Are we overmedicating ourselves?
Yes, says Dr. Marcia Angell, former editor of the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine. "We are taking way too many drugs for dubious or exaggerated ailments. What the drug companies are doing now is promoting drugs for long-term use to essentially healthy people. Why?"
"Because it's the biggest market."
By some estimates, more than 125,000 Americans die from drug reactions and medication "mistakes" each year. That could make prescribed drugs the fourth leading cause of death after heart disease, cancer and stroke!
Of course, modern pharmaceuticals have saved lives and continue to play an important role in patients with heart disease, high blood pressure and the like.
But for those of us who are essentially well, what can we do to stay away from potentially dangerous medications?
One way is to look at increasing our stress resiliency. Why?
Because stress has been implicated in a whole host of diseases, ranging from heart disease and cancer to the inability of a woman to conceive.
So what can you do?
One of the easiest ways to increase your stress resiliency is to exercise...
oh, no...I can hear the collective groans. But I'm not talking about push ups or running a marathon here.
So what do I mean?
Just go for a walk. A simple walk, starting out slowly for the first couple of minutes to warm up, then gradually increasing your speed until you are walking like you are late for an appointment. Walk for about twenty to thirty minutes, three to four times a week. That's it!
After only a week or so, you will find that your resting heart rate has lowered and you don't get quite so out of breath when taking the stairs. Your sleep will impove and you may find that your tendency to reach for those unhealthy snacks will diminish.
Who knows, perhaps you will think about training for that marathon after all!
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