Wellness Blog

A Commentary on the State of Health & Wellness in America

6/12/2019

I have updated this blog to reinforce my message, taking control of your own health is the only way out of the morass that is healthcare in America. It is my hope that families would begin to reach out for the support and education they need to obtain and maintain higher levels of health and a deeper and truer enjoyment of life!

As a Wellness Practitioner I believe the
fundamental cause of most diseases, especially in civilized cultures like ours is auto-intoxication. This is not new information and there are many voices speaking out on this truth particularly in the wake of the "Covid crisis". Traditional healing modalities the world over recognize the issue of toxic congestion and its effect on health placing emphasis of treatment on "cleaning up" the microbiology and supporting detoxification.

In most other parts of the world observational medicine and holistic treatments in the form of folk medicine are more the rule. In the US allopathic (modern) medicine with it's endless source of pills as cures has over the years forced most other forms of medicine out of the picture. These alternatives include, chiropractic, naturopathic medicine (not the same version practiced by most N.D.'s today), homeopathy, colon hydrotherapy and others. The advent of the AMA, American Medical Associate lead to a government supported repression of all other choices of health care. Although we now have seen integration of some of the modalities and limited payments for services through health care insurance the backlash of this repression is the almost complete reliance of the average American on the limited perspective of allopathic health care. The result of this forced dependence is the debacle we know see in the "State of Health and Wellness in America"! Our health statistics put us in very low ranks compared to other populations of "civilized countries" and on some accounts "third world countries". We may not being dying from vector acquired illness and diseases like cholera, but the average American is aging prematurely. We see metabolic disorders in those as young as childhood, predominating the 20's - 30's age groups and devastating those age 50 and over!

When we look at ancient and traditional form of medical practices such as Ayurveda, which traces its roots back to 600 BCE. Ayurveda arising from from the religious Vedic teachings in Indian whose spiritual belief and teachings that the body is the temple of the Divine and it is the observants obligation to care for it properly. Ayurveda uses observation as it’s standard diagnostic tool, rather than scientific testing. Chinese medicine also evolved through many 1,000’s of years observation of the human condition. Beginning with the coalescence of Taoism, the observation of what is...not what we think is. A subtle difference which may seem sematic, but often the thinking mind has its own version of what is...denial is a perfect example of delusional thinking! Taoist Medicine looks at the energetic expression of a health symptom and seeks to bring a cure through balance. This is a subtle art form and a sure way to find the root cause of illness which is often wrapped layers of psychological and emotional confusions.

In Europe, the evolution of Hippocrates healing principles were pursued and renewed into the practice of "Old School" Naturopathic medicine whose principles are consistent with Chinese medicine, in that the practitioners efforts were design to restore balance to the body and emotions. They promoted the understanding that one cannot separate a person’s being into parts, sending the brain to a psychiatrist, the body to a Doctor and the Spirit to the priest or pastor. The understanding that we are all these things at once and that wellbeing involves a complex set of variables that requires the practitioner to look at the whole person.

I have watch with dismay the failing of “modern medicine” whose bullet approach uses an ever evolving array of medication as it’s primary tool for healing. Many of these medications often leave the patient with serious addiction issues and intolerable side effects. However, modern medicine is not entirely to blame for the state of affairs we now have, in which the majority of Americans are showing signs of premature aging as young as mid-twenties and children have fallen victim to imbalances so severe that we now have “spectrum” disorders such as autism, Aspergers, impulse control, ADD and ADHD. Many seniors have lost any quality of life. When you consider a recent survey authorized by the Federal government you will be shocked to learn that, “Nearly half of all Americans over the age of 12 take prescription pain relievers, tranquilizers, sedatives or stimulants.”

Research is now clearly demonstrating that the overuse of antibiotics and poor nutrition have degraded genetics leaving millions prey to a wide variety of health issues, both physical and mental. Wide spread use of antibiotics began in the US around the turn of the century. For good reasons researchers were looking for cures for some very deadly diseases. Biologist, Paul Ehrlich's idea of a “magic bullet” that selectively targets only disease-causing microbes was/is a good idea and has worked againsts truly life threatening microbes. In 1904 he worked with others to find a drug that could cure syphilis.

These, the “new” drugs were indeed lifesaving, however the over reliance has created even bigger problems over time. Unfortunately we began to take the magic bullet model to far. Modern medicine is determined to treat all complaints from headaches and tummy aches to cancer, one idea, let’s find a pill or potion that will save you from this attack!

A good question to ask is, how did we get to this place where the lifesaving bullet has now turned against us? From the MD’s perspective the magic pill was a default choice. Doctors are faced with patient complaints on a daily basis. The average individual historically will fail to follow the advice of a physician to make changes to their lifestyle. Given this failure to comply, drug companies offer the physician a "cure" in the form of a pill.  In truth the responsibility for this current state of affairs lies with the general population.

Many say it’s a conspiracy between the medical machine and big pharma, but that really doesn’t fly. Yes, we live in a culture with versions of food that are far from the natural diet of humans. But, can we really blame food manufacturers for making a buck? After all the US is the bastion of capitalism which functions via the mechanism of consumer preferences and choices. They wouldn’t make it if we didn’t buy it! No, in truth, we cannot blame anyone but ourselves.

Using myself as an example. As a result of a date with destiny in the form of my first chiropractor, Dr. G I Jones who got me straightened out in more ways than one in my early 20's. After a series of colonic treatments and his strong admonitions  I endeavored to live a lifestyle as close to natural as I can, eating a whole foods diet with a wide variety of foods. Eating not according to some dogma, and I have learned to fast and to detox when needed. I have also learned that a big part of being healthy is about learning to be happy which often involves the sorting out of and healing of emotional trauma.

Here's my story. At the age of 20 I was sick. I had been sick for sometime. When I was in middle school I developed a staph infection in my blood and was given massive doses of antibiotics which I reacted to severely. I was raised on a combo of 1960’s junk foods and Midwest diet, I was allergic, chronically constipated, suffered from spastic colon, with a very stressful home life. No wonder I got so sick! By the time I reached 20 years old I had had one thing after another, including a raging case of candida and serious gut issues. A ray of light came into my world when a friend gave me the best gift I have ever received… a copy of the book Back to Eden, by Jethro Kloss. Jethro Kloss was Seventh Day Adventist, by the way, the Seventh Day Adventist are the original vegetarians and they ranked on average as the longest lived people in the US. Jethro was also an herbalist and a Naturopath of sorts that really believed the body could heal itself given the right foods, herbs and manual therapies and emotional support. Unfortunately, Jethro was dismissed by many, especially in the medical field. This was the beginning of the establishment of the AMA and the pharmaceutical companies and their relentless campaign to ostracize the competition. Kloss was truly, a man ahead of his time. I devoured his book and began to seek to educate myself about the body, how it worked, what it needed.

I began a process of detoxification and fasting. Relying on the books of Ann Wigmore, NW Walker, Bernard Jensen, Raymond Dextreit the French naturopath whose book, “Our Earth, Our Cure”, still stands apart as a monument to common sense ! I learned about the power of vegetable juices and raw foods, detoxification and supporting the liver. I was literally transformed by my efforts.

I went on to have two children, whom were raised on a natural foods diet, at least until their teens! Teens are eating machines and they will eat junk food. They survive, turn thirty, returning to their roots they realize their mom was right, you gotta eat your veggies!

My kids were born by natural delivery with no meds during labor, they were breastfeed and had antibiotics only once each in their formative years. I have three amazing grandchildren who also were natural delivery with no meds, breastfeed and raised on a whole foods diet. They are physically and imaginatively active, powerful specimens of what common sense can produce in spite of all the temptations to not do the right thing with one’s diet and lifestyle choices!

In treating their childhood illnesses I made my kids swallow goldenseal tincture and every other decoction which I made myself. Back in the early 80’s you could not buy herbal tinctures. I learned to make my own, taking herbal courses and torturing my kids! There were many nights I sat up nursing them through whatever it was, fingers crossed and praying that I was doing the right thing. I had to stand up to those who wanted them to have antibiotics and trust what I knew. Back in those days, I drove over 2 hours to the nearest whole foods market to buy natural foods, herbs and what organic produce I could find. I was committed and now I truly appreciate my own efforts. I see it has left a legacy of understanding that will carry on through my children and grandchildren.

In spite of the advances in research and the growing understanding about inflammation, cellular function and the importance of a healthy gut, there is a persistent tendency to fall back into that the allopathic model. Many ND’s are using intense and expensive nutrient supplementation or IV infusion therapies along with antibiotics and other medications with little focus on lifestyle and dietary changes. In short, I believe we are still a nation looking for the quick fix outside ourselves. Note: Pharmaceutical corporations have drive out most independent manufacturers of nutritional supplements and currently, through subsidiaries control most of the production and marketing of "nutritional supplements". Just as MD's receive compensation from drug companies, so do ND's who "prescribe" their latest brand of supplementation.

I am not debunking what a well educated and dedicated practitioner such as an ND or an MD can bring to the table. But, I am saying that when the focus is on the SELL, with a cure that will cost more than what the average consumer can afford to pay. Let’s face it, the new concierge model of health care is for the wealthy. We have to ask is this the answer? The terms Holistic and Natural Healing have, in some cases been hijacked by modern practitioners cashing in on desperation. With new names such as Integrative or Functional Medicine these practitioners are in some cases truly brings the modern medical and holistic together, but in many cases its little more than a front for the same old magic pill mentality.

My message is this, that with a little common sense and a dedication to oneself much can be done to improve health and wellbeing. The wellness consultant is in a unique position to offer unbiased information to educate the consumer about the options available and that the true natural medicine which is, living a health promoting lifestyle and help people recover from a lifestyle that is literally making them sick.

I encourage everyone who is listening to join the thousands of Americans who have finally gotten sick of being sick. Who stand up and say, “I don’t have to go down this path, I can choose differently”. Reversing disease and creating wellness is an ongoing consistent daily journey. When we find our own inner healer and the people to support that process, we are truly  evolving into the sense of intuition they we are our own best healer.