by Kirstin Carey, CHN
Nearly every day, someone says something regarding health & wellness that’s so silly, ridiculous, and even harmful that I really fear for the human race.
Below are the top 9 utterings from just this past week alone.
1 – My doctor told me that my diet played no part in causing or exacerbating my severe IBS.
This is silly because, what you eat, how your digestive system responds to what you eat, and what pharmaceuticals you are taking play a major part in the behavior of your body. As explained by Dr Mark Hyman, the “…two main causes of IBS: Food allergies and overgrowth of bacteria in the small intestine.” Click here for more enlightening information on IBS from Dr Mark Hyman.
2 – My mother and grandmother both have Celiac Disease. I figured I shouldn’t take gluten out of my diet until I start noticing symptoms. (This person was already taking antacids regularly, having migraines, and felt bloated often.)
This is silly because waiting for symptoms (and then not recognizing the signs like bloating, taking OTC or prescribed medication as symptoms) before you take preventative measures is like hiding your eyes and thinking no one can see you because you can’t see them. Once symptoms start, damage is being done. Be proactive about your health. A damaged digestive tract or gut can lead to low nutrient absorption, digestive disorders, osteoporosis, joint pain, migraines, and that’s just the beginning of the list.
3 – My doctor told me that I would have to be on a protein pump inhibitor for the rest of my life, that the dosage would continue to increase as I got older, and that changing my diet will not help.
Again, this is silly because diet and nutrient absorption are crucial to being healthy and not relying on prescriptions. According to Dr Dan Rogers, MD, NMD, “There are almost no medicines in the world you can’t get patients off of.”
As questioned by biochemist, Dr T Colin Campbell, most well known for his books The China Study and Whole, and his participation in the well known documentary Forks Over Knives, “How did we get to a place where the healers of our society, our doctors, know little, if anything, about nutrition…?
4 – I have no food allergies or sensitivities. I like everything.
This is silly because food allergies and sensitivities aren’t preferences. And just because you enjoy eating it, doesn’t mean it’s a good thing. In fact, one of the biggest red flags for food sensitives and problems are food cravings.
5 – High blood pressure and high cholesterol are in my family history, so what I eat won’t have any impact on those issues and I just have to take medicine to control them.
This is silly because your family history isn’t a sentence set in stone. You have control over many factors. As written by Lissa Rankin, MD in her new book Mind Over Medicine, “…the majority of disease processes can be explained by environmental factors to which the cells are exposed, things such as nutrition, hormonal changes, and even love. We need not be victims of our DNA.”
And – refer back to the answer for #3.
6 – A personal trainer at my gym told me I should eat my body weight in grams of animal protein before my workout.
This is silly because unless you are an extreme athlete or active body builder, consuming 1 gram or more of protein per every pound of body weight is high even for an entire day. Eating that much protein before your workout is even more silly. First, you body can only utilize a certain amount of protein at a time. Second, too much protein (especially animal protein) can be highly damaging to the body pushing it into a more acidic state. When the body is acidic is is ripe for disease, inflammation, and illness.
For the average person who is moderately active (working out 30 minutes a day, 3-4 times a week), I recommend about 40-50 grams of protein (plant based protein counts too!) per 100 lbs per day. So about half your weight, or a little less, in grams of protein.
7 – Though I have no family history of diabetes, and no symptoms of diabetes, my endocrinologist suggested I get tested for insulin resistance because I’m vegan.
This is silly because testing someone with no signs or history of illness simply because they eat vegan is nonsense. My guess is that the doc has seen patients who, though they may not be eating animal proteins, they aren’t eating healthy and are probably eating lots of processed foods, sugars, and junk. And its those foods – the soda, potato chips, breads, crackers, and other processed foods – that lead to insulin resistance, pre-diabetes, and Type 2 Diabetes – not the lack of animal protein. We can all certainly list people we know who have insulin resistance or Diabetes who eat lots of chicken.
8 – Oh I could never be vegan; I need to eat protein.
This is silly because everyone needs protein and protein comes from animal AND plant sources. Vegans eat protein, they just come from plant-based foods rather than chicken, eggs, milk, fish, or other animal based products.
As explained by competitive vegan bodybuilder, Anthony DiNobile, who also happens to be a Certified Personal Trainer AND a Certified Holistic Nutritionist, “Some people think protein that comes from a plant doesn’t count. Our bodies don’t care if the essential amino acids come from a plant or animal source. Protein is protein.”
9 – That sucks you can’t have dairy. I would die if I couldn’t eat dairy.
This is silly because no one is going to die because they need to remove dairy or any other specific food from their diet. We need to get over ourselves, stop being so dramatic, and realize that we give away too much of our own personal power over to food.
We should take a long look at our relationship with food, diet, and nutrition and take seriously how that relationship is impacting not just our health, but the health of our children, and our society.
If you hear other silly, ridiculous, or even harmful comments regarding health and wellness, please add them in the comment below or email us.
If you are still curious and have questions about any of the items above are on this list, there may be opportunity for you to learn more about how you can take your healthcare and well being back into your own hands.
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