Self-Care Advocate: 7 Steps to Prevent Chronic Disease

By Dr. Cedrick Batchateu

In fact, 6 out of 10 Americans live with at least one chronic disease. The growing prevalence of chronic disease threatens to overwhelm the United States healthcare system. We face an epidemic of high blood pressure, obesity, heart disease, diabetes, COPD, chronic kidney disease and acid reflux. In its current form, our healthcare system is unable to stop this growing trend. The impact is felt in blood, sweat, and dollars. The average person suffers in silence, often relying on prescription drugs to mitigate their symptoms. Self-care advocates however actively work to prevent chronic conditions and reduce their risk factors. Whether you’re interest in chronic disease prevention, or risk reduction, now is the time for self- care using a holistic approach.

Get this book and become a self-care advocate by implementing our Self-Care 7 protocol. Now is the time to experience health and vitality the way you were meant to. Don’t just survive, thrive!

Self-Care 7:
Step 1: Reduce Inflammation
Step 2: Practice Elimination
Step 3: Increase Hydration
Step 4: Promote Digestion
Step 5: Improve Nutrition
Step 6: Perform Exertion
Step 7: Allow Restoration

Self-Care Advocate will educate, empower, and equip individuals who desire better health. Get this book and become a self-care advocate by implementing our Self-Care 7 protocol. Now is the time to experience health and vitality the way you were meant to. Don’t just survive, thrive!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Dr. Cedrick Batchateu
• Release date: Jun 25, 2022
• ISBN: 9798986252131

Dr. Cedrick Batchateu

Dr. Cedrick Batchateu, Pharm.D., lives in Westchester, New York with his wife, and their daughter. He received his Doctorate from Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences. Dr. Cedrick is host of the Self-Care Forum podcast, and a frequent speaker throughout Westchester and the Greater New York City Tri-State area. Dr. Cedrick Batchateu has been speaking on chronic disease prevention for over 8 years. Visit his website at www.drced.com

Book preview

SELF – CARE ADVOCATE

7 Steps to Prevent Chronic Disease

DR. CEDRICK BATCHATEU, PHARM.D.

Copyright © 2022 by Cedrick Batchateu, Pharm.D.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or used in any manner without the prior written permission of the copyright owner, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

To request permissions, contact the publisher at [e-mail]

Paperback: 979-8-9862521-1-7

Ebook: 979-8-9862521-0-0

Audiobook: 979-8-9862521-2-4

Library of Congress Number: 2022911674

First paperback edition June 2022

Cover art by: Cedrick Batchateu

Printed in the United States of America

For information about special discounts for bulk purchases, please contact Cedrick Wellness Resources. To request the author to come speak at your live event, visit our website at www.drced.com.

For information about our online course, visit www.selfcare7.com.

Wellness workshops and retreats available for corporations, schools, and churches. We also offer both personal and group coaching.

I would like to dedicate this book to my wonderful wife, Luchrist, and our lovely family. Thank you for motivating me to share my gift with the world.

CONTENTS

THE PURPOSE OF THIS BOOK

INTRODUCTION

Part 1 THE HEALTHCARE SYSTEM

CHAPTER 1 Medical Model

Part 2 THE CASE FOR SELF-CARE

CHAPTER 2 Self-Care Model

Part 3 THE SELF-CARE 7

CHAPTER 3 Reduce Inflammation

CHAPTER 4 Practice Elimination

CHAPTER 5 Increase Hydration

CHAPTER 6 Promote Digestion

CHAPTER 7 Improve Nutrition

CHAPTER 8 Perform Exertion

CHAPTER 9 Allow Restoration

Part 4 READY FOR CHANGE

Chapter 10 Conclusion Stages of change

About the Author

REFERENCES

THE PURPOSE OF THIS BOOK

This book is to educate, empower, and equip individuals who desire better health. We live in a day and age where truth, when inconvenient, can be mistaken for criticism. I did not write this book to offend but remind people that things can get better. It is possible; it is doable; it is your right to live a life full of health and vitality. Why settle to survive when you can thrive? This book is not written to criticize everything about the Western diet and lifestyle. There are many good things, but we can improve our health by creating changes in our habits. If you find yourself guilty of the behavioral faux-pas mentioned in this book, take no offense. However, if the shoe fits, then you must wear it.

If you are looking for a quick fix, a 30-minute solution that will somehow magically change your health overnight, this book is not it. If you are looking for a complicated explanation of how we got to where we are, this book is not it. However, if you are looking to make sense of our current health crisis and how you can improve your own health; then this is the book for you.

Our culture often looks at celebrities and athletes as the pinnacle of health and wellness. It's easy to get caught up in images of them getting into shape, losing weight, and living their best lives. One may assume that good health requires a small fortune; this is false. Money is a valuable tool to have on your journey to better health. However, people perish due to a lack of knowledge. Knowledge is only half the battle; we must implement what we have learned. Thus, a more effective approach is to educate, empower, and equip people towards behavioral change. Do not look at these principles as a cure, but a way to develop habits that will inevitably improve your health. The information is straightforward, relevant, and concise.

There are many helpful health and wellness books today, and some go into great detail regarding certain disease states. What you will learn in this book has been mentioned in other books in some way, shape, or form. I have organized and structured the information in a way that is actionable for anyone reading this book. Most people know which healthy habits must be adopted; the problem is that they have issues doing it. Every year, millions of people make the same resolution, to lose weight. They sign up for gym memberships, buy workout gear, and even read books. Yet within a few months, they fall back into their regular routine. The problem is that changing behavior is complex and takes time. So, I promote gradual behavioral changes done over a period of time.

I believe that prescription drugs are helpful for symptomatic relief, a temporary solution. This approach does not address the root cause of the problem. This is what happens when we lower blood sugar, lower blood pressure, and even pain. If you keep mowing weeds down, they will regrow in the morning. It's best to dig down into the soil and uproot them. I obtained a doctorate degree in pharmacy, so drug therapy was the core of my training. But understanding the body's biological systems is vital for both a holistic and conventional approach to care. Because I have a passion for health, I did not stop my learning or limit myself to the conventional medical approach. It's a humbling experience when you learn more from those who lack the fancy degrees and titles you have. Humility ensured that I kept going, seeking, asking, knocking, and learning. I like to think my degree gives me credibility when I speak. But it's the lessons I learned from books and people that make the difference. My credibility also comes from the fact that the same principles I teach are those I practice. I am my best testimony, the example that I put forth. My family lives the information found in this book. This information is not speculation nor hype, but real practical solutions to chronic disease.

INTRODUCTION

When I think back to my childhood in Rochester, New York, I see myself sitting in church on Sundays. I worshiped in a predominantly African-American congregation of the churches of Christ. Our worship was consistent; we sang acapella, listened to a sermon, gave contributions, and prayed. What I remember the most are the prayer requests, and it seemed to me that health was the biggest issue facing the members of the congregation.

This experience had an impact on me; to be in a house of worship and frequently hear prayers and pleas for better health. I often wondered why these good people struggled so much with chronic diseases? In time I learned to consider the role of the environment, economics, and cultural habits.

There's a saying: when America gets the flu, black people get pneumonia. This saying is true for many things, especially regarding healthcare. Rather than focus on inequalities, I wanted to look at the bigger picture. Black people are like a canary in the coal mine, a warning for what will inevitably affect the rest of the nation.

My goal is to help people care for their bodies, their nutrition, and the cause and prevention of disease. This is my mission, and I've worked long and hard to empower individuals to achieve this goal.

For the past 8 years, I have had the privilege to share my knowledge in the form of seminars and workshops. Having had the pleasure to speak before thousands of people, consisting of venues such as churches, businesses, libraries, and even universities. The more I spoke, the more evident it became that there was a great need for nutritional and wellness education. People needed a guide, a protocol if you will, to steer them in the right direction. My job is not just to educate people, but to coach them as well. This is because habits developed over years will not be replaced following an hour-long presentation. This experience motivated me to learn about the role of nutrition and lifestyle changes in bringing about disease prevention.

Upon graduating from Albany College of Pharmacy, I took a retail pharmacist position in my hometown. It’s great to know that you’re helping people manage their medications. But in my spirit, I knew there was more to health than simply treating disease symptoms. I wanted to motivate people into self-care, and responsibility for their health. So, I did wellness seminars, the first of which for my church was on preventing diabetes. Word soon spread to other congregations, and they invited me to come and speak on various health topics. These presentations focused on chronic disease while emphasizing the role of nutrition and prevention. The number of people interested in my work grew. In time, I created a podcast called the Self-Care Forum, available on Spotify, and other podcast channels. Years later, I wrote this book, Self-Care Advocate.

I believe that good health is 80% behavior and 20% knowledge, this is why I focus on behavioral modification. The challenge most people struggle with is how to develop and incorporate healthy habits. Eating healthier and living healthier can seem like a steep mountain to climb. The fear of rapid and sudden change can overwhelm and even discourage many