Why Big Biz is NOT Designed to Keep You Healthy
Many of us are beginning to realize just how badly broken our current healthcare system is. Here in the US our western allopathic approach to medicine is definitely NOT health care as it rarely does anything to address root causes and prevention. It’s more accurate to call it sick care or disease management. Our current medical system most often only treats or masks symptoms, rather than addressing what caused the disease in the first place, through treatments, surgery and pharmaceuticals that often cause additional health issues and even early death (more on that below). In many cases our healthcare system does little to reverse disease or improve quality of life. No wonder there’s so much confusion and misinformation out there! We unwittingly put our faith in a system that has miserably failed us for the sake of profit.
Unless you’re going to an alternative health practitioner, naturopath or functional medicine practitioner, most doctors don’t offer preventative medicine because they simply aren’t taught, nor do they have adequate time to spend with their patients. Did you know that most medical schools teach very little, if any, about nutrition or preventative care? And crazier yet is most doctors aren’t even allowed to use a preventative or nutrition-based approach because it’s considered outside of their scope of practice.
With so many specialized fields of modern western medicine, they simply are not looking at the whole picture of what’s going on in the body (holistic approach). Instead, the focus is on the parts that are their area of expertise and treat symptoms by pushing more drugs, which in turn cause side effects and often more problems. This allopathic approach does nothing to get to the root cause or to bring the body back into a state of homeostasis (balance). The body has an innate intelligence that knows how to heal itself when given the proper nutrients, rest, care and building blocks it needs. We’ve become disconnected from the messages our body is trying to tell us and the natural healing resources we’ve had for thousands of years, but we can learn to tune into it again.
Now I’m not slamming all western medicine as I think they have their place. There are areas in which they excel, such as injuries for example. If I was in a car accident and had broken bones and a ruptured spleen, then by all means, please take me to a hospital!
My husband wouldn’t be alive today without his excellent dialysis care and kidney transplant team and we’ve been very grateful for their genuine concern for their patients and level of care he’s received. Yet I was constantly shocked at some of the things his doctors, nurses and licensed nutritionists (trained in our standard western medical system) suggested he eat to keep his weight up and avoid the phosphorus and potassium that builds up in his system. It was all chemicals, sugar and garbage…a far cry from being health promoting!! After his transplant his doctor told him to drink a coke and eat a bowl of ice cream every day to build his phosphorus and potassium levels back up (which plummet post-transplant), and be sure and take his Lipitor to avoid getting high cholesterol which could cause a heart attack (he didn’t even have high cholesterol!!!). WHAT?!?!? Needless to say, he refused the Lipitor, coke and ice cream and we continue to eat from our organic garden and utilize nature’s bounty, and his numbers have all been perfect! And by the way, several of his large team of doctors and nurses are overweight, smokers and don’t look very healthy themselves.
I believe most doctors and medical practitioners are good-hearted people with very good intentions of helping. But the system itself doesn’t allow for them to incorporate any thinking outside of what they were taught and even risk losing their medical license if they do. Our western, allopathic approach is not addressing nutrition, lifestyle, mental and emotional health and supportive herbs that are foundational and vital to health.
Big Pharma
Did you know that special interest groups and taxpayer dollars fund many of the studies and research on health? There are a lot of problems with that as it creates corruption, skewing results for the sake of profit over ethics and the current narrative that’s being pushed. There is very little funding and money to be made in preventative medicine, energy medicine, lifestyle, nutrition and herbs, while there are billions to be made in pharmaceuticals. Americans continue to spend more and more money on prescription medications at an alarming rate while getting exponentially sicker. The US spends more money on health care per year than anyone else in the world. You’d think we would be the healthiest nation on the planet, but we’re at the bottom of that list with our extremely high rates of obesity and disease. There is something seriously wrong with that picture.
Pharmaceutical companies are a multi-billion dollar per year industry that does nothing to address root causes and prevention.
Here are some shocking statistics. According to a CBS News report, “Americans spent $535 billion on prescription drugs in 2018, an increase of 50% since 2010.” In an article called How Big Pharma Reaps Profits While Hurting Everyday Americans on the website americanprogress.org, it goes on to say pharmaceutical companies receive substantial U.S. government assistance in the form of billions of taxpayer dollars and tax breaks, yet they continue to increase already exorbitant prices for medications. “These price increases far surpass inflation, with Big Pharma increasing prices on its most-prescribed medications by anywhere from 40% to 71% from 2011 to 2015.” I’m not even going to get into the massive (disgusting…unethical…criminal…?) exchange of wealth that’s happened recently and the agendas and narratives they’re pushing. That’s a whole different topic.
There are also real issues with drug interactions and side-effects. Although doctors have access to a list of possible interactions, there are many that are unknown. And the more medications you take the more interactions they have and the higher the likelihood of health damaging effects and shortened life span in the long run, even when you don’t have immediate symptoms.
Have you heard of the term iatrogenesis? It’s something the medical industry doesn’t want you to know about. It refers to medical errors that are “preventable adverse effects of care,” whether or not it is evident or harmful to the patient. Here are some more staggering numbers. A recent John Hopkins study claims that over 250,000 people die every year from medical errors, and that’s just in the US alone! Other reports claim the numbers to be as high as 440,000!! And here’s another shocker; medical errors are the third leading cause of death after heart disease and cancer! Are you surprised? I’m not, unfortunately.
Big Ag
I could go on to list many statistics about our agriculture and farming practices, how corrupt, unsustainable and unhealthy they are for us and our planet: i.e. CAFOs (Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations), monocrops, and corrupt corporate giants like Monsanto that are poisoning us with health and environment destroying chemicals and GMO crops that fail to do as promised and continue to compound problems. These are some of the biggest culprits of pollution on the planet and it’s destroying our ecosystem and our health!!
The rise in various diseases such as cancer, diabetes, heart disease, a long and growing list of autoimmune diseases, organ failure, autism, depression, cognitive decline and all kinds of mystery symptoms and illnesses have skyrocketed in direct correlation to these deplorable, unethical farming practices and overuse of pharmaceuticals. And to add insult to injury, the government encourages these practices by giving tax cuts and subsidies to these corrupt corporations that have kept many of these farmers prisoners of their systems!
Do you wonder why buying organic costs so much more than conventionally grown food? Not only are organic growers not receiving the subsidies and tax breaks the conventional system receives but it’s very expensive and difficult to become certified as an organic farm. It’s also much more labor intensive to use organic methods; for instance, weeding crops by hand instead of using chemical herbicides. The question we should be asking is why are conventionally grown produce and processed foods so cheap? Why, in the name of all decency, isn’t the government encouraging sustainability and health by subsidizing organic farms instead?? Follow the money and you have your answer.
Nature’s Farmacy, grown in our own back yard. Please support your local organic growers, ranchers and small businesses. They need our support, now more than ever!
As a Certified Integrative Nutrition Coach, Reiki Master and herbalist, I am your personal advocate for living an energized, passionate, healthy life. I help you weed through the misinformation, confusing food labels and overwhelm. I compassionately listen to what’s going on in every area of your life and use a collaborative, flexible approach that empowers you to create balance and well-being. Together we can discover food and lifestyle choices that best support you. Making gradual, lifelong changes enables you to reach your current and future health goals.
Disclaimer: This is intended for general and educational purposes only and reflects my personal opinions over years of my own research and education. I do my best to provide accurate and current information but cannot guarantee the degree of accuracy. I strongly encourage you to do your own research and consult with your medical doctor before making any drastic dietary or lifestyle changes. I am not a licensed physician nor am I acting in the capacity of a licensed medical professional. My role as a Coach is complementary and separate from medical treatment or advice, acting as a guide and mentor to help you reach your personal health and wellness goals. Please do not stop taking your medications without consulting your doctor. Read my full disclaimer here.
