We're all just bags of chemicals, undergoing complex interactions. Those reactions are affected by medicines, foods, passing pathogens, hugging our pets, even our thoughts. It's unfortunate that most doctors limit their practice to adjusting a few of these with select pharmaceuticals and procedures. But they're specialists, and trained in a specialized subset of possible chemical manipulations. The complexities make comprehensive understanding difficult. Eventually (soon!) we'll have AI support to broaden treatments, but until then we're on our own to look beyond medical orthodoxy.
I'm glad I've discovered your substack. You represent a sane and sober voice in direct care that I don't get to read enough of. (I highly recommend looking into Sebastian Rushworth of Sweden if you're not already familiar with him- you are definitely of a kind).
I agree that dietary interventions are much more sustainable and healthier ways to address longitudinal health.
I assume (correct me if I'm wrong) that you agree that the focus on saturated fat in diets has been a misguided fixation. Do you feel the same about cholesterol? What are your usual recommendations to patients as far as addressing "high" cholesterol in their diets?
Paul Saladino's "Carnivore Code" is an excellent, highly documented explanation of cholesterol pathways and pathologies, especially Chapter 11. Cholesterol is essential for cell function, especially brain health. It only causes the cardiovascular problems that terrify the medical industry when accompanied by metabolic dysfunction, mainly insulin resistance. My recent post in my newsletter describes my experience.
I was prescribed statins by my previous doctor (I relocated away from a lockdown blue city to a farm this year). I immediately started getting muscle pains, especially in the abs, and stopped taking them.
I recently listened to an episode of the Freakonomics podcast about the history of medicine. One of the doctors they interviewed described statins as "the most purely beneficial breakthrough; I'd put it in the water supply if I could (note that this was recorded before COVID)."
BTW, I referred my husband today to the chapter of your book re: Ivermectin as I didn't have the language to explain its action on viral symptoms. He liked it. Another thumbs up from this family. :)
David, thanks for this. I eat what I would consider a healthy (especially compared to many of my peers) but certainly "Western" diet: meat, vegetables, dairy, not so much carbs or sugar, no soda/processed sweets, etc., get plenty of exercise, don't smoke and rarely drink. I've had relatively high cholesterol my whole life and no chronic health problems, ever, and am rarely sick (mild seasonally).
Despite this, I'm constantly pestered by my doctors to "go to a low fat low sugar diet immediately!"
The real test of your doc's advice would be to ask "how low?" And what foods? They're trained to say "lower" but I've never heard them get specific. Most med schools don't teach nutrition at all. California tried to pass law years ago mandating it, but lobbyists killed it. Food industries consider nutrition a direct competitive threat, but it surprises most people that the medical industry does, too. Their excuse is patients don't want to hear it. That's probably true, but based on medical advice as much as hedonism. It's a circular pathology. They're just providing what their customers want, and if it boosts their business, that's even better.
Thank you. I am not at all worried about high cholesterol or saturated fat in the diet. But I am concerned with damages caused by sugar. That's much newer in the human diet, and we haven't yet evolved the 21st century bodies to cope with such intense increase of sugar over the last century.
I think most vaccines have been helpful, despite their rough beginnings. However, when it comes to the flu vaccine and the COVID vaccine in particular, I am getting the feeling, as with weight loss drugs, cholesterol reducers, diabetes medications, etc., we're trying to ameliorate the damage of a lifestyle issue rather than combat that underlying issue. In other words, people have this false idea that medicine can save you from poor choices. I have made my fair share of poor choices, but I'm still under no such illusion, and I really wish modern medicine would stop promising things it can't deliver on.
In short, as always, I agree with you and I appreciate the conciseness and the wisdom.
Sadly some PCP’s have lost their damn minds. I’m in Marxachusetts. Last week I had to see a doctor when I slipped at work. I wore an N99 face mask. I had no issues with the staff that checked me in, took my vitals etc. The issue arose when the doctor told me my N99 made her uncomfortable. It was a standard N99, not N95. It didn’t have a rebreather or anything. So she told me she’d be more comfortable if I wore a surgical mask from behind the front desk, where all the sick check in. The surgical masks weren’t individually wrapped and were most likely already exposed to multiple coughs, sneezes and god knows what. I told the doctor that made me uncomfortable. After a bit of back and forth I dismissed myself without being examined. I’m extremely disappointed in the medical field
We're all just bags of chemicals, undergoing complex interactions. Those reactions are affected by medicines, foods, passing pathogens, hugging our pets, even our thoughts. It's unfortunate that most doctors limit their practice to adjusting a few of these with select pharmaceuticals and procedures. But they're specialists, and trained in a specialized subset of possible chemical manipulations. The complexities make comprehensive understanding difficult. Eventually (soon!) we'll have AI support to broaden treatments, but until then we're on our own to look beyond medical orthodoxy.
Happy anniversary!
I'm glad I've discovered your substack. You represent a sane and sober voice in direct care that I don't get to read enough of. (I highly recommend looking into Sebastian Rushworth of Sweden if you're not already familiar with him- you are definitely of a kind).
I agree that dietary interventions are much more sustainable and healthier ways to address longitudinal health.
I assume (correct me if I'm wrong) that you agree that the focus on saturated fat in diets has been a misguided fixation. Do you feel the same about cholesterol? What are your usual recommendations to patients as far as addressing "high" cholesterol in their diets?
Paul Saladino's "Carnivore Code" is an excellent, highly documented explanation of cholesterol pathways and pathologies, especially Chapter 11. Cholesterol is essential for cell function, especially brain health. It only causes the cardiovascular problems that terrify the medical industry when accompanied by metabolic dysfunction, mainly insulin resistance. My recent post in my newsletter describes my experience.
Agreed with both of you. Cholesterol plays essential roles in the body; statin drugs have never benefitted even one person of my acquaintance.
That I have seen.
I was prescribed statins by my previous doctor (I relocated away from a lockdown blue city to a farm this year). I immediately started getting muscle pains, especially in the abs, and stopped taking them.
I recently listened to an episode of the Freakonomics podcast about the history of medicine. One of the doctors they interviewed described statins as "the most purely beneficial breakthrough; I'd put it in the water supply if I could (note that this was recorded before COVID)."
BTW, I referred my husband today to the chapter of your book re: Ivermectin as I didn't have the language to explain its action on viral symptoms. He liked it. Another thumbs up from this family. :)
David, thanks for this. I eat what I would consider a healthy (especially compared to many of my peers) but certainly "Western" diet: meat, vegetables, dairy, not so much carbs or sugar, no soda/processed sweets, etc., get plenty of exercise, don't smoke and rarely drink. I've had relatively high cholesterol my whole life and no chronic health problems, ever, and am rarely sick (mild seasonally).
Despite this, I'm constantly pestered by my doctors to "go to a low fat low sugar diet immediately!"
The real test of your doc's advice would be to ask "how low?" And what foods? They're trained to say "lower" but I've never heard them get specific. Most med schools don't teach nutrition at all. California tried to pass law years ago mandating it, but lobbyists killed it. Food industries consider nutrition a direct competitive threat, but it surprises most people that the medical industry does, too. Their excuse is patients don't want to hear it. That's probably true, but based on medical advice as much as hedonism. It's a circular pathology. They're just providing what their customers want, and if it boosts their business, that's even better.
Thank you. I am not at all worried about high cholesterol or saturated fat in the diet. But I am concerned with damages caused by sugar. That's much newer in the human diet, and we haven't yet evolved the 21st century bodies to cope with such intense increase of sugar over the last century.
I think most vaccines have been helpful, despite their rough beginnings. However, when it comes to the flu vaccine and the COVID vaccine in particular, I am getting the feeling, as with weight loss drugs, cholesterol reducers, diabetes medications, etc., we're trying to ameliorate the damage of a lifestyle issue rather than combat that underlying issue. In other words, people have this false idea that medicine can save you from poor choices. I have made my fair share of poor choices, but I'm still under no such illusion, and I really wish modern medicine would stop promising things it can't deliver on.
In short, as always, I agree with you and I appreciate the conciseness and the wisdom.
Simple and to the point.
Sadly some PCP’s have lost their damn minds. I’m in Marxachusetts. Last week I had to see a doctor when I slipped at work. I wore an N99 face mask. I had no issues with the staff that checked me in, took my vitals etc. The issue arose when the doctor told me my N99 made her uncomfortable. It was a standard N99, not N95. It didn’t have a rebreather or anything. So she told me she’d be more comfortable if I wore a surgical mask from behind the front desk, where all the sick check in. The surgical masks weren’t individually wrapped and were most likely already exposed to multiple coughs, sneezes and god knows what. I told the doctor that made me uncomfortable. After a bit of back and forth I dismissed myself without being examined. I’m extremely disappointed in the medical field
I believe that last line should say “current vaccines create even more problems.”
Previous actual vaccines like polio, etc. were quite effective. These are a bunch of therapy drugs with feeding efficacy an unknown long-term risks.
However, MMR is very problematic
And, the first patch of polio vax was VERY PROBLEMATIC. People got polio from it. They had to reformulate.
True. But it went on to eliminate it. These eliminated nothing.
Exactly, but now they won't admit these jabs are hurting and not really helping enough for the risk
It would be nice if they stopped the gravy train long enough to admit it and reformulate