One of the greatest benefits of my job is the privilege of speaking with the best
of the best in the fields of fitness, medicine and health. What a great way to stay
motivated!
Here is a great example - my latest collaboration with "The Hormone
Helper". Dr. Holly Lucille has been helping men and women over the age of
30 manage their hormone problems naturally for almost a decade. I have included
a short excerpt from her "NaturaPause" audio series at the end of this
article.
You will immediately see that Dr. Lucille's approach is a breath of fresh
air...and, at the same time, highly successful in the treatment and relief
of menopausal symptoms, andropause (male menopause), easy and rapid weight gain
that occurs during this time, mood swings, hot flashes, fatigue - the list
is almost endless. And, Holly's expertise is in getting you relief and on
the road to total wellness.
About Naturopathic Medicine
Dr. Lucille is an "ND", or Naturopathic Doctor." NDs practice
medicine with the philosophy that the body is the only true healer. Drugs are used
as a last resort, not a front-line strategy, in most cases. Naturopaths are just
as schooled as their MD counterparts (more-so in many cases), but far more trained
in preventative medicine.
Boy howdy, that's a far cry from "allopathic" medicine -
or the medicine that an "M.D." practices. Most MDs are trained to treat
the symptoms of disease, not the root cause.
Truth be told, we need NDs and MDs. If you break your leg or have a heart attack,
you'll want a trained surgeon (usually an M.D.) with a skilled team working
on you. In this regard, Western medicine presents us with the most amazing doctors
and technology the medical world has ever seen.
But what about
helping us all live healthier lives and avoiding disease?
That is the realm of the ND (again, in most cases), as they are trained to help
you and your body prevent illness before it occurs. They are highly trained in nutrition,
alternative medicine (a misnomer), and helping you heal from the inside-out. That
includes emotional health, and in some instances even spiritual health. I personally
know NDs who have twice the education of an MD who meditate and even pray with their
patients. I don't believe that service is covered on your co-pay plan!
Misconceptions
Now, before you assume that NDs are "granola" and new-agey, while allopathic
physicians are "the smart ones", check this out: the first doctors were
technically NDs in philosophy. At one time, these physicians worked hand-in-hand
with their patients using herbs and self-healing - quite successfully might
I add. They also worked with chiropractors (DCs) in the attempt to treat the body
as a "whole" rather than patch-working the symptoms with drugs and quick
fixes.
In the 1920s and 30s, the times began to change. The Rockefeller Family took an
interest in the emerging pharmaceutical industry. The mentality of the times shifted
from prevention to acute care - and that meant a surge in the use of drugs.
Drugs represent a wonderful hope, and are something I am personally quite thankful
for. So many illnesses have been stopped and even prevented with the use of drugs
and vaccines. However, like all good things, if overused it becomes a crutch rather
than a solution.
A Nation On Crutches
Look around today and you'll see a nation (The U.S.) on a massive set of crutches
called "medicinal drugs". It has to stop...balance must be achieved.
The body must be given a chance to heal itself with a judicial and even cautious
use of drugs rather than tossing meds at every problem.
How bad is this becoming? Just this week I saw a very disturbing new study that
was filtered through Canadian channels, but funded, naturally, via American pharmaceutical
ties. New 'research' is showing that
children and teenagers
are now candidates for "moderate to aggressive cholesterol management".
In short, there's a push to put your
kids on statin drugs.
Oh, that's lovely. As if statins have not done enough damage, there's
now a group of greed-mongers trying to poison children with this junk. Now, as I've
said many times, statins have, in my humble, non-medical, nutritional opinion, a
very small but potentially important role in some cases of heart disease.