I'm not sure what's more amazing to me; the amount of medication prescribed and taken to millions of Americans today, or that at one time I thought that was normal.
I was raised in a home where if you were sick, you went to the dr and if need be, got your medicine. I remember that awful cough syrup with that nasty taste that would make me gag and shiver... Um, no thanks. I hated that stuff so much that even as an adult, I will suffer through the coughing rather than take that bit of nastiness...There isn't enough sugar gonna make that one go down!
Still, we are a "drugs will fix it all society." The interest in this topic was sparked by two things.... a story on a 16 year getting gastric bypass surgery, and me back to taking my fertility drugs again. The child's surgery is a whole other post, but I'd like to talk about my medication. This time, they are truly making me miserable. I am sick to my stomach all the time now to the point where the thought of eating anything makes me sick. All I want is calming tea (decaf of course!). I even woke up this morning with my stomach rolling, just as it is now. And the migraine like headaches that accompany them make it hard for me to function during the day sometimes, and to fall asleep at night. The pain is blinding. (I'm really grateful they tend to come at night though, so I can still take care of my kids).
But I really don't have a choice. I've got a couple months left til I turn 43 at which point I think my TTC journey will be over forever. I need to ovulate every month I possible can to get the most chances. Soon, medication will be a thing of the past.
But do people realize they do have a choice? We've all heard about the obesity epidemic and the correlation to diabetes. But many don't realize that Type II diabetes is reversible in many many cases. One just has to choose to make the changes in their lives. I hear on the news, and news shows all the time about the record number of people taking statin drugs, those cholesterol lowering "wonders". I can't speak intelligently yet about long term, do they really help (I think no), but the question that needs asking is, why so many people now need it?
The quote I hear around Paleo all the time is "let thy food be thy medicine." I just wonder over and over why more people don't think about that....the correlation between what (processed) food we are putting in our mouthes, and the over all increase in major health problems we see today.
Food has changed. With my kid's allergies, I spend A LOT of time reading labels. It's amazing what you will find in what. I ask myself at the store, why add artificial colors to fruit? Why is there a need for wheat in beef broth, and why is there sugar in everything?
My mom says to me, "you ate this stuff as a kid, and you grew up fine, what's the big deal?" The thing is, the food our kids eating today is NOT the same food I ate as a kid. HFCS (high fructose corn syrup) was invented in the late 60's and made it's way into the mainstream food market by the mid 80's. And it made it's way into everything.
I've said it before, we may spend a little more now on food, but we will save in the end in healthcare costs...and something that can't be measured in dollars: my family's good health. I watched my children get their wellness exams as few weeks ago. As the nurse took their blood pressure, I thought about all the young kids today that are now starting to show signs of hypertension.
I mean kids? with high blood pressure? I mean, come on!
It was both a reminder and reward, seeing their quick exams that pronounced them healthy, that I am making the right choices for my family. While we spend a lot on food today, I am hoping that means we won't be spending $800 a month of medications needed later.
The changes you can make might be daunting at first, but you don't have to do it all at once. I started by taking out just foods with preservatives after learning it caused my then 3 year old, now almost 8, to get hives. We ruled out all the other ingredients until it came down to just the non"food" in the food. So anything with preservatives was out.
After that, high fructose corn syrup was the next to go.That's kind of a no brainer, right? Who needs all that extra sugar. Once I realized it was in everything (from reading all those labels) It was clear it had to go too.
Finally, artificial flavors and colors were the last to go. This was a test of sorts, to see if it helped with my children's hyperactivity. J didn't have adhd, (the school insisted on testing him) but yet was still way too active during times he needed to be still, like school. So we tried taking out the colors and what a difference. He is a different child now, and much more successful in school.
Don't think you have to shop at those expensive "natural" markets. Rob and I call them hippie-granola types. Ironically, I think my parents call me a hippy granola type, but I digress. Anyway, You'd be surprised at how many brand names you can find right on your supermarket shelf that are all natural. Some of our favorites"
Bullseye barbecue sauce - they use molasses instead of HFCS
Smucker's Natural peanut butter with honey - you stir it at the beginning, then can just leave in your pantry. No need to refrigerate which I love
Degrosso pasta sauces and pizza sauce - again, no HFCS, but rather they use sugar (and it's way down on the ingredient list
Just take some time the next time you shop. Pick up two bottles of catsup. Which starts with HFC and which starts with, say, I dunno....tomatoes?
Let they food be thy medication.
PS - never stop taking medication without making a plan with a healthcare professional first. You can do it, but do it safely.
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