Now imagine 40 Million+. That’s the number that will die in 2020 of non-communicable, lifestyle-related conditions worldwide (most in the developed or developing world). And this number is going up every year.
Autoimmunity, inflammatory bowel diseases, obesity, heart disease, depression, addiction, suicide – can be mitigated if not mostly out-rightly prevented.
We rarely develop these diseases because of solely the way we are born – we develop them because our environment and our reciprocal interactions with this environment cause us to unintentionally kill ourselves, slowly, every day.
This happens because we catch a virus, and it’s not a coronavirus – its a mind-virus, and we have no vaccine. Our brain changes and becomes addicted (through mechanisms of maladaptive neuroplasticity) to short-term, immediate gratification. We reach for dopamine, and we avoid discomfort. Screens, sugar, processed artificial ingredients, cigarettes, alcohol, inactivity, and isolation are built into our lives, drilled into our brains, and sometimes forced upon us. The contagion tracks our behavior and invades our privacy – unconsciously spreading to us in the estimated 4,000 – 10,000 ads we are exposed to each day.
The secondary, down-stream effects are real. Overloaded international healthcare systems on the brink of financial failure and yes even the death-toll from COVID-19 itself. Last month the CDC estimated that 90% of COVID-19 hospitalizations we’re associated with co-morbid chronic health conditions.
COVID-19 has only magnified the mind-virus and uncovered the systemic problems of modern society. In some ways, we’re all infected and it’s part of being human – yet it seems to have gone too far, way too far.
I honestly wake up every morning, and I long for a treatment and eventual vaccine for the mind-virus. And I assure you the best immunologists and biochemists wouldn’t know where to start.
The solution needs to come from all of us.
I believe perhaps we need to first inspire hope in those that are suffering – because they can feel the pain of the virus – and are most likely to be receptive to our interventions. We need to start small with a revolutionary group of people to show the world what’s possible.
I have good news: the mind-virus is not always fatal, in-fact usually it’s a slow burn. The human body can heal in robust ways and if you’re infected you can change.
I don’t pretend to have the answers but I believe we must work together to build the healing centers, programs, and contexts to allow for this change to stick. We need to change our environment, we need to change our brain and our mind, and we need to change our priorities and the mass consciousness that has allowed the virus to spread unchecked.
Only then will we develop a working treatment. Only then will we develop a “vaccine.” Only then will we develop immunity.
Recent Posts from the IBDCoach Blog
Why you need to care about bone health if you have Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Due to long-term steroid use and inflammation, half of all patients with IBD will show a significant reduction of their bone mass during the course of their disease. In this blog, we explain why that is and what you can do to monitor and improve your bone health. If...
Andrew’s IBD Food Blog: Stuff Andrew Eats for his Crohn’s Disease
Andrew's Food PostsApril 19, 2021 To continue our love of oats here at IBDCoach, I'm starting my week off with a bowl of creamy steel-cut oat porridge. Packed with beta-glucans (a soluble fiber) and a low glycemic index (digesting slowly), oat porridge is simple to...
Biomarkers used for monitoring Inflammatory Bowel Disease
“CRP, ESR, FCP, oh my!” There’s nothing like a bowl of three-letter alphabet soup to make it feel like we’re not in Kansas anymore. If you’ve been diagnosed with IBD, then you are no stranger to the range of lab work and tests physicians use to monitor IBD and its...
Fiber & Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Fiber: Influential prebiotic for gut health We’ve heard countless stories from our clients about how their doctors tell them diet doesn’t make a difference for their inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). But with recent scientific advances in our understanding of both IBD...
Gluten & IBD
Gluten in our food is a topic that has grown in popularity for both individuals with IBD and the general population. We are living in the age of gluten-free products. Are these always better for IBDers? Considering many gluten-free products are still processed foods...
Structure defines Function in IBD
This Tuesday morning I’ve had the delight of musing about our incredible gut and how this organ exemplifies the old adage in biology that "structure defines function". Our bodies are full of other examples of this: our opposable thumbs allow us to grasp items large...
COVID-19 Considerations for Individuals with IBD
COVID-19 susceptibility for individuals with IBD With the rise of COVID-19 cases in the US, we wanted to shed some light on what this means for individuals with inflammatory bowel disease. Considering that IBD is a condition in which your immune system is...