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There are 3 levels of health: Level 1 Health is the youthful, vigorous state of health we were born with. Weight loss isn't needed, because we aren't overweight. Scientists would call that a homeostatic condition, where your body can maintain itself properly. Homeostasis is a condition of each process in our body being properly balanced against another. In that desirable state, we are at equilibrium. It should be the goal of any approach to health to maintain us at level 1, and if we have, like most people wandered away. The goal of any health approach should be to return to Level 1.
Level 2 Health is where our body slowly loses its ability to maintain homeostasis. The body falls into a self reinforcing pattern of inflammatory chain reactions that lead to discomfort, lethargy, pain and dysfunction; a loss of homeostasis. Our body becomes "out of balance", primarily due in most cases to low levels of persistent inflammation. Weight loss is very difficult in this condition. We now know that chronic low-level inflammation is caused mainly by our unnatural modern diet (which we CAN control), together with some hereditary and environmental factors (which we often CANNOT control).
So, we focus on factor that we can control, namely our diet and lifestyle. Our unhealthy diet, that leads to levels 2 and 3, is known and studied by scientists under by many names; such as the HFHS high-fat high-sugar diet, or the HFHSLF high fat high sugar low fiber diet, or simply the "American diet" or the "western diet". This disastrous diet consists of fried and other high fat foods like ice cream or mayonnaise, high sugar foods such as candies, sweet drinks, pastries, pies and cakes, low fiber meals of highly processed vegetables and meats, and very little fresh fruit, whole grains or nuts.
As your health declines in Level 2, you usually gain weight -- a few pounds a year or more. Even though you may go on every diet plan in the country, you find permanent weight loss impossible. While you become slowly obese, other health factors also deteriorate; your blood pressure increases, your arteries become partially clogged with plaques, your hormone levels become erratic, resulting in sleep disorders, moodiness, depression and sexual dysfunction.
Poor control of blood sugar results from growing insulin resistance in your liver and muscle cells. Weight loss slows under these conditions. High levels of blood glucose after meals causes a sleepiness in mid-mornings and afternoons; hence the famous "2 o'clock slump" (from high blood sugar) in your workday, followed by the "4 o'clock munchies" (from low blood sugar). Your system compensates against the 2 o'clock slump's high blood sugar levels by releasing massive amounts of insulin, which scavenges every last bit of sugar out of your blood, sending you into the the 4 p.m. munchies, or an eating binge at dinner time. This results in more sleepiness or foggy headiness about bed time. However, like the evening low-blood-sugar hypoglycemia, you develop a 4 a.m. hypoglycemia while you are still asleep. This results in a release of adrenaline as your body tries to get you into "hunter mode" to give it something to balance the low blood sugar, to feed your starving brain the glucose it runs on. The adrenaline rush causes a panic attack, which wakens you in the early pre-dawn hours. You leap from bed in a rush of worry, concern, and panic. You eat whatever is handy; usually something sweet. Then you may find yourself going back to bed again just about the time you need to be getting up for work. Whoops! Weight loss? Forget it!
In every aspect, you are losing control of your body's systems and processes. Many of your internal organs become less efficient, including your heart, kidneys, liver and pancreas. Any weight loss program you were working at slows to a crawl. Despite dieting, you may actual gain weight. You become lethargic due to a malfunctioning metabolism. Your productivity at work decreases, while mood swings (caused by hormone imbalances) make your family and personal life deteriorate. Level 2 health unfortunately, usually goes noticed by either you or your health professionals. When noticed or treated, Level 2 conditions are generally treated merely as one isolated problem, rather than a symptom of a much broader overall decline in health. As a result of this episodic or hit-or-miss approach, most of us continue our progress into a much worsened condition. Despite occasional treatment for this or that specific condition, our chronic low-level inflammatory disease persists and worsens. Finally, our health decline accelerates until we go into the final health status; Level 3.
Level 3 Health is a state of full, obvious and frank, overt disease. Declining level 2 conditions usually result in a true crisis, which leads to medical treatment by doctors and hospitals. It could be a heart attack, stroke, diabetic coma, runaway infection, liver or kidney disease, or even a serious personality disorder, among many others. These level 3 crisis treatments often return us to level 2, but almost never result in a return to level 1. Without insight into what causes the decline from level 1 health into levels 2 and 3, you may continue to live your life the same way that produced your ultimate crisis. We exist to help you understand what caused your retreat from a healthy, vigorous, youthful Level 1. Armed with that knowledge, you will take simple, easy steps to immediately begin your journey back, following healthful paths. In a matter of only a few days using our Level 1 Diet approach, you will notice lessened food cravings, reductions in aches and pains, better sleeping, and more energy during work or play. Then, as you continue to follow the principles outlined here, you will begin to notice steady and dramatic weight loss, increased productivity at work accompanied by more joy during rest and play, improved alertness, reduced moodiness and increases your in energy levels. Is that too much to expect? No, it's merely the vigor, joy and healthy energy of your youth. While we can't turn back the calendar in the outside world, most of us can eventually return to Level 1 Health and turn back the clock of our internal calendar, if we follow the principles of the Level 1 Diet.
By the time you get to the final stages of advancing disease, you will need to turn to doctors and hospitals for help in managing your health. They are a vital part of the process of dealing with Level 2 and Level 3 problems. However, it is important to recognize that only you can manage your own life. Only you can do the tough daily work of running your weight loss or health optimizing program. You must take charge. Read, think, ask, and do. Read about health. Think about how it applies to your own particular life. Ask for help from health professionals, friends and family. Let others know what you are doing and ask for their cooperation and their help. Then do the right thing. No matter how much other people know, or how much they may love you, only YOU can change your life. The good news is that it can be much easier than you ever imagined. Dramatic health improvements can be achieved. You can move toward vigorous, joyful health. The ancient sage said "The journey of a thousand miles begins with only one step!" Your own journey can begin right now. Take that first step... step into the Level 1 Diet and change your life.
Level1Diet.com supports an anti-inflammation weight loss diet program that restricts inflammatory omega-6 oils and trans-fats, increases anti-inflammatory omega-3 foods such as certain oily fish and some whole nuts, emphasizes high fiber vegetables and antioxidant fruits, and supplements with daily vitamins, minerals, herbs and plant extracts. Weight loss and optimum weight management are the result of following the diet. Our goal is to lose weight and to reverse or reduce risks for the major diseases associated with chronic inflammation; heart disease, cancer, stroke, diabetes, Alzheimer's, and many other degenerative conditions. The Level 1 Diet features an ad libitum approach to dieting using the physical size or portions of food on the plate, rather than a calorie counting or percentage of macro nutrient system. The relative proportions of food in our system fit roughly into the shape of an American Football, with vegetables, fruits, fish, beens and nuts taking up the large central parts of the ball, and less desirable but necessary higher fats, and high glycemic index sugary or starchy foods at the smaller ends of the ball.