seven. Taking an Active Role in Your Own Care

How can I regain control of my health?

Loss of control has to be one of the most terrifying aspects of chronic illness. Your body is out of control. Emotions are frequently out of control. You are poked and prodded and invaded by medical procedures. If you want to control the disease, you have to take chemical concoctions that can cause other problems. If you don't take the drugs the disease will get more and more out of control.

There are things you can control. There are things you cannot control. The first thing to do is figure out which is which. Stop obsessing over what you can't control. All that does is make you sicker. You have control over more than you think. The doctor is not in control of your medical condition; you are. The doctor only sees you every now and then. You are with yourself and your condition 24/7. You expect your doctor to be a professional doctor. You have to be a professional patient.

Are there "natural" approaches that I can use to cure myself?

Most of us are willing to tolerate short-term medical interventions and courses of treatment when we know there is an end in sight. Folks with chronic diseases are on some kind of treatment regimen for the rest of their lives. Chronic illness may not be a death sentence, but it is a life sentence! Is it any wonder that patients turn away from the bearers of bad news and go off in search of magic bullets and natural cures?

Popular advertising (print, television, infomercials, and free-sample distributors in warehouse clubs) for many "natural" products on the market sell these products by generating mistrust of the medical profession. The commercials want you to believe that the medical establishment has secret information that they hide from sick people in order to make themselves rich. The theory has become so prevalent that many people actually take it to be truth. It's time for a reality check! The vast majority of doctors became doctors because they wanted to help people, not harm them by hiding cures. The supposed "natural cure" advertising implies that the drug companies and doctors merely want to get rich at the expense of suffering patients. Ask yourself, what are the sellers of "natural cures" doing? Have you ever looked into their multi-level marketing schemes? What is the evidence for their claims? Were there true scientific studies done? What methods were used? Where are the results published? Remember that hemlock and arsenic are natural too, but they can kill you (just ask Socrates!). And IF these cures worked, why are so many people still sick and suffering? Why are millions of dollars being spent on research? A sales representative for some very expensive berry juice ($25 for a quart bottle) claimed that it could cure a whole range of chronic conditions. His proof? There was something on Yahoo! A doctor recently contacted the local Lupus Foundation office claiming that he had a neuropeptide vaccination that would cure lupus. It only cost $250 a shot and might take two shots to do the trick. Of course, it wasn't approved for use in this country, and people should call his cell because he didn't maintain a physical office! I could post something on the Internet claiming that cheesecake cures cancer but that wouldn't make it true!

Herbs, vitamins, and micronutrients are often touted as cures. Think about it; as a society, we take whole food in its natural state, fragment it, refine it, then we fortify it to put back some of what we took out.

Wheat is a perfect example. We remove the fiber and bleach the wheat to make white flour. Then we add fiber to our water or yogurt to keep our bowels moving. We process the vitamins out of food and then pay lots of money to take the very same vitamins in pills. Why not eat the whole food in the first place? A word of caution: ALWAYS discuss any herb, vitamin, or supplement with your doctor BEFORE taking anything. Some of these "natural" cures can make your disease worse or have a negative interaction with your medications.

Good, whole food is the best "natural cure" you can give to your body.

What can you do to help yourself? Good, whole food is the best "natural cure" you can give to your body. Eat a healthy, balanced diet. Strive for one that is low in fat, high in fiber, and avoids too many processed foods. Get regular exercise, even if all you can do is walk or swing your arms for a few minutes. Talk to your doctor, and develop a treatment plan together. Remember, there are no magic bullets. Living your best life takes work!