Doctors Suck: Create Your Own Personal Healthcare Plan
Your boys okay, the Doctor asked me. He was referring to my testicles.
All is good.
What am I supposed to say?
Please grab them and make me cough.
That's exactly what I should have done.
It's awkward.
Another Doctor asked me why I was stressed. So I told him. He recommended Zoloft.
Idiot.
Most general physicians are pill pushers.
Would you hire an overweight fitness trainer?
I hope not.
I went to a dentist, and the assistant asked me how long it's been since my last "cleaning."
Let's finish the check-up, and I'll tell you, I replied.
She checks my teeth and says they're beautiful.
The x-rays were perfect.
It's been EIGHT years.
She asked me how much I floss, I told her never.
Dentists love to tell me to floss. She reminded me a hundred times during my visit.
I reminded her a hundred times she just told me my teeth were perfect !
Here's my healthcare system, a mixture of seeing a specialist doctor and putting health in my OWN hands.
Dial in your nutrition.
Everyone hates this topic.
I hate it.
There are thousands of fad diets.
Millions of contradictory advice.
It's mind-numbing.
But it's simple — less sugar. No lectins. Low protein. More vegetables and good fat.
Simple!
How you accomplish this is up to you but if you need more help in this area, read Dr. Steven Gundry’s book, the Longevity Paradox.
The reason my teeth are better than most is I brush them twice a day, I get a copious amount of minerals and vitamins in my diet, and I avoid sugar like the plague.
That's all you need in your quest for better nutrition.
Stay physically active.
If you park your ass in a seat for eight hours a day, you're in trouble.
You have to stay active.
But I get it.
It's hard.
Don't overthink it.
Get up in the morning and do a quick workout. In the middle of the day, do a five-minute movement routine. At the end of the day, play with your children outside.
It's really simple.
If you're the type that overthinks things and makes excuses for not working out, download the Aaptiv app on your phone.
It's like having a trainer in your ear. You'll never have to think about exercising again.
Reduce your stress level.
Stress does funky things to your body.
One of the best ways to reduce stress is fueling your mind and body with great nutrients (nutrition above) and exercising (yup, again, see above).
But if that doesn't help and stress keeps pounding at your life's door, meditate.
Because I'm ADD, OCD, type-A, and introverted in a ball of conflicting mess, I'm very prone to stress.
Meditation has helped me calm my mind.
So has Stoicism. Thanks, Ryan Holiday!
Sleep like a rock.
Sleeping is the bedrock of your day. Without it, the temptation will linger, stress will brew, and agitation will set in.
It's the foundation to rejuvenate your mind and body.
Mistreat either of them and your life will suffer.
I've created a sleep sanctuary and pre-bed routine that helps me sleep like a baby.
My sleep sanctuary is:
No light. I have blackout shades, and my fire detector is black electrical tape over the little light.
No Wifi. My Wifi turns off at 11 pm every night.
No electronics. All iPhones are in airplane mode. No TVs in any of our bedrooms.
A cool bedroom. I like the room around 72 degrees.
My pre-bed routine goes like this:
No caffeine after noon. Yes, my pre-bed routine starts early.
No alcohol after 3 pm.
No food after 6 pm. About 4 hours before bed.
A nice cocktail of sleep-inducing supplements. A few of them are DHA, reishi mushroom, and magnesium.
Hot Epsom salt bath followed by a cold shower.
Put on my Bluelight Blockers about sixty minutes before bed.
Lay on a spike pad for thirty minutes in bed while I read.
Turn on my sleep Pzizz track while wearing the sleep headphones.
I fall asleep within 5 minutes and have been getting about a 1.5 - 2 hours of deep sleep every night.
Get your skin checked once a year.
I never went to the dermatologist.
I told my mom about a weird looking mole I had on my side, let me see, she said.
We were in the middle of our conference room at work. I lifted my shirt and showed her. HR wasn't there.
"THAT'S MELANOMA. Go get it checked."
I did.
It was.
I went to the dermatologist, and they scheduled a removal surgery.
They cut it out. The guy who cut me sucked at his job.
It got infected and created me a mess for two years.
My lymph nodes swelled, and my family physician thought the melanoma was spreading.
I got PET SCANS, monthly visits to the oncologist, and completed another surgery to remove the swollen lymph node under my armpit to test it.
All was clear.
I should have been proactive.
I go to the dermatologist every three months now.
Lesson learned.
Get a yearly check-up with a full blood panel.
The family physician does little for me besides prescribing me a full blood panel.
I review the results.
A functional doctor would be much more involved in my health, and that's the route I need to take soon.
The reason I get a full blood panel is it tells me more about what's going on inside my body.
The Doctor measuring my weight, checking my blood pressure, and asking me how I feel only goes so far.
Get your eyes checked.
The family physician asked me if I ever get my eyes checked. Of course not, my vision is perfect!
He then scared me…
It's rare, but with your history of melanoma, you need to get your eyes checked. Melanoma can appear behind the eye.
Holy shit.
I now get my eyes checked once a year.
Go to the dentist once a year.
For me, the dentist feels like a waste of money.
My teeth are healthy, but I'm not experienced in inspecting my mouth for mouth cancer.
You never know.
That's why I go to the dentist every-single-year now.
Give blood once or twice a year.
Men don't have a menstrual cycle.
Surprise!
We can get iron buildup, so they say.
According to Healthline, "there is no doubt that iron overload may lead to cancer in both animals and humans. It appears that regular blood donation or blood loss may reduce this risk."
I won't take the gamble.
I give blood several times a year.
The only person that REALLY cares about you dying is you.
Take control of your health and take control of your life.
