I would like to take the opportunity in this post to explain my “Why Power”. What drove me to create this blog? What are my goals?
My goals here are twofold, both professional and personal.
Professional Goals:
My professional goals are to share the knowledge I have about human health and wellness, shed light on the common misconceptions about diet and supplementation, and to reach a larger audience here than I can by educating each individual patient I see. Just as I have a professional duty to stop on the side of the road to help someone who is injured, so too do I have a professional duty to help people treat and prevent chronic diseases which plague so many in our society today. I bring to the table a complete and holistic view of wellness. I seek to shed light and understanding on how every aspect of our health including mental and social factors influence our physical health. Lastly, I hope to empower others to work to improve their health, because no matter where you are in your health journey better health is achievable to everyone and something we should all strive for. After all, we only get one life and one body. Our body is our vehicle to fulfilling our goals in life. Just like any other vehicle, it requires good fuel and proper maintenance to perform at its best.
Personal Goals:
Personally, it has been a long term goal of mine to share my thoughts and philosophy on wellness with others. Writing down my thoughts I believe will help me to flesh out and solidify my beliefs. I have been considering starting a blog for a while but my poor technological literacy has been a barrier. I finally took the time to learn the basics of starting this site and am ready to take the leap to fulfill this dream. It has been a long time in the making!
My second personal goal is that this endeavor will hold me accountable. I maintain a “practice what you preach” mentality. I am by no means perfect and do not claim to be. How many health practitioners do you see that do not follow what they recommend to you? Too many. It is not easy to be “perfect” and I cannot expect more of any patient than I do of myself.
Why this blog?
There are a million and one different health blogs out there. Everyone claims to be an expert. How is this blog any different?
The answer is tied strongly to how I identify: Physician, Mother/Wife, Homesteader
A Physician
First, this blog is written from the perspective of a physician. I have seen first hand how disease has riddled our society within a very short period of time. Within the last 60 years the rates of chronic diseases, cancer, and obesity have tripled. On a daily basis, I encounter severe morbidity and mortality caused by chronic disease, knowing all too well that many of these outcomes could have been prevented by theoretically simple lifestyle changes. More than half of my patients are on anywhere from 6-15 medications. I fix them up in the hospital and send them home only to see them back again the next time I am on service. I bring forth an insider’s view on the systems in place which make this the norm. I will also share ideas on what we can all collectively and individually do to improve our health despite a broken healthcare system.
A Mother/Wife
Second, I am writing as a mother of two amazing children and a wife to a supportive and loving husband. I understand how difficult it is to guide our children to live a healthful life in a world full of ultra-processed food options, endless temptation, excessive exposure to technology, and increasing confusion over personal identity. The reality is we do not live in a vacuum. Most of us have families, jobs, and responsibilities. We encounter many different people with differing opinions.Our brains are constantly overloaded by an abundance of information. Yet, we have to find a way to navigate through life despite these confounding variables.
Many health bloggers have extreme views and follow extreme diets. They seem to have unlimited amounts of time for exercise and self-care. These extremes are idolized but far from achievable for most of us. They take a more individual approach to health and often do not hold their significant others, children, families, and friends to the same standards. My approach is more inclusive. I could not fathom a world in which I was healthy and well while watching my loved ones suffering in illness. I believe it is each of our jobs to improve not only our own health, but also the health of those around us. Life is not meant to be lived in isolation, so our lifestyle should not be either.
A Homesteader
Lastly, I write as a homesteader. We have a 32 acre property where we raise our own meat, eggs, and grow our own vegetables. We ferment, can, dehydrate, and preserve our own food. We always have fresh homemade sourdough bread on hand. We cook our meals from scratch. We love nature and what it provides to us. Looking from this perspective, I see the world from the ground up. What I mean by this is I see a healthy world as starting from healthy soil which grows our vegetables and the grain/hay our animals consume. I believe in living in harmony with the natural world and incorporate these views into what I teach.
These three parts of my identity make me whole. They define me and permeate into everything I believe and teach. They shape my view of the world. They balance me out and prevent me from leaning too much in one direction.
In health and wellness,
Dr. S