Not so happily ever after, after all.
What if there was a magic pill to feel better?
Do you remember the story of Jack and the beanstalk, coming home with magic beans that promised to make everything better? It worked out for Jack and maybe that is where we got the idea that a simple pill could do the same for us.
But life is not a fairy tale, and magic pills are not without their consequences.
Many, especially those over 50, have come to me with the same desire – to make a lasting lifestyle change, at least in part, so they could get off some of their medications.
Is it really possible to get off of this medication? My doctor said I would be on (this is where you can fill in the blank with your least favorite medication) for the rest of my life!
Possible, yes for sure.
Probable, well that depends, mostly on you (and it helps if you have a supportive doctor).
Medications help us to survive, but not thrive
Even though medications help to get lab work back under control to manage chronic health issues, the long-term risks of the drugs and the conditions themselves are often minimized. Think about every commercial on TV where the disclaimers are read quickly and still take longer than the list of benefits.
Medications manage symptoms, and can be life-saving, thought rarely do they treat the underlying conditions or improve outcomes. For example, Diabetes medication manages excess sugar but does nothing for the excess saturated fat blocking its absorption into our cells. Without addressing the cause, most Diabetics die of heart disease. For that matter, sadly, so do most cardiologists.
What other choice do we have?
Aging does not have to be a one-way trip, as anyone who has successfully started a careful exercise program or a consistent practice of healthy eating will attest. Our bodies are ready to do the work to heal and get stronger and work smarter, if we give them the right tools.
One of the most important tools is food, specifically food as medicine.
Our food is either making us sick or helping our bodies heal.
5 medications you may be able to avoid
Let’s start with the low hanging fruit, pun intended, the 5 types of medications most often prescribed due to a poor lifestyle and thankfully the most responsive to a positive lifestyle change (reminder – always check with your doctor)…
- Cholesterol Medication
- Blood Pressure Medication
- Diabetes Medication
- Pain Medication
- GERD Medication
So, if your condition is under control, being ‘managed’ according to your doctor and your improved lab work, why bother to change?
Three reasons. Time. Money. Side- Effects. Who doesn’t want to lessen the need for doctor visits, save on co-pays and medications and feel better? Some have taken their meds for so long they don’t realize how they are feeling is a side-effect and not just old age.
What are some of the likely side-effects you could avoid if your doctor agreed that your lifestyle changes meant you no longer needed any or all of these….
- The list of side effects listed on your drug inserts (when is the last time you read those?)
- Partial list: Muscle pain, leg cramps, brain fog, digestive distress, weight gain, fatigue, excess urination, loss appetite, skin rash, bleeding, erectile disfunction, rash, headache
- Early morbidity due to chronic damage to organs and digestive system while treating symptoms
Off ramp’s matter
Just like there are no magic beans, there are no magic bullets, even when it comes to food as medicine.
This is not a decision to just stop one and start the other where one day you decide to stop medications and eat broccoli (although eating more broccoli is almost always a good idea).
Don’t do that.
Tell your doctor about your plans to change or improve your diet and discuss the likely outcomes before your body starts to heal. Plan together for the medication off-ramp that works for you and your body as your lifestyle markers improve.
Then fully lean into a plant-based lifestyle. If you need more support, want results sooner and/or want to avoid the speedbumps along the way, I can help. By mastering the foods, flavors and feelings, together we can help you make a lifestyle change that lasts.
The only side-effect of food as medicine is living younger.
Now that is a happy ending.
