Well my doctors visit was nothing short of an anticlimactic meeting.
I started this plant based diet for a few different reasons, and one of the main reasons was that I want to get off the blood pressure medicine that I currently take.
I know that I cannot just stop taking the blood pressure medicine, and I do agree that my doctor needs to help me decrease the dosage until I can stop taking it. So I was hoping my diet change would help my blood pressure.
I have been actively measuring my blood pressure on a somewhat regular basis for about 3 months now. With the help of fasting I have been able to release weight and lower my blood pressure. I have also added different vitamins to help with my cardiovascular system. (Dr Ohhira’s probiotics, RegActiv, Kyolic, and magnesium)
Armed with my documentation and new diet that is making changes with my body I was looking forward to seeing my doctor. I was hoping that he would see my hard work in documentation and dietary changes and would rave at my efforts. I was even hoping for a good conversation about what dietary disciplines would benefit by blood pressure and overall health.
The day of my appointment I was at the doctor’s office a bit early – I was anticipating this visit. I came into his patient room and the nurse took my weight and blood pressure – both which had improved since the last visit! So I just knew this was going to be a good meeting with my doctor.
Then he finally comes in and asks the normal questions. I start to talk about my new diet habits and he continues on with checking BP and heartbeat. I show him my documented weight and blood pressure chart and within 30 seconds he hands it back to me. He says looking good – keep up the good work. Reduce my blood pressure medicine by half and come back in six months.
Anticlimactic! All that I hoped for in the visit was just a flash. No substantial talk about diet over medicine. No talk of diet at all.
To be honest, I didn’t really expect a lot from my doctor. Today’s American doctor is trained to diagnose the symptoms and prescribe a medicine. No direction for diet is addressed – that would be for a dietician – not a doctor.
Hippocrates said “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.” But Hippocrates is not a modern day American doctor. I don’t fault my doctor, he is just working within the guidelines that he has as an American physician with our current healthcare system.
My takeaway is to invest my efforts in improving my own health. No one cares anymore for my body than I do. So, my search for knowledge and understanding of the human body continues!
