I just received this newsletter from the Holistic Medical Centre in Auckland, New Zealand, that I go to. Reading this, I couldn’t help feeling angry at how your average doctor is not trained for and misses the basics in people’s health problems – simple nutrient deficiencies. Like Vitamin D, B12, magnesium. How come the average doctor misses this? Because their medical training is all about treating illness with drugs and surgery, and their nutritional training is almost non-existent. (In a particularly appalling example below, one man had seen 11 previous doctors, all missed his vitamin B12 and D deficiency.) Read this from final year medical student Anastasia in Australia “I am a final year medical student and I have a confession: I know precious little about health….” (And check out the rest of her blog – it’s great)
I also love the stories in this newsletter because it shows how replacing missing nutrients and changing diet can have such profound effects on people’s health. Many of us who work with clients – using nutrition in line with our genes and adding supplements if needed – see this. More stories here from the Health Centre.
Changing your diet, and correcting deficiencies changes lives profoundly, often eliminating health problems completely. Success stories
When I talk about nutrition with other medical students and doctors, the majority just shrug their shoulders (“it’s a no-brainer, just tell your patients to eat less and move more”). It’s almost as if it is beneath us to talk about food. Because we are so busy saving lives by treating heart attacks and cutting out bowel cancers. I wonder when we finally realise that 90% of conditions we are treating are caused by bad nutrition. Maybe never, because then we’ll be out of a job ;).
Weird that something so basic and powerful is completely ignored by the majority of doctors. Love your blog, there is such a need for Doctors like you (will be) who get the power of nutrition.
Do you still go to the Holistic Medical Centre? I’m searching for a GP and would love to hear a review… do you find them consistently helpful? My current doctor has a couple of stock replies to any issue and I’m frankly getting tired of being offered Gardasil for anything from asthma to fatigue…
I’ve not been to them recently. I have seen Dr Helen Smith though – she has set up her own holistic practice in Freemans Bay. She is Paleo friendly