More Than Pills – Beat Lifestyle Diseases Naturally

As the sun set on another hectic day, Abhinav slumped into his bedroom with a bottle of pills in one hand and a heavy heart in the other. “Type 2 diabetes, damn!” The constant reminder of medications was slowly taking over his thoughts.

Even though he was taking his medicines every day, Abhinav always felt that there had to be a better way to manage his illness instead of just taking pills every single day until he was six feet under. Like so many others, he also believed that medication was the only way to fight lifestyle diseases. There has to be a better way than pills, though.

Abhinav, we hope you’re reading this blog! We’re here to debunk the medication lifestyle disease myth! There are many ways you can keep your lifestyle disease at bay, and you’re only a 10-minute read away from finding out!

Non-communicable diseases (NCDs), also known by their nickname - lifestyle diseases, are illnesses that mainly come up because of long-term unhealthy habits and behaviours. Drinking, smoking, vaping for Gen Z people, and having a sedentary lifestyle all play significant roles in causing lifestyle diseases.

They say sitting is the new smoking, and today, that can’t be closer to the truth. According to studies, over 45% of adults in India lead sedentary lifestyles.

So, now that we know what causes lifestyle diseases let’s take a look at some common lifestyle diseases:

Diabetes: Also called ‘sugar’, this condition means high blood sugar levels due to your body’s inability to produce or use insulin effectively.

Hypertension: Also known as high blood pressure, this increases the risk of heart disease and stroke.

Obesity: Excess body fat that increases the risk of other diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, and certain cancers.

Cardiovascular Diseases: Conditions affecting the heart and blood vessels, often associated with atherosclerosis (plaque buildup in the arteries).

The Role of Medication Medicine is the most common way to treat lifestyle diseases. Let’s take diabetes (or sugar, for simplicity). Insulin is the usual medication given to treat this. The patient injects the hormone directly into their bloodstream.

However, relying on just medication to treat these diseases isn’t the best solution. Let’s see why.

Medications always treat the symptoms but very rarely cure the disease. Now, let’s look at it this way. If you have a headache and take paracetamol, you’ll be fine in an hour! But the headache resurfaces in a few days, and you take another paracetamol. And the cycle goes on and on and on. What is the medication solving? Just the headache, but not what’s causing the headache.

So, adopting healthy habits alongside medication is the way to go! Let’s take a quick look at how you can achieve this:

Nourish Your Body

This is easily the most critical aspect. You are what you eat, and whether you’re sick or not, you can change your diet to take control of your lifestyle!

Diabetes: A diet low in refined sugars and high in fibre like idlis, upma, and dal can help keep blood sugar levels in check. Foods with a low glycemic index, like palak, gobi, and bhindi, can prevent spikes in blood sugar.

Hypertension: The DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet can help you lower your blood pressure! Add foods like palak dal, paneer, and chaas to your diet!

Obesity: Forget balanced diets; try superfoods! These nutrient-packed foods can help you get in shape quickly!

Move And Improve Getting moving is one of the best lifestyle interventions for disease management! Here’s why you should exercise to keep yourself in check:

Diabetes: When you exercise, your body improves the amount of insulin it absorbs and helps control blood glucose levels! So making sure the money you spend on insulin isn’t going to waste, is in your hands!

Hypertension: Working out makes the heart stronger. No wonder so many heartbroken people feel better after chest day. A strong heart can pump blood to the body without breaking a sweat!

Obesity: Regular exercise helps burn that excess fat and build muscle mass instead, which boosts not only your metabolism but your self-confidence, too!

Keeping it Zen

Staying calm and relaxed can help in slowing the development of lifestyle diseases. Here’s how you can find the best way to help you stay in the zone:

Mindfulness and Meditation: Breathing exercises like pranayama can help lower your stress hormones, reduce inflammation, and just make you feel better in general!

Yoga: The ultimate workout combining physical movement, meditation, and breathing exercises, yoga can lower your blood pressure and make your heart a healthy one!

Counselling and Therapy: These can help you cope with stress and develop healthier lifestyle habits. You can even join support groups and speak to people who are on the same boat as you!

Get some ZZZs

Remember to get some quality rest in! Not sure why? Here’s why:

Diabetes: Poor sleep can affect blood sugar control and how your body absorbs insulin.

Hypertension: Your hormones aren’t regulated when you stay up all the time. So remember, early to bed, early to rise!

Obesity: Staying up late disrupts hormones that regulate hunger, leading to overeating and weight gain.

Now, we know it’s challenging to maintain a regular sleep schedule, but we have some tips you can seamlessly add to your life!

• Try finishing your dinner at least 2 hours before going to bed.

• No more late-night T20 games. Try to have a screen-free hour before going to bed.

• Try to avoid those post-lunch naps and try doing some stretches instead!

We all love a sneaky sesh and celebrating wins with some loved ones. In fact in the morning of the FIFA World Cup 2022, over 49 crores worth of alcohol was bought in Kerala!

Unfortunately, drinking and smoking can have some pretty harmful effects on your body:

Cardiovascular Diseases: Smoking damages blood vessels and leads to plaque buildup while drinking too much can increase blood pressure.

Diabetes: Smoking increases the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, and alcohol can cause highs and lows in your blood sugar levels.

Cancer: As we all know, both smoking and heavy drinking are linked to various cancers. So, try to limit them as much as you can! We know that the rare vice can happen, and that’s okay! But they have a direct effect on your body, so remember to keep it rare and ALWAYS stay within limits.

Now that we know what lifestyle diseases are and how medication isn’t the sole solution, what is the way forward?

Well, a mix of healthy habits, a change in lifestyle, and medication is the ideal split you should follow! This holistic approach can help you address both the symptoms and the root causes of the diseases.

We hope the myth of medication lifestyle diseases has been busted! While medication is vital in managing these conditions, it is not the only solution, but rather a holistic approach that combines medication with healthy lifestyle habits, you can take control of your life and slowly but surely keep them at bay!