Foundational Health Strategy
Before you start taking supplements and experimenting with different therapeutics, consider your core health strategy first.
Current Paradigm
An increasingly common sentiment is frustration with the current healthcare system. Since covid, the distrust of healthcare has become widespread and more powerful than I have seen in my lifetime.
Amongst people, the degree of this distrust varies greatly. For some, they try to avoid only the most toxic of solutions that the doctors offer - radiation, chemotherapy, immune suppression and potent biologic modulators.
These people tend to fall short on questions of lesser urgency, such as blood pressure, cholesterol, insulin resistance, weight loss, etc. Still relying on the word of the healthcare industry.
For others, like myself, the degree to which they allow their loved ones to come into contact with ‘healthcare’ is purely for emergencies that may require heroic surgical intervention.
Personally, I don’t have a primary care doctor. I rarely, if ever, take over the counter medications. I put money we would otherwise waste on expensive insurance premiums into a health-savings account, the funds of which I can direct towards investments of my choosing.
Shortcomings
Why do some people still take the advice (and interventions) of this broken healthcare paradigm, despite their instincts telling them otherwise?
From the years of feedback I have received, it seems to me there’s a common mental obstacle that prevents people from detaching further form this paradigm.
A common sentiment I hear goes something like this:
Yes, this system is broken.
But, what am I supposed to do about my blood pressure?
I’ll just keep taking this drug my doctor prescribed.
This is understandable.
If you don’t have a grasp of the full picture, it is difficult to step away without feeling a sense of guilt about potentially harming yourself in the long-term.
There are several hurdles in the way, such as:
Why is my blood pressure high?
Is the prescription optimized for what’s causing my high blood pressure?
Just how effective is this prescription in reducing it?
Is that as good an affect as one can achieve?
How strong is the effect from more natural and less toxic solutions?
If the person cannot confidently answer these questions, they will simply resort to the prescription their doctor gave them.
But, let’s entertain this question to illustrate my point.
If you have high blood pressure, there’s a high likelihood your doctor prescribed an ACE Inhibitor - these are drugs that end in -pril, such as lisinopril. One of the most commonly used class of drugs to lower blood pressure.
How effective are they?
According to a Cochrane meta-analysis, the average reduction in systolic blood pressure was around 10 mmHg.
Sounds good right?
According to a study testing the use of mineral salt (high in potassium, magnesium and other trace minerals) instead of regular table salt (which is almost entirely sodium)…you can expect a drop in systolic blood pressure of about 10 mmHg!
Simple right?
Just swap out your salt. The best part?
You don’t only get a reduction in blood pressure. Improving the mineral content of your body impacts so many functions and organs, including the heart, nervous system, gut, muscles, reproductive organs, and much more.
It gets even better.
No side-effects.
Whereas with prescription drugs you must always contend with side-effects…with appropriate electrolyte balance you only get side-benefits.
With a therapeutic profile like this, you won’t even care that mineral salts costs more than the table salt.
Most doctors will simply tell you to reduce consumption of table salt, and take a prescription drug.
Instead, you can just switch the salt…and get way better health benefits.
Optimize Your Health Strategy
What I am trying to illustrate with the example above is just how effective a natural approach can be.
After years of research and experimentation, I believe the most common health concerns can be solved by a well-informed health strategy.
We need to come to terms with the fact there there are no easy solutions to health. What your doctor sells you as an easy solution, more often than not comes with costs and consequences down the road.
Being healthy requires effort & consistency.
Much of that effort revolves around bringing your mind, body and soul back to the natural order.
Unfortunately, this means that if you are a city-dweller, it will be more difficult to improve your health…simply because you are more likely to be surrounded by an artificial world. Every element of this world comes with consequences.
What’s worse?
If you are an urban dweller, you are more likely to be harmed by the ‘quick and easy’ solution that your doctor will prescribe.
But, a health strategy that has buy-in from you…is rather simple. Difficult, but simple.
Similar to the blood pressure example, an optimal foundational health strategy will have benefits far broader than any single problem your doctor will try to solve with a prescription drug.
A well executed strategy will improve all of these simultaneously:
Cardiovascular health
Metabolic health
Gut health
Sleep quality
Obesity
mental health & clarity
and much more…
The best part?
By implementing a health strategy that solves the above organ dysfunctions, in the long term you greatly reduce your chances of developing:
Dementia & psychiatric disorders
Heart failure
Kidney failure
Osteoporosis & fractures
and…even cancer
Foundational Health Strategy
Alright, enough talk. Let’s get down to business.
What does an optimal health strategy look like?
I want to keep this simple and broad. The details will vary from person to person, and context to context. People are unique, and so require tailored approaches.
Wake up to greet the rising Sun, every day.
Greet the Sun on its turf - outside.
Eat as naturally, locally and in-season as possible.
Animal, fermentation and fruit.
Do as many activities as you can outside.
Touch the earth with your bare skin, as much as you can. Everyday.
Minimize exposure to the digital ecosystem, especially when you wake up and after the sun sets.
Shortly after sunset, start winding down:
avoid blue lights - replace with candles, incandescent or red bulbs.
when unavoidable, wear blue/green light blocking glasses.
Have a consistent sleep schedule, and sleep >7 hours per night
Exercise: optimize for whole body and functional movements.
If you do this outside, there’s a huge benefit.
Metrics to target: VO2 max, grip strength, and heart rate variability.
Optimize for endurance, flexibility and core strength.
Do not ignore your soul & spirit. Nurture these elements of your being.
As you can tell, doing these things consistently is difficult - at first.
At first, you need to build new habits. One at a time.
With each new implementation, you will feel your health improve. You won’t need to get blood tests to know it.
With each new benefit, you will become addicted to feeling your best.
Eventually, the elements of this strategy will make up your normal life.
You won’t understand how you lived without them.
It will become second nature.
Your body will thank you. Your mind will thank you. Your family will thank you.
If you are interested in a thorough assessment of your health strategy, let me know at info@remnantmd.com
I'm trying to work through each one of your suggestions (one at a time, as you mentioned). I switched out many of my lamp bulbs for red ones this past weekend so that during the evenings, I can wind down with some red light — I love it! We're frequenting our local farmers market now. My next step is to catch the sunrise every morning. It took some brainstorming, because I have to wake my daughter up right as it is rising to start getting her ready for school, but I finally landed on something: we're going to eat breakfast outside in the backyard each morning. She likes to eat first thing, anyway.
What I didn't expect about making each one of these steps (though of course it makes sense) is the increase in well-being I experience with making these changes. My evening living room setup is magical thanks to the new lighting. I'm meeting people and making connections to others (not to mention spending a good amount of time outside on the weekend) at my local farmer's market. And now, I'll have a new tradition of eating with my daughter outside (accompanied by a nice glass of green tea) to enjoy the sunrise each day. For daily/weekly changes, it sure makes life more enjoyable and magical!
No profit in your eminently sensible solution to population health for big pharma to thrive!!!!
Agree with all of your recommendations! My life has changed drastically for the better since taking control and responsibility of my own health in 2020