Isn’t it interesting how both ‘healthy’ blood glucose levels and blood pressure readings seem to have been adjusted to grab more customers for Big Pharma? I have read in more than one scientific paper that a systolic reading in the 140 range and diastolic in the 70’s range is perfectly healthy as people age. Yet, those medical gods who sit on Mount Olympus decreed sometime back that those numbers were dangerously high. Not always. And doctors should know better. The same holds true for Blood Sugar readings. A friend told me that when her mother was diagnosed with diabetes, she was told to keep her numbers under 165.

When she, their daughter, was diagnosed with diabetes, she was told to keep her numbers under 145. When my husband showed signs of developing diabetes, my daughter, an RN of twenty years, told him to keep his numbers under 125. When questioned further, she said she told him that is because men freak out if they are told to hover around 100.

Conversely, my blood sugar has always ranged between a fasting 70-80- consistently, even back in the days when I could polish off a bag of candy corn or caramel popcorn in one setting. So, when I approached 100, I panicked and got even more serious about my diet, which was generally healthy plus sugar splurges, inherited from my father, who had one of the biggest sugar addictions I have ever seen. He was non-diabetic his entire life and died from a heart attack.

My husband tended toward insulin resistance from a mother who ate similar to my dad and had rampant and very hard to control Type 2 diabetes. When we returned from a trip to Newport Beach, CA, where every morning began with a 12-16 oz. glass of freshly squeezed orange juice, his blood sugar was 265. He decided to join me on a very healthy diet that I had researched and cleaned up a decade ago. It still hovered around 165 most days. So, I tweaked the diet even further. His doctor prescribed Metformin. I left that up to him if he couldn’t control his addictions. He refused to take it.There may be people who need it in spite of a healthy diet, so I am not suggesting they follow our example. But my experience is, there is very little that a healthy diet, exercise and some supplements/herbals/amino acids can’t improve or even cure.

So, after a few months of limiting the number of carbs we consumed, leaving one day a month to pizza, Amber Bock draft, and sharing a pint of decadent ice cream, we are both much healthier. Total carb restriction with no days off, works for my now, Carnivore daughter, but everyone is different. The Metformin sits beside the statins on the shelf. He has yet to inform his cardiologist for fear of being fired. I would consider it an opportunity to educate an allopathic doctor, caught between his limited education, and where natural therapies are concerned. Big Pharma, drug salesmen, intent on increasing their sales/commissions, lack of nutrition as a course in most medical schools, is not an accident, as J.D. Rockefeller and Andrew Carnegie intended. I was told by a pharmacist that most medicines have some form of petroleum in them. I haven't verified that, but I see no reason for him to lie to me about it. And who was invested heavily in oil? Hmm, I believe that was J.D. Rockefeller.

Around the turn of the last century, Rockefeller and Carnegie had invested heavily in drugs and allopathic medicine. They sent a man named Abraham Fletchner around the country, to investigate all the medical schools of the day. Reporting back his findings, subsequently, the only schools who received money from the two billionaires were the ones teaching adult, white males. Any school that allowed in women, Negroes, Native Americans, or anyone teaching natural healing courses received no money. And, it that didn’t shut them down, Rockefeller sent his goon squads around to shut them down. Chiropractors, midwives, herbalists and anyone using other natural healing techniques went underground.

I read in one of Dr. Robert Atkin’s (a cardiologist) books, that heart disease wasn’t even listed in medical books until 1923. And, diabetes was predominantly a rich man’s disease. Rich, sugary treats were daily fare for them instead of an occasional treat, as it is for my husband and myself. I read once that more people die by the fork than the knife. But, that is good news because it means that our healt, to a large extent, is under our control. People who can’t or won’t control their diet, don’t exercise, and want to play what I call, Insulin Roulette, will pay the price. One lady I worked with was one of these. A type two diabetic and seriously addicted to carbs, especially sugar, kept a drawer full of crackers, cookies, and candy. Once, when I was looking for something to write with, and opened the drawer, I saw this stash, I said, "Pam, aren’t you diabetic?" Her reply was, “Yes, but all I have to do is adjust my insulin.” Sadly, she died before the age of forty. Since then, I have come across so many people who do that. Allow themselves to eat sugary donuts or what ever their carb craving is. Then adjust their insulin to compensate.

My innate suspicion of doctors, comes from an episode in the early seventies, as I had developed a cyst on my right ovary, thanks to an IUD (Blue Dalkin Shield). My GP sent me to two OB?GYN’s new to the area. Every time I had a flare-up, they would prescribe a broad spectrum antibiotic which worked, but also killed every good bacteria in my body, judging from the yeast infection. It cost me twice as much as my GP and since this was a frequent occurrence, I decided to do a search for other options. I devoured anything on the subject I could find, highlighting diet, supplementation and herbals. I ordered Slippery Elm for the inflammation, and Blue Cohash for female health. Every time I had a flare-up, I would brew a cup of the slippery elm (also known as red elm), and take a couple of capsules of blue cohash. That worked just as well as I had hoped. And those episodes became further and further apart, and without any side effects like I had with the antibiotics. Until I forgot all about it.Two decades later,when I had my son (my foot slipped) and then had my tubes tied, my OB/GYN said, “Did you know you have a cyst on your right ovary?” “Yes, but I wasn’t sure it was still there as it hasn’t bothered me in years!" An opportunity to discuss complementary medicine. I got the usual ‘deer in the headlight look’. I’ve gotten used to that response as people who consider themselves to be educated, aren’t usually open to an ‘uneducated, unwashed patient schooling them’. Which is why my GP is still my GP. I said to her once, “You do know when you see me in your office, either what I am doing at home isn’t working or I don’t know what I am dealing with.” She said, “Oh, I do know that.” And, she is fine with that as I am not running to her with every little bruise or splinter. She also shows some curiosity about what I had tried. It amazes me that when I have a good result from a natural therapy, the doctors just sit there and give me a blank look. WTH? Where is your scientific curiosity?

One more example of looking for natural ways to heal the body. My husband had a lot of pain from his gall bladder. The doctor, of course, wanted to remove the gall bladder. I said,”Well, it’s your body and your choice. But I’ve seen enough of these to know that you will get some relief at first. But then, often the pain will return. What are they going to remove next, your liver? Let’s try something more gentle first. If that doesn’t work, you can always go in for the surgery. I’m not saying that surgery is always wrong. But it is generally more aggressive and sometimes, not necessary. So, I started my husband on a glass of grapefruit juice with a tablespoon of olive oil in it. You gradually increase the olive oil until it is nearly half and half. My husband hates grapefruit juice, but he soldiered through it. His pain went away in two weeks and has never come back, as of ten years now.

Another lady I worked with went in for gall bladder surgery, which was a success and then died on the table. What? How could anyone consider that a success? But, that is what the doctor told her family.

There are so many other examples I’ve learned from over the years, but after the last article on managed health care, I promised myself not to write any more ‘books’. The bottom line is, learn to trust yourself. Still listen to your doctor. But the final decision should still be yours on drugs/therapies/diet/supplements/operations, and certainly on so-called vaccines.Don't let anyone bully you into any drug or surgery you are not comfortable with. Do your research. Talk to your pharmacist. Talk to people with similar health issues. That way, you will be able to make an informed decision.