Still Not Well?

by Dr. Larry Wilson — 

Many tests are performed, yet most yield only results about blood, urine, genetics and hormones. Some people are prescribed a dozen drugs or more, but they still do not feel well. Others take multiple nutritional supplements and their ailments continue, as well.

Thousands of people consult a dozen or more doctors, naturopaths, chiropractors and other health practitioners, looking for answers to their health problems. Some consult brand-name medical centers, such as the Mayo Clinic, while others try every holistic therapy imaginable, from herbs and acupuncture to massage, bodywork and more.

Many tests are performed, yet most yield only results about blood, urine, genetics and hormones. Some people are prescribed a dozen drugs or more, but they still do not feel well. Others take multiple nutritional supplements and their ailments continue, as well.

Many patients have become angry, frustrated and discouraged by their experiences. Some turn to stimulants, anti-depressants, marijuana, alcohol and other ways of self-medicating their pain or other bodily discomfort, which can and do worsen conditions in the long run.

Let us discuss this medical runaround syndrome — its causes and what to do about it. I believe that by following a proper program, it is possible for most of these people to restore and rejuvenate their health.

What causes the runaround?

Several factors combine to create this medical runaround:

Lifestyle imbalances — These include lack of rest and sleep, not enough or too much exercise, and even too much sexual activity. Lifestyle imbalances add stress to a person’s life and tend to build up until they cause physical symptoms. The connections may not be apparent at first, but they do exist and are a common cause of disease today. Many physicians do not address these issues enough, if at all.

Some other harmful imbalances may include the overuse of prescription medications or illegal recreational drugs, such as marijuana. Regardless of what experts say about marijuana, in my practice I see its negative effects on a regular basis. In fact, I can usually tell from a properly performed hair mineral analysis that a person is damaging their health with marijuana. The mineral test often reveals an elevated calcium/magnesium ratio, an indicator that one’s lifestyle is causing health problems.

Improper diet — Diet is not given nearly the importance it deserves, even by naturopathic doctors and certainly by most medical professionals. In my experience, a proper diet is critical for good health. No treatment can be effective in correcting a health problem until the diet improves. The proper diet is discussed later in this article, and more information is available at drlwilson.com.

A high level of stress — A high stress level from a work situation, financial problem, divorce, family death or anything else can destroy one’s health in such a way that no healing program will help. Old-fashioned family doctors who made house calls often became aware of stress issues in a person’s life. Today, however, such factors may not be apparent because of the short visits with busy modern physicians.

One advantage of hair mineral testing is its excellence in assessing one’s stress level. Also, nutritional balancing programs can sometimes ease stress. They can often unwind and clear traumas that give rise to certain types of stress.

Negative attitudes, such as anger or fear — These emotions cause many people to “get in their own way.” They may harbor anger, resentment, guilt, or hold other negative feelings. While drugs or natural remedies may dull the emotional pain, their issues need to be dealt with honestly and fully. Otherwise, the resulting negativity can have devastating effects upon their health.

Unfortunately, many doctors avoid discussing this problem. Even some counselors do not want to “judge” individuals or label them as angry, fearful or otherwise.

Fragmentation in medical care — Fragmentation happens when one physician specializes in lung problems, another in kidney disease, another in heart problems and another in digestive conditions. While medical doctors who provide diagnostic expertise in a specific area, especially in the surgical field, are advantageous to the patient on some levels, this type of specialization can also create problems in treatment.

It would be best if the medical specialists consulted as a team. However, they often do not communicate with one another, and no one is given the job of viewing the patient as a whole. Because of this, conditions can be overlooked that are of a more general but serious nature. In addition, patients can be prescribed one drug for the heart, another for the kidneys and still other drugs for different organ problems. Multiple drug prescriptions (known as polypharmacy) often become a highly toxic brew, as the drugs may interact in surprisingly harmful ways. Please note that fragmentation is less of a problem among holistic practitioners, but it does occur.

Outdated healing methods — The 21st century presents health challenges never before seen in the history of mankind. For example, we inhabit a pollution-laden planet with a hybridized, genetically modified and nutritionally depleted food supply. In addition, toxic metals, toxic chemicals and radioactive fallout are everywhere and very hard to avoid. Stray and harmful electromagnetic fields (EMFs) are another pollutant that comes from cell phones, cell phone towers, smart meters, computers, Wi-Fi and other electronic gadgets.

Also, in my view, prenatal care is lagging behind the times. Little is required of a pregnant woman, other than taking a one-size-fits-all vitamin containing little of the vital nutrients needed. The result is that most children are born with high levels of toxic metals and chemicals obtained from their mothers through the placenta. Most are also born low in zinc, chromium, selenium and other trace and macrominerals, due to deficiencies in the mothers.

This problem can be overcome. I know this because I assist families in producing much healthier babies, which I term “superbabies.” They are healthier, speak and walk at a younger age, and are rarely ill. Their mental development is also much faster and exceeds other children their age. When they enter school, they are often several grade levels ahead of their peers.

As a child grows, health declines further due to vaccinations, which introduce extra aluminum, mercury and other highly toxic chemicals into the body. Vaccines can contain stray viruses and other micro-organisms that contaminate them. Other reasons for ill children and young adults are the widespread use of medical drugs, such as antibiotics, drinking fluoridated and chlorinated water, and eating poor-quality, refined junk food.

Standard medical procedures, as well as most natural healing methods, are simply not comprehensive or powerful enough to reverse all of these bodily insults. As a result, many people simply will not get well using these methods.

Four low electrolytes — Some people do not get well because they have unusual metabolic patterns. One of these is called “four low electrolytes.” It consists of a hair calcium level below 40 mg percent (milligrams per 100 grams), hair magnesium level less than 6 mg percent, hair sodium level less than 25 mg percent and hair potassium less than 10 mg percent. Unfortunately, this pattern is not revealed on any blood or urine tests. Therefore, it is virtually undetected by most doctors, both conventional and holistic.

When a person with this pattern takes common medications or supplements for other conditions, a reverse effect occurs, making their health worse. For example, taking thyroid and adrenal support medications or vitamins A, B-complex, C and E can make the four low electrolytes pattern much worse. People who have been to many doctors and take many drugs or supplements without much success are often found to have this pattern. Find more information about the four low electrolytes pattern and how to correct it at drlwilson.com.

Yin disease — An unusual metabolic condition that confuses doctors and patients alike is yin disease. It is the condition in which the body becomes too yin, in macrobiotic terminology. The word yin means cold, sluggish and expanded, and today it usually translates to ill. It is very common and occurs from eating refined food diets, too much raw food, fruit and other sweets, vegetarian and vegan diets, or drinking smoothies and shakes.

Other causes of yin disease include drinking fruit and vegetable juices, eating fermented foods, and taking a lot of herbs and nutritional supplements, no matter what benefits they might provide. Other causes can be too much bathing, too much sex, and too many medical or dental X-rays.

Those individuals with yin disease feel tired, spacey and often suffer from yeast overgrowth. They typically experience depression and sadness, and do not respond well to most drugs or natural healing methods. Many will get multiple diagnoses and treatments, but unless the yin condition is recognized, treatments are ineffective. As with the four low electrolytes pattern discussed above, very few practitioners identify or know what to do about yin disease. A proper nutritional balancing program will correct it, however.

Impaired digestion — Poor digestion is usually due to improper diet, stress, parasitic infection, other intestinal infections or constipation and is often overlooked by doctors and even naturopaths, because it may not cause many symptoms. Drugs or herbs are given for problems such as gas, bloating, heartburn or GERD, but they do not rebuild the intestinal tract. Without proper digestion, the body cannot renourish and renew itself.

Incompetence — Some doctors are too exhausted, stressed or, for some other reason, not fully engaged in their patients’ well-being. Some are under pressure from their licensing boards or legal advisors and, thus, are afraid to tell the truth about what they know or even recommend what needs to be done. Unfortunately, others are inexperienced or do not listen carefully to their patients’ concerns.

Overcoming the medical/natural heath runaround

Lifestyle imbalances add stress to a person’s life that tends to build up until it
causes physical symptoms.

1. Diet is imperative. Although some may disagree, I believe the diet must be very high (about 70 percent) in cooked, not raw, vegetables. This provides the hundreds of nutrients our bodies require, which cannot be absorbed enough if the vegetables are consumed raw. In addition, the less fruit consumed the better. Most people should simply avoid sweets of any kind, including fruit; fruit and vegetable juices; rice, soy, almond and regular milk; and any other sweet foods and beverages.

Other foods that adversely affect health are wheat and wheat flour in any form and most soy products. Some people can tolerate gluten or corn, while others cannot. Vegetarian diets are not good for most people and should be avoided. This is the basic dietary protocol I use, and works well if followed diligently. It takes getting used to, but is not difficult, costly or too inconvenient.

2. Work actively to reduce stress. Get at least nine hours of sleep every night, breathe deeply and do a little exercise daily. These are simple habits to develop that can go a long way toward maintaining and improving your health.

3. Let go of negative attitudes, grudges and resentments. Learn to be grateful for what you have and to forgive everyone for everything, at all times. This does not mean that you condone their behavior or stay in touch with them. However, it does mean that you are willing to let go and move on with your life. I know this is not always easy, but be patient and persistent.

4. Be aware of odd metabolic patterns. These include four low electrolytes, copper imbalance, yin disease, yeast problems, gluten intolerance and others, which are real, even if some doctors deny their existence. If you are not getting help, I suggest a nutritional balancing program, as it takes these into account.

5. Beware of pitfalls in modern medical care and natural healing methods. Too often, doctors give symptomatic remedies, instead of helping correct deeper metabolic patterns, which can underlie a variety of symptoms and conditions. Realize that current conventional, holistic and naturopathic care come from the last century and do not factor in the many unique challenges facing societies today — a contaminated environment and widespread nutritional deficiencies due to modern agriculture, food processing and other challenges.

Conclusion 

Many people who consult with me for assistance in their health care have already visited a bevy of doctors, natural healers and others. Most of them have become discouraged, cynical and even hopeless about their health conditions. As outlined above, valid reasons exist for the medical community’s failure to treat. By implementing a more modern and comprehensive approach, many of my patients can and do very well at restoring excellent health.

Dr. Lawrence Wilson has a medical degree, has been in the health field for more than 25 years and is the author of several books. drlwilson.com or 928-445-7690.

Reprinted from AzNetNews, Volume 32, Number 6, December 2013/January 2014.