By Dr. Leonard J. Somarriba DPT, CSCS
Owner of ProFysio Physical Therapy LLC
Doctor of Physical Therapy
Fellowship Trained Manual Therapist
Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist
The United States spends 18 percent of its gross domestic product (GDP) on health care. That equals $3.2 trillion, a figure equal to Germany’s economy. By comparison, peer countries spend about 9 percent of their GDP on healthcare. We clearly value our health and well-being. But here’s the kicker – we are one of the most unhealthy nations. In fact, America is, by most metrics, worse than that of all other rich countries.
There are many components to this troubling paradox, including social, environmental and economic conditions we live in. We also cannot ignore the fact our eating habits are having a significant negative effect on our overall health and quality of life. This article will discuss how what we eat is negatively affecting us.
Recent research suggests the nutrients we ingest, or a lack thereof, are having a profound effect on our health. Poor nutrition has been linked to a laundry list of conditions, including obesity, diabetes, chronic pain, and even psychological issues such as anxiety or depression. Obesity is an epidemic in the United States and the problem doesn’t seem to be getting better, in fact, statistics show it is getting worse.
Most of us have a basic understanding that overeating, especially the wrong foods, can lead to obesity, hypertension and other issues. What you may not know is that both the quantity and the quality of your food may be causing a cascading vicious cycle that is wreaking havoc on your physical health, mental health and quality of life.
The digestive processes that occur in our bodies is critical to maintaining good health. The carbohydrates, proteins and fats we ingest must be properly broken down and absorbed into our bloodstream to maintain proper homeostasis. Essential nutrients like vitamins B, C and D are not produced by the body and are critical to proper digestion so our bodies properly absorb the fuel we need to survive. For example, Vitamin D aids in the absorption of calcium and plays a key role in how your nerves, muscles and immune system function. It has also been associated with a reduced risk of colon cancer, according to various studies.
Having proper balance within the gastrointestinal (GI) tract is also critical to our health. The GI tract houses good and bad organisms. Consuming unhealthy and processed foods that are high in bad fats and simple sugars promote the growth of bad bacteria. The increased presence of this bad bacteria in our GI tract triggers inflammation and a heightened immune response which may be linked to disorders such as irritable bowel syndrome. This can also exacerbate other problems or even physical ailments. For example, if you live with a chronic orthopedic issue like back pain, and you consistently consume the wrong foods, it is possible the food you eat is causing more inflammation and perpetuating the pain you feel. Microbial imbalance in the body in know as dysbiosis.
Let’s talk about back pain or any other chronic physical ailment you may have. We have discussed the scenario where you may not be properly absorbing nutrients and eating the wrong foods which can cause more inflammation. The presence of a physical ailment would likely be amenable to conservative management such as physical therapy or chiropractic treatment.
However, it doesn’t “feel” better to you because you continue to experience high pain levels perpetuated by a poor diet. This further discourages you from proper exercise and may limit going out into the community to be around friends and family. The lack of social activity may further negatively affect our mental state leading to depression. This makes it even more difficult to cope with our physical problems and certainly makes it more challenging to manage our own health.
Maybe your issue is being overweight. Well it’s a little hard to do the exercise your doctor recommends to lose weight if your joints are too painful every time you exercise. That can be frustrating and may even lead to depression. By the way, did I mention a significant amount of serotonin (a neurotransmitter produced in the body that makes us happy) is produced in the GI tract and that inflammation in your gut can destroy serotonin which will probably further negatively affect your mood?
Can you see how the above scenarios can easily be described as a vicious cycle? For those of us suffering from this type of symptomology, it can seem like there is no end in sight and that treatments offered only take care of one of the symptoms, but not the overall problem. As a country, our health is in bad shape.
Surely I’m not the first to say this, but I think we need to take a much closer look and what we eat and consider the implications it can have on our physical and mental health. I want to be around to be with my family and friends for as long as I can. I’m definitely going to take a closer look at what I eat. There may not be a fountain of youth, but I’m willing to bet changing how I eat is going to help me live a longer fuller life.
Dr. Leonard J. Somarriba is a Doctor of Physical Therapy and co-owner of ProFysio Physical Therapy with locations in Aberdeen, Holmdel and Old Bridge. If you have any questions about how physical therapy can help, call 732-970-7882.