GPs are bad for your health?

[Mecky]

I remember my GP saying that if medications weren't safe they'd be taken off the market. I gave them specific examples where people died through medication but the medicine remains on the market. They shut up then.

 

There is evidence to suggest that just going to the GP causes anxiety and high blood pressure - The White Coat Syndrome

[Cyclone]

That's the short version, wow!

The majority of medical staff (GPs etc) are well intentioned. They're part of the medical system though, and they administer that system as they've been trained to do.

 

Look, you clearly mean well, so I'll cut this short

 

After many years of trying to maximise my health through diet/nutrition, many frustrating years of trying to find usefull truths via orthodox medicine and scientific studies I..... gave up.

 

At 16-ish I went vegetarian, then went vegan for a couple of decades. While my health did seem a bit better compared to the population as a whole, I was never as close to perfect as I felt I should be, given the effort I put into diet/training.

 

Reading around I quit being a vegan and dabbled with paleo type stuff (i.e. eating meat) and also slipped into increasing dairy etc.

 

Putting increasing health issues down to aging (I'm 47) I came to believe that good diet, for me, only slightly improved things.

And that's probably true. A good diet isn't magic.

You've got about a decade, just over, on me, my diet isn't perfect, and I mostly ignore any faddy diet advice and do what I think is sensible regarding other medical advice and health. And so far it's not causing me a problem.

 

I know you have belief in the medical system and medical studies etc- but, seriously, everything I ever did with diet was based on such studies, even though they frequently outright contradict each other.

What else are you going to have faith in, the advice from someone you meet on the street?

NB - I don't have faith, I have the ability to understand and question for myself the validity of any study or advice.

 

Money/profit/business interests, IMO, clearly influence those studies, so my faith in them consistently decreased.

 

I've also seen many of my older relatives suffer and die in the medical system, IMO, as a result of their treatment.

You're not a doctor though.

 

Last year, via youtube, I saw some interesting stuff concerning 80/10/10 and things like plant strong.

 

It's, as you say, anecdotal evidence, but, as I'd at that point, realised that medical scientific studies were of no real value to me, I paid attention.

 

I saw stunning successes- ill and obese people becoming super-lean and healthy.

You saw what someone chose to put in a video, you have no way of verifying what actually happened or if it was even true.

 

Having little to lose at that point I joined in.

 

By eating close to 80/10/10 for several months, averaging 18 bananas a day, along with unprocessed vegetables, plus small amounts of stuff definitly not 80/10/10 (yoghurt, small amounts of home made chocolate mixed with grains etc), I went from 13 stone with various inflamation issues, to a ripped 11 stone and those issues clearing up.

So you ate a lower calorie diet, and cut out lots of things, including processed foods, extra salt, and so on.

 

All by eating as much as I wanted (in fact stuffing my face and often eating even when I wasn't hungry).

 

It's anecdotal of course, but, in several decades of working on my diet- it's the only thing that's produced those results.

 

So, realising I was running an experiment on my own body, I continue to do so.

 

Still 11 stone, still feeling better than I have for ages, for the only time in my life, my energy levels are consistent, my mental/emotional state has also blossumed.

Sounds like it's working for you. But I don't see how this supports your argument that GPs are bad for your health.

 

Following such anecdotal evidence has probably saved my life- I realise that the health issues probably weren't to do with aging, but, with the stuff I was eating.

 

If you can only see results from scientific studies as being of value, then we should stop trying to discuss this, cos I don't really rate them (in fact I consider them as often being 'bad science').

And yet what you're relying on now isn't science at all.

 

For anyone who wants to try 80-10-10, here's my summary-

 

avoid all processed foods (or cut them to an absolute minimum). Eat as much fruit as you want (bananas are especially easy to get through- in the UK, very little chance of finding ripe bananas, so buy 80-100 yellow ones and eat them as they ripen- always keep a large stock so you never run out).

 

Eat some vegetables, eat some raw vegetables.

 

80-10-10 is mainly raw, but cooked starches (potatos etc) are OK.

 

80-10-10 regards fats/oils as a prime cause of problems, so cease to use them.

 

If you must use fats/oils in small amounts (for an occasional fried meal or an occasional slice of toast, for example), I'd personally use butter- margarine contains trans-fats/hydrogenated vegetable fats,

This is no longer true.

which are deadly, and, vegetable oil production is an industrial process. (please note, that's what I do, 80-10-10 distrusts all fats, including butter).

Growing vegetables is an industrial process, so what.

 

In 80-10-10, fruit is best- each as much, or more, as you want. It's physiologicaly impossible to get most of your daily calories from fruit and remain fat.

If you only get 'most' then yes, you can't help but lose weight.

 

There are no documented case of long term fruitarians or 80-10-10ers being anything but very lean.

 

Your main challenge, bizarrely, is in eating enough fruit/veg to maintain your lean body weight (hence why many 80-10-10 ers advocate eating cooked starches as well).

 

I lost my 2 stone by eating 80-10-10 but also consuming a samll pot of full fat greek youghurt/day and the afore-mentioned chocolate concoction: now my system/stomach has adapted to eating the huge volumes of fruit, I've cut those way back).

 

My main inspiration for 80-10-10 was/is these two individuals: freelee the banana girl, and her boyfriend Durianrider (many find him somewhat abrasive, but, having watched many of his videos, I appreciate his no-bull**** stance): both have hundreds of videos on youtube.

 

For those who see 80-10-10 as too radical, or who deny the value of the anecdotal evidence, I'd suggest looking into 'plant strong', which happily plays the science game and has lots of scientific studies that support it.

 

Good luck, to anyone who gives it a go.

 

Did you read either of the links I posted yesterday?

 

---------- Post added 15-04-2014 at 12:42 ----------

 

I remember my GP saying that if medications weren't safe they'd be taken off the market. I gave them specific examples where people died through medication but the medicine remains on the market. They shut up then.

 

There is evidence to suggest that just going to the GP causes anxiety and high blood pressure - The White Coat Syndrome

 

Medicines have known side effects, this isn't a secret.

 

If it saves 5000 out of 10000 people from death, but kills 1 (or 10 or 100), then it's 'safe' and should be on the market.

[Obelix]

I remember my GP saying that if medications weren't safe they'd be taken off the market. I gave them specific examples where people died through medication but the medicine remains on the market. They shut up then.

 

There is evidence to suggest that just going to the GP causes anxiety and high blood pressure - The White Coat Syndrome

 

Pencillin can kill some people though allergic reactions. Doesn't stop it being the most widely used and effacious antibiotic though.

 

Perhaps you should apply your own advice hmm?

[truman]

I remember my GP saying that if medications weren't safe they'd be taken off the market. I gave them specific examples where people died through medication but the medicine remains on the market. They shut up then.

 

There is evidence to suggest that just going to the GP causes anxiety and high blood pressure - The White Coat Syndrome

 

Do you think any medicine which has been responsible for any deaths should be revoked?

[skinz]

Without my GP I'd be dead. Went for a general check up and found a serious condition with a simple remedy. So no, not at least like the op on a personal level was my GP bad for my health.

 

I would say we are bad for our health unless you invest in yourself.

[Mecky]

Do you think any medicine which has been responsible for any deaths should be revoked?

 

Why do you ask, do you?

[medusa]

I'm alive because my GP spotted my cancer. Bad for my health?

[truman]

Why do you ask, do you?

 

I'm asking because I'd like to know your stance on "dangerous" medicines...

[Obelix]

Why do you ask, do you?

 

Stop wriggling Mecky - answer the question. It's not an unreasonable one considering what you posted.

[onewheeldave]

 

Did you read either of the links I posted yesterday?

 

I skimmed them. Couldn't work out what point you were hoping to make with them.

 

One seemed to be about plant-strong, the other about processed meat being bad for you and proper meat not being bad for you.

 

Tell me why you want me to read them and I'll happily have another look, if the reasons good.

 

---------- Post added 15-04-2014 at 17:59 ----------

 

You saw what someone chose to put in a video, you have no way of verifying what actually happened or if it was even true.

 

No, nothing like that. If you really think I'm that much of a idiot that I'm going to get conned by youtube?

 

Those 2 have got hundreds of vids up, and I've watched most of them, and followed up on others who are doing this. They frequently point to scientific studies to back up their claims, for those interested in that variety of validation, which I know longer am.

 

But mainly, if you think I'm that much of an idiot, then don't waste your time talking to me.