By MaryBeth McCue<\/p>\n
The need to practice personal responsibility to acquire and maintain health<\/b> may be at an all time high, even while the new Obama administration in Washington is working to “improve” our Health Care model. Chronic illness and disease are on the rise and have been for some time. People are living longer, but at the expense of living more years not feeling well and lacking vital function -needlessly. Many have come to believe that “forty or fifty something” means the start of chronic disease, when it does not have to be. And even more alarming, but now “common”, are seeing young people in our culture burdened with chronic conditions such as obesity, diabetes, heart disease, auto-immune diseases, depression, ADD and more, which a very short time ago where seen as diseases of the “aging ” population. Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM), Integrative Medicine (IM), Mind- Body-Medicine (MBM), Functional Medicine (FM) – most are out of pocket services to help restore health- continue to be utilized more and more each year. This upward trend is yet another significant “indicator” of the continued deficiency in our western-conventional health care model. A broken system where many with chronic conditions are told by their physicians: There is nothing wrong with you”… “There is nothing more you can do”,….” You just have to live with it”, etc etc etc .<\/p>\n
The experts, and the non-experts, like our government – are in agreement that the inclusion of Integrative Medicine as a covered health care service will help our nation heal their health, their economy and unite back into the world more whole and complete and able to serve. This end result will itself continue to feed the healing process.<\/p>\n
President Obamas’ Health
\nCare Reform, “Plan for a Healthy America” <\/b>can be viewed at <\/b>www.barackobama.com\/issues\/healthcare. His quote on the homepage: “I am asking you
\nto believe. Not just about my ability to
\nbring about real change in Washington…I’m
\nasking you to believe in yours”, is the directive that personal responsibility
\nis critical here. The message that
\ngovernment may not be able to offer all that we need and that “The Obama
\nEffect”….”We need to be the change”…”Yes we can”… etc seems to be the mantra
\nthat amongst many things has helped propel us into forming meaningful
\ngrass-root actions to help influence ourselves and our government to be a
\nbetter and healthier people and nation. There is even a group that is
\ndetermined to get an organic farm plot on the front lawn of the Whitehouse
\n! Obama & our government are
\n“listening and engaging,” but what will the outcomes be? The issues with health care are wide. Our life-style and cultural norms around food
\n(most of which is non-food) and western medicine is literally killing us.<\/p>\n
Even
\nI, as a professional nutritionist for over 20 years, thought I was practicing
\n& living a very vibrant and healthy life, only to wake up one day and find
\nI could not wake up because my body had 10 x the amount of toxins in it from
\nthe mercury poison in my dental fillings – which the American Dental
\nAssociation has assured us for years is “safe”.
\nLast summer the government disputed this nonsense – after decades of
\ngrass roots movements proving scientific and clinical evidence over and over
\nthat it is not safe. I had 20 diagnosis’ provided to me from various functional
\nmedicine, Chinese medicine, etc practitioners – five years after seeing all
\nkinds of conventional health care practitioners who identified that I had
\n“fatigue”, and they did not have answers.
\nThis story is all too common for millions with mercury or other chronic
\nconditions, as the ones I carried along with it. These events can be life shattering because
\nif a doctor can’t see it or understand it, then it does not exist and you are
\ncrazy or lazy or whatever. “It is in
\nyour head. ” I don’t know how many clients tell me the
\ndoctor tells them that and by some act of God they eventually – sometimes 20
\nyears eventually- seek CAM practitioners
\nand immediately get answers and start feeling better. The silver lining for me is that I have
\nrecovered conditions and enhanced my health.
\nAs a result of my ongoing professional education I can help others
\nacquire health and I can personally relate to their challenges. There is an “opportunity”, a natural growth
\nprocess available in everyone’s illness if they are willing to persist in
\nfinding the health they need and rightly deserve – that will bring the body
\nback to balance. But, they should not
\nhave to pay out -of -pocket expenses commonly in the areas of 50 – $75,
\n000. We are here to help each other and
\n“we can make the change” as a result.<\/p>\n
Obama realizes we have to
\nundo many years of as he states “being unhealthy in this country<\/b>” On the plan for a Healthy
\nAmerica website, he proposes to 1) make Health insurance affordable &
\naccessible to all; 2) he will lower health care costs and 3) he will promote
\npublic health via preventative services and enhance preparedness for terrorist
\nattacks and natural disasters. It goes on to explain on the website:<\/p>\n
…”the
\nAmerican people are too often offered two extremes – government-run health care
\nwith higher <\/i>taxes, or letting the insurance
\ncompanies operate without rules.”<\/i><\/p>\n
The
\nplan goes on and states: The Obama’s plan will strengthen employer
\ncoverage, make insurance companies accountable and ensure patients’ choice of
\ndoctor and care without government interference. Cost of care may go down as much as $2,500 per year per
\nperson. If you desire to change it, you
\nwill have a choice of new, affordable health insurance options. Patients will
\nbe able to make health care decisions with their doctors, instead of being
\nblocked by insurance company bureaucrats. Wow – what a concept. <\/i>Finally, Obama states he
\nwill make health insurance work for the People and businesses – Not Just
\nInsurance and Drug Companies. Clearly these
\ntwo entities are the main driving forces of our sick; rather that health care
\nsystem. Money, not the goal of health,
\nis the priority. This soon will change. <\/i><\/p>\n
Is this enough…..What more do we need and how do we get it? <\/b><\/p>\n
It is widely accepted across the practices of
\nwestern and eastern medicine; and now our government, that a common fundamental
\nscientific approach to treating and resolving chronic <\/b>disease-an epidemic that now affects a reported 133 million
\nAmericans and accounts for 78% of health care costs- has been needed for decades. I believe the numbers must be higher as many
\npeople – like myself that have\/had chronic conditions go unrecognized for
\nyears. We can’t continue to afford the over two trillion dollars per year on U.S. medical
\ncare. Further, 95 cents of each of
\nthese dollars is for treatment of disease
\nafter<\/i> it is occurred. This is not efficient. Most of these dollars can be saved through
\nprevention and treatment with life-style changes – prior to their occurrence’s<\/p>\n
The second item of highest
\npriority is that we need to create a much more “prevention focused”
\nsociety. We have too many convenient
\nchoices, most of which lead to illness.
\nToo much processed foods, too many doctors willing to pass along another
\nmedication to their client, too many doctors working on one patient and no one
\ncommunicating, too much stress and not enough places to release it, and too
\nmuch toxins in the environment as a whole…in our chemical laded foods, in our
\nwater sources, in our teeth from our amalgam fillings, in our bodies form too
\nmuch medications and on & on. This
\nis not a purest belief, but rather the common components of what we in
\nintegrative and healing medicines see daily as causes for illness. It is very
\nsimple. We have more research than we
\ncare to discuss that proves these are the main causes of not feeling well. Being overweight, depressed, dealing with
\nADD, cardiovascular disease, chronic fatigue, diabetes are not seen in the
\nthird worlds nations near the rates we have – if they even are seen. Many third world counties are healthier than
\nus because they don’t have these (vast and unhealthy) lifestyle choices, or
\nmake these decisions. The “Getting back to Basics” trend will help here. The
\nObama effect will help here.<\/p>\n
Two significant Health Care events happened the week
\nof Feb 23, 2009 <\/b>which will help in
\nformulating a new national health care
\nplan. One, the week-long discussions in Washington on
\nIntegrative Health & Medicine. A
\ndiscussion between a panel of 4 Medical pioneers, some refer to as “The
\n“Fabulous Four”, talked at the U.S. Senate Hearings more than two hours, with the heads of the health care
\nreform committee to sell them their ideas that have already been proven to work
\nfor years for thousands – where our
\nnational system has failed. Please look at this very
\nrevealing and poignant recording and consider passing it along to as many
\npeople as possible. http:\/\/help.senate.gov\/Hearings\/2009_02_26\/2009_02_26.html<\/p>\n
I have been fortunate to have collaborated with 3
\nof the 4 panelist &\/or their staff.
\nDr. Mark Hyman MD: Functional Medicine specialist, Dr. Mehmet Oz:
\ncardiovascular surgeon, Oprahs MDs and
\ncreator of HealthCorps, Dr. Dean Ornish:
\nPreventive
\nMedicine Research Institute in Sausalito, CA, and Dr. Andrew
\nWeil, MD: Mind Body Medicine Center and
\nMedical Resident Programs – all agreed with government on critical points some
\nwhere: #1-Integartive Heath Care is way
\noverdue, it was initiated into congress in the late 80s and little has been
\naccomplished. An Integrative medical model with the inclusion of many health
\nand healing modalities -which already have proven themselves – should be
\navailable to everyone. A model that supports the treatment and resolution of
\nchronic disease and maintaining health and vitality. As a clinician, I coordinated 15 different
\nmodalities into a small community hospital.
\nIf this can succeed in an under subsidized community of the Berkshires
\nin Western, MA it can succeed anywhere. The methods go beyond this article,
\nlet’s just say it is very doable and with little dollars needed. The only
\nhurdle was gaining physician “buy- in”.
\n#2- A new services of offering “health coaches” is needed in the
\nclinical system to guide people in the management of their own health files and needs. This is
\nsomething we do as integrative health practitioners. # 3- Health prevention in
\nthe form of education must be infused in our cultural and lifestyle to help
\nAmericans make and maintain positive health changes. # 4- All U.S. Medical School must require
\nMind Body Medicine education.<\/p>\n
Another event was The “Summit on Integrative Medicine and the Health
\nof the Public “hosted by the National Academy of Sciences. For more on this, go to http:\/\/www.iom.edu\/integrativemedicine. The results of this event will also
\ninterface with the government health policy makers.<\/p>\n
While the health care reform process
\ncontinues, we can continue to be a part of the change. <\/b><\/p>\n
The Obama site above or americanhealthcarereform.org
\nhas blogs and message links to share your ideas. Or gather a group at work or in your community
\nand forward your suggestions. In this
\narea, get involved locally via groups like “Capital Region Creating Wellness” or “Saratoga
\nIntegrative Medicine Educational Network ” (SIMEN) which both can be found on a
\nFacebook search. Saratoga Integrative Practitioners Network is a great
\nsource for services. www.sipn.info<\/p>\n
Personal, Nutritional and
\nEnvironmental Medicine Tips: ( some of the biggies) <\/b><\/p>\n
Personal:<\/b> Your
\nchoices today will affect your health in the future.<\/b><\/p>\n
#1 <\/b>Listen to
\nYourself. <\/b>If your not getting your answers to your
\nmedical and health care needs, find a place where you can. Speak to friends that have found help,
\ninterview potential new doctors &\/or CAM
\nproviders. Most will (should) give you
\nthe time for this.<\/p>\n
And start using those that
\nfeel right. The sooner you do this, the
\nsooner you will feel better.<\/p>\n
#2 <\/b>Be your own health advocate. No one else will. Keep your own records, ask questions, keep
\nall your providers unformed, you must manage your care. If you can’t, ask a
\nfriend or family member or hire me to do it.<\/p>\n
Nutritional: <\/b>Your diet is a mirror of your health and visa versa. <\/b><\/p>\n
#1 Eat real foods; and when you can’t eat foods
\nthat are the closest to their natural state as possible.<\/p>\n
#2 Eat organic or sustainable: local foods without added chemicals,
\nantibiotics, pesticides.<\/p>\n
#3 Join a local co-op, use natural food stores,
\njoin a CSA Farms www.localharvest.org\/csa<\/p>\n
#4 Drink a lof of non-chlorinated\/fluorinated
\nwater. Mostly away from meals.<\/p>\n
#5 Know your food intolerances. These are very common and will act in your
\nbody like a toxin and create chronic problems or increase them. Find a nutritionist experienced with
\nthis.<\/p>\n
#7 Chew your foods to liquid
\nform before swallowing.<\/p>\n
#8 Nutrients- beyond that
\nwhich is in Foods – supplements are needed to resolve conditions.<\/p>\n
#9 Modify alcohol &
\ncaffeine or eliminate completely – especially if excessive.<\/p>\n
Environmental:<\/b> Destress & detox on
\na ongoing basis. All imbalances in the
\nbody are secondary to stress and \/or toxicity – from external &\/or internal
\nsources. Period<\/p>\n
#1
\nEliminate unnecessary meds, OTC meds, mercury from too much large fish
\n&\/or amalgam fillings<\/p>\n
#2
\nAvoid Aluminum and
\nTeflon cookware. Use stainless steel, enamel, and iron.<\/p>\n
#3
\nUse natural skin and
\nbody products. For example, most
\nlipsticks contain lead.<\/p>\n
#4
\nUse hair color treatments that are natural or that have less chemicals.<\/p>\n
#5
\nElectric Blankets and water
\nbeds interfere with our natural energy
\nfields.<\/p>\n
#6 Avoid deodorants that contain aluminum.<\/p>\n
“The doctor of the future will give no medication, but will
\ninterest his patients in the care of the human frame, diet and in the cause and
\nprevention of disease.” Thomas A Edison. <\/i><\/i><\/p>\n
“It takes a lot of courage to release the
\nfamiliar and seemingly secure, to embrace the new. But there is no real
\nsecurity in what is no longer meaningful. There is more security in the
\nadventurous and exciting, for in movement there is life, and in change there is
\npower.” ~~~ Alan Cohen<\/i><\/p>\n