NEWSLETTER FOR HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS THAT DON'T KNOW THAT PREVENTION CAN BE IN THEIR TOOLBOX. AN INVITATION TO DOCTORS.

Dr. Marcos Levy Dr. Mike Roizen Alejandro Badia, MD Paola Sanmiguel, M.S. IDBT Doug Crowe Michelle Trieste Michelle T. O'Connor Don Lovelace Atif Zafar Growth Academy Shanee Moret Ashwin Mehta, MD MPH Ankur Bindal, M.D., M.P.H, FAPA, FAASM

How many times have we thought about the fact that we may be doing a disservice to our bodies by simply taking the known expedient route to face a problem? How many times have we actually taken the time to read labels on the processed foods we eat and really understood the side effects of some of the unpronounceable ingredients? Do we really take the time to understand what we are doing to our bodies by not investing in learning more about how our food sources have degenerated over the last 40 years, with stronger chemicals and farm practices which have given way to necessary higher yielding products and, in many cases, reduced nutritional value?

From an early age, we have heard the expression "Let food be thy medicine" attributed to the Greek Philosopher Hippocrates. Generally, the human body was doing fine in certain parts of the world where the diet was balanced with social and mental components. We have learned about the dietary habits and social practices of people living in the Blue Zones where clusters of centenarians thrive in different parts of the world but have some common denominators in each of these, despite differences in cultures, languages, and locations.

We have grown to accept certain palliative solutions to our health issues. For instance, we reach for antacid tablets when we inevitably eat some kind of processed food that gives us heartburn. Common sense should tell us that we should avoid those foods which cause irritation rather than become dependent on antacid pills. We tend to automatically reach for an analgesic when we have a headache, rather than understanding that our bodies are telling us something is not right. The headache could be a result of something simple like our posture, breathing, quality of air, light, or what we ate, but the tendency is to reach for a pill. We don't take the time to think about why we get the headache or its frequency. We tend to accept that bloating, diarrhea, and constipation may be normal consequences of something we ate, but chances are we will repeat the process next time we go out to eat.

Inflammation is a very common issue that causes, among other things, pain. Think about how many people are suffering from pain. Oxidative stress can cause inflammation, and inflammation can cause oxidative stress. Oxidative stress is actually premature aging and can lead to the death of cells. Here is where I would like to focus on the doctor's toolbox.

The pharmaceutical industry has taught us that there is a supposed remedy for so many of the afflictions which plague us, but are those pill remedies the only, or even the best solutions? Do we even think about alternative or complementary solutions to solve some of our more mundane health issues? It is evident that we are swamped with all kinds of health issues which are progressively getting worse.

Obviously, we want to live as long as possible as healthily as possible, so the question is how? The immediate answer is preventive health, but are we willing to explore these avenues or even do the work once we know? Ask your physician when was the last time he/she had a massage. Why is this important? Because it is necessary for the physician to feel like a patient but also important to experience something which is replacing pharmaceutical solutions.

Endorphins are released, and these are crucial for maintaining physical and emotional balance, improving pain management, and supporting and enhancing the immune system. Circulation is improved, helping to clear the mind, relax the muscles, and stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system which can help with improving digestion and sleep, even helping to reduce blood pressure.

Consider the daily stress level of a physician who sees between 20 and 40 patients a day, 6 days a week, and is responsible for running a business. They are the go-to people when we have a health issue, many times preventable or avoidable, but nevertheless, we run to the doctor. If the doctor is stressed and under pressure, how can he/she help the patient in any way other than what has been taught at medical school, generally a pharmaceutical palliative?

Technology has advanced to the stage where we have wearable monitors that can give us information in real-time about certain aspects of our body functions which is great, but what to do with the information when something is off-key? Inevitably we revert to allopathic solutions. How nice it would be if we understood that there are many modalities of helping the body overcome some of its problems which also serve as preventive measures?

Unfortunately, many holistic solutions are frowned upon by the establishment because often there are no clearly established means of certifying the practitioner or instructor. However, the internet allows us to find out very quickly if someone is effective in their chosen field.

It would be very worthwhile for healthcare professionals to be able to either focus more on nutritional solutions by learning about the subject or hire nutritionists to help the patients make educated lifestyle choices. (The common denominator for approximately 70% of non-communicable diseases, such as cardiovascular, hypertension, diabetes 2, and many cancers, can be attributed to food.) It would also be helpful for healthcare professionals to learn more about complementary and integrative ways of helping patients. Modalities such as acupuncture, reiki, tai chi, qigong, massage, chiropractic, osteopathy, hydrotherapy, cryotherapy, functional medicine, aromatherapy, meditation,ayurveda, among others.

Naturally, the obvious question then is how can the healthcare professional survive financially?

I know of a 40-year-old, publicly traded company that has invested $500 million where AI meets DNA to be able to offer healthcare solutions for the individual according to his/her DNA. We are transitioning from Sickcare to Healthcare.

If you would like to know more, DM me.