those who are living a life of responsibility with meaning and purpose and see if this holds some Truth that could help us all in the future?
Do we need to bring our life back to basics and start to live simple https://simplelivingglobal.com/keep-it-simple/ like they did back in the old days where Responsibility was there at the very core of all our choices until our last breath?
Thank you for sharing this valuable statistical update Simple Living Global. With ageing populations and most people predicted to living longer, this is something that we all seriously need to take note of.
What is the real cause of dementia and why is it so common place?
A colleague recently shared that he was warding against it by keeping his mind active, I questioned whether there was more to preventing dementia than that?
The questions that you ask in this comment Simple Living Global are most definitely ones to consider. Could our lifestyle choices in fact be playing a large part in dementia?
In Japan there is something called karoshi – death from overwork.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/japanese-woman-dies-overtime-working-too-much-159-hours-month-miwa-sado-tokyo-nhk-a7984251.html
This news report shares the death of a political journalist who died in 2013 from heart failure due to taking only 2 days off in the 30 days that she worked, prior to her death. She clocked 159 hours overtime in that month.
It also speaks about the death by suicide of an advertising agency employee in 2015 who had worked 100 hours overtime a month.
I am noticing that there is more in the news about employee wellness and well-being programs for staff.
We have a worldwide culture of overwork and I know that I have subscribed to this but we do have to be aware that any drive to complete things, push ourselves ahead or be a ‘good employee’ by ticking all of the boxes will always end up being of detriment to both our physical and mental well-being.
The only thing that I am learning that allows a realistic work-life balance is to at least start with ourselves in being honest about what we can do and not do, honour that and act from there.
We may fear losing our jobs, due to not meeting the set standard, but either way we will lose the job – through death (as in these examples) or illness if we keep pushing ourselves to do more than we can honestly do.
Not meeting the ‘set’ standard is not a failure and what if that standard that has been set is not real or true at all and is only there so that maximum profit can be brought to some and that it is not designed in anyway for the true well-being of all.
http://www.medicaldaily.com/hair-loss-peaks-time-year-no-one-knows-why-422217
Medical Daily – 25 October 2017
Hair Loss peaks in fall but researchers are not sure why.
The study conclude that across all eight countries in both hemispheres, summer followed by fall were associated with greater hair loss searches compared to spring and winter.
One hypothesis is that scalp hair is necessary to protect the tops of our heads from the harsh rays of the sun, protecting our tender scalps from sunburn. As temperatures cool and sunlight hours shorten in late summer and fall, this need lessens. As a result, hair loss increases.
Of course we can take this on board or we could even apply common sense by simply asking more questions and studying those who do not have hair loss and are living busy active lives.
What if our earth and all the cycles we have including hair cycles has some meaning?
https://simplelivingglobal.com/earth-day/
What if the way we are living contributes to whether we suffer from hair loss?
What if hair loss is not the obvious but something we need to deeply explore?
What if hair loss is not a natural state but how we are living gives rise to hair loss?
What if there is a link between lifestyle choices and hair loss?
What if exhaustion, stress and anxiety all play a hand in hair loss?
What if we keep asking what if questions, until we get to the root cause of hair loss?
An article in The Telegraph, 4th January 2018, says: “Sugary drinks banned from sale in NHS hospitals from July.”
This week NHS England released an updated contract for hospitals, which for the first time included a clause prohibiting the sale of sugar sweetened beverages.
Retailers had already agreed to cut sales of sweet drinks to a maximum of 10% of their output.
But the new rule will stop outlets from selling these drinks entirely should they fail to meet that target, a move which was welcomed by campaigners.
It also means a ban for fizzy and sugary drinks in hundreds of NHS cafes and staff canteens.
A spokesperson for the Campaign for Better Hospital Food, said: “We welcome this move by NHS England to ban the sale of sugary drinks in our hospitals. Tooth extraction as a result of tooth decay is the most common cause for hospitalisation of children under five – putting unnecessary pressure on stretched NHS services.”
England will be only the second country in the world to introduce such a plan, with Portugal being the other.
Some of our most popular fizzy and soft drinks contain between 9-15g of sugar.
New rules will also restrict the sale of any high calorie foods.
From April, 60% of sandwiches and pre-packed meals on sale in hospitals must contain a maximum of 400 calories per serving – rising to 75% of cases a year later.
And 60% of sweets and chocolates sold must not exceed 250 calories – rising to 80% of items by 2019.
Almost 700,000 of the 1.3 million people employed by the NHS are thought to be overweight or obese.
When we see the breakdown of sugar that is actually in fizzy and soft drinks, we get to see the shocking truth of what we are consuming on a daily basis.
This is a much-needed step by NHS England to bring awareness to many people of the harmful effects of this socially accepted substance.
There of course will be those that say this is the nanny state stepping in again and how dare they tell us what we can and cannot eat.
With 64% of the UK population being overweight or obese, because of the increased possibilities of illnesses and diseases like heart attacks, strokes and diabetes to name but a few, is it possible that we need someone to make decisions like these?
Is it possible that if there was one place that we need to have nurturing and nourishing food, it is in a hospital?
Talking from personal experience and from someone who weighed over 27 stone and was classed as morbidly obese, I used to drink my fair share of fizzy and soft drinks. A 2 litre bottle of pop would present no real challenge and of course it was used to wash down all manner of unhealthy foods that contained plenty of sugar themselves.
Coming off these drinks has seen a vast improvement in my well-being. Not just with helping with my 12 stone weight loss but also the increased vitality levels, the increased concentration and the increase in quality sleep, so now, when I speak to people about sugar and its harmful effects, I am speaking from a body of lived experience and people are more likely to listen and take notice of what I have to say.
Is it possible that if more of the NHS staff were not overweight or obese, more people would listen to them and act on the advice given to us about weight management?
Sugar is socially accepted and is in many things that we probably don’t even realise that it is in there, but if we knew the true effects of sugar, we may just get out of the mind frame of ‘what we don’t know about won’t hurt us’.
Just like salt and hypertension, sugar is also known as the ‘silent killer’.
With all the evidence that shows how harmful sugar is, NHS England is definitely on the right track in banning the sale of sugary goods.
If an organisation like NHS England is taking strides to eliminate sugar from their hospitals, is it possible that the government also needs to make some strong decisions regarding banning this ‘socially accepted silent killer’?
I was talking to a young woman yesterday who has an auto immune illness that leaves her in a lot of physical pain.
She was trying to come to terms with the fact of this illness – ‘getting on top of it’ with the drugs, unable to do sport any more, changing her life-style, thinking about adjustments to her diet.
It struck me that there is so little true intelligence around illness. We live our lives as we want to, making healthy or unhealthy choices for our body, and we are surprised when illness arises seemingly ‘out of the blue’.
But what if it is not like that at all – what if it does not come out of the blue?
What if ill-ness is a much needed clearing of an ill in the body?
What if we knew that and could gain some understanding from it?
I feel there is much more here to consider about well-being and illness.
How are advertisers getting us hooked into booking the next self medication?
Is it a smart move on their part doing a full page ad on an inflight magazine?
Are we in need of more luxury and words that really grab us?
When a surreal picture of tiny posh huts with butlers, in the middle of a deep blue ocean gives us a feeling we want, do we just go for it?
What about their words that say ‘”hedonism to a whole new level” and “unfettered indulgence” will beat the winter blues and get us out of our post christmas mood’?
Have we stopped to consider how this supports our true health and well-being and is this vacation going to cut it in the long term?
Are these ads one of millions out there selling us an image, a lifestyle, a picture, a feeling that is in our mind?
Is taking hedonism to a whole new level the pleasure and indulgence we are seeking to escape the Responsibility of real life?
In other words the every day routine and regular stuff sucks and taking a break and being free from that reality is all that we want.
If we read this blog and this comment and join the dots – what is it saying to us?
Are we any closer to Global Wellness with our lifestyle choices?
BBC News – 25th March 2018
Medical students claim that they know nothing about the way diet and lifestyle affects health.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-43504125
A leading GP has stated up to 80% of the patients’ he sees have conditions linked to lifestyle and diet like Type 2 Diabetes, Depression and Obesity.
Another doctor, Michael Moseley says
“Unfortunately it is not part of the traditional training. At medical school I learnt almost nothing about nutrition. And I have a son at medical school and again it’s not part of his key curriculum.
So I don’t get the sense that there are lots of doctors out there that feel empowered to tell patients much about nutrition.”
Medical students have now set up an online organisation to share nutrition science research.
How can it be that our medical doctors who are trained in so many aspects of the workings of the human body, have not been trained on the key prevention to illness and disease – lifestyle choices?
Have we focused the training of our doctors on fixing the human body when things go wrong, rather then training them to be on the front foot with the focus on prevention by getting to the root cause?
Why is it that we are always a zillion steps behind where we need to be?
Does it suit us to have the medical profession this way, as then we have no-one who will challenge us to take responsibility for our lives if the focus is on fixing the body when things go wrong?
I would highly recommend the Simple Living Global website to any medical professional, as it has the ins and outs of how our lifestyle choices have a detrimental effect on our health and raises poignant questions that if pondered on could lead us all to the answer.
The Week – Issue 1169 dated 31 March 2018
Back Pain Treatments “Useless”
An International team of scientists writing in The Lancet has warned that most treatments for low back pain simply do not work.
Back Pain is now the world’s leading cause of disability.
540 million people are affected and that number is growing as populations age.
Back Pain is not properly understood, the scientists say and it is being widely mismanaged with many patients prescribed aggressive treatments including spinal injections, powerful opioids and surgeries that are of “dubious benefit” and may in fact do harm.
For most types of back pain, the best advice is simply to remain active and remain positive: a positive attitude and job satisfaction are some of the strongest indicators of whether back pain will turn into serious disability, they say.
So WHY do patients not want to hear NHS guidelines which recommend exercise and therapy?
WHY are we putting doctors under pressure to offer us non existent cures for our back pain?
WHY are doctors in the UK sending patients off for scans that lead to surgery?
WHY are we being told that in most cases surgery is no more effective than non-invasive treatments and it risks leaving patients worse off?
WHY are a third of patients prescribed potentially addictive opioid painkillers with the knowing that there is evidence that these can make back pain worse?
Can we start with saying SOMETHING IS NOT RIGHT?
WHY do we demand to get our back pain sorted but not once stop and look at our lifestyle choices and see how we are living and what we are doing and not doing that maybe causing this ill in the first place?
WHY are we not interested in taking an ounce of Responsibility when the doctor suggests exercise or another way that has no pills to pop or numbing effect?
WHY do we want the pain to just go away without addressing how it got there to begin with?
WHY are we not learning anything with our back pain or considering that it may just be our body trying to communicate something back to us?
WHAT IF we created the back pain because of our movements and these movements may not be on track with how we naturally could be living and this gives rise to the body being reconfigured to a point where pain is the only way it can make us stop and listen?
Is this too way off and whacky, or is it time we pondered on this ‘What If’ question?
This news story confirms an International team of scientists are on the case, confirming our back pain is not going away and our solutions thus far have failed us so what are we going to do about it now?
We each have a responsibility to not just accept the way things are but to look to those who have found another way and be open to what is possible.
This blog and this comment are confirming we are in serious trouble, if we are going to keep looking to our exhausted medical systems to fix our problems so we can carry on “business as usual”.
Using valuable much needed money for back surgeries that do not work is a waste of public money and we all know that.
Question is WHY are we then continuing down this road?
WHY are we consistently waiting for even more research to tell us what we know right now?
This website is dedicated to bringing awareness that there is indeed another way to live and that includes having no back pain. However, this requires that word RESPONSIBILITY at the core of every choice made – consistently.
May sound like a tall order but well worth considering as nothing else out there seems to be cutting it.
The Times – 6th April 2018
Front page news – ‘Think again: mental decline in later life can be staved off’
The article states that ‘mental decline is not inevitable’ as scientists have found that our brain continues to renew itself in old age. Neuroscientists found that we can prevent brain deterioration by leading a healthier life and keeping mentally fit through continued learning.
This now contradicts previous research that estimated that no new cells are produced in adulthood.
Maura Bouldrini, Columbia University said that this new research was good news.
She said “…We also know neurogenesis (the growth and development of neurons) is supported by lifestyle changes like social interaction, learning, exercise and diet. These are all life changes that people could introduce to keep them healthy in old age.”
So here we have research confirming to us that lifestyle choices make a difference to our brain health regardless of our age.
Is it possible that the effects of our lifestyle choices are not only found in the brain but also in every part of our body, including our cells and DNA and that these are continually being affected by our choices?
What would happen if we studied the founder of Simple Living Global and applied what is presented here, regardless of our age? Would we see a difference?
There is already a testimonial on this website from a 66 year old man about Simple Living Global’s Back to Basics Program that is well worth a read.
https://simplelivingglobal.com/testimonials/
The Corruption of Evidence Based Medicine – Killing for Profit
10th April 2018
https://medium.com/@drjasonfung/the-corruption-of-evidence-based-medicine-killing-for-profit-41f2812b8704
In the above article evidence based medicine is being questioned by leading medics.
In 2015, Richard Horton, editor in chief of the Lancet said
“The case against science is straight forward: much of the scientific literature, perhaps half, may simply be untrue.”
In 2009, Dr Marcia Angell, former editor in chief of New England Journal of Medicine said
“It is simply no longer possible to believe much of the clinical research that is published, or to rely on the judgement of trusted physicians or authorative medical guidelines. I take no pleasure in this conclusion, which I reached slowly and reluctantly over my two decades as an editor.”
The Lancet and the New England Journal of Medicine are two of the leading medical journals in the world.
The reason for Evidence Based Medicine being questioned is summed up by Dr. Relman, another former editor in chief of New England Journal of Medicine back in 2002 –
“The medical profession is being bought by the pharmaceutical industry, not only in terms of the practice of medicine, but also in terms of teaching and research. The academic institutions of this country are allowing themselves to be the paid agents of the pharmaceutical industry…”
The article then goes on to say that research is almost always paid for by pharmaceutical companies.
Studies done by industry are well known to have positive results more frequently.
Negative trials (those that show no benefit for the drugs) are likely to be suppressed.
Studies are also selectively published for positive results.
The author of the article makes a good point by using this analogy –
‘Suppose you know that your stockbroker publishes all his winning trades but suppresses all his losing trades. Would you trust him with your money?’
This is a very good analogy as I am sure most if not all of us would say NO.
So why do we trust evidence based medicine and why do we choose to be blind to the fact that it does not give us the Truth?
The author of the article who is also a doctor says that when this type of common sense is pointed out amongst academic circles “people label you a quack who does not ‘believe the evidence.’”
Some journal editors are paid 6 figure sums from industry, presumably so that they can get their studies published.
A national survey in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2007 revealed that 94% of physicians had ties to the pharmaceutical industry.
So in summary this article is revealing to us the number of ways that evidence based medicine is false and how the medical industry is corrupt.
However, is it the universities and doctors that are to blame for this, or have we all created this breeding ground of corruption?
Could it be possible that due to us not wanting to take responsibility for our own health and well-being that we have placed a heavy reliance on the medical profession to sort us out?
Could it be true to say that most of us want to just take that pill so we do not have to go any further to look at why we have the illness or disease in the first place?
Is it us, humanity who have created evidence based medicine because we do not actually want to know the truth that the drugs don’t work and that we are to take Responsibility for our lives through the way that we live?
Dear World
GLOBAL WELLNESS DAY TODAY – 9 June 2018
The latest statistics we have are 2016 and the World Health Organization are saying that Ischaemic Heart Disease is the number one killer. The next leading cause of death is stroke.
This link direct from the WHO website gives us the top 10 and it is a wake up call for us all that our world really is not well.
http://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/the-top-10-causes-of-death
As we know by the time researchers give us the stats, they are already out of date and so we are now 2 years on and we can be sure that the figures are rising and SOMETHING IS NOT RIGHT.
Our world is now full of solutions to deal with our irresponsible lifestyle choices and we have become great at blaming and not really being honest about our own individual wellness.
We seem to demand what we want from our medical world and not once consider that we may have a hand in WHY we got ill in the first place.
This website is dedicated to GLOBAL WELLNESS but it first starts with the individual RESPONSIBILITY to live a life of consistency, where deep self care is the norm every day.
It would be true to say that each of us has an individual responsibility to ensure that we are making choices in daily life that are not disturbing our delicate human frame and that means looking at the detail of what we consume and what we use to function and stimulate us and also how we choose to rest and sleep.
If we read this blog, it confirms we are a very unwell world and things are not getting better and our solutions are not working.
In other words, we have not got to the root cause of why we get ill in the first place so that we can address it.
It is wise to note that when we celebrate and champion Global Wellness, we need to be aware of what exactly we are honouring and confirming.
At a central London station yesterday, a hipster hotspot, a company was handing out free energy supplements.
‘Free energy, anyone for free energy?’
It is not surprising to me that energy sells. It seems so many people these days struggle with fatigue and long for a quick fix.
That a company is cashing in on that demand simply confirms it.
I wonder if people will question what they are really buying. Perhaps some will have an ‘oh dear’ moment and realise they have an exhaustion problem.
I had a thought today – what if we simply looked at the microcosm of just one hospital and observed what is going on to give us the macrocosm?
In other words, it reflects the state of the bigger picture and in this case that means our world.
I make regular visits to hospitals in London to support others.
Yesterday and today – car park completely full, a sure sign a lot of people going in.
Nurses told us they are running super late as people cannot find parking.
Outpatients had different sections all numbered. It was huge – thee most jumbo sized place absolutely packed out with people waiting and others lining up to book in at reception. As I moved through the sections, it was even more and more people.
This was just outpatients.
People looked exhausted, miserable, in pain and given up if you ask me.
Staff were overworked and it’s like they have no time to breathe as it’s so full on.
Obesity was very apparent as there were so many people with weight issues.
What is this telling us?
What is the real state of wellness in the world?
Cardiology have got gadgets that mean the patient is monitored with wires and goes home.
I recall in the old days where we had a hospital bed but with the high volume of illness and disease rates, I can see why new innovations to not need a hospital bed works.
I recommend anyone who feels to champion Global Wellness to take a visit to a London hospital, as there is a wake up call telling us SOMETHING IS NOT RIGHT.
We have a serious 911 on our hands right now and things are not getting any better.
I have lost count how many hospital visits I have made in recent years, to support others and each time I feel things have gotten worse. I know it is not my imagination.
If we can be frank and honest here there is simply nothing for us to celebrate about Global Wellness – we are so far far off the marker of what wellness actually means to the human body.
Our world does not support us to plug in and connect to this vehicle we have from day dot until our last breath, as it holds the answers we keep searching for.
One day, scholars of the future will study this website and know there were people around in the early 21st century writing consistently, not only about the state of the world, but presenting another way.
The world has yet to realise that this website and all the content it holds, is a true blessing to humanity.
Metro News – 5 November 2018
The new UK health minister is saying the NHS should have a new 21st century focus on prevention rather than cure in a long-term shift in strategy.
£97 billion public money on treating disease
£8 billion preventing it
It is clear and obvious that we can join the dots and do not need to be an economist.
“Its about people choosing to look after themselves better, staying active and stopping smoking.
Making better choices by limiting alcohol, sugar, salt and fat.” Matt Hancock
So this man wants to ‘nip ill-health in the bud’.
How is that going to happen and is it realistically possible?
How do we start if we struggle to make ‘better choices’ when it comes to looking after our body?
Do we have real role models who can educate and inspire us about lifestyle changes?
Are real role models those who walk the talk?
In other words they live what they talk about and this inspires another because they can feel it is not hot talk or theory being recalled. It is someone who lives it then shares it.
So how many of those have we got dotted around the country, in our town, community or our world?
Would it be wise to pay attention and listen to what they have to say?
Would it work if we studied people who are totally free of the ill choices, like smoking, alcohol, sugar, caffeine, salt, and fat?
Do these people exist and if so, why are we not informed about who they are?
Think about it – this website is dedicated to human true health and well-being.
It is written in very simple language and some of the blogs, call them well researched articles, have been presented in a way that most of us would understand.
It is like a one-stop platform for finding out what we need to know and then reading the wisdom presented in each and every piece that may just confirm there is another way if it is lived.
Now for some that may be super cool and for others it may be ‘go away’ because what this website is saying and spelling out throughout is that there is a personal responsibility and accountability and there is no getting away from that immutable fact.
Global Wellness starts with each and everyone of us as individuals because we make up the whole world. We matter, what we eat, drink, ingest into our human frame and how we move all matters. But if we could be honest and say we don’t want this, then we may start to get on the right track.
Our world is designed to support us to stay off track and as we question this and not accept what goes on, chances are things will change, albeit slowly.
Back to the NHS prevention is better than cure and cheaper news story, imagine if we started with all the blogs on this website which are FREE as a form of education?
It is for this purpose that this website was founded and continues to grow, expand and evolve.
It is a confirmation that there is another way to live because the author is living proof.
Waitrose Health – Autumn 2018 magazine
p.85
25 million people globally are noted to be wearing a brand of one smart watch.
The wearable tech industry is due to double by 2021.
Wearables are technological gadgets that are worn.
Global shipments of wearable devices will hit almost £190 million units by 2022.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/paullamkin/2018/12/19/smartwatches-to-dominate-wearable-tech-double-digit-growth-forecast-for-industry/#657fedbb1a4b
Industry analyst IDC states that the growth is being powered by smart watches with fitness trackers waning over the next few years.
Have we ever questioned how and why we have gone down this route of needing technology to let us know how well we are?
Do the number of steps that we climb and the number of calories that we burn have anything to do with our wellness?
Are these accurate measures?
Is it possible that being reliant and obsessed about collecting information on ourselves could be damaging our health and well-being?
What happened to the human body that we live with day in and day out – is this not able to tell us if we are well or not simply by the way that we feel in it?
Is it possible that there is a free and readily available instrument called the human body that let’s us know very clearly on a daily basis, whether we are well or not?
Why have we stopped listening to it?
A friend was sharing about her brother and how worried she is about him.
He recently qualified as a doctor and he has gone straight in at the deep end in a hospital.
He is responsible for 3 wards of 20+ elderly people. He is their sole doctor. They are all ill – very ill, with multiple issues.
He is ‘beyond stressed’ trying to cope with it all and she is finding it sad watching him go through that. For as long as she can remember, his vocation has been to be a doctor – to help people with their health. He finally makes it and she is watching him ‘get crushed’.
Regularly there aren’t enough nursing staff for the wards and there is little to no cover when he is not there.
He works crazy long hours and there is no support for him as a new doctor.
Loading a junior doctor with more than 60 super sick old people, solo. How can this be sustainable?
Have we hit total saturation point with our healthcare?
How much further will we go before we realise it is simply not working?
I have realised that we can learn a lot from simply talking to others on the street so to speak. This type of Citizen Journalism has continued to fuel me to research more, learn more about people and what on earth human life is all about.
On the bus today, I sit next to Pat who was looking bright and sparkly and very content.
She is 77 and on her way to work – a job she has done for 37 years.
A domestic cleaner who cannot see any reason for giving up on life or retirement.
She gave me her take and said she knows of so many her age who retire, get lonely and depressed, watch TV all day, never go out or engage with others. Some just look forward to a holiday or a special event and that’s about it.
For her, she enjoys cleaning as a job and does not see it as a chore.
Next – she updates me on the changes over the decades in Care Homes.
Before 4 staff to 10 people and now 2 staff to 20 and the majority have dementia.
Pat said there is no quality of life and it is aweful to see us keeping them alive by feeding them porridge and see it dripping down their clothes and some have to be drip fed.
Many cannot talk or have any conversation, staff are exhausted and there simply is no real care as there are way too many demands with staff shortages the norm.
I asked Pat why she has no signs of dementia and what her take was as it is a growing epidemic, which is going to get worse.
She said we need to work and have a daily routine and look after our body.
There is no point in staying home because of age and there is only so much cooking, cleaning and gardening one can do in their own home. Getting out and doing a job and being around people gives her the fuel to keep going.
What if we listened to people like Pat who are not a statistic and doing very well?
She says talking to others and being out in the world and not isolated in your home is key as you get older.
Could one woman’s wisdom inspire us to consider that there could be another way or do we continue to wait for more and more research and solutions to lead the way?
SOMETHING IS NOT RIGHT when it comes to individual wellness and a change in our beliefs, attitudes and behaviours are called for.
What if those who are bucking the trend and choosing to live differently to the masses, are the living sciences we need to be studying because they do not have the symptoms of all the ills that are now the norm?
Global Wellness starts with each and every one of us as individuals.
What if it was as simple as seeing who out there is living another way that is making a difference because they are not the average health statistic?
On that note, it would be a wise move for any reader to take note of this website and what it is presenting then study the author who walks the talk and is a reflection of true wellness.
Metro News – 30 May 2019
Page 23
More elderly patients are having surgery in England as the population ages.
This is a news story in circulation taken from Science Focus magazine by Metro News.
From 1999 to 2015 those over age 75 going in for surgery doubled to over 1 million patients.
Authors of the study suggested more debate on the risk of some procedures as the elderly are more prone to surgery complications.
So what exactly is this telling us?
If we look at one small country as a microcosm of what is going on in the world – the macrocosm, we may be able to join the dots.
More and more of our elderly patients are having surgery but is this the best option for their delicate and fragile bodies?
Are they equipped to go through surgery and how are they preparing for it?
Do they have adequate support before, during and post surgery or are we expecting them to get the job done and move on in the queue, which seems to be endless for our surgeons?
What quality is being offered if our patients are in a fragile and vulnerable state of being before surgery?
Whilst we have advanced so much in medical terms are we equally advanced when it comes to looking at the whole bigger picture?
In other words, are we looking at why man has become multi-symptomatic – often having more than one illness or dis-ease in our body?
Do we give our elderly parents, grandparents and those we care for a real chance to speak and ask for what they truly want and how they feel?
Do we pin our hopes on them because we want them to live at whatever cost?
In other words, we want them to continue ‘business as usual’ as we are not ready to deal with anything that may come up and upset us or disturb us in any way?
Are we offering surgery as a solution or are we considering the impact of having any procedure that involves any form of anaesthetic?
Do we want humans bopping along on this planet merely existing?
OR
Do we want a quality of life for the human frame that means having consistent vitality levels and a mind that is aligned to the body and has not drifted off and the person is totally with themselves and can then make informed decisions about what they want and what they do not want?
We seem to marvel at how far we have come as a race of beings but have we deeply considered the impact of even one single surgery for someone who is an elder in our community who simply does not have the resources to make the recovery that is needed to change their life, post surgery?
Are we too busy wanting the goal – the end result but ignoring the steps taken to get there?
Ponder deeply Dear Reader on this comment.
What is our real Global Wellness if we could measure it for 7 billion people?
Are we on the front foot or does this blog tell us SOMETHING IS NOT RIGHT?
Forbes – 24th November 2019
Virtual Well-being is a Reality – and it is Proving Effective
https://www.forbes.com/sites/colleenreilly/2019/11/24/virtual-wellbeing-is-a-realityand-it-is-proving-effective/#4c5770e61523
This article stated that 70% of Americans are overweight or obese, and for the first time in history, more people are obese (40%) than overweight (30%). These individuals are at increased risk of heart disease, Type 2 diabetes and many other health conditions that are avoidable, preventable and even reversible through positive lifestyle choices.
It goes on to say, although 80% of employers offer wellness programs, results do not meet expectations. It is time for an innovative technology that helps people optimise their health and well-being and that is where, within the current “4th” industrial revolution, Virtual Well-being becomes a reality.
The article then starts to talk about the effectiveness of virtual world technology and the ins and outs of it. It talks about how participants act within this setting using an avatar – a digital representation of self, customisable so a user can portray an actual or desired self-image.
One aspect talks about how it is designed to provide an environment that closely mirrors the physical world. It sets up learning situations that incorporate practicing new behaviours like throwing away 3D food, addressing the “food pushers” and non-supportive people in their lives and the social influences of work environments.
In an ever-expanding digital world, is it possible we are relying too much on a world that is based in fantasy?
Why are we demanding our Reality be Virtual?
Are we finding Real Life too hard?
Are we finding Real Life too much Responsibility?
What is Virtual Reality?
The dictionary states that Virtual Reality is:
‘Virtual reality is a simulated experience that can be similar to or completely different from the real world. Applications of virtual reality can include entertainment and educational purposes. Other, distinct types of VR style technology include augmented reality and mixed reality’.
Is it possible that the answer lies in the words ‘Virtual Reality’?
It is a ‘virtual reality’ and therefore, not a ‘true reality’.
As this news article is talking about how to tackle obesity, if we liken this virtual reality world to diets, is it possible that, like all diets, we are very keen to start but as time goes on, and we start to get a bit disillusioned with the whole ‘diet thing’, we then give it up and go back to our old ways?
Like the first sentence of this article says, being obese or overweight can be avoided, prevented and even reversed through positive lifestyle choices.
Is it possible that these ‘positive lifestyle choices’ will have a much more beneficial impact if completed in real life rather than in an artificial life?
Forbes – 8 January 2020
https://www.forbes.com/sites/jennifercohen/2020/01/08/wellness-trends-for-2020/#4d8a243c4177
It is a new year and a new decade and a new chance to become your best self.
In previous years, the mind body connection was not something seen as commonplace in society.
In January 2019, NBC News stated from sleep to restorative exercise, 2019 wellness trends were about owning self-care.
How on earth does one own self-care?
All we can report is that things have got worse in the past year, so our movements in the self-care department have clearly not worked, as illness and disease rates are even higher.
For those who need the evidence, the proof – look no further than our end of year 2019 News published on this website which will leave the reader in no doubt about the real state of our world today.
https://simplelivingglobal.com/2019-news/
Next –
In 2020, wellness will be seen as something accessible to everyone and we are being told that everything is an individual choice – something this website has been repeatedly saying.
Wellness Trends for 2020
Home Fitness Studio, which can combine physical equipment and hardware with streaming classes.
Those who have the space and money – a state of the art rowing machine designed to mimic rowing on a river. With a larger screen and front facing audio, the user hears every splash and stroke under the guidance of highly trained instructors.
The aim of this is to get a different “experience”.
Artificial Intelligence in the form of a smart gym that uses digital weights up to 200 pounds.
You can exercise with a virtual trainer or choose from an on-demand class.
Meditation, supplements, red light therapy, plant based meats and CBD.
Thousands of CBD products hit the market in 2019.
This is because it is sold as nothing to do with THC – the active component in the marijuana plant.
If we just stop at this point – how come there is suddenly a global market for CBD which once upon a time was a No No, as it is part cannabis hence why it is being widely used for anxiety and pain relief?
Are we going to wake up one day to find out, like smoking cigarettes, it actually is not for human consumption but we prefer to ignore this because it is something we want relief with right now?
CBD edible market is going to be a big category with new niche products.
We already have tinctures, muscle balms, raw honey and beauty products.
Dear World
What are these trends indicating to us about how we are choosing to live?
What are these lifestyle choices going to really give us – more rest and settlement?
A body that can operate without tension and is free of daily nervous tension?
What about consistent high vitality levels – is that possible if we seek ‘experiences’ above anything else now?
This blog about Global Wellness confirms we have got something terribly wrong with how we are living, as illness and dis-ease to the human frame is at epic proportions, forcing our health systems to go bankrupt if we do not make some serious radical changes.
Is a fake artificial – what we call “virtual reality” trainer going to cut it and get us fired up to continue ‘experiencing’ the effects we demand of it?
Are we slowly going off track with all this bombardment from the media, social media and everywhere we look outside telling us something is wrong with us and this is how we can fix it?
Back to thousands of CBD products on the market now.
There has to be a clear demand or suppliers would not be so quick to launch all these products for us to buy. This means we cannot blame those who profit because we are the ones making the choice to invest in it, whatever it may be.
Do we want to find out where that pain came from in the first place?
How did it just come up one day and what on earth was going on for us at that time in our life?
When did it get so bad and what did we do about it?
How bad have things got that we are willing to give anything a go – even a drug that many would say is not for human consumption?
We only have to read the blog on this website called The Real Truth about Marijuana and feel what it presents to know whether this drug is for us or not, as all drugs come with side effects and there is no getting away from that immutable fact.
https://simplelivingglobal.com/the-real-truth-about-marijuana/
Finally, what is it about us that jumps on the bandwagon where the masses are heading – in this case wellness trends for this year?
What happens if we make the choice not to follow the masses circulating all this stuff, without discerning if it is of any real and true benefit to our body?
Is eating plant based meat going to leave us craving the real stuff, or are we sold out to the ideal that we are saving animals and that means our planet benefits BUT we forget we drive a huge gas guzzler for a vehicle and we like our 3 holidays on a plane every year and conveniently forget about the harm to mother earth with all that carbon footprint?
In other words, do our trends actually reflect a consistency in our way of living, or is it just following what suits us or stimulates us because it is the experience we need as nothing else is giving us what we are seeking?
This comment, this blog, this whole website and all the other 6,000 comments thus far are well worth a study and no doubt scholars of our future will do that.
They will know that following trends was not giving us the deep inner most connection that we each truly want, so we can once again feel who we truly are and know we are all inter-connected as human beings and so every choice we make actually effects every other person on this earth plane and not just us as an individual.
Daily Mail – 15 February 2020
Dr Max Pemberton is telling us about the latest celebrity to announce they suffer from Lyme Disease, which is an infection spread by ticks.
Such is the publicity generated by high profile sufferers that this disease has now entered popular consciousness and Dr Max has had women come to him and say they have the condition.
What is interesting and important to note is that this is a controversial diagnosis within the medical community.
Many doctors believe that the vague, non-specific and subjective symptoms linked to it – headaches, fatigue, weakness and joint pain – fall under the category of “medically unexplained symptoms”.
They argue and say this is a type of psychosomatic disorder with the causes being psychological.
What science says is clear – the cause is not always an infection.
Let’s not dismiss the debilitating problems that sufferers experience, but is this something we need to explore more and open up for discussion?
Famous celebrities and pop stars have this.
With a simple dose of common sense – could it be possible that their lifestyle choices may have something to do with their – headaches, fatigue, weakness and joint pain?
Possible?
Next – WHY are our doctors vague and just because they say something and science says something, do we just accept and say nothing more because they are the superior intellect of today?
Without going into the ins and outs of this dis-ease in the body, for the purpose of this blog –
Where is our global wellness at if we have the medical world telling us they have a whole category that they cannot explain?
How many of us were aware of this and what does it actually mean?
Again – are we going to simply sit and accept this or do we start to ask pertinent questions?
Could it be possible that our medical world is advancing and helping us all to a point, but they are not able to give us ALL the answers and that in itself tells us that what they are seeking is not everything because something is clearly missing?
Could it be possible that we need to stop looking outside of our ‘self’ for the answers and find a way to truly commit to connecting to our inner most self and therein lies the truth of what is going on for our body?
In other words, we just plug in and connect – great blog on this website
https://simplelivingglobal.com/plug-in-and-connect/
We can then begin to take the steps to communicate with our body and from there, we know when something that we ingest or take on is feeling true or not.
Now that could be a poison like alcohol or drugs or it could be a subtle remark with an undertone at work that left us feeling a bit rocked or shall we say disturbed inside our body.
The point is – each of us has the ability to work things out and at least consider WHY and HOW whatever it is makes us un-well. But we seem to have programmed ourselves to not plug in, not connect to our body and then rely on google and the medical world for all our answers.
Back to famous people having a dis-ease in their body.
Would it be worth looking at HOW they live and what choices they make every single day, to get an indication as to WHY they have what they have, before we go any further with our judgements, critique, assumptions, sympathy or any other thing we may have?
Yahoo Style UK – 22 June 2020
https://uk.style.yahoo.com/divorce-death-life-expectancy-lifespan-190025727.html
Divorce is one of the 3 social or behavioural factors linked to an early death – new research study.
Scientists from the University of British Columbia looked at more than 13,000 adults over 22 years.
Out of 57 lifestyle factors, Smoking, Divorce and Alcohol abuse were most closely linked to the study’s participants dying during the follow-up period.
Never getting married was also in the top 10.
The results were published in the journal the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
What we do know is that our relationships are important and they do have a huge impact on our lives. Not being in a relationship for whatever reason could bring up feelings of isolation and loneliness and our blog about Loneliness on this website is well worth a read because of what it presents.
https://simplelivingglobal.com/loneliness/
Next –
Could it be possible that divorce for some is the end of living life as they know it and many do not ever get over the hurt and the pain? The suffering and misery that follows in years to come is not erased, as the root of WHY they have these debilitating feelings are not addressed. Possible ?
Could it be possible that many people actually do not want the final separation that we in society call Divorce as it brings up a loss, a kind of ending, bereavement or grieving process. Possible?
It would be wise for us to ponder on WHY divorce has such a strong impact on the body to the point that early death could be on the cards, so to speak.
Science Magazine – 4 November 2020
A researcher at the University of Cincinnati recommends that pediatric hospital emergency rooms consider screening teenagers for sexually transmitted infections whilst they visit for other acute care issues.
It will add costs to hospital budgets but it could help to combat future health complications of STIs for young people.
The study was published in the Journal of American Medical Association Pediatrics.
“Untreated chlamydia or gonorrhea in women can lead to pelvic inflammatory disease and ectopic pregnancies because of scarring in the fallopian tubes and men can face epididymitis.
Both men and women could also face infertility if these sexually transmitted infections are not treated”. Mark Eckman – Professor and Director of the UC Division of General Internal Medicine.
20 million new cases of sexually transmitted infections each year.
50% of those occur among adolescents and young adults.
Do we need to be asking more questions as this blog is presenting?
STIs in this study we could say are from one country and their statistics, but what if there is a worldwide problem here that is going on under the radar and not in the public awareness?
Are we interested to know and be aware of the facts and the consider some serious questions?
Our teenagers are sleeping around and you cannot get more honest, frank, straightforward, blunt, candid or truth-full on this statement.
We can of course pretend it is not going on right under our nose, in our neighbourhoods, our communities, our towns and our cities or we could wake up and stay up to find out more and get talking about what, why, when and how this is happening and what is our own individual personal responsibility instead of thinking it’s not really going on.
Something happens to our children as they transition to teenagers and then young adults.
What if something is seriously missing and the void is filled, we could say with behaviours that were once upon a time not popular or mainstream like having sex as a teenager?
What if our parenting does not have the connection and true communication that our kids need because we are too busy doing our own thing, distracting ourselves from the huge responsibilities we think we have as parents and guardians?
What if our world is allowing all sorts of behaviour to become normal and our decency and respect have dropped to an all time low?
What if society is not to blame, as we the masses are up to no good ourselves and then wonder WHY our children are so sexually active and not taking Responsibility and this is WHY we have a rise in STIs in adolescents and young adults age 15 to 21?
What if those of us who have no children are also responsible on some level? We could teach old fashion values and those of us who have a voice to communicate should express and share wisdom that may just be exactly what a teen needs at a given moment.
The whats ifs could continue but the point has been made.
Global Wellness is not something our world could celebrate right now.
We as a species, a race of beings are living a poor quality of life and it is high time we came to the honesty that our model of life, how we live life has failed us in every way. Until then we are going to go around and around arriving at the same point and wanting a different answer, when we have not stopped for one moment to consider if there is another way to live human life.
For those who think this is prophecy or some other way out whacky talk, just take an honest look at the human frame – the body and all the illness and disease man has created thus far and there can be no doubt, we have failed. That is a fact and will be a continued study for the scholars of our future.
World Health Organization – 9 December 2020 | News Release | Geneva, Switzerland
https://www.who.int/news/item/09-12-2020-who-reveals-leading-causes-of-death-and-disability-worldwide-2000-2019
The World Health Organization reveals the leading causes of death and disability worldwide:
New data from 2000 – 2019 inclusive.
Non communicable diseases make up 7 of the world’s top 10 causes of death, according to WHO’s 2019 Global Health estimates just published. Their website states that this clearly highlights the need for an intensified global focus on preventing and treating cardiovascular diseases, cancer, diabetes and chronic respiratory diseases as well as all injuries in every region of the world.
Heart Disease remains as the number 1 killer for the last 20 years. The number of deaths is now more than ever before with an increase in over 2 million since 2000, to nearly 9 million in 2019.
Heart Disease now represents 16% of total deaths from all causes.
Over half of those 2 million additional deaths were in the WHO Western Pacific region.
Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia are now among the top 10 causes of death worldwide, ranking 3rd in both Americas and Europe in 2019.
Women are disproportionately affected: 65% of deaths from Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia are women.
Deaths from Diabetes increased by 70% globally between 2000 and 2019, with an 80% rise in deaths among males.
In the Eastern Mediterranean, deaths from Diabetes have more than doubled and represent the greatest percentage increase of all WHO regions.
PEOPLE ARE LIVING LONGER – BUT WITH MORE DISABILITY
Could we stop and ask the question – what Quality of life do we end up with when we live longer with the aid of medical support but have more disability?
How many more natural deaths would we have today if the medics did not intervene and save us or keep us on medication, so we can exist as we are not truly living with vitality or mobility?
Heart Disease, Diabetes, Stroke, Lung Cancer and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) were collectively responsible for nearly 100 million additional healthy life-years lost in 2019 compared to 2000.
The last 2 decades have seen a significant rise in road traffic injuries in the African region.
40% rise for the Eastern Mediterranean region.
How are our men living that globally deaths from road traffic injuries are 75% male?
In the Americas, drug use has emerged as a significant contributor to both disability and death.
Three fold increase in deaths from drug use disorders between 2000 and 2019.
This website has covered in detail most of the above and we will ensure that articles are published in the future on Dementia and COPD.
Reading this, we can summarise that things are far worse when it comes to our health and wellbeing over the last 20 years. We seem to have more of everything and yet our state of health is far from having any real quality. We have failed when it comes to understanding the intelligence of the human body and what it requires of us to ensure we do not go down the ill road of disease and injury.
What will it take for us to change, as our current way of operating is simply not working.
Global Wellness – this blog is worth reading and then answering all the questions presented before we go any further.
The fact remains – as a world we are not united and we do not have a one-unified meaning for the word Wellness.
Herein lies a clue as to why we are where we are today, with the state of our ill health worldwide.
Well to Do Global Wellness News – 16 July 2021
https://www.welltodoglobal.com/global-wellness-institute-to-release-updated-research-on-global-wellness-economy-welltodo/
The Global Wellness Institute (GWI) is to release new research on the Global Wellness Economy, including an update on its size and each of its key sectors.
The new report – “The Global Wellness Economy: Looking Beyond Covid” will launch as part of its Global Wellness Summit, an annual event in which international leaders in the multi-trillion dollar global wellness industry meet to positively shape the future landscape.
Since 2014, the Global Wellness Institute has measured the size of the wellness economy worldwide, most recently identifying mental wellness as a rapidly expanding $121 billion market and part of the 11 leading industries contributing to its overall value of $4.5 trillion.
Next –
https://www.welltodoglobal.com/mental-wellness-now-a-121-billion-market/
Note – the last estimated value of $4.5 trillion was in 2017/2018.
The wellness industry includes:
Personal care, beauty and anti-ageing – $1,083 billion
Wellness tourism – $639 billion
Workplace wellness – $48 billion
The GWI defined mental wellness as its 11th industry bubble – an internal resource that helps us think, feel, connect and function and an active process that helps us to build resilience, grow and flourish.
The following 4 sub-markets of mental wellness make up the new mental wellness category, based on consumer spend:
Sense, spaces and sleep – $49.5 billion
This is the largest mental wellness sector and covers the “exploding array of sleep optimising solutions from wearable and stress toys to multi-sensory experiences, like nap cafes, forest bathing and circadian lighting.
Brain-boosting nutraceuticals and botanicals – $34.8 billion
This category notably includes the rise of plant-based drugs used for mental wellness, such as CBD, functional mushrooms and psilocybin, which has recently undergone a rapid acceleration in clinical research. Most of us would recognise the name “magic mushrooms” and is a well known psychedelic according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administrations.
They induce anxiety, frightening hallucinations, paranoia and confusion at times. As with all hallucinogens, there is a risk of triggering mental and emotional problems and causing accidents while under the influence. We all know that magic mushrooms are frequently taken with alcohol and other drugs, increasing the psychological and physical risks.
Read about the side effects –
https://www.drugs.com/illicit/psilocybin.html
Self Improvement – $34.8 billion
This category ranges from self help tuition delivered by life coaches or organizations via workshops or retreats to brain training services and online platforms combating loneliness and isolation.
A growing sector within this sub-market could be seen with the recent rise of “relationship wellness” platforms and tools.
Meditation and Mindfulness – $2.9 billion
This category covers breathwork, retreats, apps, journals and wearables, many which build upon biofeedback and virtual reality technologies.
The GWI research highlighted over 15% of the global population suffer from mental and substance use disorders; dementia is on the rise; happiness on the decline in many countries; stress, worry, sadness, burnout and loneliness are increasing all around the world.
Our world has been waking up to the facts that the way we are living human life is clearly not working and we are seeking solutions.
With huge meteoric rises in sleep and meditation apps, teletherapy and other must have instant fixes to deal with our wellness issues, we could say we are on our way to real health and wellness.
But where is our definition of wellness and what constitutes true wellness?
Will our solutions to function as a better human being be the answer or do we need to start the approach as a whole and that means looking at every area, every aspect of our life and not just one bit?
What if our gadgets and aids to have this and that are not the answer and that getting back to basics, good old fashion common sense, taking responsibility for all the choices we make in daily life and a big dose of honesty in every moment, could be a more truth-full response to our ills of today?
Worth considering says the author of this comment and website, which offers presentations on many aspects of human life, bringing awareness and saying there is another way to live – have a go before you dismiss it, as nothing out there seems to be working or having lasting long term benefits that are sustainable. And by the way there is no subscription to pay, total transparency and that means no hidden agenda.
We have a 911 when it comes to our current state of Global Health.
In fact, things are getting worse and we can see that daily in our face, in our communities and in our health care systems worldwide.
The statistics on this blog alone are staggering.
Today, I met a guy that trained and qualified as a nurse. They found the job boring and left to work as a hairdresser. During the lockdown they went back to nursing as it was better than staying at home. That gives the background.
Next –
How serious is it when we come across those that study in the medical profession suffering with hair loss and migraines? Most of us would just assume they were educated and know what is good health, as their job is in the health profession.
This website has an article on migraines and there is emphasis on the triggers. So this young man is a smoker, rarely drinks water, never cooks and overworks.
Could any of these be a trigger to migraine and would this be worth exploring?
He openly shared the name of very strong painkillers that he takes to suppress the headaches, which he said are ‘so intense that he has to shut the lights, no noise and just sleep and sleep on medication’. His words.
I mentioned that smoking may be a trigger and his response was I love it and have no intention of giving up. I also explained that the medication works to push down what wants to come up, but if we never want to visit what has been pushed down (call it hurts, fears, issues) then chances are the migraines will keep coming back. He nodded as he said they are becoming more frequent and even more painfull.
The world and its brothers now know the dangers of smoking and yet we have those that are medically educated saying they love smoking and will continue. We could say this is just one man and not billions talking here. The fact is, we have a real life story and this is a microcosm of the macrocosm and ignoring it leaves room for no change.
Airing it out there in the field, so to speak by way of comment means someone may read it or discuss similar stories. I for one will be having meaning-full conversations about stuff like this as it holds value instead of small talk about the weather yesterday and what clothes and toys we bought our dog recently.
Global wellness – what is it if this is going on?
Not cooking is a lifestyle choice and the experts are telling us that our lifestyle choices are a contributory factor for many illnesses and diseases, like Migraine, Diabetes and High Blood Pressure.
It is official our world is Not Well at all.
The way we are operating in life every day is having a big effect on our body and that means ALL of us are on some level affected, even if we would like to dismiss the immutable fact that we are all inter-connected.
Geriatric Medicine Journal – 3 February 2022
https://www.gmjournal.co.uk/mid-life-multimorbidity-associated-with-increased-dementia-risk-later-in-life
According to a new research study, published in the British Medical Journal, middle age people with 2 or more chronic conditions are at an increased risk of developing dementia later in life.
Chronic conditions include – High Blood Pressure, Diabetes, Coronary Heart Disease, Depression and Chronic Lung Disease.
Multi-morbidity at age 55 was associated with a 2.4 fold higher risk of dementia.
The study authors say that given the “lack of effective treatment for dementia and its persona and societal implications”, the results highlight that finding targets for prevention of dementia is imperative.
This was a large study with over 30 years of follow-up on 10,000 men and women.
Hello Dear World,
Time we just stopped here and ask some serious questions.
WHY do we simply accept that when we get older, we will get more than one disease or medical condition at the same time?
What if it was possible to not end up where these predictors are going?
The chronic conditions mentioned above, for example Diabetes and High Blood Pressure are related to lifestyle choices, as we keep being told over and over again. That means they are preventable and to ensure this happens, we first need to make some responsible choices on behalf of our body. Eating copious amounts of food that contain poison like sugar and drinking alcohol and beverages with caffeine is not really, if we are being honest a choice our body would make if it got a word in.
Depression – worth reading our blog on this topic and thereafter our comments. Then move on to commitment to life blogs. The author knows of many that have had depression that seemed to have shifted – like they changed lanes in life and things were very different. Having the commitment to life in all areas leaves no space for us to entertain those thoughts that keep us in a low mood and de-pressed from our natural state.
https://simplelivingglobal.com/world-health-day-depression/
https://simplelivingglobal.com/commitment-to-life-part-1/
https://simplelivingglobal.com/commitment-to-life/
What we ought to wake up to now is what is going on that we have a hand in. With due respect to all those involved in prevention and management of our ill behaviour that leads to ‘chronic conditions’, we could be doing our bit to ensure we do not become the prediction of a future dementia population.
We seem to have an attitude that it is ok if we do what we want now in our hey days and let old age and the care services look after us when our body breaks down and is incapable of the movements we once made.
Bit like a car engine, we trash it, drive it however we want and expect our tyres to be changed at the pit stop only to do it all over again with no real change whatsoever.
So WHY are we not making the movements and changing our behaviour at younger ages?
WHY do we have this ‘don’t care’ about our body and what happens to it later on in life?
The majority of us don’t really care as if we did, we would change things.
What we negate and avoid is the why questions –
WHY is this and WHY are we not caring when by the very essence of who we truly are, we all care deeply?
What is making us ignore and that means abuse our body most days?
We get told we have lifestyle diseases and they are increasing. This should leave us stunned and propel us into some kind of action to make sure we do not head down that road. But we don’t and we never question why we don’t.
What if we like the life we have as it does not press our buttons and we do not need to address any unhealed past hurts and pain that we are burying?
What if…Dear World, there is some sense in what is being presented here?
Drexel University Research at the WELL Center – 1 November 2022
https://drexel.edu/coas/academics/departments-centers/well-center/research/
Obesity, sedentariness and eating disorders are among the most critical health issues facing our society.
70% of the United States is now overweight or obese.
50% achieve so little physical activity they are considered sedentary.
Obesity, poor diet and sedentariness are associated with severe health consequences such as cancer, diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
Other forms of problematic eating such as binge eating disorder and bulimia are associated with a host of serious health conditions and anorexia nervosa is the number one most deadly mental health condition.
Scientists are saying they are still a long way from understanding how to prevent and reverse obesity, sedentariness and eating disorders.
While we wait for more evidence based research and studies that now make use of new behavioural and technological approaches to these serious health problems, including smartphone apps, sensor technology, artificial intelligence, video gaming and virtual reality, can we consider another approach?
This website has written extensively on Obesity and Eating Disorders and is presenting something that may not yet have been considered. The fact that our experts are admitting they have a long way to go from understanding how to prevent or reverse obesity or get consistent movement, as sedentariness is on the rise, it is well worth examining this website, applying the practical guidance and studying those that do to see the change. Nothing is working thus far and the author is sharing from lived experience that some of our global health issues are possible to change and it starts with being open to another way. This means taking responsibility for our body and self caring at a basic 101 level. This website has it covered with over 265 articles published thus far and no intention of stopping, as there is so much more to offer humanity – Another way to live.
Next – before we embark on video gaming and smartphone apps to assist with our global health issues, it is well worth reading our forensic article on video gaming and screen time – both on this website. There is much for the reader to consider before we jump on the artificial virtual reality route to deal with reality and real life issues.
Video Games
https://simplelivingglobal.com/video-games/
Screen Time
https://simplelivingglobal.com/screen-time/
We have recent news reporting about our Global Wellness that deserves a mention.
Personalized Nutrition Programs are making people feel weird about food.
Some doctors warn that personalized nutrition apps can cause otherwise well patients an unhealthy amount of worry.
A testing kit costing around $365 or £300 comes via the mail with a bundle of vials, patches and muffins.
Thereafter there are monthly membership fees $73 and the amount is reduced for a year long plan. This means the aim is wealthier consumers.
The starter pack includes faecal sampling kit, finger-prick blood test and a CGM – continuous glucose monitor.
The blood sample to be taken before and after eating the muffin.
The job is done by testing, scoring and monitoring how one responds to different foods and the website claims it can help with a whole host of problems. Add to that the app gives you personalized recommendations that can help you –
Reach a healthy weight
Feel less bloated
Avoid chronic health issues
Help with menopause
Doctors are concerned that this could lead to ‘dis-ordered eating’.
British doctors have said they have seen “perfectly healthy patients with concerns about their blood sugar control, prompted by reading in their new app”.
Small coin-shaped and usually affixed to the upper arm, CGMs used for people with Diabetes, is now becoming a trend of companies selling the monitors to people without Diabetes to track how their body responds to certain foods.
According to users, the app program encourages obsessive behaviour and it is like a game as the aim is to hit the magical 10 green circles in a row – which is what everyone wants.
A doctor in the UK said that people are restricting calories and become extremely anxious about eating carbohydrates. They are overwhelmed with the data they are seeing. The app is set up to derive those kinds of behaviours in exactly the people that would be susceptible to it.
A research scientist from the University of Oxford states that it is making people “quite weird about food for no reason whatsoever and the app in question has created a new stream for the worried well to feed into and that’s a bigger problem than just the organisation behind this app”.
Dear World
Simple to do the maths with 130,000 customers. Business is popular and booming fast.
Let us not point fingers, as this exists for one reason only. DEMAND.
We place the demand and then bingo we have a supplier(s).
Marketing is there with key words to goad and hook us in BUT we have to be seeking this kind of solution first and then we find it.
It rules out many of the unhealthy population as the cost is so high and let us be reminded we are all in this food and energy crisis with everything costing a lot more than before.
As a health and well-being website – our global wellness is key and whilst we have desires to get the easy road, the quick fix, the option to deal with things fast as that is what we want, then we can expect more of these kinds of so-called apps in the name of health coming up.
Simple Living Global consistently reminds ALL of us that getting Back to Basics, the old fashioned and simple way is the way. In other words APPLY COMMON SENSE and for those that have no idea what that means, ask the question “What would Granny say?”
On that note, Granny would say “Get sensible, don’t do stupid things, eat what is nutritious, cook from raw ingredients and nourish your body. If you eat something you know your body does not need or want, you will get the signs but you must listen to your body. Not possible with late nights, alcohol, sugar and caffeine.”
American Heart Association – 8 March 2024
https://newsroom.heart.org/news/high-cholesterol-was-twice-as-prevalent-among-american-indian-teens-and-young-adults
High Cholesterol was twice as prevalent among American Indian teenagers and young adults, according to a new study of over 1,400 people in U.S. tribal communities, aged 15 to 39.
HIGH LEVELS of Cholesterol
55.2% of American Indian teenagers aged 15-19
73.6% of American Indian young adults aged 20-29
78% of American Indian adults aged 30-39
The study noted that few participants with High Cholesterol sought or received treatment during the study period.
Previous research noted that 25% of adolescents and 30% of young adults in the U.S. have high cholesterol.
This was the first study of total cholesterol levels in American Indian adolescents and young adults.
“The cholesterol in this population will likely lead to subtle damage in blood vessels and to premature heart disease. There is a need for care including early screening and treatment for high cholesterol levels.”
Ying Zhang, M.D., Ph.D., – Associate Professor of Biostatistics and Director of the Center for American Indian Health Research at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center in Oklahoma.
Dear World
Research studies are a great awareness tool for us but not if we keep asking for more and more studies when we know something is clearly not right.
Are we going to nail high cholesterol levels in this cohort by early screening and treatment OR can we at least consider bringing REAL Education to all of these people, regardless of age and present more about lifestyle choices and how what we eat, how we respond or react to life and our daily choices, every one of them can harm our body and that means we could be going down the road of high cholesterol, Diabetes or the long list of illnesses and diseases that are now highly prevalent in our world?
This website is dedicated to presenting another way and it is backed up with research studies like this so the reader is updated with what is actually happening and whilst scientists have brought it to our attention, we need to seek the truth of why this is happening so we are not left as a statistic, which means suffering and not living with the full vitality and health and well-being that is actually possible for our human body.
World Health Organization – 14 March 2024
https://www.who.int/news/item/14-03-2024-over-1-in-3-people-affected-by-neurological-conditions–the-leading-cause-of-illness-and-disability-worldwide
A major new study released by The Lancet Neurology shows in 2021, more than 3.4 BILLION people worldwide were living with a neurological condition.
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/laneur/article/PIIS1474-4422(24)00038-3/fulltext
Neurological conditions are now the leading cause of ill health and disability worldwide.
18% increase since 1990 in the overall amount of disability, illness and premature death (known as disability-adjusted life years DALYs) caused by neurological conditions.
Top 10 neurological conditions contributing to loss of health in 2021 were:
Stroke
Brain Injury
Migraine
Dementia
Diabetic Neuropathy (nerve damage)
Meningitis
Epilepsy
Neurological Complications from pre-term birth
Autism Spectrum Disorder
Nervous System Cancers
Overall, there is more disability and health loss in men compared to women but some conditions like Migraine or Dementia, women are more disproportionately affected.
Diabetic neuropathy was the fastest growing neurological condition.
The number has tripled globally since 1990, rising to 206 million cases in 2021.
Other conditions, such as neurological complications from Covid-19 previously did Not exist and now account for over 23 million cases.
Dear World
If we re-read this article and consider all the questions presented and then move on to the mini report card of global statistics, then add this one above telling us back in 2021 we had half the world’s entire population with a neurological condition and it has become the LEADING CAUSE OF ILL HEALTH and DISABILITY WORLDWIDE – we are left in no doubt that things are even worse today. If we are able to admit that this one statistic will be more now than it was 3 years ago, then we are going to end up asking the WHY question.
WHY have we got the masses with a neurological condition that is so serious that it is contributing to our loss of health?
Do we require more stats, more research studies or more scientific evidence OR are we going to stop and consider if we, the ones that are displaying the symptoms and experiencing the health loss, are ready to question and keep asking questions until we get to the root cause of how and why we have developed this illness, symptom or dis-ease in our body? Until then we simply cannot settle, as we are left in that void with no absolute answers. Is this making sense Dear World?
University of Oxford – 21 March 2024
https://academic.oup.com/ije/article/53/2/dyae024/7632338
A new study by researchers at the Leverhulme Centre for Demographic Science (LCDS) and Princeton University reveals that U.S. working-age adults are dying at higher rates than their peers in high-income countries; the UK is also falling behind.
The study was published in the International Journal of Epidemiology.
https://academic.oup.com/ije/article/53/2/dyae024/7632338
The American Heart Association (AHA) – 2024 update
https://professional.heart.org/-/media/PHD-Files-2/Science-News/2/2024-Heart-and-Stroke-Stat-Update/2024-Heart-and-Stroke-Statistics-Infographics.pdf
• 9.7 million adults have undiagnosed Diabetes
• 29.3 million adults have diagnosed Diabetes
• 115.9 million adults have pre-Diabetes
• 25.5% of adults have high LDL-C (Cholesterol)
• 3.72 million deaths globally were attributed to high LDL-C
• 224 per 100,000 – the age-adjusted US death rate attributable to CVD (Cardiovascular Disease)
• 237.9 per 100,000 – the age-adjusted global death rate attributable to CVD
• On average, someone in the US dies of CVD every 34 seconds
• On average, someone in the US dies of a stroke every 3 minutes and 14 seconds
• 122.4 million (47%) of US adults are estimated to have hypertension
• 1 in 4 adults in the US get adequate leisure time aerobic and muscle-strengthening activities
• 1 in 8 male adults in the US are current smokers
• 1 in 10 female adults in the US are current smokers
• 1 in 7 high school students in the US used e-cigarettes in the past 30 days
• Every 1 hr/night decrease in sleep duration BELOW the recommended 7-8 hr/night is associated with 6% higher risk of CVD
• Every 1 hr/night increase in sleep duration ABOVE the 7-8 hr/night is associated with 12% higher risk of CVD
• 2021 – Alzheimer Disease and other dementias affected 57 million people globally
• 10% of US adults met the guideline for whole grain, whole fruit, and vegetable consumption each day in 2017-2018
These statistics speak for themselves, and they are only presenting a few illnesses and diseases.
Again, this is only one country, and I am sure each country will have similar figures.
Is it possible that it takes no stretch of the imagination to see, with the myriad of other illnesses and diseases, why health systems across the globe are facing bankruptcy?
https://www.bmj.com/company/newsroom/rise-in-global-number-of-patient-harms-from-11-million-to-18-million-59-in-30-years/
RISE IN GLOBAL NUMBER OF PATIENT HARMS
59% INCREASE in 30 years from 11 million to 18 million
Steepest rise among older people aged 65 to 69
The proportion of patient harms associated with medical procedures, treatment and contact with healthcare systems rose between 1990 and 2019.
The data analysis was published online in the journal BMJ Quality and Safety
https://qualitysafety.bmj.com/content/early/2024/05/09/bmjqs-2023-016971
50% of inpatient harms are deemed preventable in developed nations
83% in developing nations
These harms undermine health and the quality of life, are costly and erode public trust, while squandering valuable resources, the researchers noted.