Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Our medical mindset is so misguided

Prolonged stress increases Cortisol and heart disease.  So we interpret that the Cortisol is the problem.  Improper diet and sedentary lifestyle is associated with obesity and hypertention.  So the obesity is the problem, we need to make a pill to keep the weight off, or the hypertension is the problem and we make a pill to lower the blood pressure.  Excessive intake of bad food gives us indigestion and reflux, so the answer is to take a pill to reduce your natural response. 

Every symptom is the body trying to tell us something.  We need to listen to the messages our body gives us, not suppress them.    Hypertension is not a disease; it is a symptom of something deeper.  Hyperlipidemia (high cholesterol) is not a disease, it is a symptom.  Suppressing symptoms disables our body's natural guidance system.  (Of course, elevated cholesterol was not always a symptom we could notice).  If a condition is life-threatening, then we may need to use drugs or herbs or acupuncture to bring the symptoms down in a hurry.  But we still need to look at why the symptom arose in the first place and correct that cause. 

This problem comes from the Western mindset that the body is separate from the mind.  More specifically, that the body is the servant of the mind.  And just like our cars, we can use and abuse our bodies and there will be mechanics (doctors) to put us back together again.  We need to respect our bodies and listen to them.   The mind and the body are inseparable. 

Read my book "The Asian Diet" to learn how changing our diet, lifestyle, and attitudes can help you live your healthiest life possible. 

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