Your Doctor's Permission

Almost every exercise video or book I see always comes with a disclaimer: Do not perform any of these exercises without the consent of your doctor.

First of all, how many people are going to read the message, go to their doctor, show them the product, and then decide whether or not to use it? If they've already bought it, they're going to use it.

Even if they did ask their doctor, they'd be wasting their time. Sometimes we put too much faith in doctors. We think they are the fountain of knowledge and wisdom. They can answer all of our questions regarding health and nutrition. Their advise is gospel.

My experience indicates otherwise. A couple years ago I went to donate blood at the American Red Cross. They told me they couldn't take my blood because I was anemic (not enough hemoglobin in the blood, due to the lack of iron, a key component of this protein). Not too much longer a lesion formed on my pituitary gland which created bleeding in my eye.

Two years of visiting doctors never gave me an answer as to why this happened. "Pipes leak," was my conclusion. The bleeding resided within a couple weeks but it led to the discovery of a more troubling problem: a low level of testosterone. My testosterone levels had dropped to as low as 90 mg/dl, when it should have been at least 200-500 mg/dl.

To make a long story short, over the next two years I made countless trips to see my doctor, two endocrinologists (hormone doctors), two hemotologists (blood doctors), a brain surgeon, and an eye doctor. The result? No answers. I took one prescription that never worked, and another that worked one month but not the next.

That's just my story. I've heard so many stories of patients going all over looking for a doctor that can accurately diagnose their problem. Doctors often give conflicting information, recommend unnecessary surgeon, misdiagnose the problem, tell their patients to take a medication that either doesn't work or inflames the problem, or give misinformation. Doctors are dangerous too. One of the leading causes of death in America is poor handwriting on prescription notecards. Pharamicists misread the prescription and the patient gets the wrong medicine. No kidding.

Doctors know absolutely nothing about nutrition. They repeat standard disinformation (saturated fat is bad, cholesterol is determined by diet, grains are food but fat is bad, etc...) but certainly shouldn't be depended on for nutritional advise. From what I hear, most doctors aren't even required to take a course in nutrition in medical school.

If doctors had the best bodies then I'd rely on them for exercise and fitness advise, but look at your doctor. Does he have a six pack? Probably not. Is he overweight? Probably. If they practiced what they preached they'd look a lot better. That's why I recommend you don't consult your doctor before starting an exercise problem. Review your medical history with a qualified personal trainer who will then prescribe a program that takes into your account your contraindictions.

Are doctors worthless then? No, but they're like a dress: you need to find one that fits you. Does he understand your history and needs? Is he fit and active? Does he have any background in nutrition? Does he take a holistic approach? Does he do more than prescribe medicine that has negative effects on you health?

Sometimes you are your best doctor. Listen to your body, do your own research, consult with people who share a similar problem, and read as much as you can. If you do want to consult with a doctor, then get a recommendation.

Happy, healthy, and strong,

Kevin