Why Defiant?

Note: I am not a doctor, or a nutritionist. What you read in these posts are simply narratives of my experiences. They are for your amusement, entertainment or encouragement. If you want professional advise, seek out a competent General Practitioner, Nutritionist, Chiropractor, Orthopedic Surgeon, or whatever. Then make your own choices.

All that is a great segue to why I call this blog Defiant Wellness. It is because after 40 years of relying on outdated advice from doctors, nutrition experts, pharmaceutical companies and the government, I decided to defy convention and look into things myself.

I am in my mid-sixties, and for decades I have dealt with everything from ulcers to heart disease, and treatment was typically a prescription for medications (with side effects often worse than the malady). Medications were often prescribed to deal with the symptom, rather than to determine the underlying cause of the problem.

Is your Blood Pressure high? We can push it down with these meds. Do you suffer from indigestion? Here, drink this chalky stuff, or take these little purple pills. Our “healthcare” system needs to spend more time focuses on lifestyle management. But there is no money in changing behavior (diet, exercise, stress management and sleep).

If those changes don’t help, then we’ll discuss medication. I recognize many times that immediate medical intervention is needed, but after the crisis has subsided, bring the focus back to lifestyle. Again, I recognize there is no money in this since insurers won’t go there. In fact, many of my colleagues pay out of pocket for many of the health services they require.

It is worth noting, that when doctors offer lifestyle advice, it is often based upon faulty data. Based upon doctor’s recommendations, I ate “Heart Healthy” for years. You know, consume low-fat foods, whole grains, avoid red meat, avoid butter and natural fats. I followed this conventional wisdom into further declining health.

These blog posts are about my experience, as I experiment with improving my health and fitness through my evolving lifestyle choices that include food/diet, sleep, recreation, exercise, stress management and spiritual growth. The Internet is a valuable resource that I did not have thirty years ago. However, the information on the internet is a mixed bag, so you must be willing to do your homework and be willing to experiment.

It is my desire with these essays to stimulate your thinking of lifestyle alternatives regarding food and fitness, and how they may impact your health and well-being. I encourage you to arm yourself with the knowledge that will enable you to defy conventional thinking in these matters.

I call this site Defiant Wellness, because as you become more knowledgeable you will find yourself having challenging conversations with your healthcare providers.