Don't Believe the Docs

By Pam Murphy, M.S., RRT

See all Articles by Pam MurphySee Pam Murphy's Expert PageGet Updates on WellnessGet Updates on Pam Murphy

If you have a chronic illness, don't believe your docs. Let me explain.

When lupus was socking it to me at the worst one of my docs referred to me in his notes as "steroid dependent" and "unfortunate". All of my docs told me I'd be on steroids (prednisone) forever. When I grew tired of hearing docs say "I don't know" I took charge of my wellness and responsibility for finding answers on my own.

Today I am OFF all pharmaceuticals and have been in remission for five years. I'm anything but "unfortunate" and most certainly NOT steroid dependent. Hence, the reason I went back to school and earned an M.S. in Holistic Nutrition. I want to help others like I was helped.

I'm not going to tell you that changing your diet, changing your mind and exercising is going to give you the remission that I have attained. I don't know that. I DO KNOW everything in your life which isn't promoting wellness which you change for the better will give you a greater degree of wellness.

So what are you waiting for? Give yourself a fighting chance! Western medicine is really good at creating victims. Doctors don't have fortune-telling ability. Don't let them put a black cloud over your life. You can choose NOT to be a victim! You ALWAYS have a choice.

That bears saying again: You ALWAYS have a choice!

I've seen so many people with chronic diseases just give up. They completely rely only on what their doctors tell them. They don't do anything to try to help themselves. It's sad to watch them morph into victims as they become their disease. The minute you identify with your disease and allow it to define your life you become a victim. Realize this. In 17 yrs of my lupus being active not one physician (and I had an army of them) inquired about my nutrition. NUTRITION is what gave me my life back.

To work optimally your body needs nutrients. Nutrition is where you start to regain your health and/or to keep your health. This advice goes to the "healthy" folks out there too! Consider 85% of diseases are lifestyle relasted. If you aren't taking charge and taking responsibility for your wellness you have a really high probability of joining the ranks of those with chronic illness. So get off your couch! Stop saying you don't have time to exercise or cook healthy meals. In a REAL WAY you DON'T have time. You don't have time to waste making excuses. "Healthy" people don't have to be victims of lifestyle diseases UNLESS you choose to be by your choices!

Take some time today and ponder what in your life does not promote wellness. Get a notebook or a journal and make a list. Resolve to replace what doesn't promote wellness with behaviors which do promote wellness. Make a second list of positive behaviors you wish to change to. Then go at them one at a time.

Start with veggies and fruits! You should be eating:

Women - 7 servings of veggies and fruits
Men - 9 servings of veggies and fruits
Children - 5 servings of veggies and fruits

Changing a couch-potato-poor-eating lifestyle is a hard thing. But you can do it. Make one change at a time.

1. Add a salad every day.
2. Add two fruits every day.
3. Add 3 servings of veggies a day.
4. Take a walk every day.
5. Use manual doors at stores instead of the automatic doors.
6. Park farther away from the store or your work (in safe areas).
7. Cut back on coffee - switch to a cup of green tea.

Not an exhaustive list but you get the idea. Do what you can to make your lifestyle work for you instead of against you! All facets of your life will be enhanced!