Why call a plumber when you can use a plunger?

Natural healing and holistic health are topics that can ruffle some feathers. In this day and age of MAHA, consulting Dr. Google, and discovering medical advice on social media, it’s easy to get lost in a quagmire of misinformation. It’s easy to fall prey to scams when a beautiful AI woman can claim she has perfect skin because of these collagen tablets, link in her bio. What’s not easy is navigating through this sea of endless information and finding real truths. They do exist.

In my life, I’ve seen an array of medical professionals for a litany of issues. When I was young, I got chronic sore throats. Their solution? Take out my tonsils. Lucky for me, my parents weren’t able to afford the surgery, so that didn’t happen. My teeth were weak and I had constant cavities. Their solution? Bring her in more often so we can drill, baby, drill. 

When the power is in the hands of the medical professionals unquestioningly, and we are expected to heed their advice without question, problems arise. Suddenly, it’s easy for them to recommend invasive treatments and collect the bill. It’s easy for them to ignore issues that aren’t easily silenced by medication or surgery. They can tell you it’s normal to feel tired all the time or to struggle to sleep, even when your intuition is telling you that can’t be the case. When you nod your head and heed their advice without thought, you give away your power. You say, yes sir, where do I sign, I am but a simple lay man who couldn’t possibly understand my own body. 

This is never to say that all doctors and medical professionals are scam artists. That is categorically not true. When you have a deep cut, you need stitches. When you have a serious infection, you need antibiotics. We need doctors and medical professionals and they indeed save lives every single day. What I’m saying is, in the same way home owners should learn to do some simple DIY repairs themselves, it is more than possible for the generally healthy person to have a connection with their body and an understanding of basic health and to care for themselves first. When it comes to something more complicated or in emergency situations, that is when you call in the experts. I would fix a clogged toilet myself with the plunger, but if my toilet exploded, I would definitely call a plumber. 

In the case of my sore throats, I can easily explain the causes now that I have the gift of hindsight. We lived in a mouldy house and it was causing health problems for many of us. I was an extremely nervous and sensitive child and I struggled to use my voice to express myself. We were living on the poverty line and were fed a bottom feeder diet. Of course my body didn’t have the tools to heal itself. Of course my tonsils were swollen and sore. But instead of exploring any of that, the doctor’s handbook said chop them out. 

Our bodies are complex, fascinating systems. The trillions of cells in your body facilitate a nonstop rhythm of incredible functions. Knowing that your digestive, circulatory, musculoskeletal and respiratory systems are all working like a grand orchestra together, creating the beautiful music that is you, it can seem far too elaborate for a simple layperson like you or I to ever  understand. And while it’s true that medical school requires significant intellectual prowess, it is simply untrue that the average human cannot gain a fundamental understanding of their own biology and use it to their advantage. 

Let us take for example the age-old example of how medical students only spend a few hours discussing nutrition in their studies. (citation) The nutrients in our food fuel our bodies on a cellular level, they provide the necessary building blocks for the aforementioned systems to run. In the same way a car takes a very specific type of fuel, our body needs very specific nutrients to work properly. We all know what happens if you put diesel fuel into a car that requires unleaded. The car is destroyed, it literally cannot function without the correct fuel. In the exact same way, depriving our bodies of their nutritional needs will result in pain, dysfunction and disorder. 

Therefore, it follows that the average person can themselves spend more than a few hours studying nutrition and applying it to their own life. This, in turn, could help prevent or help alleviate physical issues. As a simple example, let’s imagine a woman named Henrietta has been rather constipated for a few weeks. She spends a few hours reading about this issue online, checking her sources, and decides that she needs more fibre. At her next shop, Henrietta purchases kidney beans, broccoli, red lentils, and flax seeds. After two weeks of incorporating these foods into her diet, Henrietta notices a significant improvement in her bowel movements. We can’t prove it, but it’s possible that Henrietta just prevented herself from a more serious issue:IBS, anal fissure, or worse, total loss of bowel function.

For the sake of insurance, let us also notice that Henrietta didn’t buy an unregulated supplement. She did not go straight for a colonic by an unlicensed practitioner. She didn’t use hypnosis, get an exorcism, or join a cult to solve her problems. She used good old fashioned research to get the job done. Henrietta checked her sources, she asked the right questions, and she made sure that her solution wasn’t harmful or extreme. 

It is not a far-fetched thing to say that it is possible that by taking responsibility for our own bodies, navigating information with a degree of media literacy, and applying our knowledge, we gain a sense of power over our existence. We are no longer prisoners of this mortal coil, and thus, we become more in tune and positive about our bodies. This brings a sense of peace and confidence which contributes to an overall state of well-being. 

Hopefully, this will all result in less doctor visits, and best of all, less pain and disease. Taking the reins and allowing yourself to acknowledge your own power can be scary, even daunting. But is that more scary than living out your days in suffering and woe? 

For me, the answer is easy. Start small. Learn about the most basic human biology. Spend some time learning about nutrition and enjoy it. Discover good resources such as NIH, peer-reviewed articles, or sources that exhibit expert levels of research. Check the date of publishing, discover who the publishers are and where their money comes from. Cross reference everything. Never click add to cart when something promises a quick fix. Remember that most of the time, your answer will come back to the basics. Nutrition, sleep, exercise, and emotional well-being. Biology is complicated, yes, but you may be surprised at how simple solutions can often be.