I received an email several months ago from a 35 year old man who says he has high blood pressure, Diabetes 2, ED, and is experiencing occasional dizzy spells. He told me that his doctor says he has the early stages of heart disease. The doctor has put the man on several medications in an attempt to manage these medical conditions. The man emailed to ask if there were any herbs he could take to replace the medications because he felt he was “too young” to be taking multiple medications. Further emails back and forth revealed the this man eats fast food several times each week, he admitted to being 50 pounds overweight, and spending most of his free time sitting in front of the television or computer.
I suggested that he start by making some diet and lifestyle changes, and I offered to send him a written plan to help him break the fast food habit and improve his diet over time. I told him that I would create the plan for him at no cost upfront. He could pay me what he thought the plan was worth to him when he saw results.
The gentleman responded saying that he had no desire to change his eating or lifestyle habits. He enjoyed fast food, donuts, sugar, etc, and had no intention of giving them up. What he wanted from me was suggestions for herbs he could buy locally and take easily which would have the same actions on his body that the medications had.
I’m sharing this with you because it illustrates one of the things that I feel is wrong with the American way of looking at health. In many ways this attitude is what’s wrong with our society in general.
People want a quick fix, and want someone else to take responsibility for the fix. I have talked to a ridiculously high number of people who say “I don’t want to change my lifestyle or diet. Just give me a pill to fix what’s wrong with me.” Then, when that pill doesn’t work these people blame whatever health provider gave them the pill. It’s the pill’s fault. Then, when you offer them a list of things they can do or change that WILL help their problem, they tell you “No. I’ve already tried X, Y and Z from my doctor. There’s nothing I can do”
It makes me want to scream.
Take responsibility for your health. Take responsibility for your life. If you have heart disease then take actionable steps to improve your heart and circulatory system function. If you have Diabetes 2, there are lifestyle changes you can and should make that are backed up by good science and lots of experience. If you are overweight, take steps to get down to a healthy weight. No, it’s not as simple as calories in vs calories out, but there is solid research on why some people have trouble losing weight, and what they can do about it.
Staying healthy in today’s world is HARD. It takes work, focus, dedication and effort. The human body is designed for activity and wholesome food. You can’t sit on your rump in front of the tv all eating sugar and flour and chemical laden fake foods and expect your body to function at its peak.
Would you put oil in the gas tank of your car and expect it to work? How about trying to charge your cell phone with the wrong voltage? Of course you wouldn’t. Because you recognize that you’re giving it the wrong kind of fuel. Not only will it not work, but it will cause permanent damage to the machine. It’s the same with your body. If you use the wrong fuel, you will break the machine. Sure, fruit flavored roll ups taste like fruit, they look like fruit, but they aren’t fruit. They’re fruit juice with additives.
The health situation in America will not change until people are willing to take responsibility for their health. That means doing your own research, eating pure food, and making an effort to move your body in the way it was designed.
Until you’re ready to do that, don’t whine and complain about how bad your health is. Don’t blame your medical providers, your genes, or your God. Realize and understand that your illness, and pain are part of your body’s warning system. If you choose to ignore the warnings, that’s on you.
