Thoughts on our Western Medical System
Posted by Pam Mangus on
As a practicing pharmacist for many years, I have always questioned the medical system and what we do to prevent illness. What I have learned is that the the medical system is great for the broken arm, accidents, accidents emergencies, and urgent situations. The problem is, western medicine is not proactive in prevention of illness. Sure, we have medications to treat your diabetes, or high blood pressure, cholesterol, but what are we doing to prevent these "dis-eases" from starting in the first place?
Remember the saying, " You are what you eat?" Herein lies the answer to prevention. You need to make sure that you are consuming clean, filtered water, free from chlorine and fluoride, and whole foods. What does "whole food" really mean? It means a diet full of organic fruits and vegetables and organic meat and grass fed beef. When grocery shopping, shop the perimeter of the store. Almost everything inside the aisle are processed foods. If it comes in a package, it's most likely processed. Eliminate all sodas, and drink water, green teas or herbal teas. Add spices into your cooking like oregano, thyme, garlic, coriander, turmeric for amazing heath benefits. Your body will thank you!
In addition, exercise is an important part of the equation. Aim for 30-45 minutes of moderate exercise at least 5 days of the week. This includes walking, biking swimming, pickleball, tennis etc. If you are older or already have joint issues, stay away from high impact sports like running, surfing, skiing since these can cause added stress on the body. It's also a good idea to incorporate weight bearing exercise like walking, and weight training a few days a week. Building muscle helps your body use glucose more efficiently, and helps stimulate the immune system too! It also helps with mood and helps fight depression.
When you study the history on the development of the Western Medical System, you will find many disturbing facts on how it functions, and how money is infused into the system at all levels. Once you know, you can't un-see it. As the saying goes, "Follow the money." When you follow the money, you will see the level of compromise within the system. Prior to the 1900's many of the heath care practitioners were practicing naturopaths or herbalists. They understood how the body works, and what vitamins, minerals and nutrients it needed to function. Now, many of the medications are used to override the system, instead of working with the system. It's time we get back to our roots, of using the what God gave us on earth, including herbs, vitamins and nutrients, and like Hippocrates said "Let food be thy medicine, and let medicine be thy food." Most physicians, nurses and pharmacists have little to no training in nutrition, yet nutrition is the key to prevention!
Luckily, more and more physicians are blending their art (yes- medicine is an art) and combining western training with the use of natural medicines. These physicians are now practicing what is called "Integrative Medicine" or "Functional Medicine." It's great to see physicians get back to their roots and helping people to get and stay healthy, and start focusing on disease prevention. If you give the body the nutrients that it needs, the body will do it's job. Other areas of complementary medicine include chiropractic, holistic, regenerative, acupuncture and naturopathic medicine. All of these types of practices are to help prevent illness and help you live your best life.
Final thoughts- If you want to live your best life, look for physicians that blend natural and western medicine, or for naturopaths and holistic practitioners. Let the people who practice allopathic medicine (western medicine) stick to the urgent situations. Ultimately, it's your choice- YOU are in charge of your own health. If you are currently seeing a physician who does not believe in the importance of nutrition and vitamins and herbs, then I would encourage you to start a discussion with your provider and start asking questions about why s/he does not feel it is important. Based on the answers you hear, you may have a decision to make on what is best for you and your health. Only you can answer what is best for you.
At Freedom Health Shop, we carry a whole host of vitamins, nutrients, and herbal supplements to help you stay healthy. If you are unsure of where to start in your health journey, drop us a line at info@freedomhealthshop.com and we would be happy to set up time for a free consultation!
Cheers to your good health!