Don’t just trust everything I say….

Or anything anyone else says for that matter. This wasn’t the original article scheduled for today but I was inspired by an interview I listened to this morning and knew I had to say something. 

Ok, I have to admit, I’m a little worried about sending this out since I know so many people only read headlines. I’ll probably get a few “unsubscribes” from this, but this needs to be said. It’s really important and will make sense by the end, I promise!

Let’s do it…

I don’t want you to read something I post or hear something I say and then go do it. Wait. What? That seems like an odd thing to say for someone trying to build trust with her readers and grow a business. Shouldn’t I be the expert?

I am an expert in my field. But there’s a difference between blindly following everything that I say just because I am an expert and taking the information I provide and doing your own research to come to your own conclusions. 

Confused yet? Don’t worry, we’ll get there!

This morning, I was listening to an interview with Dr. Zelenko on the X22 Report and I knew I needed to write a response. Not on what he was talking about, although I could go on and on about it! But about the first couple of minutes of the interview. In case you’re not familiar with Dr. Zelenko, he’s the physician that advised President Trump to take hydroxychloroquine back in 2020 to fight COVID and has treated thousands of patients in a pre-hospital setting using therapeutics. (BTW, this interview is a MUST SEE! It will blow your mind! It’s tough to listen to because of the subject matter, but very important.) You can view the interview here.

At the beginning of the interview, Dr. Zelenko said that he doesn’t want listeners to simply take what he says and assume it’s the final word. He just wants to present information as he has found through the research he has done. The listeners should use the information as a starting point to conduct their own research and put the puzzle pieces together for themselves. 

What really struck me as remarkable is that a highly acclaimed doctor telling people not to just blindly believe him. This should not be mistaken as he is intentionally presenting incorrect information or doesn’t believe what he is saying. It should, however, be viewed as the ultimate form of transparency.

And you know how I feel about transparency!

So often, we take what we hear as fact. Whether it’s from a doctor, the media, or some random person on the Internet. Somewhere along the way, we lost our desire to investigate, think critically, and question others’ words. Maybe it’s because we’re all so damn busy. Something happened to make us lose that sense of wonder. Especially when making medical decisions. 

My hope is similar to Dr. Zelenko’s. I want you to take the information I present, ask questions, do your own research, and come to your own conclusions. After all, you know you best. 

When I work with clients, the things I recommend come directly from either a trusted expert in the field (which can be sited through that expert), directly from medical literature (peer-reviewed clinical trials), or from actual experience I have working with clients and have seen with my own eyes (known as “anecdotal”). To be fully transparent, there are limited clinical trials for many modalities in the holistic healthcare field, such as herbal medicine and aromatherapy, (Who would pay for those studies? Not Big Pharma!). Which is why we often use anecdotal research to make recommendations. 

Either way, if a client asks me to show him or her the science or the “why” behind it, I can!

I see this a lot with supplements. Someone sees a piece on the news about the next “super” supplement and then they pick some up next time they’re at the store. They mean well. They are trying to sift through the information the best they can. But it’s overwhelming and time-consuming. 

But the thing is, there are more products, both pharmaceuticals and nutraceuticals, out there than ever before. It’s easy to get swept up in the “quick fix”. As a consumer, we need to keep in mind that those are all still products created to make a profit. Yes, some drugs are needed by some people, but what if some weren’t? What if your doctor doesn’t have your best interest in mind? What if they are receiving incentives from pharmaceutical companies or somewhere else for prescribing certain drugs? It’s tough to think about, but it happens.

My advice, question everything. That’s not being “difficult” or “confrontational”. That’s being a smart consumer or patient. No matter who you’re working with, myself included, that person should be able to tell you why a recommendation is being made and what happens if you don’t follow through with that recommendation. Also, they should be able to give you a solid answer as to where they found that information and how it relates to your specific situation.

In some cases, it’s easy. 

Someone who has dangerously high blood pressure. The “why” behind a doctor prescribing a drug to lower blood pressure is obvious, to prevent stroke, heart attack, and death. The doctor comes to the conclusion of high blood pressure based on a physical example and a blood pressure reading. But would that person question why the doctor prescribed a specific drug? Probably not. There are lots of drugs out there. Why that one? What about diet and lifestyle changes? Would those help? Is this a lifelong prescription or just something to address the issue quickly to prevent sudden life-threatening events, then, once at a more manageable level, lifestyle and diet can be addressed? Lots of questions, these are just the beginning.

I encourage people to take notes and then do research before making a decision. This is more time-consuming and more work for you and your doctor, but what if there were alternative treatments or approaches? A healthcare professional should be able to provide you with resources or literature for you to review. 

Personally, I make it a point to only share information that comes from trusted sources. I want to be able to give a client a source for why I make a recommendation. Yes, at times there may be mistakes with published information. Information can be updated or changed based on new studies. Science does frequently change. 

Some recommendations are fairly simplistic. For example, I read an article from Dr. Michael Greger a few years back that recommended, based on one small scientific study, to eat one serving of Brazil nuts once a month to help lower cholesterol levels. 

Do you know how much one serving is? It’s four Brazil nuts. Something like that seems too good to be true and would raise obvious red flags. One small study is generally not the basis to make medical decisions. But think about it, what’s the downside? Maybe you don’t like Brazil nuts. Ok, that would be a downside. But, if you’re not allergic to them, can just four nuts do any damage? Probably not. Yes, they’re high in fat, but it’s just four! That’s not enough to sound an alarm.

So, if I were to give you that recommendation, eat four Brazil months every month, would you just do it? Maybe you would research it, or at least ask where I found that article. Maybe you would just eat the Brazil nuts because the benefit outweighs any potential risk, if you’re not allergic that is! Personally, I would just eat the nuts! But tell me to take a drug or supplement, that’s another story!

In case you were wondering, Brazil nuts are high in selenium which helps to lower cholesterol. You could take a supplement, but food is always best. Read the article, which links to the study, here.

My point really comes down to this: question everything and ask the tough questions. Especially in the world today, we need to be our own health advocates. If you have children, you need to be their advocates. Don’t assume that everyone has your best interest in mind. Be the CEO of you. And don’t ever be afraid to offend someone by asking where they got their information or why they are making a specific recommendation. That’s part of the scientific method. Healthcare professionals should tell you when they are making a recommendation based on an ulterior motive, such as payments or bonuses from a company or organization. Anyone who is truly interested in science-based healthcare will be more than willing to dive in deep and provide you with resources. They will likely welcome the opportunity to have an open discussion with you! That’s how we advance healthcare. That’s also a great way to identify those people you want to work with and those you don’t.

I’m going to leave you with a quote from a person I can’t believe I’m quoting, but it’s just too good to pass up:

“Science that cannot be questioned is just propaganda.” - Aaron Rogers, Green Bay Packers

Peace, love & kale!

Lindsay