Dr. Mowery was recently on the “Make Me Better in 15 minutes” podcast with Chris Cuttshall discussing the laws that govern health and the personal experience he had as a young man that inspired him to become a naturopathic medical doctor.
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The Cost of Ineffective Healthcare
Why medical insurance is getting more expensive every year.
Currently healthcare costs are over 3 trillion a year and about 18% of our GDP (gross domestic product). In the 1960’s only 5% of GDP was healthcare. All factors considered; healthcare is grossly costing about $12,000 per person currently where it only cost $150 per person in the 60’s (1).
So why is this happening? Granted there are several factors ranging from greed to inefficiency, but the largest or greatest factor is our solutions to health problems are not very effective. A growing number of people are realizing this as they face a personal health crisis. The solutions they are given are not solving their problems, they have to look for solutions outside of “the system”. They are learning the lifestyle we have been made to believe is “normal” is creating an environment that breeds disease. It has taken generations of marketing campaigns but what we believe is a “normal” way to live actually creates an environment that promotes disease.
While this has been happening the entire healthcare industry has been focusing on how to collect the money they need as a business from shrinking healthy workforce (2) to pay for not only their own insurance, but for the insurance and healthcare costs of the growing population of chronically ill patients.
If you believe the marketing messages that are plastered on every channel you might believe we live in a time with the greatest healthcare advancements in the world’s history. If that is the case, shouldn’t we be seeing less health problems, a greater number of cures, and a healthier workforce?
Instead we are seeing chronic diseases beginning at younger ages. About 25% of children are on a potential lifelong medication before leaving elementary school and over half of our kids have at least one chronic diagnosis (3). So if healthcare is getting better, why are kids and adults getting sicker? Why is our healthy workforce shrinking? Why do we have such a poor infant mortality rate compared to the rest of the developed world?
The truth is the advancements we are seeing are not in healing and cures but in technology aimed towards greater palliation.
There has never been a more effective tool at healing the body than the body itself. Most technology isn’t using or supporting the body’s innate power to self-heal but forcing the body to do something we think it should do with our inadequate understanding of health. This in most cases is just suppressing a symptom or trading one symptom or problem for a whole new set of symptoms.
There is a place in medicine for suppressing or palliating symptoms, but when our entire system is based on symptom treatment rather than treating the root or foundational imbalances that are leading the body to produce the symptoms, we will never see cures or a resolution of the health problems. As we continue the current status quo or “standard of care” the healthy population will continue to shrink and so will their income as a larger percentage of their income needs to not only pay for their healthcare but for the growing number of those who cannot work.
Though there are numerous reasons to why healthcare costs rise each year, the main issue is we have a shrinking population of healthy people who have to pay for the ever growing amount of sick people who can no longer work and be self-sufficient.
This is also why a “universal” or government provided healthcare policy is not the solution. The shrinking healthy workforce will still have to pay for those who can’t work, but when you add in government inefficiency that price will increase even more. Guaranteeing access to medicine when that medicine doesn’t treat the root issues or cure the problem but “manage” the problem will be a costly solution.
References:
1. https://www.thebalance.com/causes-of-rising-healthcare-costs-4064878
2. https://taxfoundation.org/us-labor-force-smaller-today-past-30-years
3. https://www.westonaprice.org/podcast/72-fighting-for-health-freedom/
VIDEO: Pure Health Naturopathic Doctor Juice Fast Summary Day 8
My juices over the last few days of the fast (day 6-8) consisted of different variations of the vegetables and fruits listed below.
1 week post fast update:
The juice fast went smoothly and met my intended goal, which was for it to be the first step in recommitting myself eating fresh “real” foods and starting a proper exercise routine. The fast jump-started my energy and helped me stay in an appropriate sleeping schedule. For the last few weeks it has been easier to go to bed earlier and wake earlier for a daily exercise routine. It has also adjusted my palate/cravings towards fresh healthy foods. I’ve been craving fresh vegetables, nuts, seeds, nut butters, fruits, etc.
Whats Next?
Since stopping the juice fast I decided to test out a whole body cleanse kit from Integrative Therapeutics to continue supporting my body’s ability to detox and eliminate wastes. So far I really like it. Post fast I’m also taking a enzyme supplement (Critical Digestion by Enzyme Science) with meals to aid in the digestion process. Critical Digestion is the best digestion supplement I know of. If you have any gas there is something that is out of balance in your GI system. The most common reasons for gassy bowels I see in practice are poor eating habits (eating on the run or in a stressed state), and enzyme deficiencies (which are commonly caused by eating while stressed/poor mealtime hygiene).
In-between meals I’m taking GI Revive by Designs for Health because it is the best supplement I know of to nourish and sooth the gut lining. If your GI system isn’t health you just can’t truly be healthy. The GI system is where nutrition is absorbed, metabolic and environmental wastes are released. The gut flora and integrity of the lining govern the state of our immune system, and is where most of the neurotransmitters in our body are made. If the gut is inflamed we will not absorb nutrients well (supplements are no exception – so you are wasting your money on expensive supplements if the gut isn’t in order), we can not eliminate wastes well, will will produce less neurotransmitters (which are vital in the bodies communication pathways), and will likely be fatigued from all of the above plus the likelihood bodies immune system fighting the foods we eat most often (look up leaky gut syndrome).
If you are worried about your health, have faith because healing is possible! You just have to create the conditions for health to exist which is what I do in practice. I teach my patients the principles and natural laws the need to apply into their lives to reclaim their health. Healing the gut and eliminating toxins properly is a part of that.
Send any comments or questions to [email protected]
VIDEO BLOG: Pure Health Juice Fast Day 5
I’m feeling good and smelling good (according to my wife)… I’ve also lost about 8 lbs and my waistline went from a 34 to a 32. I’ve been doing light exercise at least every other day to keep my lymph system moving in addition to rubbing castor oil over my liver/abdomen and ending my showers with a brisk cold for 20-30 seconds.
Again I made 3 different juices today. The apple/carrot/beet juice is to sweeten the other juices if necessary for you or other family members. I had a little bit of grape juice left over from yesterday which I put in the freezer for a small frozen treat.
Again, I don’t have a picky palate so almost any combo works for me. If you are picky eater (you know who you are) I suggest you make individual juices in separate cups your first day or two and mix them together in different ways to figure out what you will drink. After a few days you’ll quickly notice your tolerance to sweets changes and you will crave and enjoy a variety of vegetables you might of not liked in the past.
Send any comments or questions to [email protected]
VIDEO: Pure Health Juice Fast Day 4
I’m continuing to have energy throughout the day, am no longer waking up with mucous in my throat (likely from dairy), and have lost 4-6 lbs. If I sit for long periods of time I have a slight detox effect which completely dissipates as I move/exercise lightly. It is really important to move your lymph system during any type of detoxing process. The best ways to do this is by dry skin brushing, shower hydrotherapy, and rubbing castor oil over the liver and abdomen.
Again I made 3 different juices today. The apple/carrot/beet juice is to sweeten the other juices if necessary for you or other family members. I had a little bit of grape juice left over from yesterday which I put in the freezer for a small frozen treat.
Again, I don’t have a picky palate so almost any combo works for me. If you are picky eater (you know who you are) I suggest you make individual juices in separate cups your first day or two and mix them together in different ways to figure out what you will drink. After a few days you’ll quickly notice your tolerance to sweets changes and you will crave and enjoy a variety of vegetables you might of not liked in the past.
Send any comments or questions to [email protected]
VIDEO: Pure Health Juice Fast Day 3
So far I’ve had slightly improved sleep, I’m waking up earlier naturally with more energy. I made 3 different juices today. The grape juice is to sweeten the other juices if necessary for you or other family members.
Again, I don’t have a picky palate so almost any combo works for me. If you are picky eater (you know who you are) I suggest you make individual juices in separate cups your first day or two and mix them together in different ways to figure out what you will drink. After a few days you’ll quickly notice your tolerance to sweets changes and you will crave and enjoy a variety of vegetables you might of not liked in the past.
Send any comments or questions to [email protected]
Video: Pure Health Juice Fast Day 2
Today I woke up joyful with a good amount of energy. After some brief light-exercising, I made 2 different juices.
Again, I don’t have a picky palate so almost any combo works for me. If you are picky eater (you know who you are) I suggest you make individual juices in separate cups your first day or two and mix them together in different ways to figure out what you will drink. After a few days you’ll quickly notice your tolerance to sweets changes and you will crave and enjoy a variety of vegetables you might of not liked in the past.
Send any comments or questions to [email protected]
VIDEO: Pure Health Juice Fast day 1
Click the link or picture above to follow day 1 of my juice fast
My juice is made from a combination of (all organic) kale, chard, spinach, cilantro, parsley, celery, granny smith apples, beets, carrots, strawberries, blackberries, cucumber ginger root, turmeric root. I don’t have a picky palate so almost any combo works for me. If you are picky eater (you know who you are) I suggest you make individual juices in separate cups your first day or two and mix them together in different ways to figure out what you will drink. After a few days you’ll quickly notice your tolerance to sweets changes and you will crave and enjoy a variety of vegetables you might of not liked in the past.
Send any comments or questions to [email protected]
Naturopathic medicine is becoming more popular every year as the average American looses trust that our current medical system can solve their chronic illnesses. Currently 1 in 3 Americans are diagnosed with at least one chronic disease and 25% of those diagnosed have more than one. We are seeing worsening trends with each generation as a greater number of chronic illnesses are creeping into younger age groups. In 1994 the chronic disease rate in children increased from 12.8% in 1994 to 26.6% in 2006. This number has continued to rise over the last 10 years. To make matters worse insurance is getting more expensive and is not covering the time or treatments you need with your doctor. This leads to frustration in patients as they are sent home with a prescription and maybe a referral to another specialist after waiting an hour for a 5 minute visit with the doctor. So this is where naturopathic medicine comes in.
Naturopathic doctors are trained in western, eastern, and naturopathic perspectives which on top of standard medical training includes a long list of modalities (found at the end of this article). The real difference though is in the philosophy of a naturopathic doctor. They believe in the bodies innate ability to heal itself which means that any list of symptoms can potentially be healed depending on the person. Also they are trained in finding the root cause of the problem. They understand symptoms are a sign that the body is out of balance; so regardless of the name of the disease or diagnosis they know the only way to truly rid the body of the problem is to treat the body (not the disease). The body is the only thing that can heal/expel/cure a disease. Western medicine is focused on treating the disease which usually consists of medications that modify or suppresses the disease symptoms neglecting the true issue/s which led the body to be out of balance in the first place. This type of treatment can palliate the current symptoms (which can be necessary at times) but in turn leads to new symptoms which are then treated in the same manner.
To further contrast the western perspective of how to treat chronic disease a naturopathic doctor after finding the root system imbalances has a large tool bag to choose from in treating each individual (see the list at the bottom of the article). Just like a mechanic can’t fix your car without the right tools, neither can your body heal itself without the right tools. That’s our job, to find the root problems and the right tools to help your body finally be able to heal itself.
If you have questions about how we can help you please give us a call to schedule a free consult. To solve the current problem with insurance being too expensive and and not covering the most effective modalities of treatment we have designed a wellness plan that makes a standard visit cost as much as a standard co-pay. Contact us for more info.
Naturopathic Modalities: This is a basic list of tools naturopathic doctors are trained in.
Outside of school most naturopathic physicians go the extra mile and learn even more therapies/modalities they are interested in. Dr. Mowery is trained in several extra modalities including biotherapeutic drainage, muscle testing techniques, emotional clearing techniques, and gemstone acupuncture.