Estimated reading time: 7 minute(s)
by Shareefah Muhammad
(Source: Natures Medicine Cabinet) After the loss of our great Prince, the Food as a Medicine Health Seminar took a shift in its initial topic and focused on the health crises in our entertainment industry and how it relates to us. And one common denominator we saw in all the entertainers presented was inflammation. as early as 2004, many health professionals are now claiming inflammation to be the cause of most diseased states and there are many things that we may consume or use on a daily basis that triggers it.
At the tender age of 57, the artist known as ‘Prince’ succumbed to what may have been excess pain medication (Percocet) in his system that was to aid in relief from the hip and ankle pain he suffered from. Outside of the fact that an opiod such as this is cautioned as being addictive, prescription and over the counter drugs are at the top of the list as causes of inflammation (one reason why they have ‘side effects’). So though Prince was receiving pain relief from his meds, he also had other health issues that were developing that were yet to be discovered.
Shareefah Muhammad
The illustrious Phife Dawg of a Tribe Called Quest was no different in that he too suffered from an inflammation related conditions known as diabetes. What many of us do not realize is that excess sugar in our blood stream causes it to react with other substances in our body, causing it to act as a free radical, destroying the cells in our body that they come in contact with; especially the cells in our nervous system, hence the occurrence of ‘diabetic’ nerve pain. Not to mention that research is showing that sugar is more addictive than drugs such as crack cocaine and heroine. No wonder Phife Dawg was right when he said, “Like straight up drugs, I’m just addicted to sugar.”
Touching on the last moments of a King of Comedy; Bernie Mac; He too suffered from an inflamed condition; sarcodisis (a condition involving inflammation in the lungs). Heavily inundated with medications during the last moments of his life his immune system was suppressed, resulting in him catching a strain pneumonia not once but twice!
Lastly we rounded off the seminar with our very first guest presentation by Sis. Lillie X teaching about crystals and their power in healing the human body. The audience was captivated as they learned about the different colors and their relationships to various parts of the body. As the Q & A commenced, many questions were asked and a huge quartz crystal was presented to one of the participants! Next month is sure to be just as grand!
