I healed a torn meniscus and have begun reversing my vision loss without following any of the “approved” protocols or advice. Here’s what that’s teaching me about why we stay so sick.
I believe you could live an entire lifetime and never really understand the concept explained in this article. But once you allow yourself to consider it or even try it, you can’t unsee how undeniably true it is. It’s everywhere and it’s amazing.
I twisted my knee and it swelled up and extremely painful. At the time I had little money and no health insurance. In desperation I listened to a friend and went to her acupuncturist. After one treatment (included weak electrical) and a few days rest it was well on its way to healed. Made me a believer in OM. 7000 year culture might have some wisdom.
This is excellent, Katy. I’ve long believed our bodies seek homeostasis and many of our pain relievers, etc. are actually doing more harm than good by suppressing the body’s natural detox pathways, such as fever.
I have had an experience much like yours wherein I didn’t do a single thing allopathic medicine expected me to do with the diagnosis they gave me and I have been “in remission” i.e. healthier than my fellow rheumatoid arthritis sufferers who went down the standard treatment route.
It started with swelling knees. My GP sent me to an orthopedic surgeon who x-rayed me and said I had a little arthritis but I must have sprained it and that’s why the swelling was happening. Two frozen shoulders and many weird unexplainable aches and pains later, my Naturopath connected the dots the allopathic specialists didn’t and ran some tests which pointed to RA. But even before the test results arrived, she put me on a repurposed drug (think Ivermectin during Covid) called Low Dose Naltrexone (LDN) which blocks opioid receptors causing your body to deliver an anti-inflammatory response, or something like that. Patients titrate up from 1 mg to a max of 4.5 mg over a few weeks. After my first dose, I was able to walk on my aching feet. My symptoms had progressed to where it hurt to walk, I couldn’t hold a sharp knife to cook or lift a skillet and I was miserable.
Like you, I then did my own research about the causes of RA which were stress, bad diet (I eat Weston A. Price Foundation diet mostly, shop from local organic farmers and ranchers, so that wasn’t it) inflammation, and heavy metal load, which I had known was an issue in my body but just hadn’t taken the time to address it.
I started meditating. I upped all my anti-inflammatory inputs such as ginger teas, curcumin, etd. I bought a SaunaSpace near/fullspectrum sauna and started using it 2-3 times per week. The sauna made a huge difference. I suspect the toxic load of heavy metals in my body was the primary driver in my case.
This started in 2020. After a few months of implementing the above I was pain free. I do have a flare every once in a while, but they are rare. In fact, they are so rare I often think they are something else before I remember it’s probably RA. I’m endlessly grateful that I listened to my gut and trusted my body to help me heal. We’re still working together that way. I’m hoping to find a great homeopath I can work with to help me get off the LDN as my goal is to not have any prescription medications.
Thanks for writing about what you are learning and for being a brave voice in world full of so much fear that many of us turn off our curiosity and just follow whatever any authority tells us. I’m excited to read the rest of your series.
I started my direct care practice in 2015. People pay me a monthly membership and I am available when thet need me. We offer no vaccines and we offer many non-pharmaceutical options, including lifestyle advice, such as what you recommend. I saw a newborn yesterday with very mild jaundice (likely breastfeeding jaundice), and if they get worried over the weekend, they can contact me.
I agree with you. Traditional medicine is overly interventional.
P.s. I too like ice cream, but I will not purchase Ben & Jerry's (they are anti police)
There is valuable information here. And I wholeheartedly agree that the political and economic conversation revolving around healthcare is one of who pays and how the bill gets paid.
I don’t think physicians are the enemy - and you certainly emphasize that. It is true that medical school education glosses over nutrition and true primary prevention. But what I think is missing here and in the education of healthcare professionals is the fact that there is A LOT that goes into human health.
You hit the nail on the head indicating the only way to lose healthcare costs is to have a healthier population. The statistics you mention in this article are some that I’ve shared on Substack as well. However, healthy lifestyles are not usually as easy as following the guidelines of sleep, exercise, time in nature, and quality food.
The person living paycheck to paycheck can’t focus on this and often can’t afford private insurance. They work two to three jobs and make too much money to qualify for Medicaid. They work overnight or constantly changing shifts that eliminate the possibility of a normal sleep schedule. They live in communities with high pollution and can’t afford to move due to the cost of housing. These same communities are within food or transit deserts so either they lack access to or can’t get to places with healthier food choices.
The problems go beyond these simple sentences and are more difficult to fix than just the disease management system of modern healthcare. But I think what you discuss here is a start of recognition that the problem lies with cost of chronic disease. This is where our thinking needs to shift economically and politically.
You’re certainly right that policy changes are needed to help the people living paycheck to paycheck who don’t focus on this. And kids. This article isn’t about policy changes. Because we can’t count on that, and this article is about agency. Agency isn’t for everyone.
I truly believe that the economics of the U.S. healthcare system are a big reason why all these problems exist in the first place. People spend massive portions of their income on health insurance (or massive portions of tax revenue) and then healthcare is now dictated by what is covered and by whom. I came up against a large friction in the system when I got Lyme Disease and insurance refused to pay for any doctor I needed to see or treatments I wanted to pursue. I ditched the health insurance, for which I was paying $20k a year and receiving nothing ($1250 a month premium plus $5k deductible before they covered anything). Having that money back in my hands made me really consider what kinda of health care providers would really benefit me best and what kind of treatments would give the best outcome for my dollar. This kind of personal agency is crucial for restoring balance to the system. I did join a health share cooperative later which shares anything catastrophically large and mitigates risk, but never have even considered health insurance ever again.
I am a fan of health coops specifically for catastrophic injury or complications of disease such as heart attack or stroke.
Lyme is a complicated issue - especially when it comes to chronic Lyme. In those situations though, you have an opportunity to shop around, assuming your insurance carrier lets you or you drop your insurance and cash pay - which can often be cheaper for medical treatment but not for procedures or surgery. This doesn’t have to do with surgeons or proceduralists but the facility fee can be insurmountable.
I think it was over before that. And Obamacare didn’t really destroy employer sponsored insurance. That already had pre-ex condition coverage, which is the ACA rule that ruined the individual market. I tend to think of the ACA market as a small (20m), non-influential safety net program where the govt buys sicker, older people their insurance, that sucks all the oxygen out of the policy room and distracts policy makers from fixing the real market (180m).
True. Govt involvement likely ruined it. Doctors made things more complicated when they started billing third parties. In the 70s, the family doc billed the patient and the patient submitted a claim. I stand my belief that outpatient family medicine is not an "insurable" event, though. Insurance is meant to cover the unexpected/catastrophic.
A few years ago, I was in a bicycle accident and hurt my knee so badly that I couldn't walk on that leg. I didn't ice it. I didn't go to the doctor. I didn't take over-the-counter meds. I just took it easy and let my body heal it. It healed perfectly. In a few weeks, I was able to ride my bike.
I've been practicing what I know of the Bates method since I was in my late 20s. My vision's not perfect, but at least I don't need glasses.
As far as sleep, my body refuses to sleep more than 5 hours per night. People who are able to get 7-9 ought to count themselves lucky.
Hi Moorea! I’m assuming you do all the sleep hygiene things right? (No food after 6, blue light glasses after 6, no screens 2 hours before bedtime. Cold temp, blackout curtains, noise machine if you’re a light sleeper? And I have found the most critical aspect is morning sun for 10 mins in first half hour after waking up, before screens.)
I realize this isn't an option for those who live in cities, but blackout curtains really work against what you are trying to achieve. Nothing regulates your sleep better than letting your body naturally wake up with the sunrise streaming in your windows each day.
Yes, in an ideal world where everyone is getting enough sleep. But when the main problem is not enough sleep, then it’s more important to sleep past sunrise if that’s what it takes to get enough, and then go in the direct sunlight outside for at least 10 mins each morning after you do wake up.
The noise machine is totally essential for me. I’m helpless without it. This is the one I use. I use Rah Optics blue lights blockers. Expensive but prescription. https://a.co/d/04qk1hHZ
Yes, they’re expensive and they take about 1-2 weeks to deliver, so you might consider a cheaper, more accessible model until you go home. Enjoy your globe-trotting!!
Thanks, @Katy Talento ND ScM! I have no plans to return to the states any time soon. Last year, I tried to find blue-light-blocking-glasses in eye glasses stores. It was more difficult that one would think.
I’ll try again, this time online. I’m not sure it would make a difference, though, because I’m usually at home at night, where I only use candles or warm-tinted light bulbs.
Yes doing these things are very hard in our modern lives. I don’t do them ALL but I would if I wasn’t sleeping enough I guess!! Maybe lighter meals at night, bigger lunch?
Also, no one should feel like they need the exact same amount of sleep as anyone else. What is your body telling you? Do you sleep deeply and wake up refreshed and full of energy? Let that be your guide. Mine has always been 6 - 6.5 hours per night as an adult when I'm healthy. On rare occasions if I contract a respiratory infection, my body needs more, but otherwise that's what works for me. Others may need 9 hours. Same for diet. Variations on an organic whole foods diet depend on your genetics and how you respond to certain foods.
Moorea , I have had insomnia all my life , but now I take high dose melatonin . I sleep 10 hours a night . I learned about it from Russel Reiter (utube) and Doris Loh .
I believe you could live an entire lifetime and never really understand the concept explained in this article. But once you allow yourself to consider it or even try it, you can’t unsee how undeniably true it is. It’s everywhere and it’s amazing.
It’s the only way!!
A lifelong process - the first step is getting back to the basics; whole/real food, water, sun, movement. Refine from there.
💯
I twisted my knee and it swelled up and extremely painful. At the time I had little money and no health insurance. In desperation I listened to a friend and went to her acupuncturist. After one treatment (included weak electrical) and a few days rest it was well on its way to healed. Made me a believer in OM. 7000 year culture might have some wisdom.
💯same!!
This is excellent, Katy. I’ve long believed our bodies seek homeostasis and many of our pain relievers, etc. are actually doing more harm than good by suppressing the body’s natural detox pathways, such as fever.
I have had an experience much like yours wherein I didn’t do a single thing allopathic medicine expected me to do with the diagnosis they gave me and I have been “in remission” i.e. healthier than my fellow rheumatoid arthritis sufferers who went down the standard treatment route.
It started with swelling knees. My GP sent me to an orthopedic surgeon who x-rayed me and said I had a little arthritis but I must have sprained it and that’s why the swelling was happening. Two frozen shoulders and many weird unexplainable aches and pains later, my Naturopath connected the dots the allopathic specialists didn’t and ran some tests which pointed to RA. But even before the test results arrived, she put me on a repurposed drug (think Ivermectin during Covid) called Low Dose Naltrexone (LDN) which blocks opioid receptors causing your body to deliver an anti-inflammatory response, or something like that. Patients titrate up from 1 mg to a max of 4.5 mg over a few weeks. After my first dose, I was able to walk on my aching feet. My symptoms had progressed to where it hurt to walk, I couldn’t hold a sharp knife to cook or lift a skillet and I was miserable.
Like you, I then did my own research about the causes of RA which were stress, bad diet (I eat Weston A. Price Foundation diet mostly, shop from local organic farmers and ranchers, so that wasn’t it) inflammation, and heavy metal load, which I had known was an issue in my body but just hadn’t taken the time to address it.
I started meditating. I upped all my anti-inflammatory inputs such as ginger teas, curcumin, etd. I bought a SaunaSpace near/fullspectrum sauna and started using it 2-3 times per week. The sauna made a huge difference. I suspect the toxic load of heavy metals in my body was the primary driver in my case.
This started in 2020. After a few months of implementing the above I was pain free. I do have a flare every once in a while, but they are rare. In fact, they are so rare I often think they are something else before I remember it’s probably RA. I’m endlessly grateful that I listened to my gut and trusted my body to help me heal. We’re still working together that way. I’m hoping to find a great homeopath I can work with to help me get off the LDN as my goal is to not have any prescription medications.
Thanks for writing about what you are learning and for being a brave voice in world full of so much fear that many of us turn off our curiosity and just follow whatever any authority tells us. I’m excited to read the rest of your series.
Brilliant!! Thanks for sharing your story!
I started my direct care practice in 2015. People pay me a monthly membership and I am available when thet need me. We offer no vaccines and we offer many non-pharmaceutical options, including lifestyle advice, such as what you recommend. I saw a newborn yesterday with very mild jaundice (likely breastfeeding jaundice), and if they get worried over the weekend, they can contact me.
I agree with you. Traditional medicine is overly interventional.
P.s. I too like ice cream, but I will not purchase Ben & Jerry's (they are anti police)
I hate B&J bc they support Planned Parenthood. And I hate myself when I eat chocolate fudge brownie. Sigh.
There is valuable information here. And I wholeheartedly agree that the political and economic conversation revolving around healthcare is one of who pays and how the bill gets paid.
I don’t think physicians are the enemy - and you certainly emphasize that. It is true that medical school education glosses over nutrition and true primary prevention. But what I think is missing here and in the education of healthcare professionals is the fact that there is A LOT that goes into human health.
You hit the nail on the head indicating the only way to lose healthcare costs is to have a healthier population. The statistics you mention in this article are some that I’ve shared on Substack as well. However, healthy lifestyles are not usually as easy as following the guidelines of sleep, exercise, time in nature, and quality food.
The person living paycheck to paycheck can’t focus on this and often can’t afford private insurance. They work two to three jobs and make too much money to qualify for Medicaid. They work overnight or constantly changing shifts that eliminate the possibility of a normal sleep schedule. They live in communities with high pollution and can’t afford to move due to the cost of housing. These same communities are within food or transit deserts so either they lack access to or can’t get to places with healthier food choices.
The problems go beyond these simple sentences and are more difficult to fix than just the disease management system of modern healthcare. But I think what you discuss here is a start of recognition that the problem lies with cost of chronic disease. This is where our thinking needs to shift economically and politically.
You’re certainly right that policy changes are needed to help the people living paycheck to paycheck who don’t focus on this. And kids. This article isn’t about policy changes. Because we can’t count on that, and this article is about agency. Agency isn’t for everyone.
I truly believe that the economics of the U.S. healthcare system are a big reason why all these problems exist in the first place. People spend massive portions of their income on health insurance (or massive portions of tax revenue) and then healthcare is now dictated by what is covered and by whom. I came up against a large friction in the system when I got Lyme Disease and insurance refused to pay for any doctor I needed to see or treatments I wanted to pursue. I ditched the health insurance, for which I was paying $20k a year and receiving nothing ($1250 a month premium plus $5k deductible before they covered anything). Having that money back in my hands made me really consider what kinda of health care providers would really benefit me best and what kind of treatments would give the best outcome for my dollar. This kind of personal agency is crucial for restoring balance to the system. I did join a health share cooperative later which shares anything catastrophically large and mitigates risk, but never have even considered health insurance ever again.
I am a fan of health coops specifically for catastrophic injury or complications of disease such as heart attack or stroke.
Lyme is a complicated issue - especially when it comes to chronic Lyme. In those situations though, you have an opportunity to shop around, assuming your insurance carrier lets you or you drop your insurance and cash pay - which can often be cheaper for medical treatment but not for procedures or surgery. This doesn’t have to do with surgeons or proceduralists but the facility fee can be insurmountable.
Health insurance is no longer insurance. Obamacare ended that.
I think it was over before that. And Obamacare didn’t really destroy employer sponsored insurance. That already had pre-ex condition coverage, which is the ACA rule that ruined the individual market. I tend to think of the ACA market as a small (20m), non-influential safety net program where the govt buys sicker, older people their insurance, that sucks all the oxygen out of the policy room and distracts policy makers from fixing the real market (180m).
True. Govt involvement likely ruined it. Doctors made things more complicated when they started billing third parties. In the 70s, the family doc billed the patient and the patient submitted a claim. I stand my belief that outpatient family medicine is not an "insurable" event, though. Insurance is meant to cover the unexpected/catastrophic.
So true!!
A few years ago, I was in a bicycle accident and hurt my knee so badly that I couldn't walk on that leg. I didn't ice it. I didn't go to the doctor. I didn't take over-the-counter meds. I just took it easy and let my body heal it. It healed perfectly. In a few weeks, I was able to ride my bike.
I've been practicing what I know of the Bates method since I was in my late 20s. My vision's not perfect, but at least I don't need glasses.
As far as sleep, my body refuses to sleep more than 5 hours per night. People who are able to get 7-9 ought to count themselves lucky.
Fantastic piece as usual, Katy.
Hi Moorea! I’m assuming you do all the sleep hygiene things right? (No food after 6, blue light glasses after 6, no screens 2 hours before bedtime. Cold temp, blackout curtains, noise machine if you’re a light sleeper? And I have found the most critical aspect is morning sun for 10 mins in first half hour after waking up, before screens.)
I realize this isn't an option for those who live in cities, but blackout curtains really work against what you are trying to achieve. Nothing regulates your sleep better than letting your body naturally wake up with the sunrise streaming in your windows each day.
Yes, in an ideal world where everyone is getting enough sleep. But when the main problem is not enough sleep, then it’s more important to sleep past sunrise if that’s what it takes to get enough, and then go in the direct sunlight outside for at least 10 mins each morning after you do wake up.
Thanks, Katy. I have tried those things with the following exceptions.
I don't have blue light blockers, but I do tint my screens amber in the evening and avoid fluorescent lights.
For 3 months, I did no screens 1 hour before bedtime. So 2 hours might make the difference?
I wear earplugs when necessary because I don't have a noise machine.
I admit I usually glance at my phone and/or computer before going outside first thing in the morning.
The reminder helps; thank you.
The noise machine is totally essential for me. I’m helpless without it. This is the one I use. I use Rah Optics blue lights blockers. Expensive but prescription. https://a.co/d/04qk1hHZ
Thanks, Katy! I’m a nomad traveling in Europe so I don’t know if I can find Rah Optics, but I’ll check them out.
Yes, they’re expensive and they take about 1-2 weeks to deliver, so you might consider a cheaper, more accessible model until you go home. Enjoy your globe-trotting!!
Thanks, @Katy Talento ND ScM! I have no plans to return to the states any time soon. Last year, I tried to find blue-light-blocking-glasses in eye glasses stores. It was more difficult that one would think.
I’ll try again, this time online. I’m not sure it would make a difference, though, because I’m usually at home at night, where I only use candles or warm-tinted light bulbs.
Yes doing these things are very hard in our modern lives. I don’t do them ALL but I would if I wasn’t sleeping enough I guess!! Maybe lighter meals at night, bigger lunch?
Also, no one should feel like they need the exact same amount of sleep as anyone else. What is your body telling you? Do you sleep deeply and wake up refreshed and full of energy? Let that be your guide. Mine has always been 6 - 6.5 hours per night as an adult when I'm healthy. On rare occasions if I contract a respiratory infection, my body needs more, but otherwise that's what works for me. Others may need 9 hours. Same for diet. Variations on an organic whole foods diet depend on your genetics and how you respond to certain foods.
Moorea , I have had insomnia all my life , but now I take high dose melatonin . I sleep 10 hours a night . I learned about it from Russel Reiter (utube) and Doris Loh .
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1406779789714470/
Always a great read, Katy
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