Most doctors get less then four hours of nutritional education in med school. Western doctors know how to treat trauma and pain management (with a lot of support from the pharmaseutical industry). In fact, I see them as little more than drug pushers. Many seem almost offended by the preventive medicines and healthy lifestyles that promote independence from disease. Do you realize much of what they learn and research in med school is funded by pharmaseuticals? A lot of their post med school education comes from cheesy little sales men dropping off literature and free samples, taking them to lunch, or round of golf. Pharmaseuticals promise doctors things like white paper credit if they sign up x amount of people in slanted studies showing favorable results of whatever pill their trying to promote. Vegetarians and people promoting healthier lifestyles don't have products to push, or the funding to lobby, or profit from. Big money gets to dictate who the voice of authority is in this country (and most of the world), no matter how illogical and damaging the results.
When's the last time you've met a healthy, fit doctor who didn't embrace self empowerment and alternative medicine? Why would anyone let an overweight, grey skinned, alcohol bloated, power hungry person tell them how to live?
I have very little respect for registered dietitians as well. It is mind blowing how little they know about the science of food. It's like an artist who believes only three colors exist. Have you ever seen the menus they offer in hospitals. It's as if they all agreed to wear blinders, it's insane.
Do you know that their are hundreds of thousands of people who die in a hospital every year from mal nurishment, over prescribed drugs and medical mal practice. The leading cause of death in a hospital is infection. Is that gross or what?
When my father had a stroke a few years ago, I watched his doctor stand over him while a tray of food was delivered to him. It had coffee, a glass of milk, chicken in a cream sauce, carrots that had been boiled for about 30 minutes, a roll with butter, and mashed potatoes. For dessert they served chocolate cake. I yanked the hunched over doctor out of the room and ask how he could allow such crap to served to a man in my fathers condition. He had no problem with it. I told him he needs to go back to school, or give up his practice because his ignorance is a violation to the oath he once took. I just happened to be doing a documentary on heart disease at the time, so my brain was loaded with current research on the effects that dairy and acidic foods like meat, coffee and sugar have on constricting ateries, and how sluggish blood flows when there is nothing to hydrate you. Everthing thing on his tray, caffiene, sugar, meat, dairy and refined carbs promotes heart disease and stroke (and countless other problems). The doctor said the hospital has to feed the patients what they like. I told him it wasn't a godamn hotel, and just because someone likes the taste of poison is no reason to give it to them.
My mother was so worried that the doctor was going to give my father lousy treatment after that augument, but it wasn't as if he had done anything other than look at his chart and tell my mother mother my dad was going die soon anyway. My mom later told me you could hear us fighting down the hall.
The next day at the doctors insistance, my dad was transfered to a much better hospital in Boston. He was able to recieve Hypervaric Oxygen which helps stop the brain cells from dying, and promotes better brain function. It actually stops the brain from dying when recieved early enough. It's a relatively new and a very expensive treatment. The first doctor had dismissed it when I suggested he should take a more pro-active approach rather then just letting my dad lay there on bloodthinners.
My dad has changed his diet dramatically though he is not a veggie, he says he wouldn't mind never eating another piece of meat. But, my moms the one who can't reconcile life without meat. she is very into authority figures like, priest, doctors, and politicians.
She said she saw my dads old doctor and tried to apoligize for my behavior, but he told her I probably saved my dads life.
