I guess the first thing to check is whether at least part of the problem is the way we live our lives.

Then we need to look at the possibility of environmental issues.

Not to mention food issues. Food sensitivities don’t always announce themselves through a megaphone, but do their damage subtly.

Finally, the 500-pound gorilla: Is our endocrine system–thyroid, adrenals, pituitary, gonads, etc–out of whack. Historically, 20% of us have thyroid problems. The number of diabetes patients is exploding. The problem is huge.

My reading persuades me that diabetes, MS–in fact, many, if not most, diseases–originate with an endocrine system that can’t properly function because it’s too far out of whack, and we don’t know enough about how to right the ship before it’s too late.

So let’s learn a little about the endocrine system so we can get it into better tune.

We have a lot to talk about.

Bette Dowdell is not a doctor. She speaks as a patient who has studied endocrine issues for more than 30 years. Her opinions, while researched, are her own.