The Medical Model
The Western world has a healthcare system that is primarily based on the premise that a medication should be taken when a symptom appears. Americans, and most of the Western world, look to the medicine cabinet or prescription as the answer for every symptom. It is a knee-jerk reaction that happens even at the first sign of a mild headache or sniffle. This notion has taken people into a system not focused on health and prevention but rather a merry-go-round of chasing symptoms. Unfortunately, this undermines the body’s natural ability to heal. Most often, symptoms will resolve when the body is allowed to respond naturally.
This outside-in approach does not get to the root cause of problems but seeks to manage and mitigate symptoms. For example, Synthroid (a medication used to treat thyroid disorders) is designed to keep thyroid hormones “in balance” but does not address why the thyroid was dysfunctional, to begin with. Every medication has side effects and potential risks, even over-the-counter medications. Everyone’s body chemistry is different and will respond differently to different medicines.
In addition, when someone takes more than one medication, the risks and side effects multiply considerably. Drugs.com has a drug interaction checker that shows potential interactions that are astonishing. Many people are never given this interaction information by their doctor or pharmacist and are shocked when they see it. Because people often go to more than one doctor or specialist, medications are often prescribed unilaterally without looking at the bigger picture.
The Power of Prescription Medicine
According to WebMD: “A new survey finds 55 percent of Americans regularly take a prescription medicine — and they’re taking more than ever. Those who use a prescription drug take four, on average, and many also take over-the-counter drugs, vitamins, and other dietary supplements, the survey done by Consumer Reports shows. But many of those pills may be unnecessary and might do more harm than good, according to a special report in the September issue of Consumer Reports magazine. Among those who take prescription drugs, 53 percent get them from more than one health care provider, which increases the risk of adverse drug effects. More than a third say no provider has reviewed their medicines to see if all are necessary.” (1)
Most people now realize that there are issues with large pharmaceutical companies and their conflicts of interest and loyalty to shareholders over their customer’s health. It is a profit over patients scenario. After all, there is no money to be made (by the pharmaceutical industry, doctors, or hospitals) on healthy people. According to The BMJ, a frightening headline is “Medical error—the third leading cause of death in the US.”(2). The estimation is that over 400,000 people die each year from medical error, much of which is related to medications. (3) This is just behind heart disease and cancer. Many are looking to reduce the number of drugs they take and look to nutritional supplements as an alternative.
What About Supplements?
The fact is, the body’s normal state is to be healthy and vibrantly alive. Therefore, something is wrong if a symptom, sickness, or disease appears. There is a cause to all problems. MaxLiving doctors support the notion that healing comes from the inside out. Supplementation, when done correctly, can assist the body’s ability to heal, repair, and restore function. However, many people apply the same “take this for that” mentality to supplements as they do for medications, circumventing efforts to get to the root causes of the problem. This path is still an outside-in approach that undermines the body’s natural healing ability.
Many people run to stores and online retailers and get numerous supplements without knowing if their body truly needs them. Some take fistfuls of supplements daily that they may not need. Ideally, one should get nutritional testing to identify which supplements are required and in what amounts. Talk with your MaxLiving doctor about nutritional testing and the MaxLiving line of nutraceuticals. No one should ever use supplements to take the place of food, and food is still the ideal way to get proper nutrients. However, it is challenging to get the nutrients one needs to be healthy because of depleted soils, produce shipped for thousands of miles over long periods, commercial/factory-farmed animal products, and highly processed foods.
Other Problems With Supplements
There are other problems with supplements that should be considered:
- Low quality, non-organic ingredients
- Label claims do not match the actual contents
- The supplement industry is not regulated effectively
- Dangerous fillers and toxic ingredients
- Genetically modified ingredients
The Solution
Many times, lifestyle changes, as outlined in the MaxLiving 5 Essentials (Core Chiropractic, Maximized Mind, Maximized Nutrition, Maximized Oxygen and Lean Muscle, and Minimized Toxins) can resolve many health issues naturally. A holistic, whole-body, root-cause approach is best if you have health issues. High-quality supplementation can be an excellent adjunctive therapy when used carefully, intentionally, and only with the highest quality products. MaxLiving products all carry the PurePath Standard, which states that it uses the highest quality ingredients from the purest sources. MaxLiving products are also certified cGMP, certified Kosher, certified USDA Organic, certified non-GMO, and certified Gluten Free. For more information, visit https://store.maxliving.com/pages/purepath.
About the Author
Kimberly Roberto is a wife, mother of three, author, and business owner. She and her husband Fred have owned and operated a chiropractic and wellness clinic for the last 25 years. Kimberly and Fred have been a part of MaxLiving for since it’s onset. She co-authored the Maximized Living Nutrition Plans book in 2009 which sold over 10,000 copies and recently authored the MaxLiving’s Maximizing Your Pregnancy, Birth and Newbornbook. She’s a holistic nutritionist and maintains a healthy cooking/recipe blog. She is passionate about natural health and helping people reach their potential for health and wellness. She resides in Marietta, GA and their three children are now grown and attending college.
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