As we continue to navigate life with the novel coronavirus and all its implications, we are being called to rethink our entire world. What does this mean for us as health practitioners? How can we help redefine the meaning of health? And what is our role moving forward?
A key discovery with COVID-19 is that children are far less likely to get sick and there have been very few pediatric deaths from it. It’s also widely known that the virus is most virulent in elderly populations, who are much more prone to get severely ill from the virus and die.
Why is that? It has to do with loss of resilience.
All animals, including humans, lose organ reserve as they age. Organ reserve is defined by the ability of the organ to recover after being stressed. All vital organs begin to lose some function as one ages, but the age at which this occurs is highly individualized. A study done (1) on identical twins found that at age 3, the twins’ biochemical metrics were exactly the same. However, when these same twins were evaluated again at age 50, there was a vast difference. One was still healthy, vital, and had robust resilience. The other had not eaten well over the years, didn’t exercise, and experienced enormous stress. As a result, this twin’s biomarkers showed advanced aging, oxidative stress, poor glucose regulation, and excessive inflammation.
This study shows us there is more at play here than genetics. The real game-changer in terms of maintaining organ reserve is epigenetics: how we eat, how we move, think, sleep, and the degree of toxicity we are exposed to. When we eat processed foods, don’t exercise, allow stress to negatively affect us, and don’t pay attention to toxin exposure, it leads to “inflam-aging”, a term coined by Dr. Jeff Bland. Inflam-aging is inflammation that ages us, reduces organ reserve, and causes massive oxidative stress.
Here’s another scenario. Let’s say we run a blood panel on two individuals: one is 70 years old and has eaten a primarily whole food diet, watches her weight, and exercises 4 times a week. The other is 50 years old, eats poorly, smokes, and is sedentary. It’s highly probable that the 70 year old has far better organ reserve than the 50 year old. We simply can’t make health predictions, good or bad, based on chronological age. How we live and eat over time is what moves the needle in either direction.
Today, the conversation really needs to be about resilience. All human disease involves the immune system and the coronavirus is sharply illustrating that we can’t fool Mother Nature. We can’t bypass a proper diet. We can’t put off starting that exercise program. We can’t keep burning the candle at both ends and think we’ll be fine. This pandemic is a global reckoning.
The good news is that we have the tools to truly help people and, finally, they’re starting to listen. It’s about knowing the right biomarkers of true health and not focusing on disease. It’s about measuring adaptive capacity and systemic flexibility.
Research shows that 77% of those hardest hit with COVID-19 are overweight, 30% are obese. 40% of those who get COVID have hypertension, 40% have diabetes, and 50% have chronic neuromuscular issues. Like an already tightly stretched rubber band, these compromised individuals lack adequate flexibility, and are at higher risk for infection. Along comes a big stressor like this virus and it takes them down.
It’s time to get this message out to the world. There are no shortcuts. Self-care is vital. People need us to teach and guide them to resilience, metabolic flexibility, and halt the inflam-aging process. With the right knowledge, tools, and testing metrics, we can have a profound effect on our community and our world. Are you equipped?
The Institute of Restorative Health’s Level One Mastering the Art and Science of Gastrointestinal Healing starts September 1st and registration opens mid-August. We invite you to join us.
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FAQ
These frequently asked questions expand on the article’s key concepts and provide additional context for practitioners seeking to better understand resilience, epigenetics, and health optimization.
What is organ reserve, and why does it matter for long-term health?
Organ reserve is an organ’s ability to recover after being exposed to stress. As organ reserve declines, resilience decreases, making it more difficult for the body to adapt to illness and other physiological challenges. According to the article, maintaining organ reserve is a key component of long-term health.
Why does chronological age not always predict health outcomes?
Chronological age alone does not determine health status because people age biologically at different rates. The article explains that lifestyle factors such as diet, exercise, stress, and environmental exposures can influence resilience and organ reserve more than age itself.
How does epigenetics influence healthy aging?
The article describes epigenetics as the interaction between lifestyle and gene expression rather than genetics alone. Factors including nutrition, movement, sleep, stress management, and toxin exposure may influence biomarkers associated with aging and resilience.
What does the twin study discussed in the article demonstrate?
The twin study illustrates that identical genetics do not guarantee identical health outcomes over time. While the twins had similar biochemical markers in early childhood, differences in lifestyle were associated with substantial differences in biomarkers related to aging, oxidative stress, glucose regulation, and inflammation by age 50.
What is inflam-aging?
Inflam-aging is a term describing chronic inflammation that contributes to the aging process. According to the article, inflam-aging reduces organ reserve and increases oxidative stress, making the body less resilient over time.
Why is resilience an important framework for practitioners?
The article argues that resilience should become a central focus of health care because it reflects the body’s ability to adapt to stress. Rather than focusing exclusively on disease, practitioners can emphasize adaptive capacity, systemic flexibility, and lifestyle factors that support long-term health.
How can lifestyle choices affect resilience and organ reserve?
The article states that daily lifestyle habits have a significant impact on resilience. Healthy behaviors may help preserve organ reserve, while poor diet, physical inactivity, unmanaged stress, and toxin exposure may contribute to declining resilience and increased inflammation.
What biomarkers should practitioners focus on according to the article?
The article recommends emphasizing biomarkers that reflect true health rather than simply identifying disease. Specifically, it encourages measuring adaptive capacity and systemic flexibility as indicators of resilience.
What role does metabolic flexibility play in resilience?
The article identifies metabolic flexibility as an important component of overall resilience. Helping individuals develop metabolic flexibility is presented as part of a broader strategy to improve health and reduce the effects of inflam-aging.
Why were individuals with chronic health conditions described as being at greater risk during COVID-19?
The article explains that people with conditions such as overweight, obesity, hypertension, diabetes, and chronic neuromuscular disorders may have reduced physiological flexibility. Using the analogy of an overstretched rubber band, it suggests these individuals may have less reserve to respond to significant stressors.
What is the relationship between inflammation, oxidative stress, and aging?
According to the article, chronic inflammation and oxidative stress contribute to declining resilience and reduced organ reserve. These processes are presented as interconnected drivers of biological aging rather than inevitable consequences of chronological age.
What role can health practitioners play in promoting resilience?
The article encourages practitioners to educate clients about self-care and lifestyle strategies that support resilience. It emphasizes guiding individuals toward healthier nutrition, movement, stress management, metabolic flexibility, and appropriate testing metrics that assess health rather than disease alone.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Margaret Floyd Barry, FNTP MRHP is owner and Executive Director of the Institute of Restorative Health. She’s a functional nutritionist, author, speaker, educator, and real food advocate. Through years of experience working with the most complex client cases, including reversing her own autoimmune condition, Margaret uses a powerful system for restoring health by addressing the root cause of illness.
Today, Margaret teaches fellow practitioners the same proven system she uses to get her clients life-changing results through the Institute of Restorative Health – a two-year comprehensive functional nutrition certification program for qualified health professionals. Margaret also runs Restorative Corporate Wellness, a team of Restorative Health Practitioners facilitating health transformations with corporate clients. She is the author of Eat Naked and its follow-up cookbook The Naked Foods Cookbook. She’s also the host of the Clinician’s Corner podcast, where she interviews some of the world’s top experts in the fields of functional health and nutrition.
