Who is the best authority on your health?
May 4, 2009
I would say you are — or you need to become — the best authority on your health. Ultimately we all are our own authority. Even if we place our trust in someone else, we have made the decision to do so. We have come to the conclusion that this is the authority to trust.
Deciding who to listen to when it comes to diet, exercise, treatment choices, etc. can be confusing at best. Currently I have been reading about solutions for chronic back pain. Each book I read enthusiastically promotes its ideas, with lots of impressive testimonials to boot. As I read many of the books, I find myself thinking — oh yes this makes so much sense, this is the final answer. And yet, many of them disagree on even the most fundamental recommendations. Any suggestion, from how the pelvis should be tilted to whether back pain is related to physical abnormalities or stress, will have an opposing view.
I’m finding in my own healing journey that I learn a little bit of value from each book I read and every therapist I see, even if it is what doesn’t make sense for me. Every idea can trigger an insight for me, as I put together what works for me. It’s ultimately my own insights and observations about what works for me that I’ve come to rely on. How many times has a recommendation for health been made by a major authority, only later to be withdrawn as faulty? How many times have you followed a piece of advice simply because it came from an “authority”, only to later realize it wasn’t helpful at all, maybe even quite the opposite of helpful. I feel it’s vital that we view everything in the light of common sense and our own intuition. The best advice comes from what our bodies tell us, our inner knowing and testing things out for ourselves. At the very least, if someone says “always do this”, “never do that”, “eat this”, “don’t eat that”, etc., actively search out the opposing viewpoint and weigh the options for yourself.
Perhaps conflicting viewpoints are most obvious when it comes to diet. You can find an overwhelming number of conflicting theories and recommendations about food. Some say eat only raw food, others say eat only cooked food. Some say a food is wonderful for you that someone else says is toxic to eat. I’ve been very interested in Ayurveda for years. Ayurveda contains an extensive list of what foods are good for what types of people (which is a big improvement over recommending the same foods for everyone as is done in most systems). Many of these recommendations are consistent among Ayurvedic experts, but even there you can find differing viewpoints.
I always get a chuckle when I remember how someone reconciled opposing viewpoints about whether to eat tomatoes and/or potatoes. One vaidya (Ayurvedic physician) said eat potatoes but don’t eat tomatoes. Another said eat tomatoes but don’t eat potatoes. Someone made an amusing remark — my conclusion is that I can eat both tomatoes and potatoes to my heart’s content! Someone else would have avoided both “just in case”. The ultimate test, of course, would be to see how your own body responds to eating both. And always, moderation goes a long way to negate the possibility of eating the wrong thing. “Eat a little of everything” might be the best advice if you are unsure.
To say that we must be our own authority on our health doesn’t mean not to consult experts. But it does mean to ask questions, educate ourselves about what they are recommending, listen to alternative viewpoints, and ultimately make the decision what makes the most sense for us.
Since I feel that I need to be my own authority, I feel it’s important to develop certain skills. I spend time learning about anatomy and how my body works, noticing the sensations and signals my body sends me, observing how my emotions affect my body, and being thoughtful about the choices I make. I spend time clarifying my values and what is important to me. Being my own authority means being willing to rely on my own common sense and intuition in spite of what the outcome will be. There are never any guarantees for outcomes in life, but we can make sure that we make the best decisions possible and that we honor ourselves and our own inner knowing in the process.
Have you “Turbosonic’d” yet? Whole Body Vibration Therapy.
February 28, 2007
I’ve been using a machine called the Turbosonic for several months now, for only 10 minutes a couple times a week. The results have been quite remarkable. My muscles are much stronger. I have more energy and sleep more deeply. My digestion is better and I feel “lighter” in general.
(In case your wondering, there is no financial or other benefit for me in promoting this product.)
I’ve heard from others, either first or second hand, that they have had similar results. In addition to people experiencing what I have, I’ve been told of one woman’s depression lifting and another whose fibromyalgia symptoms vastly improved. A friend of mine lost an inch all over in less than 2 months’ time and I ran into a woman coming out of her session who states she lost her cellulite. (I must say, however, she was fairly trim and probably didn’t have a whole lot to begin with.)
These are rather remarkable changes for something that takes so little time and minimal effort. You are advised not to use the machine more than 10 minutes a day, and all you do is stand on a platform which moves up and down with various frequencies and amplitudes. There are many claims for what the machine does from increasing serotonin and growth hormone to strengthening bones. Apparently there is research substantiating some of the benefits, but so far I’ve only read about one study done in Belgium and reported in the Journal of the American Geriatric Society. The study demonstrated that whole body vibration is as efficient as standard resistance training for improving strength and speed in older women. There is a lot of enthusiasm for the benefits of the machine for the middle aged and elderly, but I know of at least one very athletic man who is very enthusiastic about the machine.
Interestingly, whole body vibration therapy reputedly was developed by the Soviets for the cosmonauts in order to help them recover from weightlessness in space. The machine I have been using was apparently developed in Korea where the technology was supposed to have been considerably improved with input from a qigong master. I haven’t done the research to verify that all this is fact. It’s enough for me that I and others are directly benefiting from using the turbosonic. I’d certainly be interested in comments from anyone who knows more!
You can read about the turbosonic at www.turbosonicusa.com and find a dealer near you. The machine is quite expensive, but in our area several people have bought them and rent out time to others for a nominal fee. There are contraindications to using the turbosonic so be sure to check on that if you have any medical conditions or concerns. I’ve also found that like anything, there is a right “dose” for everyone. Some people use it everyday. Two times a week is plenty for me and more is over-stimulating for my particular makeup.
Please add your comments if you’ve had any experiences with the Turbosonic or can share any information about it!
April 27, 2008 Update: Although it appears whole body vibration can be very beneficial, I wanted to add a note about my own experience that has made me want to caution people in using the machine. After using the machine for about 4 months (only twice a week), my ankles started to swell. I did some research and discovered that some people do get this side effect. When I stopped using the machine, the swelling went away. There is a list of conditions for which use of the Turbosonic is contraindicated, but I don’t have any of those conditions. Clearly there can be side effects that aren’t known so far. If you decide to use whole body vibration, just be alert to any unfavorable changes.