Unnecessary drugs vs. natural healing

In writing another blog post, which was getting much too left brained, I went down a few rabbit trails. One of them was prescription drugs, and how some can be replaced with real foods that give the same results in a healthier way.

Note: I am not a doctor, and this is not medical advice. See your physician before you modify your lifestyle, or change any treatments. 

Where do I get off saying many medications are not necessary? Look, I am a diabetic, and my pituitary gland does not produce most hormones. I understand needing certain medications. Without hormones and insulin, my lifespan would be quite short. But the fact is, regular doses of medications do not work in the body in the same way as if they are produced naturally by a human body. Our bodies are smart. They know when we need more, when we need less, and they adjust accordingly throughout the day. When you need to use regular doses of drugs, you are working contrary to how the body was designed to work in its natural state. You force your body into an unnatural rhythm - "eat exactly at these prescribed times, and these prescribed amounts, instead of when you are hungry." It is kind of like using regular gasoline in a vehicle that requires premium. It works for a while, but eventually you will have engine knock.

Drugs are also cyclical animals. 

You can take one to resolve a problem, and it may cause a side effect. Another drug is taken to resolve the side effect, but it's side effect may exasperate the original problem you had. I was having headaches in 2012, and was prescribed a drug to treat the headaches. One side effect of that drug was nausea. The nausea drug I was prescribed had a potential side effect of causing headaches. In my book, it was better to find a natural way to resolve the headaches. 

Another cyclical example is that, in a diabetic, increased insulin use causes resistance to insulin. Resistance to insulin means increased insulin needs. Increased insulin use causes weight gain. Increased weight causes insulin resistance. See the cycle? For me, eating real food lowers blood sugar levels. In turn, I use less insulin. Resistance is decreased, weight can be lost (with proper diet and exercise), resulting in less insulin, causing greater sensitivity to insulin, resulting in weight loss and less use of insulin... you get the point. Doing this, I have reduced my insulin usage by nearly 50% since July 2013, and have lost some weight.

Doing research, I also found that certain foods reduce inflammation and resolve the resulting pain. My favorite is pineapple, which contains bromelain and gives pineapple its anti-inflammatory properties. Instead of using anti-inflammatory drugs that are dangerous to my kidneys, I can get the same results eating real foods, and knowing what is in them.

What I am saying is research what you need, and you might find natural remedies for what ails you. Drugs of any kind, legal or otherwise, just aren't healthy.