Overcome Roadblocks in Health
Hello and Thank-you for being here.
I hope you are enjoying October despite the many challenges we are all confronted with. As I mentioned in last weeks post, I will be interviewing Dr. Lindsey Harding, ND; she is the doctor I visit for overall well-being. She practices in Seattle, WA and provides virtual consultations.
Please visit the podcast to listen to the entire interview or continue to read her thoughts below.
Road Map to Health, Dr. Lindsey Harding, ND
I have been talking about the road map to health because of the increase in stress and confusion I have seen from patients since March of this year. We have been inundated with medical advice from every direction – nearly every media source, scientists and researchers, medical professionals, non-medical professionals, politicians, friends and family. But even without a pandemic, knowing what path you should take to reach optimal health can be tricky.
Navigating the health care system is difficult. I like to think of health as a roadmap. To get from point A to point B there are multiple ways to travel, but there is always at least 1 tiny spot where no matter what route you take, there is some overlap, even if it’s just pulling into the driveway to reach the final destination.
For example, if you suffer from anxiety, but are in a toxic relationship, you will never reach optimal health unless the nature of the relationship changes or is ended. Another example is pre-diabetes. No matter what supplement or pharmaceutical you take to lower your blood sugar, if you do not change your diet, you will always be chasing the problem.
Pole holes and dirt roads are the things that slow you down. This could be side effects from a medication or supplement. It may be experiencing a new symptom. It could be a change in your life that was unwanted or unseen, like losing a source of income.
Car trouble can also happen, like overheating the engine or getting a flat tire. Remember in this analogy the person is the car, so this is when you are feeling burnt out or an injury occurs.
Lastly, we have road signs and GPS. These are the medical professionals. And while road signs and GPS are extremely helpful at times, they can also give different directions and be confusing.
Every doctor practice the type of medicine they are familiar with. Even within genres of medical degrees, recommendations will vary.
So, we have got different routes to take to get from point A to point B and lots of things that can slow us down along the way.
The difficulty with the road map is determining which road to take, which has the clearest directions and the fewest detours and potholes. Seeing multiple doctors will often lead to multiple different road recommendations. But seeing only one doctor, may leave you feeling restricted, to travel down a road that does not feel right for you. Do you first implement lifestyle changes or pharmaceuticals? Or do you first use nutrients and traditional medicines?
Truth be told, no single thing typically results in getting you from point A to point B. It’s a synergistic combination of what meets your needs mentally and physically.
So, here is the answer.
In last week’s podcast, “Thoughts and tools to improve one’s mindset” Joyce spoke about
how to create a healthy mindset, including focusing on the quality of the food you eat, the quality of the air you breathe, exercise, community and friendships, and a spiritual practice.
Because these lifestyle changes will always be something you need to address, trying to implement them first can turn the rest of your journey into a straight shot to point B. But beware of road bumps & potholes. This is the best place to start, but it is important to be gentle and forgiving of yourself if you have difficulty with any of these. It is also easy to become discouraged with lifestyle changes. They are often the most difficult things to change or overcome. Bring awareness to them and meet with a doctor. Being aware of you are able to achieve on your own and what you need some assistance with will help narrow down the long list of possible road combinations, to help your physician pick directions that fit your needs best.
To contact Dr. Harding, you can reach her @
Naturopathic Physician
http://positivetouchmedicine.org
206 547-5510
Thank-you, please take care
Blessings to you and your Family,
Joyce C Wood, chhc
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