HEALING IS OVERRATED

Most of what we think is healing is a myth.

When most people think of “healing,” they repair the damage.

At least on the cellular level, the body does minimal repair. Cells adapt to different environmental stimuli that promote a change in the cell, but once they are damaged, they stay that way and start to cut corners to make up for the damage. Eventually, the cell divides, making two cells from the one old. If that new cell works better than the old, we usually call that healing.

There is another option. The body can make undifferentiated stem cells, go to different body areas, organs, and tissues, and start to differentiate or become several other cells. In this scenario, the body makes new cells, younger cells, and more vital cells.

This is a significant distinction.

What is the difference?

Healing from cell division has a downside. Each time a cell divides, it shortens a part of the DNA standing in it called the telomere. The telomere helps protect our genes, and as the telomere shortens more and more, our DNA becomes more vulnerable to damage and mutations that cause aging and can trigger the disease.

Healing from cell creation makes an entirely new, younger cell with a complete set of telomeres protecting it. As this cell divides over time, the telomeres are longer than the other, older cells that have been dividing longer, and it is, therefore, stronger and healthier.

Health maintenance and prevention focus on supporting and maintaining optimal “healing” through cell division. Things like medications, therapeutic products, specific supplements, pills, powders, and potions all try and “maintain” or “slow” this process. Is that a bad thing? I think not, but it doesn’t build us a new body and truly make us healthier, just not as sick or slows down the onset of sickness and speeds up aging…but I would not say it promotes health. Does it play a role? Yes, can we do more!

Growing this body anew, staying as vital, young, and vibrant as possible, and promoting health take very different thinking and actions in how we live and behave through our lifestyle. Still, it is possible and can happen for us all…..at least on some level.

One size fits all, cookie-cutter approaches, and oversimplifying health concepts can keep us from growing the new body we want.

Keep focusing on the bigger picture, follow the bigger plan, and leverage all you can, my friends!

We can do better!

Dr. Don