Everybody Recommends Something Different
The competitive world is not about congruence. It never was and will never be about reaching agreement. Making money, rather than saving people, is what counts in the modern world of business. Being different is what sells in the market place.
A good analogy would be Microsoft's 1994 Windows interface design specifications that were based upon the File, Edit, and View menus. If achieving congruence were the goal, then every word processing program would look and function identically with Microsoft Word. Moreover, if that were the case, then there would be very little point in buying anything other than Microsoft Word for word processing.
Well, it did not take very long for software developers to figure this out. Things got so bad in the marketplace that even Microsoft eventually ended up changing their own original Window interface design specifications because OpenOffice being given away free was giving them too much competition. Microsoft Office had to look and function differently from everybody else, just in order to survive in the marketplace.
In short, being different sells in the marketplace.
Why Everybody Recommends Something Different
- Conflicting Health Information
- The World Is Full Of Crazy People
- Popular Beliefs About Reality
- Differences of Opinion
- Follow the Money
- Everyone is Different
- Hidden Agendas
- People are Confused in General
- In conclusion
Conflicting Health Information
Truth is never about belief, feelings, intuition, or psychic ability.
Sorry, but life is a struggle. Trying to navigate successfully through the maze of conflicting health information being put out there, takes a lot of work. Good health is NOT about believing, rather it is about actively using your brain to successfully navigate your way through conflicting health information. In fact, a good way to avoid Alzheimer's disease is to spend each day in a never ending problem solving process.
Conflicting health information has as much to do with you, as it has to do with them. Human beings are far from being innately rational beings. Most people are extremely prejudicial, set in their ways or belief systems, and judgmental in the extreme. Perhaps the problem is NOT them, but rather the rose color glasses that you are viewing reality with?
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The World Is Full Of Crazy People
Being crazy has become the new normal for industrialized societies.
Beware of the herd instinct so characteristic of human beings. Just because everybody else is doing something, does not prove anything. This is the scenario of the blind leading the blind, off a cliff.
Do not foolishly believe everything that you hear, read, or see without verifying the truth of the information. Anybody can write, speak, or create videos that suggest just about anything.
People, as purveyors of the truth, are not equal. Some people are smarter than others are. While some are college graduates, others barely passed grade school. Mental illness is very real. For a variety of different reasons, some people are for all practical purposes either psychotic or noticeably neurotic.
People who are "stoned" all day long on marijuana, are crazy.
People on the Web do not always advertise that they are addicted to drugs. A person's perception of reality when they are high on marijuana, for example, is anything, but accurate. While everything in life seems to be great when you are always "stoned," living with a drug addict is always bad news, to put it mildly.
Above all else, do not blindly except any information at face value, without digging deeper.
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Popular Beliefs About About Reality
Movies, cartoons, comic books, and the media have programmed the American public from birth into unquestionably accepting a large number of Hollywood fantasies as reality.
- A youth oriented culture where getting old is considered a negative.
- Health comes from vaccinations and swallowing medicine.
- It is cool to get drunk or intoxicated.
- Living fast and dying young is a virtue.
- Medicines have to be strong and toxic in order to work.
- People have no control over their health.
- The West was settled with guns and that these true Americans settled their arguments with guns and lived in saloons getting drunk all the time.
- That Medicine is based upon science.
- When your time is up, it is up.
Hollywood likes to use illness in the movies as a plot device. What is a better way to gain sympathy from the audience than to suddenly inflict the protagonist with an incurable disease. Furthermore, Hollywood all too often insists in their movies that old people are supposed to die helplessly, and be quick about it.
Doctor House on television has done a thorough job of painting the image of doctors as being genius miracle workers who are the only ones capable of figuring out what is wrong with a sick person. House always manages to come up with rare, nasty, and obscure diseases that inflict hapless victims with convulsions, vomiting, rashes, bleeding, and blindness for seemingly inexplicable reasons.
In real life, a local social service agency that I was working for experienced its first fatality when a social worker brought a teenager to an emergency room for medical treatment. A physician sent the hapless teenager home with just an aspirin. Nevertheless, the teen ended up dying that night despite the genius diagnostic skills and technical resources of a major metropolitan hospital.
Despite Hollywood's mythology, depending on physicians to save your life is a very risky and dangerous business. People who take reasonable good care of themselves simply wont catch some obscure rare disease. In fact, you would be better off not ever seeing a conventional medical doctor, as they would only try to get you to take unnecessary and dangerous prescription medications. Working on living a healthier lifestyle will always produce the best results, in the long run. Everyone can even drastically reduce their down time, from getting sick.
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Differences of Opinion
In some areas of health, there are honest differences of opinion.
In other words, some people are honestly convinced that they are right. While opposing viewpoints are just as convinced that those others are incorrect.
Sometimes differences of opinion are more about somebody trying to maintain their belief in a particular health dogma at all costs than they are about discovering new truths. One example of this phenomenon, would be those who are against taking vitamin supplements. While they often make some valid points, the bottom line is that they are more interested in maintaining their current belief system than they are in discovering new health modalities that actually work.
Of course, many of these groups are deserving of much more harsh language. While we at the Natural Health Perspective prefer to take the higher ground and be patiently polite to them, they in turn are far more likely to be belligerent to your opposing points of view.
Another example would be homeopathic medicine. Some people are thoroughly convinced that homeopathic medicine works.
The solution should be obvious to all. The one true measure of the truth is whether or not something works for you. Learn to listen to your body. Take blood tests and even other medical tests. In all things that you do, always demand demonstrable results.
« Back to Top | | More »Avoid Bogus Conflicting Health Information
Follow the Money
In the field of health, just like in conventional medicine, it is always about the money.
There is no end to the list of outright frauds.
Surely, no self-respecting source of honest health information on the Web would be promoting quackery. Tell me why then, so many popular Internet radio sites do precisely that? Any site that advocates or promotes any form of health quackery or fraud is only in it for the money.
Fit for Life, written by the Diamonds is a good example of fraudulent health information. Seemly, every public library has at least one copy of the outright quackery advocated in the Fit for Life book. Thus, every schoolchild in the country has been exposed to the screwy concept of food combining since grade school. Yet, far more rational health books are clearly missing from the shelves of our libraries for inexplicable reasons. Harvey Diamond is currently making a new spiel on Internet radio, where he is now a self-cured victim of Agent Orange from the Vietnam War. Funny how that was never mentioned in his Fit for Life book.
Then there are those trying to hustle very questionable health information.
Ever hear some speaker claim that massive dosages of an obscure form of molecular or nascent iodine cures hypothyroidism, or prevents breast cancer? Naturally, these people are coincidentally selling these hard to locate supplements on their Web site, at a hefty price tag. What they NEVER bother to tell you, however, is that very ordinary kelp tablets that contain normal dosages of iodine are more than capable of curing hypothyroidism. As to preventing breast cancer, who can say for sure just how important that obscure form of iodine might be in playing some minor role in prevention, along with hundreds of other nutrients and herbs that allegedly prevent cancer.
Most legitimate health information is coming from a diverse field of people who are in it for the money.
People who make the most noise on the Net are always advocating their own "stick," or their own individualized way that they have developed over the years of making money. This phenomenon accounts for why nobody agrees precisely with anybody else on the Web, regarding their health advice. These people are clearly more interested in NOT lowering their income stream than they are in helping the public for free.
Here we see, Mark Hyman, doctor of functional medicine, only really interested in promoting his latest book. Cedric Garland, DrPH and other vitamin D researchers advocate vitamin D, but are clueless about the importance of other nutrients, like vitamin A. Andrew Saul, PhD is a book author who appears to be fixated on old information. Dr. Saul's stick is advocating the importance of Vitamin C, Niacin, and of course his latest book which just happens to be about niacin.
Gerson therapy, for example, advocates what else, but the importance of juicing and Gerson therapy. Gerson therapy is seemingly clueless about the importance of vitamin D. In other words, the Gerson Institute does not make their money off vitamin D. And, accordingly Gerson therapy advocates do NOT promote vitamin D. Nevertheless, that is no reason for anyone to discount the value of vitamin D.
While none of these sites answer in a straight forward manner all of health's mysteries, they at least provide some very valid health tips.
« Back to Top | | More »Everyone is Different
It is often said that everyone is different.
This is the classic example of the end result of an unsubstantiated rumor gone wild. While everyone assumes that we are talking about genetics, people are different for many reasons, but rarely due to their genetics.
Flawed Genes Account for less than One Percent of All Diseases
Everyone is different because of environmental epigenetics. In other words, as adults we find find ourselves being different for two reasons: A)Early life experiences, and B) Transgenerational influences.
Of course, many of these people are deserving of less politically correct criticisms. While we at the Natural Health Perspective prefer to be kind and be patient, they in turn are far more likely to be out right rude to your opposing health positions.
In short, we are all on a never-ending quest to transform our differences into the oneness that will be obtained by all, once we have mastered the one perfect healthy lifestyle.
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Hidden Agendas
Far too many Web sites are nothing more than a wolf in sheep's clothing. Consider the Weston A. Price Foundation, which has been criticized by some for advocating the consumption of meat and dairy products, especially raw milk. While on the surface it appears to be advocating the health ideas of Weston Price, it reads more like a mouthpiece for the diary and cattle lobby. Price, after all, actually recommended a vegetarian diet. [Robbins 2009]
Many hidden agendas are being promoted indirectly by food industry lobbying groups which like to fund non-profit organizations, Web sites, and political causes behind the scenes.
"People love to hear good news about their bad habits."
-- John A. McDougall, MD
People living in denial of their health problems are more likely than not.
Some individuals and groups like nothing better than to promote their bad habits. Far too many addictive personality types simply want to continue eating meat, fat, salt, sugar, fastfood, junk food, and so on. For example, those who like to eat meat often like to rationalize that eating meat is good because they believe that cavemen ate lots of meat, and therefore everybody else must be wrong. These groups will stop at nothing to promote their hidden agendas and will latch onto any evidence that remotely supports their position, even if they have to fabricate it.
While "stoners" are quick to report that marijuana cures cancer, how seriously can anyone take information coming from a group of people who would do anything to promote smoking pot?
Hidden agendas are very deceptive, since they in their religious like zeal appear to be advocating good health. Nevertheless, improvements in your personal health, are never their primary objective.
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People are Confused in General
A lot of well intentioned people misread what someone else is claiming, and start what is nothing more than an unsubstantiated rumor. A case in point would be the notion that probiotics improve your natural immunity because the gut is the seat of your immune system. While this concept has some truth to it, probiotics do NOT and never will improve the effectiveness of your immune system.
The media has a lot to do with adding to the confusion of the public. All the media really cares about is making money, and jerking you around, in order to motivate you to constantly tune into their shows.
Another issue is that people are far too often trying to compare apples to oranges when it comes to health recommendations. In many cases, I believe that different sites are simply talking about completely different issues. Is it any wonder than that they are offering different recommendations?
In the real world, reality is ALWAYS gray rather than black or white.
In other words, reality is ALWAYS relative to something else. Health issues are always relative to a specific life-stage. In emergency situations, for example, what is best for you is whatever promotes survival since you no longer have the luxury of time to quibble over all the details.
As long as time is NOT an issue, the question of what is best for your health is ALWAYS relative to your particular current life-stage.
« Back to Top | | More »Life-Stage Classifications
There are many differing lists of different life-stage classification systems. The following is good as any, and better than most, in our opinion.
- Prenatal (minus 9 months - 0)
- Newborn (0 – 30 days)
- Infant (1 month - 12 months)
- Toddler (1 – 3 years)
- Child (3 - 12 years)
- Adolescence (12 to 18 years)
- Young Adult (18 to 35 years)
- Middle-Age (35 to 55 years)
- Senior Citizen (55 - 80 years)
- Advanced Old Age (80 years and beyond)
In other words, what is best for your particular health situation depends upon whether you are a child, adolescent, or young adult. The natural health recommendations offered on the Natural Health Perspective are targeted primarily at two different life-stages: Middle-Age and Senior Citizen. We cover topics of interest to younger adults and families to a lesser extent.
It should NOT really surprise anyone that a natural health site talking about what is best for a growing child is going to make different recommendations than one catering to the mature adult.
The only real differences between a senior citizen and a person of advanced old age is that really old people do better with higher cholesterol levels, a concept that would surely confuse the heck out of a middle-aged adult.
It gets even more complicated than this. This site is targeting only healthy people. Prevention is always better than cure. The health advice given on this site may or may NOT apply to anybody currently experiencing a major disease process, such as type 2 diabetes. This is precisely why everybody should discuss their particular health concerns with a health care professional of their choice.
In addition, trying to excel athletically at a particular sport generally results in a completely different set of recommendations that often would conflict with an athlete's personal health.
This site is NOT concerned with getting a gold metal at the Olympics. Instead, We are offering good information on how to maximize your longevity, while still maintaining a high quality of life. Thus, if you are a senior citizen who is primarily trying to win a professional bodybuilding contest, THEN you are on the WRONG site.
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In conclusion: It is the position of the Natural Health Perspective, that with a bit of hard thinking, using logic rather than emotion to make decisions, or how you feel at the moment or with intuition; everyone can remove all the confusion around health issues.
It would be hypocritical of us to tell everyone to trust our health claims, while they should ignore all other sources of information.
Our advice is to trust no one. Be skeptical of all health claims being made by anyone. Be sure to demand demonstrable results within a relatively short period of time.
Remember that everyone is in it for the money. While true of everyone, some are clearly in it for the money more than others are. Trust your own judgment. Be skeptical of all information coming from a site that is promoting obviously fraudulent health claims just to fill copy and sell advertising.
Always ask where are they getting their money from. Question just as much what they are NOT telling you, as what they are claiming to be true.
Get a second and third opinion as to the validity of their health claims. Be constantly on the outlook for new sources of information. Most sites on the Web, wont tell you the whole story, especially on topics that they are NOT making any income off of.
« Back to Top | | More »References:
- Robbins, John. "Reflections on the Weston A. Price Foundation", 11/04/2009.
