How is it that our medical system has become reactive and looks at the human mind and body in separate parts addressing only those parts that are malfunctioning, ignoring the rest?
Treating the Whole Person
Oftentimes, I am working with a client who is being treated allopathically for some kind of health condition, for example acid reflux, insomnia, hypertension or arthritis, and the medication they are taking is causing other conditions to appear – swollen ankles, malabsorption of vitamins and nourishment from food, tension headaches, nausea and so on.
Our medical system has developed and improved in so many ways over the last 50 years. Sadly, with patient management and especially in the initial consultation and the resulting advice, it seems to have slipped thus missing critical aspects of the patient’s lifestyle, diet and wellbeing that might be causing what they are complaining of simply because this system has taken away the powers of our professionals by forcing an extremely limited time for the doctor to find out what is really going on with the patient, assuming that the patient can actually get to see a doctor rather than having a consultation over the telephone and if you are lucky a call on Zoom, Skype or some other Wi-Fi based platform. When I was growing up the community GP who knew all his or her patients well, regrettably has long since disappeared.
The reason why this is foremost in my mind is that in the recent IHCAN conference which was focusing on brain health and treatment of dementia related diseases was talking in detail about the causes of poor brain health and most, if not all was related to life style and nutrition affecting other parts of the body long before it affects brain health, namely our digestive system.
As usual at IHCAN conferences, the speakers were top quality and cutting edge in their field. Pete Williams, the founder of FM Associates and a functional medicine doctor, the first speaker was talking about oral health and how it affects gut health, which in turn affects brain health. To be specific - gum disease increases chronic diseases:
- 25% risk of cardiovascular disease
- 20% increased risk of hypertension
- Increased risk of autoimmunity and Alzheimer’s disease and Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), especially non-alcoholic steatohepatitis which is an advanced stage of NAFLD
- Increased risk of obesity as a bidirectional relationship exists between oral health and diet and nutrition. Diet and nutrition affect the health of the tissues in the mouth; and the health of the mouth affects nutrients consumed.
If we consider nothing further, this example clearly identifies the importance of treating our clients and patients as whole people. All diseases are inflammatory led and inflammation can be caused by so many different factors, such as nutritionally poor diet, chronic stress, physical inactivity, chronic infections, disturbed or inadequate sleep, and obesity. In order to treat the presenting symptoms, it therefore is logical to identify where the source of the problem is coming from rather than treating the point of pain or dysbiosis. Of course, that doesn’t mean that we ignore the patient’s pain, that can be treated alongside addressing the main source.
Reactive vs. Proactive Treatment
What about the case for reactive vs. proactive treatment. Sadly, we have handed over our responsibility for wellness to the government, the medical professionals and worst of all the pharmaceutical companies who invest millions of pounds in promoting particular medications for the treatment of every day and chronic diseases. It is no secret that all the pharmaceutical companies have huge marketing budgets that they use to “educate” us to take this or that medication for a particular ailment, while also “educating” our doctors to encourage them to prescribe drugs for a quick fix or in some cases for the rest of your life, because either they haven’t got the time or knowledge to tell their patients to take more exercise, eat more fibre, cut out fast food etc or the patient him or herself wants a quick fix solution. Does such a thing exist?
At this point Dr David Unwin MD springs to mind. Fondly known as the “Low Carb Doctor” who practices as a GP in the NHS and who is achieving fantastic results with his patients who are suffering from diabetes II, hypertension and other all too common diseases in our modern world. Alongside initial medication he educates his patients in how to eat healthily, to be more active and to take responsibility for their health. As his patients start to manage their blood sugar levels more effectively he slowly weans them off medication. From 2017 to 2018, his practice saved £57,000 on drugs for type II diabetes, hypertension and other conditions by offering patients a dietary alternative to medications. It remains a mystery why there are not more doctors practicing in such a way. As the saying goes “If you give a man a fish, you feed him for a day—if you teach him to fish, you feed him for many days.”
Dr Unwin not only educates his patients who want to get well, but he has also developed educational support for his fellow doctors alongside his wife Dr Jen Unwin.
With internet and the great world of Google, we no longer have to make a special trip to the library to research a topic, all information is at our fingertips. We just have to want to find it. Granted there is also a lot of misleading information on the internet, especially when it comes to what foods are good for you and what are not good for you. Fat, dairy, wheat and fruit all immediately come to mind when considering mixed information about these foods, some of which I have written about in previous blogs. However, the discerning can find the information they need in blogs such as my own or other health professionals.
If we all chose a proactive approach to our health, the queues outside the doctor’s surgery would dramatically drop, leaving the doctors time to hold quality conversations with those patients who really need to see a doctor. In short, the pillars of good health and wellbeing include:
- Regular physical activity
- Nutritionally balanced diet
- Good hydration – minimum 1.5 litres of water daily
- Adequate and good quality sleep
- Effective stress management
When putting your health as a priority in your life you are already taking responsibility for your own wellbeing as well as the wellbeing of your family. The rewards are enormous and many – more enjoyment, better quality of life, longevity, good brain health, and masses of energy.
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