The Difference Is In The Dose - Toronto, Canada.
Growing up surrounded by family members (a parent, aunts, uncles, cousins, a sibling) in the traditional medical field, I came to believe that disease was just a part of life (and, in some cases, a “badge of honour”). As a child, I was deathly afraid of the idea, but ultimately believed, that: as you got older, you eventually get high blood pressure or diabetes, and die of a cardiac arrest or medical complication related to the body breaking down.
In some ways, that’s true (the body does eventually break down) — and in other ways, it’s not (heart disease and diabetes is 100% preventable). The problem is a lack in dietary understanding, and the place for medicine and the place for food. And, if you’re really lucky like me, your wife teaches you how food can be your medicine and medicine can be your food (as Hippocrates once said).
As a quick highlight: Filipino food is really bad for you (it’s loaded with sodium and sugar, both of which directly contribute to heart disease and diabetes). Comparatively speaking, alcohol is more poisonous for your body than cigarettes (yet, culturally — and through skillful marketing — we are led to believe that alcohol isn’t that bad). Why did I bring those two things up specifically? Because high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, and cirrhosis of the liver are all extremely common within the Filipino community; all of which are directly related to diet and lifestyle. All of which are also: completely preventable.
Does that mean you should get rid of these habits and choices? Well, then, what would the point be in living?
The real key is understanding the ramifications of your decisions and to realizing that you do have a choice. Just because I was brought up eating Filipino food, doesn’t mean I have to make it my go-to choice for every meal. Just because heart disease, diabetes and cirrhosis of the liver are all common to Filipinos doesn’t mean I have to fall victim to these diseases. Just because I was brought up believing everyone’s body breaks down and you just have to live with disease doesn’t mean that that has to also be my fate.
Thankfully, I married someone who eventually became an award winning Naturopathic Doctor (she’ll probably gag after reading that, but that is what she is, haha!). But I’m also here to tell you that you don’t have to marry an ND just to escape your own cultural fate or string of unhealthy choices — you just need to seek out someone who is dedicated to the propagation of health-care versus sick-care. Someone who will help you to make it so that your food can become your medicine, and your medicine can become your food. Someone who will look at your problems holistically and not just throw a million side-effect ridden pills your way. Someone who will see you as a person and not just another patient to quickly get through so OHIP will send a cheque their way. Someone who really… cares.
-now go book an appointment with an ND.
*Note: this wasn’t an ad—I’ve just personally benefitted and am a true believer! ◡̈