I admit it. I was addicted to sugar, caffeine, and adrenalin. I am a recovering dopamine addict, and it almost killed me. Twenty years ago, a freshly minted doctor, I swallowed the propaganda that doctors are invincible, that “MD” stood for “medical deity.” During my training, one of my surgical residents told me, “real doctors don’t do lunch.” I thought I didn’t need to follow the same rules of biology like everyone else. I believed sleeping, eating real food, and resting were luxuries, not necessities.
In fact, even though I knew about healthy lifestyle and nutrition, and had always exercised, I felt I could push the boundaries of my body. When I started my medical career, I worked 80-100 hours a week as a family doctor in small town in Idaho. I delivered hundreds of babies, ran the emergency room, and saw 30-40 patients a day. Sleep was an afterthought. It was the early 1990’s and I ordered Starbucks coffee by the case straight from Seattle, bought an espresso machine and served up 4-5 espresso’s a day. I lived in a perpetual state of fatigue and pushed my way through on adrenalin.
I continued those habits when I moved to Massachusetts and worked in an inner city emergency room. At the time I had two young children to care for, and worked endless odd shifts in three different hospitals. Some days I went without sleeping. I got through the night shifts by downing a quadruple espresso, a pint of Haagen Daz ice cream (coffee flavor), and a giant chocolate chip cookie.
I learned how to keep myself awake despite my exhaustion. I didn’t have a stop button. I lived on adrenalin—until my adrenalin ran out and I suddenly got very ill with chronic fatigue syndrome. Every system in my body broke down. I didn’t choose to change my life—my body chose for me. That is when I had to learn to rebuild my life and my energy and respect the way my body worked. I learned the hard lesson that my body was a biological organism that needed care and attention, that it wasn’t there to sustain my abuse and serve my needs. I realized that if I wanted to enjoy my life, I would have to learn the care and feeding instructions needed for being a human.
Unfortunately, many suffer the same fate I did. We have all been given a beautiful creation—our physical body. But none of us were born with an operating manual or instruction book. How do we make it feel good, take care of it, make it run like it was designed—balanced and in perfect rhythm? Most of us don’t learn how to manage our energy and bodies well. We use drugs—sugar, caffeine, alcohol, adrenalin or worse to manage our energy and moods. Most of us don’t connect our behaviors and choices with how we feel every day. We don’t connect what we eat, how much we rest and sleep, how much we exercise, how much time we make for connecting with friends and community, or the kinds of media and news we watch with how we feel every day.
Feeling fully energized and vitally health comes down to a very simple principle: take out the bad stuff and put in the good stuff. Health results from what you get too little of (good food, nutrients, light, air, water, rest, sleep, rhythm, exercise, community, love, meaning and purpose) or too much of (poor quality food, stress, toxins, allergens or microbes). This affects how our bodies, minds, and souls function. For each of us the ideal mix is a little different, and what is needed to thrive is unique to each individual. It takes a little experimentation, observation and fine-tuning to achieve, but there is nothing better than being the best you in each moment. It is what makes life sweet.
This is what I have spent the last 20 years studying—how can I thrive and help my patients thrive; what prevents us from being well and what helps us. This approach to health and medicine is called functional medicine or “the medicine of why”—that is, why our bodies work well or don’t!
It’s actually quite simple.
I admit it. I was addicted to sugar, caffeine, and adrenalin. I am a recovering dopamine addict, and it almost killed me.
How to Get More Energy
Simply make a list with two columns. In one column list all the things that give you energy. In the second column list all the things that drain your energy. Each day try to let go of one thing that drains your energy and add one thing that gives you energy.
Here’s my list. Take a piece of paper and make your own now.
My Energy Drains
- Not getting enough sleep (less than 8 hours)
- Eating too much sugar
- Drinking too much coffee (more than 1 cup)
- Skipping meals
- Eating anything made in factory (junk and processed food)
- Eating bread
- Eating dairy
- Drinking more than 3 glasses of wine or alcohol a week
- Working too much
- Not exercising at least 4 times a week
- Not doing yoga
- Spending too much time on the computer
- Watching TV
- Not being outside in nature
- Not spending time with friends
- Getting dehydrated
My Energy Gains
- Eating a high-protein breakfast (shake or eggs)
- Eating fresh, whole real food
- Having a protein snack in the mid morning and afternoon
- Eating 10 servings of vegetables a day
- Not eating 3 hours before I go to sleep
- Doing yoga
- Playing tennis
- Running in the woods
- Swimming in lakes or rivers
- Hugging my kids and wife
- Talking to friends
- Dinner parties with friends
- Helping others and volunteering
- Taking my vitamins (multivitamin, fish oil, vitamin D and a few others)
- Drinking 6-8 cups of filtered water a day
- Being creative in the kitchen and cooking for family and friends
- Thinking of my day as a sacred thing—a canvass for living an artful life—and shaping it to have good memories, good blessings, and good feelings
- Learning new things about our extraordinary world and the people in it
As John Lennon said, “Life is what happens when you are making other plans.” We all get kicked off our plan from time to time. Something intrudes, somebody gets sick in your life, you may lose your job, your kids may do something stupid, your spouse may cheat on you, the stock market might crash, it might even rain! These are the inevitable struggles that are part of being human.
Let me share with you how I manage these struggles (yes, they happen in mine too), and how I stay motivated.
Overcoming Obstacles on Your Path to Health
Dealing with challenges in life is like surfing. You get on the wave, and all is great … and then the wave drops out from under you, or it grows into a huge wave and pummels you into the ground. When that happens, you paddle back out, get back up on the board, and keep surfing.
Here are some ideas on how to do that:
- Plan, plan, plan: You wouldn’t take a trip to climb a mountain or take a vacation to France without planning first. It is THE most essential activity you can do to create health. Plan your day, your week, your month and schedule in time for the things in your life that support health—food, fun, sleep, exercise, friends or whatever else puts deposits in your health bank account.
- Think of food first: Most of us are opportunistic eaters—when the opportunity comes, or when we get hungry we eat whatever’s in our path. In our culture that means junk food, fast food and vending machine “food like substances.” We live in a vast nutritional wasteland, a food desert. Every week plan where you are going to get all your meals. Think ahead; don’t end up in a food emergency where the only thing open is a fast food restaurant or convenience store. Think breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks. It will become a habit. Plan, shop, prepare, eat. Create an emergency food pack and buy quick-to-cook meals or make whole foods at home.
- Design fun and play into life: MacDonald’s was good for something—it gave us the ditty—“you deserve a break today.” Think of your day as a canvas and think of how you can paint yourself some fun. Learn new things—try yoga, dance, or learn a new sport. I like to get my exercise by having fun and playing not by going to the gym.
- Prioritize sleep: We have a second national debt crisis—sleep debt. And there is no way to trick biology and raise the debt ceiling. Get at least 7-9 hours sleep a night. Everything in you life will look and feel better and you will make better choices when you do this.
- Avoid drugs: Almost all of us use drugs every day to manage our energy. These include sugar, caffeine, alcohol, and more. Think about taking a “drug holiday” for six weeks and see how much better you feel.
- Remember feeling well: When I get off track, I simply remember what it is like to feel great and what I have do to get there—eat better, sleep more, exercise more, or do nothing more!
Some of these habits might not be second nature. But our lives are about the thousand little choices we make every day. When I am really off track, I do a reboot—a week-long detox that resets my body, brain and rhythms. I use my UltraSimple Diet. It is a simple whole foods, sugar-, drug-, and allergy-free nourishing way of eating and living for one week that can create dramatic and rapid changes in your biology. Try it. Then you may remember what it feels like to be well, some of you for the first time.
Now I’d like to hear from you …
What steps have you taken to change your health? What obstacles do you face and how do you overcome them?
Have you tried taking a drug holiday like the one in The UltraSimple Diet? What were results?
Why do you think we live in a culture where the simple act of being healthy is so difficult? How can we change this unhealthy culture to one that supports optimum energy and vital well being?
Please leave your thoughts by adding a comment below.
To your good health,
Mark Hyman, MD
It seems like the line in the sand is always this: when I get sick, do I choose to act, or do I choose to be hands-off and allow someone else to dictate the needs of my body. I chose the first (and still do) and that is how my autoimmune thyroid disease worked its way into unmedicated remission. After a life of being sick, and a formal diagnosis, I finally woke up and DID something about it — I acted and was, for the first time, present in my own health and life. I see the same thing in your words. You became conscious and acted. Thank you for sharing your story. We all have one, and yours is inspiring just the same.
Great info,really needed this,thanks!
My body/mind directed me to make big changes, if I wanted to stay alive and well, about 4 years ago after cancer treatment. I have studied and qualified in psychotherapy and kinesiology (including health and nutrition, energy medicine)and I’ve studied Quantum sciences too. I have now created two methods of helping other people here in the UK; by means of both a comprehensive psycho-emotional programme, and a method of changing the sub-conscious belief system -which is so significant to the choices we make and our relationships to everything around us. Please see http://www.the-ripple effect.co.uk and http://www.qpp.uk.com for more information. Change is an exciting challenge and the rewards can mean life instead of a form of death!
Life in the fast lane of foods has been my problem and lack of sleep. Planning is a key to becoming healthy and when I get off of my plan I get very ill. (I have Diabetes) I can lose 10 pounds just by sleeping the right amount of hours for my body. I can also lower my my blood pressure by the right amount of sleep. I used to binge sleep (sleeping 12 hours at a time due to exhaustion.) What I have learned is that I can never catch up on sleep and also my days just passed me by and left me short of my goals. The Ultra Simple Diet has been great for me and I know that my jump start of this should be more often while I get back on track. Thanks for all of your sharing!
Hi Dr. Hyman.
I just wanted to thank you for writing this! Very thoughtfully written. Great food for thought and it really got me thinking!
Namaste.
Christopher
I have been reading your letters for a couple of years now. Very sound advices that you give! I must say I do not have too many problems in my life. I am 59, in perfect health, have children, grandchildren, loving partner. I have just retired with adequate pension, and now I have time for all the beautiful things in life. Although I pursued biking and mountain tracking before, I have taken up meditation now (which improved my painting greatly). I love to cook, hang out with family and friends, start each morning with “chose your clothes, chose your thoughts” idea. Now, I do negative things too.Drink wine, a glass or two each day, coffe 3 cups a day, a few cigarettes too. I do not take any medication but no supplements either. And I honestly believe that enjoying even unhealthy things, in moderation, is better than being strict in abstaining from something that makes you happy. I am so grateful for the kind of life I have and I love the whole world.
. It will improve your happiness greatly.
Best wishes to you and a bit of advice: do something sinful each day
Vesna
Very good, inspirational.
Just released the Hourglass Diet.
Y’all might be interested.
http://www.hourglassdiet.com
Regards
John Miller
Dear Dr.Hyman-
I have an unnamed platelet disorder. It first presented in the fall of 2009 with bad bruising on my limbs, face & torso. This went on until the fall of 2010, when I got my mental period in October and it has never left. I have ben given a few different birth control pills but it never stops it just lightens the flow. (This is just treating the symptom and not the cause.)This has left me anemic, tired and sometimes even winded walking of flight of stairs. I am a college student at Columbia University. I have been to the best hematologists in Manhattan & to the Cleveland Clinic as well. My platelets do not work in two ways: The receptors on the cells don’ t activate to clot and the cell itself doesn’t work. Nobody has any other answers, they say this is where science ends right now. My factor levels are normal, my playlet count is normal. I am at my wits end. Please direct me to help.
Thank you,
Deborah
Thank you, Deborah for your message If you are interested in locating a practitioner of functional medicine in your area see the “Find a Functional Medicine Practitioner” link at the Institute of Functional Medicine’s website.
Wishing You the Best of Health!
i love, love, love this personal admission by Dr. Hyman. What an example, helping us all to feel included.
Great article. I too was very much addicted to the “rush”. I never slept, rode the sugar roller coaster and had such stagnate digestion that I was constantly bloated, constipated and feeling rotten. I thought it was just the way I was. Like so many of my clients I accepted how bad I felt as normal. I changed my whole life about 18 months ago. I now get more sleep, eat only whole foods, exercise everyday, drink tons of clean water and take the time to make sure that there is peace in my life. Wow the difference it has made in all aspects of my life.Now I really know what normal is. I love your list of energy gains and depletions and that will be a great exercise I will use with my clients.
Thanks and keep these great articles coming.
Mindy Kannon
It is a pleasure to hear you sharing from the heart rather than selling something. I may have missed blogs recently as I got turne off. I like what you are sharing now. Thank you!
Thank you Dr Hyman for those wonderful words of wisdom! This is like reading my own story. Unfortunately I am in that awful place of chronic fatigue and got there exactly the same way as you. Living on chocolate, caffeine and literally burning myself out. I am now paying the price. After 5 years it is very debilitating and I am trying to do everything possible by way of taking multis etc eating organic food, stablilising blood sugar etc, but it is such a long road. I am a mum with 3 beautiful children, but finding life extremely debilitating. I have adrenal fatigue and have never taken adrenal extracts. Is this something you tried? Do you share your story in your books? I am definitely going to do the lists on the things that create energy and zap it! Thank you for sharing that, it is a wonderful tool together with the planning of meals etc. I know that if I don’t put pure food into my body, I will pay for it. We do create energy with our thoughts and the food we eat. Thank you so much for giving this out to the world. It makes me happy to see you got to the other side of this awful illness. I know if people like you can, then I can to! If you can give me any more advice on how you got well, I would be so grateful.
Clare, London
Great article – thanks for continuing to inspire!
Caitlyn
Great article and thanks for sharing your personal obstacles. That was a good reminder to take back charge of our health. About 2 years ago, my husband and I followed your UltraSimpleDiet for a 2 week period and the only part we didn’t do was the relaxing baths. However, we both lost 10 lbs and have kept it off as I think it reset our metabolism. We did cut back on dairy, sugar, white flour, white rice, regular potatoes and started eating more fresh vegetables, green tea, lemon water, and walk at least 45 mins per day 5 days per week. We are self employed with employees and work a lot of hours and planning nutritional food for the week and then making the time to eat that mid morning and late afternoon while the business is busy is our biggest challenge. Thanks for the inspiration and coaching.
Made me really sad that when you mention that in Mass you stated you had two small children to take care of but you couldn’t bother to mention you also had a wife who likely at some point was the delight of your life, who did what she could to try to keep your focus healthier, wholesome, and my guess is you lost her somewhere down the line and THAT was also a consequence of the lies you believed. Maybe you, and even she, have justified in your heads that the marriage failure was all for the best, and maybe quite “normal”–but I tell you it isn’t and it’s sad. You’ve been deprived of tender and precious memories, and the strength of tried and true relationship that can sustain through tough stuff. I am, at this point, thinking I should have let the old man go eons back. left him to his chasing of ego dreams and moved on, but I stuck, because i thought it mattered, to the kids, but to him, to me. So, 30 years out he ditched. Stupid on his part. But frankly, though it’s tough for me, I embrace the liberation from future care, still it is ironic the old man threw out the best to believe lies. Just as we can, and ought, to eat right and get our proper rest, we ought to respect our spouses for all that they bring to the table, and understand the whole is greater than a simple sum.
I resonate totally with Dr’s story. I have just had prostate cancer treatment at 51 and althought the prognosis is very good, I worry that the underlying cause(es) have not been adressed
Good Morning Mark,
You walked the walk; you pushed the envelope just like virtually every other American who goes through life and rarely thinks about this amazing million dollar body we are so blessed to occupy along our short journey. I also lived a good part of my life completely disconnected from all of the “why’s.” Just like you, I also ended up crashing and burning one day with the onset of severe dementia I thought was premature Alzheimer’s. Scared the hell out of me and got my attention focused rather quickly on how I had been constantly abusing my body out of ignorance. I was the energizer bunny! Just dump in the junk food and caffeine and off I would go along my merry way. Hitting a brick wall was the best thing that has ever happened in my life. It forced me to start asking all of the big Why questions? You did an excellent job of creating a visual experience for your readers who are currently experiencing many of the symptoms of premature aging brought on by failing to provide ongoing repair and daily maintenance of their amazing body. We each get just one body incrediblely designed to take us all the way through an optimum 120 year adventure. Sadly, the majority will only make it 2/3 of the way prematurely aging and finally calling it quites at age 78. Lights out!
For those who learn how to honor, respect and lovingly care for our bodies…will move into our 100′s still climbing mountains, rafting rivers, and enjoying awesome sex with our mates! If your body is aging correctly…when you turn 90, you should be occupying a young looking and functioning body of a typical American in his or her 50′s!
Mark,
You are one of the finest Doctor’s on this planet. I thank the good Lord that I found you. Most people don’t need Doctor’s. They just need to read your books and get serious about their health. It really is that simple.
A friend of mine gave me your Ultrametabolism book over 4 years ago now. I was 55 lbs overweight, drinking tons of coffee everyday, and to much wine every night to come down from a stressful job and family life. I kept going and putting on the happy face, but I was so miserable, I had dieted throughout my life with the typical “ups and downs”. Your philosophy on food made me see things so differently for the first time in my life. I began slowly eating healthy, cut out the alcohol consumption cold turkey (haven’t had a drop of alcohol in 4 years), and am down to one cup of black organic coffee in the morning. I have dropped the 55 lbs, gone down 4 clothing sizes, and whats better is I have kept it off and COMPLETELY changed my way of eating and my life. I am so happy and feel so content and healthy. My husband saw my results and jumped on board. My “meat and potatoes” man is now loving his tofu shake every morning and his mainly vegetarian meals. (any meat meals are from organic meat). He dropped 40lbs and works out daily…has so much more energy and we couldn’t be happier as he nears retirement. I often have people that knew me before and have seen my transformation ask me how. When I tell them about the whole foods way of eating, etc., most say they can’t do it due to time restrictions, etc. It is so sad how people are walking around so sick and they don’t even realize they have the power to change their lives just through their diet alone. I continue to tell people that ask they will NEVER regret the time spent in getting their health and wellness in check. My grown children are following suit as well and will be teaching their children about fresh fruits, vegetables etc. all because of the day your book changed my life. I am SO grateful!
Not eating bread? I bake whole wheat bread and eat three or four slices a week. Otherwise my diet follows your recommendations. Good inspriational article
Hi Dr. Hyman,
I love your approach to healthy living but can’t seem to get there. My husband and I both did the jump start detox and had to admit we did feel better but then went promptly back to the old habit of coffee sugar alcohol no exercise etc
Living as you do seems so un attainable to me but you have encouraged me to try again thank you !!!
I try to do everything you mentioned. It’s not the first time I have heard this advise, but it has to be a personal decision. I look at food as medicinal or poisonous and some time I chose poison. But at least I know I chose poison. I think another big one for me is not to let stress into my life. I have been very ill and disabled from stress in the past, to the point where I wasn’t able to work. After recovering I made a conscientious choice not to do stress. Stress comes to us every day. We get cut off in traffic, a boss adds more work, a child may be ill, but it’s how we chose to handle it that makes the difference. I just left a job that was causing great stress, but even though I don’t have a new job yet I feel healthier and happier than staying in a job that wasn’t making me feel good. The stress of looking for another job I turn into energy to use for looking for that job. I guess my point is we all have a CHOICE to eat better, exercise more, get more sleep, be more social, and in my case reduce my stress.
Change the job and a few other minor details and your story might be mine. Too much. Too fast. Too long. Too much time doing for the JOB and not for myself. I’ve hit the wall and crashed. Recovery is happening, and slowly – or is that just my impatience? How long does it take to recover and have a life again? I don’t really do to much at this point because if I push it I just crash again.
Wow Katheryn, you took an open forum with an uplifting article to make assumptions and then demonstrate how bitter a person you are. You could probably use some of the advice in the article to improve your own life. You would be better served that way than insulting the author over things you presumably know nothing about. The article is not covering the ins and outs of Dr. Hyman’s private life.
You can’t always control your circumstances but you can always control your attitude and response to those life circumstances! Let go of the bitterness or it will kill you.
Excellent article! I’m forwarding it to all of my overworked, overdrugged, and stressed out friends. Thanks for sharing your “real” experience (I guess those of us who read your articles are on the same path). Thanks!
A quick hint. If you’re out running errands and you get hungry, swing by the health food store and see what healthy treats they have to get you through till you can get home or to the grocery store. Quick and easy, sugar, fat and gluten free snacks
are available quickly and, in this economy, these stores need our business if they are going to survive.
I don’t think we’ll see any large scale changes in the food culture in America until we take a good long look at how we’re producing our food- making it easier to produce and sell local foods and killing corn subsidies that make producing crappy , processed foods so profitable. And thanks for this post- I’m in need of a reboot myself, and your story helped to remind how much better I felt before I fell off of the food wagon…
Dr. Hyman…what a great contribution to share your life’s experience with such honesty. Many of us can relate to that moment of truth…myself included. For some reason I still don’t completely understand God intervened in my life in 1978 and gave me a mission much like yours…to heal what needs healing. Thank you for your work, and may God bless your efforts to heal yourself and others.
Really enjoyed your journey , sounds like most of us in one way or another.
My daughter has become a vegetarian and sharing her great discoveries with me .
I must admit I feel healthier eating foods without the added poisons ,
Nice reading — I felt like Katheryn you never mentioned your wife and giving her the caring she needed in your journey .
“…hugging my kids and WIFE…”
seems the marriage is in tact, but sorry for your loss and the bitterness Katheryn.
The article addresses this as well:
…”As John Lennon said, “Life is what happens when you are making other plans.” We all get kicked off our plan from time to time. Something intrudes, somebody gets sick in your life, you may lose your job, your kids may do something stupid, your spouse may cheat on you, the stock market might crash, it might even rain!
These are the inevitable struggles that are part of being human.
Let me share with you how I manage these struggles (yes, they happen in mine too), and how I stay motivated………”
Thank you for the enlightening article….I did get the paper out…your personal lists were very helpful to guide.
Katheryn: Maybe Dr. Hyman had other reasons for not mentioning his spouse, or perhaps for her privacy or other respectful reasons, he did not mention her. I believe it was completely implied that the entire family had suffered, as had his health, which was the point of the article. We aren’t here to judge his personal life, dear; that is not our lot in life, but rather to learn valuable lessons from those that have a story to share that may benefit us. I think your point is well taken that spouses are often a casualty of those destructive choices we are probably all guilty of, but I also recognize that in a world of doctors that seem to care so very little about why I am so sick (and instead use drug therapy only), Dr. Hyman and the The Ultra Wellness Center are actually trying to change the medical paradigm. He lobbies for changes in Washington, DC and although we are not in the same political party, I respect his tenacity and his end goals. A macrobiotic and clean food (and the other healthy behaviors) lifestyle has been shown time and time again to cure or improve difficult disease states. I cannot afford to pay for constant treatment by these dedicated professionals, but I also believe that with more testifying before Congress and with added pressure, functional medicine could be covered someday under medical insurance. What a blessing that would be. Dr. Hyman and the Ultra Wellness Center are pioneers and are taking the road less traveled. I hope we can find it in our hearts and minds to focus on the collective good work being done, the groundbreaking research, and the courage to speak out and not so much on the human foibles that bind us all together. My life is not so unlike his really…..I work hours on end in the department of defense hunting down the bad guys while studying for my PhD, so I understand how difficult it is to stay grounded in a healthy lifestyle. Dr. Hyman’s articles remind me of how important it is to maintain work/life balance and I find lessons in all of his stories that benefit me and those I love. Being a Dr. or in a profession like mine is life of sacrifice and very hard work. I can’t believe our spouses didn’t know of our drive when they married us. Mine did, and he is still here and we are very happily married for nearly 20 years now. I wish that same joy and happiness to all of us striving for wellness
I really enjoyed the surfing metaphor – it couldn’t be more accurate.
Every time I visit your website I’m more motivated to strive to find new ways to get healthier. Thanks, Dr. Hyman.
I appreciated what Katheryn said. I also wondered why there was no mention of a wife. Otherwise, good info and inspiring.
It’s difficult to do something so elementary because we are creatures of habit and we have been taught all the wrong habits! We as a society also rely on the “quick fix” and live by convenience at any cost. It is hard to swim against the tide, but if you really want something badly enough, you do it! Unfortunetly, many times until health issues surface, we do nothing. I know…I am one of those people! Let us all learn to retrain ourselves starting today! Start small and work your way up so as not to get overwhelmed. After all Rome wasn’t built in a day! Thanks for the motivation! Good luck everyone! To your health! We ARE in control of ourselves!!
Thank you Dr. Hyman,
Another *great* article. I appreciate you sharing your personal story.
For me, the missing link to achieving greater levels of health has been a clear functioning nervous system. I noticed that with regular chiropractic care I was able to make healthier choices as well as have a higher tolerance for and ability to meet life’s challenges. It is my own personal journey toward health that lead me to be a chiropractor! (You can read my story on my website)
Now as a doctor of chiropractic, I appreciate having medical doctors to collaborate with who have trained in functional medicine or integrative holistic care.
Thank you for all that you do!
Good article. If you haven’t read The Secret, you should. Very helpful.
Thank you for your thoughts and recommendations. You are so right in everything you say; we are so disconnected from our bodies. I am almost 40 and even though I have always taken care of myself, I have just started listening to my body, learning the causes and effects of foods, thoughts, exercise, etc. I will teach that to my children. Thank you again.
I work in a hospital and every day I encounter people who are very sick and at the mercy of the medical community, pharmaceutical and insurance companies. If only I could hand them all a card directing to your inspirational and informative articles, they could embark on a new way of living and reverse so much of what ails them. It is such a shame that the term “knowledge is power” isn’t used all the time for the good of the people. I will never understand how what comes down to common sense isn’t practiced as the norm for optimal health.
From the aspect of economy as regards the revenue for these aforementioned businesses, the ultra wellness mindset will NEVER be embraced, it does not generate profit. It is in the interest of the corporate mindset to keep people fat, confused, dependant, uninformed and chained to the healthcare system in a never ending cycle of blood tests and diagnostics that do nothing to heal the patient but rather keep them obedient to the presciption pad.
hello dr Hyman
My name is Yehyda and IM firefighter in israel.
I want to tell you that you were right on issues related to sports
Im alwayes training and doing allot of sports.
after i do this i am much less tired and body alert. the brain releases hormones better and better blood flow in the body vigilance is maintained.
Enjoyed your article, Dr. Hyman. I have been forced to quit a job I loved because of memory problems. But, I know it has been a good thing for me to start to take care of myself and reduce my anxiety levels. I have changed my diet and eat healthier and exercise more. I have been diagnosed with Leaky Gut Syndrome. I would love to get off the two meds that I am on for 6 weeks. One is an anti depressant which I have been on for 15 years and one is Armour thyroid. I have bad side effects if I reduce my antidepressant. I would love to be able to substitute natural supplements for the antidepressant but unfortunately those things that seem to help my brain interfere with the antidep. so I can’t switch the drug for the natural supplement at the same time. Does anyone have any suggestions?
Most people I know who have ‘hit a brick wall’ all have one thing in common: caffeine! I too drank copious amounts of coffee to keep up with a busy life in banking that seemed to still be moving at lightening speed ahead of me. My body broke down as did my mind and only then did I awaken to the need for change in my life. Mercury and Lead issues have made my health a bit more difficult, but chelation is helping and I have never eaten so healthfully in all of my life. Thanks Dr.Hyman for all of your inspiration and being so open with your own past struggles to attain the health you have today – it humanizes you and allows you to be that much more insighful into the care you give to others. I honour you and others on my website (www.nicknurse.ca) with a review on your book, The Ultra-Mind Solution. I just think other people need to know about the healing potential that they already have! Thanks gain, Nick.
Hey Mark,
I have learned so much over the years from your books, talks, emails, etc. Thank you for all your wisdom!
I have never been completely burnt out or really sick. However, I have experienced being overweight, fatigued, digestive problems, sleep issues and definite hormonal imbalances. These and more are all signs of metabolic syndrome and can predict real problems associated with glandular issues, diabetes, heart disease, and cancers.
I admit I worried a lot about all these issues and have tried very hard through better eating (eliminating most of the things you did) and adding more real, fresh, organic, healthy food and through supplementation over the years. I have exercised 3 to 4 times a weeks diligently for over 10 years as well. While I am still overweight (app. 25 #s), I feel much better, find I sleep well, my digestion is good, and my energy levels are much better. Following much of your advise has helped me make these changes.
What really makes all this possible for me is following a wisdom tradition that teaches meditation, self inquiry, contemplation and deep introspection. Now I don’t worry and am at peace. I no longer see myself as a body/personality, but as a little slice of the divine Being. I see this world appearance as a play of consciousness and thus enjoy the game in all it’s diversity. The change in attitude from an anxious, fear ridden human trying to have a spiritual experience, to a “spiritual Being having a human experience” has made all the difference in my attitude. I have come to see that how I think and what type of attitude I maintain has the ultimate effect on my experience of life whether I am physically healthy or not. I will say living this way makes me want to take good care of the vehicle (body) I’ve been given to get around in this game of life.
Thanks again and again for Helping me do this and for all you do for so many, Jo
Hi Dr. Hyman,
I really enjoy what you have to offer. I have recommended people to you, when they are having a lot of problems and need to go in a different direction. If Jimbo Fisher and his wife contact about their son with this rare bone cancer (which seems to be another disease that these doctors put a name to), anyway, Jimbo Fisher coaches the Florida State University football program. Hopefully, they will take my advice and
make contact to you about their adorable son.
My best,
Tom OBrien
I followed the same path and wham got hit with Crohn’s disease. It changed my life and I am still following the SCD diet with no grains, no sugar. I fall off the wagon occasionally but stop the next day. At 52 I think I look younger and I know I am in the best health of my life. I am confident I have the toolbox to get to a ripe old age for my 11 yr. old. I love all of your posts and you are so right on !
Thanks and keep up the good word !
Cogent article. Applicable across the board for all of us. Applied to my writing it supports the belief that suffering for one’s art is not enough. You have to slow down long enough to gain perspective. Without perspective, suffering serves no purpose at all. In our youth, we are all fueled by the belief in our own immortality. We conduct our lives protected by this certainty. As we grow older, and the aura of immortality fades, perspective and wisdom need to step up.
Love your admonitions. Wish you were in the vicinity, I’d use you as my doctor. Around here, there doesn’t seem to be a lot of MD’s with your vision and expertise. Most are pill pushers. Thanks for the inspirational story. Makes me remember my days of doing the same stupid things and having my own health disaster/wake-up call.
Hi Voyle, thank you for your nice message and your interest in Dr. Hyman’s work. To locate a practitioner of functional medicine in your area see the “Find a Functional Medicine Practitioner” link at the Institute of Functional Medicine’s website.
Wishing You the Best of Health!
Dr. Hyman,
Read one of your articles about Gluten Sensitivity. Most of my adult life has been plagued by numerous (although thankfully mild) autoimmune issues… I often referred to myself as a member of the “autoimmune disorder of the month club”. I have also been struggling with my weight and thyroid to no avail. This summer on vacation, I spent several days living on junk and beer (all mostly wheat!). I returned from vacation bloated and exhausted. Soon after I read your article and thought there might be a correlation, so I gave it a shot. To make sure that I wasn’t experiencing a low carb diuretic effect, I kept eating GF starchy carbs like potatoes and rice.
The bloat went away immediately and I could tell a difference in how I felt when I woke up… all I can say is that I wasn’t foggy and it didn’t take me tons of coffee or a shower to feel “awake.” I don’t have ravenous cravings and I started to gradually lose a few pounds. That gave me the inspiration to get back on a healthier eating plan and I also have energy to excercise! I feel great and in about 6 weeks I’ve lost 12 pounds – with about 15 more to go. For the first time in years, I am confident that I can reach this goal. I really hope to see long term improvement in my autoimmune issues. Thanks for your information!
Thank you Mark for getting me started MANY years ago. I still read your letter faithfully. Your intelligence, dedication, investigation, sense of humor, engagement and love of being alive and making the most of it, keep bringing me back when I fall off the truck. I fall off less and less because the preciousness of health becomes more evident with time and reminders……Be well!
I wish I could join these people who have responded with success stories.
I’m 64 years old. When I was 15 I was diagnosed as having a tendency to be reactively hypglycemic. At the same time, I saw a dermatologist because I had acne.
Both doctors told me to avoid sugar and refined carbohydrates.
I did that, and the results were miraculous. My acne disappeared, and my energy and feeling of well being dramatically increased. It made me a real believer. I’ve avoided sugar and refined carbohydrates ever since. I’ve also watched my caffeine intake. I drink tea, mostly, and some coffee occasionally, and I have never noticed a sensitivity to caffeine.
Everything went fine, and I weighed under 115-120 lbs. until menopause, when, at the advice of my doctor, I briefly agreed to taking Prempro
“to protect my heart”. I hated it. I stopped within a month. But ever since then I’ve had a problem with weight gain.
As soon as personal glucose monitors became available some years ago, I bought one–though I’m not diabetic–and I started sporadically monitoring how various foods affected my blood sugar levels. That was interesting, and I avoided foods that I found to be problematic.
I currently have no ongoing medical conditions, no high blood pressure, etc., and I take no prescription drugs. But
I’m now 40 pounds overweight and have been for around 15 years. I’ve tried walking –up to 5 miles a day for a year, joining a gym (Curves), eating a low-carb, low-glycemic index/load diet (which I’ve essentially been doing for years) and I periodically monitor my blood sugar (out of curiosity, as I’m not diabetic), and it always shows up between 90 and 135.
Nothing works. My weight doesn’t budge.
I’ve bought and read all of your books, and I’m a big fan of yours. I follow all of your recommendations. I rarely eat bread, and when I do it’s only bread I can sit on. I count grams of fiber. I take the recommended vitamins.
I did lose 20 lbs (within 2 months) after reading Ultra Metabolism, but in the past two years since then, I’ve gained it all back.
WHAT AM I DOING WRONG???
I admit that I do very much enjoy drinking red wine, and would prefer not to have to entirely give that up.
But I don’t drink it excessively enough to be now carrying 40 lbs of extra weight.
Any ideas???
Hi Killedan, thank you for your message and your interest in Dr. Hyman’s work. You might want to see a nutritionist to help you keep your weight off and maintain your health.
Wishing You the Best of Health!
I appreciated reading your honest testimony of your past life. It confirmed what
I know for ages, but have not followed. I am 74 years of age, most people say
I look good for my age, I don’t know if this is true.
I have had two heart attacks and have pernicious anaemia, low thyroid,
and diverticulitis. The doctors have me on so many pills, I feel that they are killing
me slowly. I would love to be free of all this and be healthy.
It seems I feel trapped in this but do not know how to free myself.
I did write you sometime back, but never heard an answer.
I live in Trinidad, West Indies. Would love some feedback so I would know I am
approaching a REAL doctor/person who is compassionate and willing to listen
to me and give some ideas.
Hello Selam, thank you for your message. We are sorry you did not receive a response to your earlier message but Dr. Hyman cannot personally answer each and every message as he is very busy practicing medicine among other things he is involved with. To locate a practitioner of functional medicine in your area see the “Find a Functional Medicine Practitioner” link at the Institute of Functional Medicine’s website. Or you may contact The UltraWellness Center please see “How to Become a Patient” at http://www.ultrawellnesscenter.com. That site is designed to give prospective patients a comprehensive source of information about The UltraWellness Center. You may also feel free to call The UltraWellness Center at (413) 637 9991.
Wishing You the Best of Health!
Exactly the same happened to me. I figured out that there is 2 things that drain my energy ..Eating carbs without protein and eating dairy. It took me 3 years to figure that out. Now I am trying to avoid dairy as much I can..and I make sure that every meal has balance protein, carbs1:2. If just one meal has more carbs than protein times 2 I am getting sick. It is hard..but is easier than to be sick. My son has asthma I used the same tfood theory on him …and he is symptoms free just by avoiding dairy and combining carbs with protein. Dr Mark It is great that you share your stories and knowledge with us. I wish I discover you earlier so I didnt have to learn hard way.
A company called Beachbody changed the way I look at food,exercise,alcohol,rest etc. I became a coach after 2 months into P90X and drinking their health shake called Shakeology. This company has the most sound way of getting fit and transforming the way we live that I have seen and their mission is to end the trend of obesity. This Was something I knew I had to be a part of. We have anincredible gift of life and we must make investments in our health. Those choices we make each day do add up over time! I plan a week at a time working out 6 days a week and plan every meal and snack. You are right, it makes a huge difference in the way we feel and enjoy life
Making the conscientious efforts to do what is good for us certainly is the key and making the plans to do these things is the challenge. Sleep, eating and exercise should be everyone’s mantra. Learning how to filter out the negative influences is the hard part as we are all bombarded with temptations, drama, stress, over-filled lives. Even the best laid plans can go awry. Knowing what is good and doing it for your body needs to be something we all should be able to achieve easily. More groups and education needs to be available. Schools, work place and communities should be offering these healthy programs. Most of us cannot afford a nutritionist, or visit the Ultra Wellness Center to put us on the right track. Going it alone takes so much discipline. I enjoy the newsletters and read and pass on to my colleagues and friends as much healthy habits as I can, but I struggle myself at times to stay on course. Since I am a very health conscience
professional myself the less concerned individual is who is really the most concerning and least able to make changes on their own. Support and opportunities for learning must be made more easily attainable and affordable.
My biggest struggle is believing in myself…..that I do matter and that I have to place myself first. I grew up being told that I was “worthless!”. I always seem to fall off the wagon by not drinking enough water and not exercising enough. I do well for a bit and then I can hear my self talk saying “I can’t do this. You don’t deserve good things”. I see that I am punishing myself. I am still better off than 90% of those my age, but the roller coaster is draining. I wish I had a mentor that was close to me, someone to spend time with me that wants the same things. It is hard going it alone. I guess what I am trying to say, is that our emotions and self talk can be our biggest enemy.
Like you, when I need to reboot I return to the 7 day Ultra Simple Diet and always feel better and renewed. How disappointed I was today to discover that the community forum was gone. It was a very useful tool! Remember in 2009 when we did a group USD with you? I loved it! Why don’t we do it again? Thank you.
Wow Katheryn, your comment was really inappropriate and didn’t relate to the article, but just gave you a forum to air your own issue….I’m sure Mrs. Hyman is a happy woman because Dr. Hyman gains energy from “hugging mys kids and wife”
Guessed you missed that.
As a Massage Therapist who has worked on thousands of bodies in the past 11 years, I can say I am amazed at how disconnected people are from themselves. People take better care of their cars than their own vehicles, their bodies! I believe in the saying”you get what you give”, it encompasses every aspect of our lives. I wish what you do/teach people (functional medicne) was taught to kids in school, say middle-school years, so they could maybe make better choices earlier in life than we may have. As someone who” takes care” of other people everyday, including my own family, I have learned very quickly that you can only take care of others by taking care of yourself first. Put good in, get good out.
So thankful to have found your web site. Very informative.
I have such a passion for learning natural health and healing.
I pray God raise up more drs. like you to help people get healthy and healed.
Blessings
I inferred the first ladies comments but chose politely not to speculate. Life is experience and we are all corrupt at our core or we would not need to correct anything or even have the precious gift of the Bible. I know you are the real type of doctor that is seeing that the “conventional drug box therapy” using alien molecules that do not fit our biochemistry (but that do make drug companies millions and very often billions) is off target. it is on target to profit best wheneveryone is marginally sick. You sir, like me want everyone at optimum health and want a number to treat of one and nothing higher. Number to treat is a dirty little drug company number stat. the number to treat to get one favourable result. In other words we want and expect results each and everytime! oh, and we look at the whole body; how do we diagnose anything when only one question is allowed to be asked by a patient — wake up current doctors and get into the anti-aging paradigm not the drug box therapy approach.
Bravo Mark, and yes we all make mistakes all of us ..(to the first brilliant comment i saw).
Robin Small, R.PH. (Compounding Pharmacist)
My body broke down 5 years ago at age 58 with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. Since then I have worked very diligently to rebuild it. It was due to many of the things you talk about – eating too much sugar and processed foods, worry, over-responsibility, lack of self-love.
I had studied and worked with TCM ( as a Shiatsu therapist ) for 10 years and had many years of acupuncture and herbs. I was very disappointed to find that it no longer worked for me.
When my doctor told me all my tests were fine I lost all faith in Western medicine. So I had to find a way to heal myself. The 2 most important things in my recovery have been diet and yoga.
I have a kinesiologist who works out the food my body needs for a month. It consists of meat ( including organ meat ) fish / shellfish, eggs, fruit, vegetables and nuts. I have no dairy, grains or sugar. It has always consisted of a lot of protein but varies each month. I know without a doubt that it has been instrumental in my recovery.
I would do restorative yoga every afternoon as hatha yoga was too much for my body. Other things I have done include rest, walking, sleep, sun bathing, going to the beach, and learning to let go.
I have not taken any medication, stimulants, supplements, herbs, homeopathics etc – food has been my medicine. I have learnt an incredible amount about my body, mind, spirit and feel better now than 20 years ago. I have energy to play with my 3 grandchildren and enjoy life.
I think this is too expensive, is there any another option or anyone can give us an opinion. Because lot of people can’t afford is these certain tactic, opinion to every body is very important to make greater choice, than to outlay.
Dear Dr. Hyman,
You write some of the smartest health advice I’ve ever read (I have a doctorate and post docs in a physiology-based field and struggle with carb cravings – I’m predisposed to Type II diabetes – so I’m reading related material constantly). Thanks for what you do. You’ve re-inspired to do the right things with this piece.
I’d like to add another “drug” to your list, and that’s the addiction many of us have to the violence we see in the news, on TV and in movies. Like all drugs, once you ingest this stuff, it’s really hard to remove it from your system.
@ Katheryn – he mentions “hugging kids and wife” under things that make him feel better so I think you might have misread this a little.
What do you think about taking 4 teaspoons of pure 100% virgin coconut oil to reverse Alzheimer.
“In 2008, neonatologist Dr. Mary Newport learned that her husband Steve was in the early stages of Alzheimer’s. Steve was only 58 at the time!”
The drug holiday is the tough one for me. I usually only have a drink once a week, but with that drink I tend to combine all the “drugs” you speak of…can you say Bailey’s and Coffee! But I am working on it. Its amazing, the older we get (I’m 43) how much longer it takes to recover from that drink…well more like drink(s) if I have to recover! But 10 years ago, I drank every night (at least one drink) so I feel I have come a long way.
Thanks for the great advice. I forwarded it on to my boyfriend who has a lack of energy that I directly attribute to his poor eating habits. I cook for him as much as I can, yet with his busy schedule he is always grabbing junk. Maybe this article will help him be a little more mindful of his eating choices.
There was a time when I was working 50-60 hours a week in clinical sales. One winter, just to function, I lived on Nyquil and Dayquil. I was so run down by work, kids, and lack of sleep, that I would catch any little bug my kids brought home from day care. When I visited my MD, instead of asking my about my lifestyle, she just continued to prescribe antibiotics. I visited her so often that she tested me for HIV /AIDS. The money I earned was nice, but I remember telling my husband, “I’d give it all up just to be able to exercise and get healthy again.” I am a registered dietitian and knew what I needed to do. I was fortunate enough to quit my job and stay home with my kids. Slowly, over the next year, I regained my strength and health through “clean” eating, exercise, and sleep. I since have opened a private counselling practice where I help my clients to feel good about themselves and just feel good using the amazing power of food.
Excellent article. I feel like I have spent the past 17 years living the no sleep, caffeine and carbs, stress-on-stress life. Even worked this way through a systemic cancer, promising myself I would clean up my personal health act after this one last deadline. Now, I’ve lost my job and feel cheated. Why did I neglect myself for work that does not value me or my contributions to patient well-being? It is my time now. Have cut out bread and dairy, try to get 7-8 hours sleep, and exercise a few times a week. It is difficult staying on track–sometimes the depression kicks in (who am I if not my work?). Still, in 6 weeks, I’ve dropped 10 pounds and cut my caffeine to 1 cup of coffee a day. I am trying to reclaim me.
I stopped eating meat and dairy.
The proof is in the pudding. After a health scare 10 years ago and not being told anything to do and no answers from the traditional med. field, I started to make major changes on my own in my diet, and started incorporating more fruits, veg., clean water reading labels and trying to eat more organic and less processed foods, also started on vitamins and minerals and a few herbs. I have been free from any health issues ever since changing my lifestyle. I still am growing and learning more and more natural health and healing. But back then I tried everywhere to find a Doctor who incorporated natural healing and still to this day I haven’t found any Doctors anywhere near where we live that practice what you teach. I feel better than ever. Thank you for sharing all the information. I really believe it is what we need in the Health Industry instead of just resorting to prescription drugs.
Hi BJ, thank you for your message, to locate a practitioner of functional medicine in your area see the “Find a Functional Medicine Practitioner” link at the Institute of Functional Medicine’s website.
Wishing You the Best of Health!
P.S. Perhaps you would like to see what a client of mine is doing now. He learned how to create his world and command in his ability to live the exaact desires of his heart.
Simply go to http://www.MichaelClaridgeSings.com
Listen to one of his songs. I recommend you download and fully enjoy “We the People.” It is so inspiring that the first time he sung it in public, the people leaped to their feet with loud applause!
Have an amazing week!
Pamela Ann
Mike will tell you that he has literally done more with his life in the las four months than he has done in the last 20 years!
Dear Dr. Hyman,
It’s a great pleasure to read your blog. I find your post very informative. Thank you for sharing.
As a reader, I consider your writing to be a great example of a quality and globally competitive output.
As a moderator for Physician Nexus (a community for physicians) I would like to share your genuine ideas and knowledge. With this you can gain 1000 physician readers on Nexus.
We would love for you to visit our community. It’s free, takes seconds, and is designed for physicians only – completely free of industry bias and commercial interests.
Best,
Janmar Delicana
On behalf of the Physician Nexus Team
http://www.PhysicianNexus.com
Thank you for a fine thought-provoking article. I am a 70 year old man who, for the most part, has lived an active healthy life, beginning with Adelle Davis 50 years ago. Why is this difficult for so many in our society? Greed and ignorance. Greed is for those who manufacture, advertise and sell “crap” for us to eat, knowing it is killing us and not caring because it makes money for them. Ignorance is because our culture has bred people who are followers and “swallow” all the nonsense in food and lifestyle marketing. We have become lazy and look for the “magic bullet” to keep us healthy while taking no responsibility for our indolent lifestyle which inclludes our diet and both mental and physical activities. I sure hope we wake up soon. Life is too good to go through it in poor health.
You do such a great job, Mark. Thank you so much.
I continue to learn so much from your blogs, videos and books.
Wow … “think of your day as a sacred thing.” I’ve been looking for more powerful ways to connect body and spirit and once again you’ve come through with an answer. Thanks again, Dr. Mark.
I followed your diet principles but would cheat here and there. I did a gluten challenge suspecting I was intolerant, and had to know so I would have better diet compliance. I’m gluten intolerant, along with wheat, soy, dairy, chicken, turkey, garlic, almonds, peanut, peas, tuna, etc. I lost over 6 lbs. the first week eliminating all my intolerant foods. I rotate my diet to keep from getting intolerant to other foods. I’m hypothyroid, have chronic fatigue syndrome, candida from recent past antibiotic use, and possible kidney stone or gravel. Gluten is my enemy forever. I think I would have been dead if I hadn’t kept it almost non-existant in my diet all these years since it gave me too much gas which I thought wasn’t normal. Thanks to your site, and others like yours, I educated myself to know what to look for. I might have just saved my own life!
Thanks for sharing in all humility that doctors aren’t above the rest of humanity, and may God bless you in your efforts to help others, as I hope to help them in growing closer to the real truth of the Bible–Jesus Christ is King of Kings and Lord of Lords forever, amen, and is the Great Physician healer of all nations. I have tried to follow your Ultra Simple Diet book some and do find that the taking of a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil w/lemon juice is excellent for regularilty in the mornings and doesn’t taste bad really. I also didn’t know we were so magnesium deficit, am taking a good supplement now. Thanks so much.
truly inspirational, made me stop and think about what I am going to consume today. I have no plan at all for how to nourish my body. time for a couple of hours planning. thank you for this.
I have found that as I have aged that the pounds have come on and that my bad habits have actually gotten worse. I get virtually no exercise which then compounds the situation. I am fast approaching 68 and need to find the internal strength to turn my health situation around. I seem to have one good day which is then followed by a string of bad days.
Dr. Hyman,
Thank you for your constant inspiration to take care of the whole self: mind, body and spirit. As a certified hypnotherapist, I know the value of taking mental breaks throughout the day and finding balance in one’s life.
You, like I, help people “wake up” from the trances that make them dis-eased and discover their natural and innate healthy selves! Peace and joy to you…
This is a great outline for a lifestyle change. I have so many diet and health books. I was looking at them (including yours) and feeling overwhelmed by all of the information with some of it being contradictory. This is literally just what the Dr. ordered! A simple plan… a kick start to get me going. I went for a walk, now eating some protein. I have my whole food vitamin, fish oil and Vitamin D and a few others. Drinking my water and off to a sacred day. I think your books for health education and Marianne Williamson’s A Course in Weight Loss book for the Spirit might be the perfect combination for health and happiness.
Great article. At 5’4″ closing in on 300lbs. fatigued beyond belief I had to start making changes. For the past month I have given up all sweets, all processed snacks & beer. I have started taking vitamins, having more fish & beans instead of meat, brown rice instead of potatoes – lots more fruit & vegetables. Up next – cutting back on portion size. Also moving more every day & trying to get a good night’s sleep. I have to face that I’m in my 60′s and can’t slide by on 4-5 hrs. sleep a night. My approach is taking some bad things out, adding some good things in & doing it in steps rather than adopting an all or nothing approach like dieting. I’ve tried them all and lost mightily – unfortunately, not for long. Lastest entry on my list – learning more about what Dr. Mark has to say. I still have a lot to learn.
I appreciated the sound wisdom of your article. I am still very young, but I have been fortunata enough to learn a few of these lessons. I am 25 years old and taking a slow course through college with eventual plans of being a doctor. I was curious if you had any particular advice on a better way to become involved in medicine than just to go to school and start working. I suppose I see that you have tried one way of being a doctor, and I would love to know what you would do differently if you could go back and start over. What would you have studied, or how would you have treated people? I recognize how broad this question is and so I understand if your answer is limited. Thank you for sharing your knowledge on your site.
Hi Adam, thank you for your message and your interest in Dr. Hyman’s work. We recommend you take a look at the “Find a Functional Medicine Practitioner” link at the Institute of Functional Medicine’s website. If you want to follow this path they may be able to assist you with the right course. Good luck achieving your goals!
Wishing You the Best of Health!
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Please resend.
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Not sure, please resend if you can.
I am sharing your experience, have always taken care of my patients and relatives first . I was sewing up a lady’s face when my appendix ruptured.
And all I did was get sick, and I cannot locate a caring doc who will fix an internal vessel that is slowly leaking from an injury, a subtotal bowel obstruction, and a leak from a small intestinal tear, by a suture put in poorly by a surgeon. I tried going back to him and he denies that he gave me complications from his surgery. I now cannot eat due to an obstrution at the anastomosis that he did. I cannot find any doc who will fix the slow bleeder or the intestine. And I have a variant form of reactive airways which is really bad now that ragweed is pollinating. My spouse had to move halfway across the country to keep a job, so I am alone, desperately trying to get things fixed, and every doc I try to go to isn’t sharp enough or thorough enough to do the correct things. Except for one, who cannot operate on an intestine. If you have any ideas, please let me know. Life is tough when you know what is wrong but you cannot get it proven unless someone will do a thorough exam and believe that you can identify your own problems when you are a doc. It helped me to hear that you have been there and gotten out. I am spending a lot of money taking taxis to docs but they have failed me every time.
Having CVID and mast cell dz , and DM and CAD just makes things more complex.
Mayo is not what it has been cracked up to be. I went there twice in the past and
they missed the dx both times. It depends on who you get, not where you go.
My house has flooded with water, developed mold, and the AC died, and I’ve been trying to get the house livable and get my health situations resolved, but the docs I’ve seen have let me down every time. What do you recommend? Thanks, Dr. Hyman. From another doc.. Being almost 60 is not too good either.
Hi JRB, thank you for sharing your story and writing in to us. Take the time to find the right physician to heal you. Reading Dr. Hyman’s blog is a good start, we hope he offers you solutions and inspiration to continue your journey to good health. You might want to find a practitioner of functional medicine in your area, please see the “Find a Functional Medicine Practitioner” link at the Institute of Functional Medicine’s website.
Wishing You the Best of Health!
I started eating more whole foods and cutting out processed foods at the beginning of August. I’ve lost weight as my clothes are fitting better and I feel better overall. For the first time in 16 years of having my own place will you walk in and not find a coffee pot sitting on my counter. During my 2nd week of following Dr. Hyman’s principles I cleaned the coffee pot & put it in storage. I switched to green tea in the morning (one cup regular) and I’m switching to decaf green tea for the cup of tea I have when I get to work. I’ve been in physical therapy for a leg injury since the beginning of August and was in severe pain when I started. I started cleaner eating a week after beginning PT and my pain has subsided dramatically and will be able to complete therapy on 9/8. I believe cleaner eating helped remove the inflammation that was causing my pain in addition to doing the prescribed exercises.
Very right sir. also i want to say that these suffering creats a vicious circle so one should not leave hope and fight positively. I am a medical graduate. With regards. S.P.Singh
My story is like many of yours. So what helps me now – 8 to 9 hours of sleep and clean food – organic, gmo-free, MSG-free food & unprocessed. I try to eat at least half of my food raw. That said, I was introduced to RAW milk a few months ago and I love it so much. I’m wondering what Dr. Hyman & others think about raw milk.
Dear Joanne,
A lot of people are sensitive to dairy and don’t know it. For these people, dairy can create health problems and I recommend everyone get off dairy for up to 6 weeks, then systematically reintegrate it to access a potential sensitivity. For those who are not sensitive, raw milk in limited quantities can be a healthy addition to your diet. But you shouldn’t overdo it. When taken in large quantities, the higher levels of estrogen in any milk products can lead to health concerns in some cases.
Wishing you Good Health!
Dr. Hyman Staff
Hi Dr Hyman
I want Kwon any cure from ibs -d. I suffer ibs about 10yr
ago. I try to stop drink coffee & darly product , please help me can live no more with diasse
Hi Bianca, thank you for your comment. You might try the UltraSimple Diet to help alleviate your symptoms, we are not saying it will definately work for you but it may help. Take a look at http://drhyman.com/blog/conditions/the-ultrasimple-diet-kick-start-your-metabolism-and-safely-lose-up-to-10-pounds-in-7-days/ for more information.
Wishing You the Best of Health!
Dear Dr Hyman – I have the same drains and gains and you. I’ve always been interested in maintaining my health and weight through healthful eating. I work full-time and go to B-School, so it’s tough for me to manage my drains/gains. My biggest problem is that I am often too drained to prepare foods, and tend not to eat if I don’t have a ready, healthy alternative. Thanks for your links to finding a functional doctor. I grew up in Switzerland and have been trying but unable to find a doctor w/ their and your philosophy since I moved to New York 15 yrs ago. I’m tired of being routinely offered prescriptions and OTCs. Thanks.
I too have chronic fatigue, gluten sensitivity, candida and thyroid problems. Thank you Mark for your newsletter because it helped me remember to get back on anti fungals to help with what the candida was doing to my mind. I got better from all this 5 yrs ago but the last three yrs worked at a very stressful job and it all came back. I was emotional eating and not exercising. I am back on track for nutrition, fitness and sleep. What is missing for me is support and community. I isolated myself while I was sick because the health problems effected my brain and I was depressed with anxiety. I envy those with partners and kids. Having no one to love and love you keeps pulling me back down. I have tried to reach out but I live in a city and everyone is moving too fast to make real friends. Any advise on how to build a community and support system?
Dr. Hyman, thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule to share your life experiences from which all of us can take away something. In this day and age, people function lke robots providing for their families and I am sure your words jolt many of us into reality. If we need to be present, you are right, we should make ourselves as healthy as possible so that we’ll enjoy this trip a lot more. It is crucial that each of us actively and conciously fights against all the toxins that we live with on a daily basis through knowledge, physical activity and healthy foods. I am grateful there are professionals like you that are willing to put the word out so that more of us start doing the right and healthy thing for ourselves and those in our care. Thank you for being one of those in the forefront of this movement because what you are doing gives other doctors the incentive to also speak out and change the way healthcare is dispensed to our citizens.
With the post WWII baby boom there was an onslaught of “connivance” foods. The environment I grew up in we didn’t get much “real food”, so we didn’t know the difference. We assumed what we were being fed was actually food, not sub-foods. Sadly, today in the USA the consumption of fake food it’s worse then ever, many people don’t know the difference.
If it were not for my wonderful grandmother, I would have rarely eaten a fruit or a vegetable. My grandmother had a fig tree and a nice little garden right outside her kitchen. I feel lucky that at least I had the opportunity to eat real food from time to time, not like kids today.
It took getting seriously ill a few years ago to push me into learning about my own biology. I read Dr. Hyman’s book “The Ultramind Solution” and applied what I learned. Within a few months of changing my life pattern (it’s not hard) I regained my health. No Gluten, sugar or dairy…
Great Information ….. I will keep this mind . thanks.
uk exporters
Dr. Hyman,
Thank you for sharing your very personal story. The “addiction to speed” epidemic affects most people in our culture, and these are the majority of people who present to most physicians’ offices (and, of course most people who read the books you have written!). I was glad to see that “sleep” is at the top of your list, because I believe that the majority of chronic disease would be eliminated if people slept more.
Thank you for the work you do.
Yours in health,
Igor Schwartzman, ND
You are an excellent doctor and I like you believe the new doctor focuses on results and does stick their head out of the conventional drug box. Remember. Lipitor made something like 14 Billion dollars in 2007 … and it still sucks because it cause muscle aches and pain and there are cheaper more natural ways to approach this. Dr. Hyman, it is too bad we could’nt take the message from http://www.rawfor30days.com and using examples like lipitor costs (back then generics are out now) and show our governments that yes we can make people feel good, band have their lab number(s) bang on and save the gov sooo much money.
I think big pharma has a A4M train headed their way and it makes me sooo happy!
Thank you sir, and keep up the good work!
Thanks for this post. I almost definitely agree with what
you are saying. I have been talking about this subject a
lot lately with my father so just maybe this will get him
to see my point of view. Fingers crossed!
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iI i have had a problem with depresion and anxiety since i was 14 yrs old. iAM NOW 74 AND STILL FIGHTING THE battle. i have taken most every drug that was on the market, i now take cynbalta,wellbutrin,mtrtazine,klonipin. this does help me enoug h so i can functio enoug to get by, i would like to freee mf self as i myight not have many years left.
Hello Alexis, thank you for your post. We do not have research on gastric bypass/sleeve procedures. Please consult with your physician to see if this is a good idea for you to consider.
Wishing you good health,
Dr. Hyman Staff
Hi Dr. Hyman,
I am such a big fan of you and your work. I wished I lived closer to your office. I was looking at your products and thinking of order supplements that may be helpful to my recovery. I have Lyme disease and cannot get better with antibiotics (I also have high cortisol maybe that is making recovery difficult) I am on month six of antibiotic treatment. It really is a chronic infection and has even caused me to have a positive ANA due to my autoimmune reactivity. What supplements do you recommend to facilitate the recovery from this disease? I tried Samento but it did not work. Please let me know. Thanks!
Hi Brittany,
Thank you for sharing your story with us about Lyme Disease. We are so glad you are a fan of Dr. Hyman’s work and are glad to offer some help. However, Lyme Disease effects the body systemically and is best treated by a Functional Medicine practioner. To locate a practitioner of functional medicine in your area see the “Find a Functional Medicine Practitioner” link at the Institute of Functional Medicine’s website. Here you will find a place to enter your zip code and look for practitioner’s in your area that have completed the institute’s five-day training course in functional medicine. Understand that not all of the doctors listed here will fit your particular needs. Many different medical professionals complete this training, and you will have to do additional research on your own regarding a particular practitioner’s approach and whether or not it fits your specific medical requirements. This may include calling the practioner’s office, visiting his or her website, and/or scheduling a consultation.
From a nutrition perspective we would advise you to take anti- inflammatory foods to optimize nutrition, strengthen your gut and buffer your immunity. A comprehensive supplement package can be found here: http://store.drhyman.com/Store/Show/Immune-Support-Kits/803/Advanced-Immune-Support-Kit-(with-Essentials-Support)
In good health
Hello Dr Hyman,
I am 68 years old and finally found a doctor that thinks like you do. He told me that the problem with America is sleep disorder, and too many over the counter drugs. I have had anxiety and depression for years but now I am getting the advice from my doctor that is changing my life. He has gotten me off of most of the drugs I was taking that other doctors had prescribed for me trying to cure me of the aches and pains that I have had. Most of the pain is from stress and lack of good sleep habits. I did not realize sleep was so important to help the body heal. My doctor told me TV is also one of the biggest culprits of sleep interruption that is effecting the world today. I was taking ambien for sleep and it was messing up my brain without me knowing it. He has helped me change my life.
Hi Dr. Hyman,
I have been a relatively healthy eater most of my adult life. This past year, mainly adhering to Dr. Esselstyn’s vegan diet ,( can one be mainly vegan or almost kosher?) , I am presently receiving Carbo /taxol for a recurrence of ovarian cancer, talk about toxins, and will receive my next treatment in patient for desensitization(slow drip) because of
an allergic reaction to the carboplatin at my 2nd treatment. I saw your post on glutithione on Huffington blog from April 2010 and you referenced immunocal. I am wondering if this is something to consider during chemo. I have an appt. with a doctor
Tuesday who practices integrative medicine and want to discuss the supplements I would like to take during therapy. I believe that dairy and inflammation are huge factors in illness as I have seen my husband who has had asthma since he was 6, barely need any of his advair or maxair as he has switched to a vegan diet.
Curious on these thoughts. I still have a taste for one cup of coffee a day and one cup of tea in the afternoon. Before my recurrence, I was playing tennis 3 to 4 times a week and having much fun.Exercising now, but not as long or hard. Diagnosed IIIC in 2005.
Thank you for your thoughts,
Sephina
Hi Sephina, thank you for your comments. It’s a good idea that you are going to see a doctor about your symptoms. We cannot offer you medical advise over the internet, please address your concerns with the integrative physician you will be seeing and we wish you the best.
Hello Dr Hyman,
Great steps for Overcoming Obstacles on Your Path to Health! I found the first step most beneficial in my plan for following a healthy lifestyle. If I don’t create a plan, it is just too easy to get off track, not too mention, more expensive! I love the “convenience” when I have planned ahead. My biggest obstacle? Not including fun or play in my day. Thanks for your insights on eliminating those things that drain your energy and identifying those things that increase your energy. I’ll be making a my own list!
Great Jonelle- hope you start today!
Help Please had breast cancer 6 years ago was than told had thyroid trouble they keep putting me on depression meds that do not help and can’t sleep than when I do took 1/2 ambian sleep too long …….. dry mouth from meds and gums are bad too I just wish to sleep and try to have some kind of normal life…… born 1958
Hi Priscilla,
Thank you for your interest in Dr. Hyman’s work. We appreciate you sharing your conerns about breast cancer, hormones and sleep. This article has some good info in it that we hope you find useful. http://drhyman.com/blog/conditions/breast-cancer-how-to-reduce-your-risk-now/
It sounds like you could use an anti inflammatory diet to balance your reproductive and thyroid hormones as well as improve any neurotransmitters needing some tuning… Focus on getting enough fiber (35-50g/day) by eating about 7 servings of fruits, vegetables and low glycemic whole grains, legumes and nuts and seeds. Include anti inflammtory fish (slamon, herring, trout, sardines), herbs, spices, flax seed and green tea.
Also, ensure adequate exercise and hydration along with the fiber to promote consistent bowel habits for healthy elimination.
Supplements for sleep might help. We suggest magnesium citrate or glycinate, passionflower and valerian. Of course , always confer with your healthcare provider before starting or stopping any new plan. Should you want to work with a local functional med doctor like Dr. Hyman go to http://www.functionalmedicine.org, scroll down to locate a practitioner and enetr your zip code. Choose the provider who best suits your needs.
In good health,
Lizzy
Dear Dr Hyman,
Thank you so much for your informative newsletters.
The principles you share and the advice you give are so user friendly.
Applying your advice, along with my nutritional cleanse program, my body healed from fibromyalgia. This holistic partnership has made the world of difference for my health.
I look forward to following your work and research in the New Year.
In Gratitude,
Eileen Benthal
Dear Dr Hyman and staff
i have just finished listening to your IIN presentation and then this brilliant post came at the same time. Thanks so much for sharing your journey back to health! it really is an inspiration.
18 months ago i had a friend invite me for 3 weeks trekking in the himalayas. after the initial reaction of “yeeees”, i then “remembered” i had ankle problems (probably due to arthititis) and went to seek the advice of a doctor, who told me unequivocally to “forget it”. however..with lots of support i discovered a plant based diet, green smoothies, qi gong and reiki. this combination allowed me to do the trek with no pain whatsoever, lose 10kg, look years younger and have heaps more energy. i decided i needed to share these “discoveries” and help others. i have just started the institute for integrative nutrition course and have just signed up my first client who has gout and arthiritis.
kind regards, keith collins
My diet is very clean except for one guilty pleasure, black tea with skim milk. I stay dairy free execpt for this. I’ve tried to embrace green tea, or black tea with any other kink of milk; rice, almond etc. and have not found anything as comforting. Can you suggest anything? I have a hiatal hernia, and this past year have been battling sinusitis. Thank you.
Hi Debra,
Yes- try coconut milk! It will still be creamy and slightly sweet but without the hormones and inflammatory molecules of dairy!
In good health
Lizzy
Nice letter, Mark. We have done many of the same things to destroy and improve our health. I actually found your website about six months into my ‘recovery.’ At that point I had already completely recovered. I lost 50 pounds, run/swim an hour a day, and followed through on my daily hours of research on health. If I had my own list of six things that dramatically changed my life they would be:
1. Read and meditate on God’s Word daily. This is my way to relax.
2. Every single bit of food I ate had a purpose. LOL… I literally take a moment before every bite and ask myself “Is that good for me? Do I need anymore?” Now it’s just all an automatic and subconscious thing. (Organic supplements and food, too.)
3. Exercise. Move it and lose it. (Weight, that is.)
4. As a retired and single man I sometimes need a reason to leave the house. Beer and 8-ball are my social link, but now I avoid all hard liquor and strictly limit my daily light beer consumption. (OK, OK, so I’m not perfect. You caught me.)
5. Avoid annoying people and useless stressful situations whenever possible. I just don’t have the time to argue.
6. Find someone to help and/or encourage. This is an all day, every day thing with me. I’m telling you, this one just keeps you in the right frame of mind all day.
These things put me back in 25 year old health, fitness and attitude. In fact, I am currently pursuing a job at a home improvement center… just for fun. But, of course, I will take the paycheck.
Thank you again for your letter. Very encouraging.
Thanks for sharing. My New Year’s resollution is to abandon my current eating habits and adopt a healthier lifestyle to manage a fatty liver. I’ll make time for exercise and get on track to lose at least 30 pounds. I can do it, it just takes willpower and I think I have it.
Jewels,
even if you are with family and friends around you, many people are still very much lonely. Living in a city, surrounded by people, you can still be alone. RElationship enhances our lives, but it doesn’t have to come from a family member or partner. I have 2 suggestions for you to fill in this gap in your life:
Develop a relationship with God and Jesus, the source of all true unconditional love, and,
Have a cat or dog which can show you true unconditional love on the earth.
I always had dogs, and they teach me more than I train them! And, continually nurturing my soul and spirit through prayer and presence before my God has given me a sense of peace which “transcends all understanding”. it took me years to figure this out!
best,
Diane Lassen, RN, HHC
As an Emergency and Flight Nurse, who raised 3 children as a single mom, I lived the exact same way you describe. Sleep was what I did in blocks of 2-4 hours.
I used to say ” I can sleep later – it’s only 1 day “. But it never is only 1 day and you never catch up.
At one point I was working 36 hrs a week, 3 – 12 hr shifts on weekends rotating from days to nights every other weekend. I carried 14 credit hours at University of Michigan with a 4.0 GPA and owned my own home with 3 children in high school. I ran on caffeine, carbs, and Motrin. Then i remarried and my new husband was diagnosed with cancer. When he died and I stopped ‘dancing as fast as I can’ my body paid up for the check I was writing on my health that I could not cash! I never realized how bad I felt until I started to sleep on a ‘normal’ schedule, eat protein for breakfast, and stop buying processed foods. I feel great now, and people guess me to be ‘early 40′s”. I am 58!
Mike, I just read your post: kudos to you. it sounds like you have come to an understanding of yourself (at least for the time being, right?) I applaud your efforts and your honesty. I, too, try to live consciously and make right choices every moment of my day (some days better than others!). and the Bible has been my bed-friend for quite a while now. I read every night, and even read to my husband. it sets me up for sleep and rests my soul in a good place. I’ll trade your light beer for a glass of red wine tho!
warmly,
Diane Lassen, RN, HHC
Is there any way you could reach Jewels (who wrote you on
September 13, 2011). I have the same conditions and then some and would be happy to be in touch with her – community at a distance. In 1984, I had an accident with chlordane and heptachlor and have been toxic ever since. But I know the importance of human contact in order to survive recovery; it is more important than any medicine, natural or otherwise, and should be available on a daily basis. So, if it is possible, please send her my email address.
thank you, and of course thank you for all your wonderful work and wisdom,
Leslie (75 year female)
What about “gluten free, wheat free” bread? My supermarket has a good selection of gluten free products, including bread that says both “gluten free” and “wheat free” on the package. Since I stopped eating gluten on the UltraSimple diet, I’ve been eating this gluten free, wheat free bread.
since the way to optimal health is really a lifestyle change, it requires commitment and effort. i find the majority of people who seek nutritional counseling are unwilling to change their habits. taking supplements is a chore for many, others don’t believe that eating a healthy diet or supplementation will help them. that group has faith in pharmaceuticals, regardless of side effecs others look for the “magic bullet” cure. they take for example 2 vitamin c capsules, condition doesn’t clear up, so natural supplementation for them doesn’ t work. no perseverence whatsoever. some have tried briefly to change their lifestyle and find it too hard to do without the foods that got them in a state of dis-ease in the first place. i think the best way to have a posiive effect on our society is to be an example to others by living a healthy lifestyle and radiating health. have a great 2012
I have had Fibromyalgia for years, was diagnosed with Hyprothyroidism in my forties and suffer from gout, plus I am drastically overweight . I have really given up on loosing weight, everything I eat, I shouldn’t eat due to my conditions and frankly, I am confused about it all,, carbs or protein,excetra ! I was a stick thin kid and teen and stayed that way until my forties, then all heck broke loose, with the thyroid, menopause and Fibrobyalgia ! I used to be able to loose 10 pounds quite quickly, but now it takes me a month to loose just 1 pound ! My sleep pattern is a mess, I either sleep too much or too little. I am 62 years old and want to get back to my old self and to loose this god awful weight, however, I am just tired of all of the gimmicks and if I do loose some weight, it always comes right back ! I can’t exercise like I used to, I tend to be an all or nothing kind of exerciser, and my aches and pains make it worse. lol Gosh, this sound really whinny, however, I am
really confused about which plan to follow. Thank you for this article.
Dr. Hyman-
For several years, I have had the opportunity to read your publications about our need to take charge of our health. Your message continues to be consistent and complete. It doesn’t waver or offer quick fixes:however, it does offer actual solutions presented step by step. It has had the ring of absolute truth from the first book I read.
I have occasionally followed your advice, with the results you outline. The Ultrasimple Diet is extremely easy to understand, and other than a very short withdrawal from toxins I had at one time considered sustenance, I feel better than ever each time I follow it.
My commitment to the process wanes, and I end up straying from making the short-term habits into lifestyle.
Thank you this most recent post. I am planning on making the changes once more, and having them remain lifetime behaviors.
Happy New Year to all!!
Dr. Hyman,
Thank goodness you were able to help yourself. Now you are taking that experience and your expertise to help many others. Then those people will be able to help their family and friends, and before too long we will hopefully have a happier, healthier society.
Thank you!
Thanks to Billy H. I have your information to start the new year off right. Lets hope and pray that more people will see the light. When we are young we think we will live forever. Not so. God gave us a brain and now we need to use it. Right?
Dr Hyman:
Thank you for your informative emails. I am always looking to see if anyone has information about Fahrs disease. Idiopathic calcification of the basal ganglia…Have used many, many nutritional products in the past 47 years. My husband also had polio at age 5 through 9 (in hospital for challenged children) He has been in a nursing home for the past 3 years, can not stand or pivot.. Must use viking lift…….Praise the Lord, the good news is that his mind is good ! He is alert, aware of everything going on just like you or me. Any suggestions for supplementation………..
Thank you.
Jewels,
I have the same issues with candida, thyroid, etc. Besides going gluten free, I have had good luck with using food grade 35% hydrogen peroxide for the candida and using Apex products for my thyroid. Of course, I still have to avoid sugar. See the book Why Am I Still Having Thyroid Symptoms (when my blood tests are normal) by Dr. Datis Karrazian. He developed the Apex products and everything is herbal or natural. You do have to get these products through a health practitioner. Find someone who does muscle testing or some other way to test whether your body needs them and how much to take every day. Tyrosine can also help with the thyroid and the depression. Good luck.
for jewel, if you are near seatle look up marty ross, m.d. or healing arts partnership. i unerstand how you feel. i have started talking to a friends friend who i have never met who has lyme also and we have agreed to talk by phone occasionally for support and info. you can reach me thru above mail if desired.
For the past 2 days I’ve been pouring over your website and have found the information and personal stories interesting and helpful.
In addition to being diagnosed with Fibromyalgia 12 years ago, at 53 years old I underwent open heart surgery (mitral valve repair) a year ago, followed by the implantation of a pacemaker a few months ago. The pain I endure every moment of every day is excruciating and I have no energy. I’ve enjoyed a vegetarian (not vegan) diet for the past 25 years, and am up to date on nutrition/supplementation, etc. I take 5,000iu of vitamin D3 daily, in addition to heart meds twice daily. My doctor is frustrated with me, and my naturally upbeat nature is turning gradually into a deep depression. I can’t even enjoy short, slow walks anymore due to the pain. I would deeply appreciate any/all input/suggestions. Thank you very much.
Hi Abigail,
Thank you for sharing your health concerns. It sounds like you have been through a lot! Do not lose hope, gain information. Read these articles to learn more about your options:
http://drhyman.com/blog/conditions/is-there-a-cure-for-autoimmune-disease/
http://drhyman.com/blog/conditions/how-to-stop-attacking-yourself-9-steps-to-heal-autoimmune-disease/
In order to provide you the proper care you need we hope you will seek the attention of a local qualified Functional Med practitioner soon. To locate a doctor who practices functional medicine like Dr. Hyman, go to http://www.functionalmedicine.org and scroll down to where it says “locate a practitioner” and enter your zip. Progress accordingly from there.
In good health
Lizzy
Besides the weather I don’t know why I have inflammation.
I want to move to Texas because I would move more instead of being housebound. Its scarey for me because I don’t know where to go. I’m hoping a job comes along. If anybody can direct me where to live in San Antonio I would appreciate it.
Hello Mark, You and Dr. Amen are my favorites and very important to my progress. I have been following your directions in general for the past year and more specifically since early September. I have lost about 34 lbs. I feel much better and I am very hopeful, at well over 55 years old – I am going to feel better than I ever have in my life! Thank you and Happy New Year.
Our society, which is infected with “the money sickness”, puts tremendous pressure on us. Mind-bending ads are everywhere – prescription drugs, junk food, fancy cars, etc. My friends are college educated, politically and religiously liberal, intelligent, financially successful – and very few know anything about good food. I know what to do, but eliminating white flour and sugar from my diet is very difficult. I believe these “harmless” ordinary foods are addictive. And we are bombarded by supplement ads as well – claiming every possible benefit. We need advice and testing provided by knowledgable medical people – MDs or NDs – but it’s very expensive, given our broken health care system. Thank you so much, Mark Hyman. You are very helpful – but each of us needs a health care provider who knows us well – and is willing to work with us. I’m 81, my wife is 80 and we are in fairly good health – but feel we are swimming against the tide, and getting tired of doing so. But living well has given us the strength and hope to go on. My wife’s a good cook – we eat lots of fresh greens, fruits, and “natural” animal protein – no junk, no trans fats. It’s a must!!
Dr. Hyman, I admire the fact you shared your personal story and progress, which is unlike many in your profession. The sincere truth goes far and can be read so easiy and the “symptoms” are then more real to many of us who are not perfect and striving to do better.
Thank you for all your posts, your care and all you do to help all of us who are fortunate to visit your site and know about you..
Tina Turbin
Good summary amd bullet points. Good items to consider and change.
Thanks
Thank you for you thoughts and actions. I have thyroid problems that are bugging me and my Drs. knows little about it. My TSH levels go up and down when I move locations. We live in NH in the summer months and come to Florida in the winter. Whether or not the water may have something to do with it, no one knows. Going through the different phases of fibromyalgea, arthritis, digestive problems as it goes up and the same as it comes back down is hard on the body and mind.
Eating properly with this kind of condition going on doesn’t seem to work so if you have any advice as to who to what to do about this, I would greatly appreciate it.
My husband who is 75 is having memory issues. I am looking for a functional Dr. in the Sarasota area that has experience in this area. Would it be possible to come to your clinic if there is no one local ? Most Drs. tell you there is no hope for dementia etc. and I have your book and know that you feel that it may be treatable if not cured. Please let me know what steps to take and if there is hope to stop the progress of this disease.
Hi Pat,
Thank you for your interest in Dr. Hyman’s work. Sorry to hear about your husband and hoping we can help provide some info for you. Go to this site and proceed from here:http://www.ultrawellnesscenter.com/becoming-a-patient/
Also, to find a local provider in Sarasota who practices like Dr. Hyman, go to http://www.functionalmedicine.org and scroll down to where it says “locate a practitioner” and enter your zip. Progress accordingly from there.
In good health!
Lizzy
I have been following the ultra simple diet for about a year and a half. Occasionally i cheat, but mostly I stick to it firmly. I lost over 20 pounds initially and i have been able to maintain that. I use Metagenics ultrainflamx for my shakes. This is the first thing that has ever controlled my irritable bowel. I finally know how people without this condition feel. It is difficult to stay gluten and dairy free, but it is what it takes. Sweet potatoes with cinnamon are my treats now. I walk at least a mile a day. Thank you for developing this methodology.
In the beginning one can get quite down about the foods we need to avoid: dairy, gluten, and for me, caffeine. I just got sick and tracked down that I had eaten too much (healthy, dark) chocolate due to the holidays! I don’t know if it’s a blessing or a curse that I react the same way each time to poor health choices (including lack of sleep) and that is: migraine. A curse, because they darn sure hurt and take you out of commission. A blessing because it’s a powerful adversive not to go off on a wrong road again.
As always, Dr. Mark speaks from the heart and doesn’t play the doctor-ego games. I’ve said it before here but it sure bears repeating: I appreciate his work so much.
Thank you so much for sharing this personal information for the benefit of all. You’ve simply and succinctly stated the causes of the main issues with human health and their natural solutions. I went through many of the same struggles you did, and emerged from the storm a healthy and empowered woman. I am very grateful for doctors and other practitioners like you who have the guts to lead the way and usher in the new paradigm for true healing and wellness. Many blessings to you and your staff in 2012!
Dear Dr. Mark,
What a wonderful and timely article on taking care of our bodies!!! In addition to all the things you mentioned, I have found that working a 12 step Christ centered
program has been the key to sustained mental health and physical well being. I have been involved in recovery for 9 great growing years. 2011 I was able to get rid of 35lbs! I feel so much better. By utilizing the steps, I came out of denial,admitted I was out of control and needed help. That was about a 3 mos process. Then I gave up sugar and gradually my portions got smaller. All baby steps. I did not weigh myself during this time. It was not just about the weight but more important my health. I t seemed like FOREVER until my clothes started getting looser then all of a sudden I was wearing my slimmer clothes. I began choosing to eat healthier foods AND I was always concious about why and my mood before eating. Distinguishing physical hunger from an emotional need that was not being met. This took time to figure out. It has been a slow process of learning and growth. 2012 I hope to fit into a size 8 by continuing what I’ve learned and sharing it with others. I have been on cocktail of meds for 25yrs now and struggle with bipolar disorder. These are some things that have helped me on my journey towards wellness.
My daughter contracted Mono during this summer and now has chronic fatigue syndrome. Her doctor is “baffled” about how to help her obviously having no experience in treating this condition. She is very weak and feeling hopeless in ever feeling better. Is there any advice you can give on how to handle Chronic Fatigue and get her life back? I found the article on glutathione to be very interesting and wonder if that might help her re-energize a bit. Thanks for any help here. We really need it.
Hi Sue,
Thank you for sharing your concerns about your daughters chronic fatigue. She should not feel hopless, there is much she can do! For starters, evaluating the quality of her diet to ensure she is getting nutrient dense foods is key. Especially important is cutting out processed, refined and highly refined carbohydrates. Supporting the gut is the best area to focus on first when feeling “off” as many immune issues start here. Especially if she caught a virus than strengthening the integrity of her digestive tract is really important as this is where most of our immune system is housed! Read this article for more tips: http://drhyman.com/blog/2010/04/28/ultrawellness-lesson-4-gut-digestive-health/
Wwe can’t give you the proper care you need via the internet but do hope you receive the attention you need from a qualified practitioner soon. To locate a doctor who practices functional medicine like Dr. Hyman, go to http://www.functionalmedicine.org and scroll down to where it says “locate a practitioner” and enter your zip. Progress accordingly from there.
In good health
stress is my enemy!I am a 2 time cancer survivor and “cancerchondriac” the slightest irregularity in my body function and my blood pressure,heart rate and mood change dramatically,I am seeing a.psychologist,on minimal Zoloft,eat healthy. I am a Canyon
Ranch devotee.I cannot get the stress under control.HELP!
Hi Bobbie,
Thank you for sharing your concerns about stress and cancer. While it is very understandable why you could feel this way surely you can take many steps to ease the stress and get some peace. Have you looked into Dr. Hyman’s UltraMind Solution? http://www.ultramind.com/drhyman.php and http://store.drhyman.com/Store/List/UltraMind-Solution
Diet can play a huge role and we defintely suggest you ensure adequate omega 3 fatty acid intake via fish (salmon, sardines, mackeral ),. walnuts, flax and their oils too. Making sure you eat enough high quality, lean protein is important too as the neurotransmitters implicated in relaxation and that peaceful feeling are made up of the amino acids found in protein! Also, don’t forget to think about toxic inputs stressing your body out, causing an inability to handle stress- food intolerances and allergies, environmental toxins ( heavy metals, chemicals from your food supply etc.) socially toxic people or relationships etc.
We wish you the best!
In good health,
Lizzy
I have just been diagnosed with haemochromatosis and I would be interested in your suggestions for my diet. It appears that this disease was thought to be rare, but it is in fact found in Northern Europeans at a ratio 1:200.
Hi Paul,
Thank you for your interest in Dr. Hyman’s work. We appreciate you sharing your concern about the hemochromatosis and can imagine how curious you are about what the nextt steps are… What is your diet like and what % of it is meat based versus beans and other plant-based protein sources? How much alcohol, tea or coffee do you drink? For a personalized nutrition plan, please see:http://store.drhyman.com/Store/List/Coaching-Programs Dr. Hyman’s nutrition coaches can surely help you implement an appropriate diet for the hemochromatosis.
In good health!
Lizzy
Dr. Hyman,
You are doing good things in this world. Wish that all people could have access to an MD with your philosophy. All people deserve that. Thanks for leading the way!
Rhona
Such a wonderful story. You certainly are a brave man.
Thank you Doctor!
Hi Dr. Hyman:
Superb posting! Over 90% of health is found in dietary and lifestyle factors. Evolutionary biology has provided us with so many cues into our genetic “being.”
My go-to response for those searching the ‘best’ diet (without getting too technical) is as follows: Whatever grows from the ground or makes a sound is the most preferable intake–especially if the soil is the organic and the animals are pasture-raised.
All My Best,
Stella Metsovas B.S., CCN