EDITORIAL:
MY PATH TO RECOVERY – IMPLEMENTING THE SIX PILLARS OF MITOCHONDRIAL HEALTH:
At the time of writing this, it had taken me three years to get to where I am now. (I started “MY” treatment protocols in support of my Mitochondria in June 2012.) I do not consider myself cured, but well managed. I still have hiccups along the way; however, I have come a long way. I was practically bedridden for a year and as I progressively got worse, I honestly thought I was going to die before anyone could even figure out what was wrong with me. Now I feel like I’m finally getting my life back. When I started to turn the corner, it was hard not to get too excited too soon and overdo things. But the more I understood my limits and assisted my body in reducing the load with a focus on doing as much as I could within my limits, the more improvements I saw in my functional state.
The Six Pillars of Mito Health were crucial to my recovery process and are the basis of why I pursued creation of this site:
The FIRST corner was turned through MAJOR energy conservation techniques. Physically (do only what is absolutely necessary), emotionally (stress really does kill and drama will suck the life force right out of you), and mentally (your brain uses more energy than most everything else in the body absent the heart). Basically, I was a workaholic having to learn to be what I considered “lazy,” but I could only afford to do the bare minimum everyday.
SECOND, dietary changes, supplementation and proper hydration. I have had great improvements limiting gluten, simple sugars, high carb foods/meals and processed foods. Dr. Lonsdale said, “We are the most overfed, malnourished society on earth.” Our food, whatever isn’t fake, chemicalized garbage, is high in carbohydrates and calories and has little to no true nutritional value. And inaccurate dietary information perpetuated dietary blunders such as low fat diets, which also denied us of essential healthy fats that are necessary for proper heart, brain and liver function. So although a majority of the population is overweight, they don’t have the simple nutrients necessary to sustain a disease-free existence. Sufficient nutrients are essential to proper function; therefore, supplementation is appropriate to fill in nutritional gaps not able to be addressed through diet alone. I have done my research on what to take, when to take it, what to take it with and what to avoid when taking it. As part of energy conservation, I also did research in regards to the better form of supplements that don’t require the body to work to convert the substance before use. Some of this can’t be avoided, but I did so where I could. For the most part, I have had to make educated guesses on how much to take. I have been fortunate enough to have a Primary Care Manager that has been more than willing to do frequent labs so I can tweak my personal requirements and keep an eye on things.
THIRD, detoxification can help to remove toxins that impair proper function and can actually hinder recovery efforts.
FORTH, sufficient sleep, resting between activities and even one or more naps during the day may be necessary to give the body time to adequately rejuvenate. Sleep is when the body heals the most, helps regulate hormones and strengthens the immune system.
FIFTH, exercise as much as possible without overdoing it. Mito experts now advocate for physical therapy to be part of any treatment program, regardless of the form of Mito dysfunction; as much physical activity as can be tolerated. Not just to fight progressive deconditioning that works to accelerate dysfunction, but because skeletal muscle is capable of complete regeneration, not from dividing cells, but from muscle and non-muscle stem cells that are more likely to contain healthier functioning Mitos.
SIXTH, utilization of complementary therapy options to address other issues. I specifically used chiropractic care, massage therapy, InterX neurostimulation and HBOT to aid in achieving an ever improving level of my personal optimal best. In regard to adding HBOT, read both the HBOT page and the HBOT editorial for more information.
DISCLAIMER: Before beginning any new exercise, nutrition or dietary supplement program you should first consult with a licensed health care professional. The information presented herein is for informational purposes only and is not meant to diagnose, treat or prevent any disease or to provide the reader with medical advice. If you are seeking specific medical advice, you should consult with a licensed health care professional.