Tell me what I can do, instead of what I can’t do. new blog posted – http://ping.fm/Rjgav

Tell me what I can do, instead of, what I can’t do.

I get so tired and frustrated when I am told what not to eat instead of what I can eat, aren’t you? Okay, I can make better choices most of the time. We live in a fast paced world and we get caught up in the “busyness” of everyday life. Right or wrong doesn’t matter, it just is how it is. I sometimes hate that phrase, “It is what it is.” Why? Because, sometimes it is just a cop out. When we don’t want to put forth any effort to make a change, we say….”It is what it is.”

Let’s say that we are willing to maybe make a change in our diets and maybe we are thinking about exercising. We are to the thinking about it stage. That we are considering it, is a great beginning. What can we do in the mean time? Can we take something that will help us decrease our cholesterol and our triglycerides? In addition to the prescription medications? Yes, there is!

This time I will use myself as the example. I was diagnosed with high cholesterol about 4 years ago. I was not happy and I did not want to believe it. Of course, my doctor stated the obvious, I was over 40 and was eating too much fast food and not regularly exercising. Damn! I am too young to be dealing with this. We all see ourselves about 10 to 15 years younger than we actually are.

Okay, so I begin the “statin” medications and it takes a trial of 4 different ones before I found one that I could tolerate. With the others, I experienced chest pain. That is not a wisely known side effect, howver, I was hurting and miserable. I knew that I had to take something, because there are things worse than death and a debilitating stroke is one of them. It took about a year or so for me to realize that I have this and I need to do something about it. I was beginning to research nutraceuticals anyway. I know, a pharmacist that is looking for alternatives to prescription medications. You need to understand, that we weren’t taught prevention and wellness in pharmacy school in the mid 1980′s. They didn’t teach prevention and wellness in medical school either.

We are now learning that we can use nutrition to better our health and prevent some of the complications of chronic health issues. I knew that by taking “statins” that I needed to take CoEnzymeQ10. I knew why, but, did my patients know why? I knew about free radical damage, but, did my patients?

Two years after initial diagnosis, my Triglycerides were high. I am not happy. I was beginning to take a product called OPC-3, because of some arthritis in my hand that was not responding to any prescription medication nor to the two cortisone injections. I studied more about the benefits and decided to wait on adding another medication for my triglycerides. I knew I was having blood work again in 12 weeks. I was my own guinea pig. I cut the “statin” medication in half and did not fill the prescription for my triglycerides.

My hands felt much better, I could write again and I could pick up a glass and hold it. Now, the other thing….was my blood work going to be as good as I had planned? Yes, it was. My cholesterol was within acceptable limits and here is the great thing—my triglycerides were fine.

So, I got a three for one benefit.
My arthritis was much improved and the pain was much less.
My cholesterol level was within acceptable limits and I was taking half as much of the “statin.”
My triglycerides were fine.

I am now a health professional distributor for these products. They have worked for me and for $40.00 a month, I feel much better and I am much better. Now you are thinking, Is that what this was about? A sales pitch? No, but, how could I not share my benefits? You have the information and now you can do your own research. I am very skeptical myself and I had to research the information for myself.

Check out my website for the nutraceuticals – http://www.nutrametrix.com/medadvocate
Want more information or to talk to me? EMail me – pcollins@medadvocate.net

I can get off of this medication, eventually, right?

How many times have you asked your pharmacist or physician that question? How many of you got the answer that you wanted? Not many of you, huh. Why? That is what you keep wondering. There are some good reasons for you to continue taking your medication(s) as you should. Should, now there is a word that we just don’t like and we feel that rebellion welling up inside of us. You know, that, “I’ll show you who is in control.” attitude. Why do we do that? Because, we are the one’s that are in control of ourselves and we are no longer children that have to obey. I totally understand that feeling, but, there is a bigger issue here. It is one of who is going to be in control of you? It isn’t the physician and it isn’t the pharmacist. They are or should be giving you the information to help you to learn to be in control of your chronic health issue. It is going to be one of two ways – The chronic health disease is going to control you and your future or you are going to control the chronic health disease by using maintenance medications EVERY DAY. Yes, there are some modifications or changes that you can probably make that will help you to decrease and in some cases, stop taking your medications. Are you willing to do what it may take to make those lifestyle changes?

Just because you can’t visibly see the damage being done inside of your body, doesn’t mean it isn’t happening. Just because you don’t “feel” anything while taking the medication, doesn’t mean that it isn’t working or doing it’s job. Think cumulative effects of what we are doing or not doing to our bodies. It is time for us to look down the road about 10 or 20 years and see the possibilities for our health. You may be feeling fine right now, how do you want to feel in 10, 20 or 30 years from now? What do you want to be able to do and do well? Prevention and maintenance is where our healthcare is headed anyway so let’s get ahead of the game.

I believe the next blog will be on some chronic conditions and how they will eventually have an effect on you.