You and Your Healthy Thinking
by Stan M. Gardner, M.D.
OK, I’ll admit it. The plan was to start with a simple, easy to understand explanation of health, sickness, and how we get to either of those states (or a combination of the two). The plan was to start with the basics, and take you down the road of the thought processes which have led me to the perspectives I now have on medicine. I was a little cautious-some of the ideas which I was about to share with you (in due time) were a little-shall we say?-weird. But I have found many of you to be light years ahead of where I thought you would be in your understanding of what is going on in your bodies. You are earnestly seeking to learn how to be and stay healthy. So, because the letters have been so tremendous and so informative, I’m going to deviate a little bit from the plan and mix in some of your letters, together with my responses. Then next month we’ll get back on track with some more of the basics.
“I thought Stan Gardner’s article on Carbohydrates, Heroes or Villains, was very thought provoking. In the article, he mentioned that he would be talking about obesity and diabetes in later articles. How can I view those articles and is it possible to contact Stan Gardner? Thank you so much. I can’t imagine a day without Meridian, and I have recently been very interested in any health articles.”
In my first set of articles, the idea is to lay the foundation upon which we can build an application to help you attain greater health in specific organs or systems. The basics include diet (carbohydrates, fats-which we’ve covered– fluids, meats) and supplements (vitamins, minerals, and herbs). I’ll also be addressing some generalized topics, such as exercise, sleep, emotional health. We’ll be focusing on reducing toxic intake and getting rid of toxic stuff present in the body. It’s a little rough to decide which things are the most urgent. Let me know if you think one topic is more urgent than another, or if you have additional topics you’d like addressed. I’ll do my best to get to them all. You can contact me through Meridian. All letters are forwarded, and I will get to them as quickly as I can.
Thank goodness! I found this article to be well written reasoned and understandable. As Latter-day Saints we must not be as the rest of the world, harming our bodies on a daily basis with artificial and dangerous additives and “non foods.” Our family is changing our diet slowly but surely and we now avoid high glucose corn syrups and hydrogenated oils as much as possible. We enjoy more fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Fast food has become a thing of the past. The result? My husband says food tastes better these days, and my son no longer takes medicine for his ADD. We have much more energy and have lost some much needed weight. Natural eating whole and nutritious food doesn’t mean forgoing delicious treats, but we now know which ones to enjoy on occasion choosing more “real” and unadulterated products as opposed to those filled with artificial additives and too highly refined grains. Even ice cream-the premium kind made with cream is enjoyable in small quantities without guilt. We’ve become label readers and feel we’ve finally understood at long last what the Word of Wisdom has been telling us all along. Please keep articles like this coming. I will send copies to many of my friends who struggle with their health and weight and wonder why.
In a nutshell, you have captured much of the essence of preventive medicine and health. Way to go! Many of the things you mention will be addressed in future articles.
It has taken our family (my husband and I have four small children, ages 10-2) about four years to make the transition from a diet high in refined carbohydrates to a whole-foods, low-sugar diet. The irony is that, before the transition, I thought we ate pretty healthily. It is only now, looking back, that I can see the long road we have traveled to better health. We still have the occasional high sugar treat, but only after a good meal. I had to come home from my mission early due to an acute case of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. I slept at least 20 hours per day for about a year. I am convinced that poor diet was one of the factors leading to my experience with that disease. A diet such as the one you outlined is the only way I have been able to manage both my CFS symptoms as well as my struggles with depression and anxiety. I hope the next generation of our family can avoid the challenges I have had to fact. So far, my children are happy and healthy, with sharp minds, calm demeanors, and long attention spans. In addition, not one of them has a single cavity (we also drink large quantities of clean, raw milk). I look forward to further articles published by you in Meridian.
Your letter tugs at some of the core feelings I have, wanting to help the world to be healthy. We are reaping the harvest of decades of high sugar intake and over processed food. I am absolutely convinced that our missionary force would be much stronger and more effective with a carefully balanced diet, and that with a good diet and supplements, health issues such as depression, ADD, and anxiety would almost totally disappear. When I first moved to Ohio, I treated a young missionary sister who had CFS and needed to come home for a time before returning to the field. Getting her back on track involved looking carefully at what she was eating, both in terms of foods and in terms of her supplement intake. The procedure should be the same for EVERY missionary.
I don’t normally take the time to provide feedback on articles because I’m never sure if any of the feedback will be read! Perhaps my email is one of literally hundreds on this particular article. But thanks for writing such an excellent article (as well as the other ones you’ve written previously). They are balanced, insightful and “ring true.” It is a staggering statement you make that ‘80% of our common health problems could be prevented and/or remedied by changes in the diet.’ That is a very sobering thought. Yet it is often the last thing anyone wants to do. So much easier to take a pill or whatever. But PLEASE don’t ask me to actually change my diet! Or so the thinking goes. I am not in the medical field. I’m just a regular member of the church, age 45, trying to be careful about diet and exercise, etc. I’m a computer programmer by trade . . . where we have the famous maxim “garbage in garbage out,” which applies equally well to the body. It should be so obvious that what “fuel” a person puts into their fuel tank (body) is certainly going to have an impact on the performance of the body and the sense of well being the person has (or doesn’t have). Just wanted to drop you a line and basically say “right on!”
Your comments make it a lot of fun to write about these concepts, because it is clear that readers like you have given a lot of thought to the principles of health-what some folks call “common sense” medicine. And I stand by the statement that 80%–even more-of our common health problems could be solved by adjusting the diet. Thanks for the feedback.
Thank you for an insightful article. You pointed out the health effects in a succinct and informative way, helping laymen in the health field understand. Do you know the answer to this question: Do antidepressant drugs like Prozac cause weight gain?
This question takes us to the fascinating topic of the neurological system. Without developing the broad basics (which I will do in future articles that will lead to a more thorough discussion of this topic), let me just say that the Physicians’ Desk Reference lists weight gain as a side effect of Prozac. It’s my observation that at least 1/3 to 1/2 of all who take Prozac gain weight.
I really enjoyed this informative article. Would like to see another one about how to get off Diet Coke-or any caffeine. Is cold turkey the best way?
Yes.
Author did not give the source of his quote from John A. Widtsoe. I would be interested because I have heard throughout my life (72 years) that Brother Widtsoe and his wife were both avid advocates of avoiding refined carbohydrates.
The John A. Widtsoe quote on the placement of adulterated and dangerous foods on the market is found in Evidences and Reconciliations, Volume 3, p. 154. See my first article on The Lord’s Law of Health for the scriptural basis of a proper diet to stay healthy. If what you have heard about Brother and Sister Widtsoe is true, they were very sensible people, years ahead of their time (isn’t it interesting how the Word of Wisdom has been in existence for so long, and remains so very true?).
I am looking forward to your future articles about toxins, etc. I have been preaching for some time that we should not be taking the (petro) chemicals into our bodies that we do in our personal care products. We know we are getting pesticides in our food and water. But also, the average American uses seven personal care products a day (Parade Magazine), and 99% of them have things like propylene glycol, etc., in them. (Just look at your labels!).
Our bodies do a superb job of fighting against these foreign, harmful intruders. To a certain extent, industrialized societies’ citizens take in far more than the body can eliminate. Why do “primitive” societies-ones that don’t use the soaps, shampoos, deodorants, lotions, toothpastes, etc., with the chemicals in them-have far lower percentages of degenerative diseases? And what happens when we overload our bodies with these harmful chemicals? Our fat encapsulates them to protect us and our organs and tissues are damaged. Now more than ever before, Americans need to cleanse their bodies. Cleanse the liver, and “liver spots” will disappear. Cleansing is more important than using colonics, although the colon is important. Cleansing that begins with the digestive system can affect all of our cells, in every part of our bodies. The body recovers; it heals itself, when it is cleansed of enemy substances, including parasites, candida, undigested matter, etc. Many Europeans regularly cleanse their bodies, through the use of saunas as well as liquid-ingested cleanses. Most Americans are ignorant of this important aid to health. Please explore this most important topic in the future.
You bring up many excellent and important points. The article on toxins and their removal is forthcoming. Readers who have some good healthy alternatives to toxic personal care products-send me your experiences!
Look forward to more. Especially interested in electromagnetic waves and their impact on health.
The area of energy medicine is an area of particular interest to me. I’ll be addressing that in future articles. In fact, all aspects of energy medicine relate to each other. We’ll cover that, too.
Dr. Gardner’s article was very informative, and demonstrated the depth of knowledge a physician can have if he embraces the power of nutrition in medicine, combining preventive medicine with traditional medicine. He can impact so many more patients for good. Too many people are caught up in fad diets instead of understanding the need for a balanced consumption of “good” carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. The Word of Wisdom gives a clear view of that balance.
You are so right! Thankfully there is a wave of physicians who are willing to recognize that medicine as practiced in the western hemisphere does not have all of the answers; that there are effective treatment options which come to us from civilizations that have been in existence for more than a millennium. The best idea is to go with what works. Minds need to be open to these marvelous treatment options.
I have two sons who both have some kind of inflammatory bowel disease that cannot be tied to one specific disease. How refreshing to read an article that says just because you can’t diagnose it with a test doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist. It has begun to cause depression in both of them because the medical people involved say it must just be a mental thing. They can’t pinpoint it diagnostically. Thank you, thank you, thank you. I am giving this article to both of them.
If I had a nickel for every time I heard about patients whose physicians tell them the problem is in their head, I would be a wealthy man. When will society and medicine as a whole recognize the existence of illness on a spectrum? Let’s hope soon. By the way, there are many things which can be done for your sons. We’ll explore some of those in future articles.
Oh thank you, Dr. Gardner and Meridian! I have been concerned for many years about the Latter-day Saints’ general view on this subject. It seems to me that we of all people would be trumpeting this message of truth to the world. The body is a temple, and if we persist in the health-care shortcut route, we end up with anything but self-reliance and the finely-tuned instruments of the Spirit our bodies were designed to be. Write more!!
I absolutely agree with the importance of leading the way for the rest of the world in health issues. To the Lord all things are spiritual. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints can teach the standard of health to all people. I talked with a patient today who had spent $20,000 trying to overcome her chronic degenerative disease. There IS a far more sensible way to achieve health. We’ll talk about it. More letters are coming.
As we approach the Christmas season, it would be wise to consider the kinds of gifts which will bless others’ lives with greater health.
Healthful Hints:
- A return to the Word of Wisdom as our health code is following a principle with a promise.
- Read labels and stay away from things which are harmful to the body.
- Your body is a stewardship; it is your temple. You only get one body. Take good care of it!
Enjoy the holidays! Dr. Stan Gardner