Can you believe this is the 3rd leading cause of death?

You might find this a little unsettling, but the third leading cause of death behind heart disease and cancer is…

Getting medical care!

That’s right.  According to a recent study published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ), medical errors now kill an estimated 250,000 Americans every year.

“Medical errors” include unnecessary surgery, medication errors in hospitals, other hospital errors, hospital acquired infections and taking drugs as prescribed by your doctor.

Note that you won’t find anything about this on the CDC’s website.
According to them, the third leading cause of death is respiratory disease, which claims about 150,000 lives in the US each year.

The CDC doesn't publish any information relating to medical errors at all—this is likely at least partially due to an inadequate collection of data and the fact that death certificates don’t include a coding class for medical errors.

Plus I wouldn’t rule out their desire to protect the pharmaceutical industry either.

The mortality statistics that are published only look at the condition that led the individual to seek medical treatment in the first place.

So for instance, if someone went in for heart surgery and died in the hospital because of a medication error, the cause of death would likely show as heart disease.

Very misleading to say the least.

Our shocking rates of chronic illness
Although the US is extremely impressive when it comes to acute and emergency medical care, we are positively abysmal in the treatment of chronic disease.

Consider these sobering statistics:

• Seven out of 10 Americans take at least one prescription medication per day, and one out of five takes at least two medications each day.
• Half of all adults have one or more chronic health conditions.
• Two out of every three people are overweight, and half of those are obese.
• Arthritis is the most common cause of disability, and currently, affects 53 million adults age 18 and over. 
• Diabetes is the leading cause of kidney failure, lower limb amputations (other than those caused by injury), and new cases of blindness among adults.
• One-third of American adults has high blood pressure. 
• About 70 million Americans suffer from digestive disorders, with over $40 billion spent on products to relieve GI symptoms.

Our healthcare system should not be called “health” care at all but rather “disease management with pharmaceuticals and surgery.”

Do your part to create HEALTH!
Although medical care is necessary at times, now more than ever before in our existence it is vital that you do your part to not just prevent sickness but to create HEALTH!

And the good news is it’s not rocket science.  Instead, there are some tried and true ways to take care of your body and make it less likely that you will need “health” care to begin with:

Get enough sleep.  Seven to nine hours a night should be your goal.

Eat real food.  Simply put, your food should not come with a bar code and a list of ingredients you can’t pronounce.  Your body needs fresh fruits and vegetables, meats, poultry, fish, dairy, healthy fats (like butter and olive oil), eggs and whole grains.

Take a daily multi-vitamin.  Our food is inherently less nutritious than it used to be, and our hectic schedules sometimes make it difficult to eat the way we should, so the only way you can ensure your nutritional needs are consistently met is to take a high-quality multi.

Stay hydrated.  Eight 8-oz. glasses of filtered water per day should be your minimum goal.  Avoid tap water at all cost, as the fluoride and chlorine added to most municipal water supplies are toxic to your body, plus they may contain any number of other contaminants and heavy metals.    

Get regular exercise.  No excuses allowed.  Just be sure to get your doctor’s OK, especially if you and the couch have been BFFs for a while.

Take a top-notch multi-strain probiotic formula.  The world is finally catching on to the importance of the gut microbiome in the maintenance of health, including sound immune function, better digestion, elimination of toxins, reducing inflammation, efficient nutrient absorption and so much more.  Many things can impair your gut flora (including most medications!) so a daily probiotic is wise for just about everyone.

Keep stress under control.  Stress is extremely damaging to your health and especially to your gut.  Do whatever it takes—counseling, meditation, exercise, deep breathing, etc.  Get help if you feel you need it.

Do your part to create health and minimize your chances of being the victim of a medical error.