What is Wellness? How can we measure it?
Illness is a lot easier to define. We know when we have symptoms and when we don’t feel well. We also know that we can feel well one day and have a serious health problem turn up the next week. Is feeling well, Wellness?
Article 12 will give you a summary of the new information that suggests a new direction to take in our search for wellness.
The metabolic syndrome study (MSS) showed that individuals who felt perfectly well (except that they were dissatisfied with their weight) had significant insulin resistance, which put them in a high-risk group.
Analysis of questions they answered about nutrition and lifestyle indicated that they either did not know, or could not motivate themselves to avoid risk factors for the metabolic syndrome.
Almost all of the MSS Volunteers had elevated hs c-reactive protein. This test indicates inflammation within their bodies. This was true even for those individuals who, with diet and weight loss, no longer had lab evidence of insulin resistance. This was evidence to support the hypothesis that elevated insulin levels cause glycated proteins, which are very inflammatory. The MSS also suggested that individuals that ate 4 helpings of fruits and vegetables a day were less likely to have insulin resistance and were less likely to have elevation of the hs-c-reactive protein test.
This study suggested that obscure illnesses associated with elevated c-reactive protein might be related to the metabolic syndrome and will be a promising field for further research.
This study also suggests that glyconutrients (found in fresh fruits and vegetables) might be useful in modifying signs of auto immune or hidden inflammatory changes in our body as we search for wellness.
Walther Meyer MD., CMD.
Nutrimed@tds.net