Look Out for “One-Size-Fits-All” Advice
When you visit your healthcare provider, beware of a one-size-fits-all approach. Advice should be tailored to your current health concerns, past history of illness, and any significant genetically based illnesses in your family history.
A good example to note here is soy. While it may seem like an innocuous little bean, soy poses a number of potential health issues – and should always be avoided by women with estrogen-positive breast cancer.
Be selective when choosing a healthcare professional. He should listen carefully to your health concerns and respect your thoughts on treatment options. I can’t tell you how many stories I have heard about doctors who make their patients wait an hour, only to breeze in for a five-minute visit – just long enough to write a prescription. Or doctors who become defensive and indignant when their patients come armed with information or pose questions about alternative treatments.
If your doctor will not spend the time and make the effort to understand your personal situation and history, or if he is offended by your wish to educate yourself about your treatment options, seek a new doctor. Immediately. Likewise, if the advice you receive seems one-sided, or the doctor seems to be a “do as I say, not as I do” kind of guy, go elsewhere.
Evaluate your doctor the same way you would evaluate any service professional. You wouldn’t go to a financial planner who is destitute. Nor would you put much faith in a personal trainer who is obese. And neither should you patronize a doctor who appears not care for his own health.
[Ed. Note: One of the best ways to protect your health? Arm yourself with knowledge. You can get the latest health breakthroughs, inside information from leading health experts, and easy-to-follow strategies for improving your fitness and diet with ETR's natural health newsletter. Get a free subscription when you sign up today.
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