Taking Control Of Your Health

By Alan S. Weiss, MD

There are many patients who feel like they have lost control of their health and are increasingly desperate to find a path to wellness.

Many patients have a complex array of symptoms, are on multiple medications, or just can't seem to get their energy and sense of wellbeing back and are trying to dig themselves out of a deepening hole.

While there are people with terminal diseases for whom there are few great answers, most people are dealing with the effects of conditions that are treatable or just simply the ravages of aging in an environment of stress and poor nutrition that becomes a kind of self-perpetuating trap.

If this sounds like you, try the following steps.

First, find a doctor who will actually take the time to listen to you and understand what you are dealing with. Unfortunately, the current model of medical practice does not always lend itself to this. But unless your doctor does not understand what you are dealing with how can he or she be your partner in resolving it?

Secondly, you must look at your lifestyle and tell the truth about whether or not it makes you well or contributes to your problems. If you are eating junk food, significant amounts of sugar, consuming tobacco or excessive alcohol, you may want to change this and you may need to get some professional input to support you.

The bottom line is if you are not getting sufficient physical exercise, eating poorly, and not sleeping well you will not feel well. You will lose muscle and brain function, your hormones are likely to decline, and your risk of diabetes and metabolic syndrome go up.

We live in a society that makes it easy to slip into exposure to toxins, eating nutrient poor food, have poor sleep patterns etc., and only by reversing these lifestyle issues can one really take control of their health. This is not easy and it can not all be handled at once, but the best thing to do is to start somewhere and keep adding healthy habits to your life. Again finding a health practitioner to support you in creating a plan and creating an accountability structure can be the difference between success and failure.

As a patient it is critical that you hold your doctor accountable. What do I mean by this? If you get any tests ordered by your doctor and you have not heard back from the office within a week you should call and ask about the results. No news does not always imply good news. Sometimes no news means the results never showed up in the office or even got lost or mis-filed.

If you are on medications and you don't understand why or you want to discuss other options for treatment (a very common issue especially when it comes to diet, thyroid, and hormonal treatments) you should summon the courage to discuss with your doctor or maybe get a second opinion. Remember you are in it for your health not to avoid conflict or avoid threatening your doctor's ego.

Taking on your own health and creating a healthy lifestyle is the first step on the path to wellness.