A garden
needs pure water, sunlight, healthy soil, and lots of love in order to thrive. If we deprive our garden of the essentials of
life, it will wither and die. If we
remedy our sick garden with synthetic chemicals, it will not flourish for long.
Like a garden, a healthy body requires this very same support and attention.
Yet, it
seems healthcare these days has strayed from health care to sick care. For
every ill there is a pill. Instead of
focusing on nourishing or healing the body, doctors prescribe drugs to mask
symptoms; it’s easier and faster than working with a patient to change the quality
of their soil-- the valuable environment within the body. Long before modern medical science came into being, mankind
was dealing with illness via natural means. Many of these herbal remedies have
borne the test of time, and are still being used today. But often when
we tell our doctors we are taking supplements for our ills, we are warned of the
dangers or told that supplementation only provides “expensive pee.” They often
don’t say this out of arrogance, but ignorance. I don’t blame doctors, for they
are taught to prescribe drugs and are not educated in the innate power of
nature. Don’t get me wrong, there is a place for pharms in critical care, but drugs
for the long-term management of symptoms is not healthcare, it is sick care. Prescription drugs are the third leading cause
of death after heart disease and cancer-- Americans are over drugged and
underserved.
Our seniors
are clearly drug addicts at the hands of their doctors. On average, individuals 65 to 69 years old take nearly 14 prescriptions
per year; individuals aged 80 to 84 take an average of 18 prescriptions per
year. Why? Because it is easy for doctors and
seniors are notoriously compliant. According to the American Society of
Consultant Pharmacists, “ While medications are probably the single most
important factor in improving the quality of life for older Americans [I completely disagree on this point—this is
only because we give the pill for the ill instead of concentrating on health],
the nation’s seniors are especially at risk for medication-related problems due
to physiological changes of aging, higher incidence of multiple chronic
diseases and conditions, and greater consumption of prescription and
over-the-counter medications.” They go
on to say that “any symptom in an elderly patient should be considered a drug
side effect until proven otherwise."
After my father was rushed
to the ER with a severe headache , various other symptoms and no resolution, I questioned his doctor as to why he
had prescribed a diuretic for high blood pressure when my dad clearly suffers
from chronic dehydration-- the look on his face was priceless. There are many natural remedies for high
blood pressure that nourish the garden instead of harming the patient.
Pain
and other symptoms are Mother Nature’s way of telling is that there is
something wrong. And while there is no reason anyone should have to suffer
unaided, just treating the symptoms may mean ignoring a problem that could have
significant impact on your general health.
So how do we grow our garden?
We eat for life
and engage in stress-reducing activities such as exercise, yoga, meditation and
other mind-body therapies. Medical experts have long recognized the relationship
between diet and the incidence of disease, and that realistic modifications of
diet and lifestyle can significantly improve mortality. Research suggests that
85% of all medical problems are caused by stress. Stress-related symptoms range from tension
headaches and migraines to lower-back pain, frequent colds, insomnia and
hypertension, and stress contributes to cancer as well--chronic stress changes immune cell genes, leading to
inflammation.
We look within to see what is causing the ill, and we
fix it. If I were dehydrated and
suffering from the symptom of a headache, I could take an aspirin and likely
feel better. However, will that aspirin
cure my dehydration—a problem that could impact my health and very survival? No.
Thirty years ago I was suffering from debilitating knee
pain, so severe I could not stand up. The doctor told me to stop all forms of
exercise and take 600mg of ibuprofen twice daily to manage the pain, and hope
that I didn’t end up in a wheelchair (or worse, die of the remedy.) With the assistance of a far-wiser doctor I
solved the problem with nothing other than—you guessed it—targeted and
consistent exercise to support my knees—something I do to this day and my knees
are pain-free.
Keep in mind that pain’s partner is inflammation, and we now
know that most, or perhaps even all chronic diseases are the result of
inflammation. So while you may think
you are just managing pain, by reducing inflammation you are also taking a
major step in extending your life—just don’ forget to address the root of the
problem.
We must also consider the repercussions of our remedy if
we are to nourish the garden. If we take a toxic drug such as Tylenol or
Advil, we may get relief from a symptom, but we could be causing more
ills. Several studies have shown that Tylenol damages the liver and
kidneys. Each
year over 78,000 Americans go to the emergency room for treatment for an
acetaminophen overdose, and death by overdose or accidental ingestion
causes about 450 deaths a year (Tylenol is often hidden in other pharms such as
cough medicine and prescription drugs.) Yet, most
patients are told to take the drug daily and even several times daily. Tylenol is often recommended for the
pain relief of osteoarthritis, but NICE (National Institute of Health and Care
Excellence) is now warning against the use of Tylenol (acetaminophen in the US and paracetamol in the UK). It warns of the
potential side effects of Tylenol and says it has “limited benefit”. When used,
it should be the “lowest effective dose” for the “shortest possible time.” In this exhaustive 600+ page report they offer holistic and other
non-pharmaceutical recommendations.
Research links ibuprofen (NSAIDS) use to things like heart
disease, circulatory problems, gastrointestinal conditions, bleeding and/or
perforation of the gut and the intestinal tract. Again, we need to turn to nature. Numerous studies have shown that curcumin
(turmeric) is at least as effective as ibuprofen and offers numerous health
benefits (over 600).
In a 2010 study published in the Journal
of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, researchers found that 2000mg of
turmeric extract was as effective as 800mg of Ibuprofen in reducing the pain
and inflammation associated with knee osteoarthritis. (For a good source, try:
Not sure where to start?
Seek out a Naturopathic Doctor, holistic practitioner, health coach, or
cancer coach to help you devise a plan for your specific needs and goals. If you are an internet-surfer, know that
quality, dosage and synergy matter when it comes to supplementation, so always
seek out the advice of a professional before you add supplements and before you
discontinue any medications. And by all
means, get out and get some sunshine!
This article was originally printed in my Options for Life column
in the Spring Edition of Natural
Healing Natural Wellness.
Elyn
~~If you don’t know your options, you don’t have any~~
Elyn Jacobs is a breast cancer
survivor, professional cancer strategist, speaker, and the Executive Director
for the Emerald Heart Cancer Foundation. Elyn empowers women to choose the path
for treatment that best fits their own individual needs. She is passionate
about helping others move forward into a life of health and well-being. Elyn
has been featured on CNN Money, Talk About Health, and Breast Cancer Answers
and has written for the Pink Paper, Breast Cancer Wellness, Integrative
Oncology Essentials, Surviving Beautifully, Body Local and more, and writes the
Options for Life column for the Natural Healing-Natural Wellness Magazine. Elyn
hosts the Survive and Live Well Radio Show on the Cancer Support Network. Elyn
lives in New York with her husband and two young boys. http://elynjacobs.wordpress.com/about/
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