Why is this blog entitled First, do LESS harm (not First, Do NO harm- as is commonly quoted from the Hippocratic Oath)?
This title and simple phrase is an embodiment of my worldview. It is also very applicable to health in general. There is no such thing as doing no harm when it comes to our bodies. Every day we encounter harm from the toxins in the air we breathe, the fuel we heat our homes /cook with, the fumes from the candles we burn, the self care products we use, the UV rays from the sun we are exposed to, the pesticides in the foods we eat, the chemicals we ingest from our food packaging, the cleaning products we use, and the side effects of the supplements and medications we take. Our lives are full of damaging factors which we have very little, if any control over. Fortunately, our bodies are equipped with very intelligent and complex cellular processes of repair from DNA repair mechanisms (which help to prevent cancer-causing gene mutations from surviving) , to apoptosis (which causes the death of old and damaged cells) , and telomere length (which determines our lifespan). These mechanisms are not perfect and are not meant to deal with large amounts of harm or damage. They sometimes fail us when we present to them more damage than they are able to deal with. It is therefore our duty to ourselves and to the survival of our species to mitigate this harm; To control the things we can control thereby doing LESS harm and to maximizing our health and potential. This blog is aimed at helping you to recognize what may be causing you harm and educating you on how to minimize that harm. We are not striving for perfection, just progress. I plan to share with you some ideas on where to start and how to get there. You take it from there.
The fact that you are here is a step in the direction getting and living well. Welcome, I am excited to have you here with me on this journey!
In health and wellness,
Dr. S