[Villages PL]

This might be fun and/or interesting to think about. I started thinking about this after listening to Bud Hedinger on the radio. He said that life begins at conception and compared it to his morning trip to work. He said his trip begins when his car first starts moving, not 1/4 or 1/2 way there. There's no place along the way where you can draw a line and say, "it starts here". It always starts at the beginning. Okay, I thought, that makes sense to me.

However, if that's true, I began to wonder what else that logic could be applied to. For example: How about our journey to the end of life. Where does that begin? When do you start getting old and ready to die? Using the above logic, I think we would have to say it begins at conception. Sometimes fetuses are stillborn, sometimes children die in their first year of life. And people can die anywhere along the journey of life.

How about alcoholism and liver disease: Doesn't it start with the first drink?

How about smoking, lung disease and heart disease: Doesn't it start with the first puff on a cigarette?

How about obesity: Does it begin at conception if the mother eats a lot of high calorie junk food during pregnancy? Does it start when the child is first introduced to processed foods? This one is difficult.

And what about so many other diseases like osteoporosis etc.. Where do they start? In most cases, I believe the seeds are sown long before a person gets any symptoms. It starts at the beginning, wherever that is.

[swrinfla]

I vote for At The Very Beginning!

A good friend, who leads a support group for folks with an incurable disease (which may or may not be life-threatening in itself) likes to tell folks, "Your disease is not a death sentence. You received that the day you were born. What you have to do is learn how to live your life to the fullest!"

Good advice!

SWR

[jblum315]

I agree. We begin to die the moment we are born. Death is a part of life.

[ConeyIsBabe]

IMHO one's decline is a progression of self-abuse over many years. I have seen this many times by observing the health habits of friends and most recently my gentleman friend of 20-years (R.I.P.) through the addictions of cigarettes, alcohol, and the wrong food.

I have inherited some crappy genes ~ low intelligence, alzheimers, parkinsons, diabetes, etc. As a result, I'm trying my very best to live the most healthy lifestyle within my control to overrule those bad genes. So far, it's working ~ at age 73 I don't need any prescription drugs and I feel great

[sunflower3630]

Coney: I don't know you personally, but I have been a member of this forum for quite awhile and have enjoyed all your posts. I just wanted to say that I am very sorry to hear of the passing of your gentleman friend. Hugs to you.

[graciegirl]

I am very sorry too for your loss, Coney Island. I have wondered many times how you were doing.


To answer the question posed here.

My opinion is that the cause of disease is

Germs, Genetics and Happenings.

Germs, In the sense that microorganisms, bacteria, viruses etc. invade the body.

Genetics. A predisposition of the body to malfunction in it's fight against disease or to program the body to be vulnerable to certain diseases or conditions such as cancer, arthritis, skeletal changes etc.

Happenings.. A ski accident, an automobile accident or even marrying a person who gives you stress can change your bodies response to
disease.

Then of course how we maintain our body is important too to keep it in a good working order. And this probably will cause the most discussion and variety of thinking. We all have choices to make to take care of ourselves and to seek and find the best medical advice. How and who is often debated.

[ConeyIsBabe]

Sunflower & Graciegirl ~ THANK YOU for the kind words.

It has been a year of tremendous stress for me and the loss of my friend to pancreatic cancer. Now, still a TV Wannabee, I'm trying to take life one day at a time, trying to savor the here & now, trying to be optimistic for the future. Although my "dream home" in Oregon has devalued significantly, at least I am comfortable, however lacking the social life y'all are enjoying in TV.

(Please forgive my off-topic post)

[Freeda]

Coney Island Babe, I too am very sorry for your loss.

On the discussion of the origin of disease, below is a link to a video of Dr. Myron Wentz, Ph D, microbiologist, in which he was interviewed about ten years ago concerning his work in the field of human cell culture (meaning, the science of being able to sustain life in single human cells that have been separated from a living human body, by nourishing them in a proper nutrient bath, so that they can be used as test subjects for diagnosing viruses, etc) as it lead to his firsthand knowledge of human cells' nutritional requirements, and from that implications as to how disease, both degenerative and infectious, is developed and may be influenced, prevented, and even reversed. For me, this video was a life-changing epiphany when I first saw it years ago. Since it deals directly with the subject of this thread, I thought it would be appropriate to share it here.

Dr. Wentz, from his study of human cells at his first company, Gull Laboratories, later became the founder of Usana Health Sciences (which we represent as advertisers on TOTV) to utilize the knowledge of cellular function that he had gained at Gull Laboratories for an entirely different mission - to keep cells that are still in people healthy - and, later, Sanoviv Health Retreat, as he discusses on the video; they are separate entities entirely, the only connection being that Dr. Wentz founded both of them. It is his discussion of the science of life, itself, that I believe pertains to this thread's discussion; and is the research for which he was awarded the Albert Einstein award for Outstanding Achievement in the Life Sciences in 2007. "Most people say that is it is the intellect which makes a great scientist. They are wrong: it is character." Albert Einstein

Since Sanoviv Health Retreat is discussed on the video, I wanted to, as an aside and also because I think it is important for others to know about, explain a bit more about it, since Sanoviv, along with Usana, has been the last greatest hope for many people with both chronic health problems and with life-threatening illnesses*, and Sanoviv is a facility that all people should at least be aware that it exists. People from all over the world go there for treatment of advanced disease, some after already having been unsuccessfully seen at premier mainstream facilities; others go there for advanced comprehensive medical evaluations for health maintenance and preventive care. www.sanoviv.com]

'Invisible Miracles':
http://www.videos.com/play/M24826684...v_medical.html

*(and but for Sanoviv - which I learned about only because of learning about Usana, I feel I should add, two of my own three children would very probably not be living today - . . . my son because years ago he was suffering so intensely from unrelenting, worsening fibromyalgia-type pain, for which we had been unable despite years of our frantically searching to find a medical solution, that he was emotionally done in and talking about taking his life . . . and my daughter because, two years after that, when she needed a stem cell transplant - ideally from a sibling - in order to survive acute myeloid leukemia for which she had precious little time to find a donor, my son, who after being worked up at Sanoviv had received the knowledge - which included, in part, the correct Usana products/amounts - that he had needed in order to regain his health, was still alive and was blessedly a perfect match for our daughter - our only other child was not a match; so if I had lost my son during that very dark part of his life, I would have very probably, later, lost my daughter, too. So I do have a lifelong exquisite debt of gratitude to Dr. Wentz, this great humanitarian, scientific genius and pioneer).

[Villages PL]

Dr. Wentz......... later became the founder of Usana Health Sciences (which we represent as advertisers on TOTV)

Thanks for the film clip. It was interesting and he certainly did say a lot of the right things about degenerative diseases and nutrition. However, being an advertiser, I don't suppose the subject matter is open for discussion. In that regard, it seems to have changed the character of this thread. Wouldn't you agree?

[Villages PL]

IMHO one's decline is a progression of self-abuse over many years. I have seen this many times by observing the health habits of friends and most recently my gentleman friend of 20-years (R.I.P.) through the addictions of cigarettes, alcohol, and the wrong food.

Sorry for your loss, ConeyIsBabe. I can relate to what you have said as I have a habit of observing lifestyles too and I usually can see how lifestyle is connected to health status and longevity.

I have inherited some crappy genes ~ low intelligence, alzheimers, parkinsons, diabetes, etc. As a result, I'm trying my very best to live the most healthy lifestyle within my control to overrule those bad genes. So far, it's working ~ at age 73 I don't need any prescription drugs and I feel great

It's pretty much the same for me except you can take out the Parkinsons and insert cancer (lots of cancer and dementia). I also try my best to overrule the bad genes and its working for me too. I'm 70 and don't take any prescription drugs. I don't think it's just a coincidence; living a healthy lifestyle really works!

There was an article in the Daily Sun about a couple living in TV who were both in their late 90s and both of them were drug free. That was a few years ago; I think it was their 75th wedding anniversary. Was that just a big coincidence that they both lived to their late 90s and both were drug free? I don't think so.

I once read (in a book about genes) that genes by themselves can't do anything, they have to be turned on. Take flower seeds: They represent genes to make a flower. But what happens if you buy a package of flower seeds and leave them in the package? Nothing happens. You have to plant them in fertile soil and keep them watered. In another book, "The Biology of Belief", Dr. Bruce Lipton made the case that "genes are not our destiny." The evidence of this is everywhere, people just need find what it takes (a better lifestyle) and put it into practice.

[graciegirl]

Originally Posted by Villages PL

Sorry for your loss, ConeyIsBabe. I can relate to what you have said as I have a habit of observing lifestyles too and I usually can see how lifestyle is connected to health status and longevity.



It's pretty much the same for me except you can take out the Parkinsons and insert cancer (lots of cancer and dementia). I also try my best to overrule the bad genes and its working for me too. I'm 70 and don't take any prescription drugs. I don't think it's just a coincidence; living a healthy lifestyle really works!

There was an article in the Daily Sun about a couple living in TV who were both in their late 90s and both of them were drug free. That was a few years ago; I think it was their 75th wedding anniversary. Was that just a big coincidence that they both lived to their late 90s and both were drug free? I don't think so.

I once read (in a book about genes) that genes by themselves can't do anything, they have to be turned on. Take flower seeds: They represent genes to make a flower. But what happens if you buy a package of flower seeds and leave them in the package? Nothing happens. You have to plant them in fertile soil and keep them watered. In another book, "The Biology of Belief", Dr. Bruce Lipton made the case that "genes are not our destiny." The evidence of this is everywhere, people just need find what it takes (a better lifestyle) and put it into practice.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genes

[tainsley]

I believe we are all born with a predisposition to diseases. Our family histories may play a big role in whether or not we contract a particular disease. The way we live our lives and the environments we are exposed to also play a big role in whether or not a disease will manifest in our bodies.

[graciegirl]

Originally Posted by tainsley

I believe we are all born with a predisposition to diseases. Our family histories may play a big role in whether or not we contract a particular disease. The way we live our lives and the environments we are exposed to also play a big role in whether or not a disease will manifest in our bodies.

That is it in a nutshell.

[ConeyIsBabe]

I'd like to add that our bodies change with age, stress, environment, etc.

For example, due to my recent extreme stress I started to have G.I. issues that led me to lose weight and go down one size. Through trial and error I self-diagnosed an onset of gluten intolerance. After abstinence of gluten products I felt better but a couple of accidental meals that contained gluten, the problem came back. End result is ~ after two months of total elimination of all gluten products I don't have the G.I. issue anymore.

My point is to listen to our bodies and make appropriate changes.

[Barefoot]

Originally Posted by tainsley

I believe we are all born with a predisposition to diseases. Our family histories may play a big role in whether or not we contract a particular disease. The way we live our lives and the environments we are exposed to also play a big role in whether or not a disease will manifest in our bodies.

I personally believe that stress is the biggest factor as to whether our predisposed diseases blossom or remain dormant.