Someone very dear to me (I’ll call her “Rachel”) went to the doctor recently for a few problems she’s been having, and when she told me about her appointment, I was disgusted.

Here’s a little background information:

Rachel has been under great stress over the last several months. She lost her job and has had difficulty finding another. She has been doing temp work but is having financial challenges due to the reduction in her income.

Her mother passed away six months ago, and she is still grieving, as she and her mom were very close.

And her significant other called it quits after a three-year relationship.

Yeah, I’d be stressed too.

Sadly, Rachel has been suffering from insomnia, stomach issues (including nausea, heartburn and abdominal pain) and has repeatedly been catching respiratory viruses. 

So, she did what many would consider to be a good plan of action. She went to the doctor.

Here is what she told me about her visit.

In and out like cattle

Rachel said she explained to the doctor everything that has been going on in her life. She said she felt like he was barely listening to her.

He asked if she was pregnant, nursing or planning to get pregnant and she said no to all. Then he asked what medications she was on, and she said none.

Then he proceeded to grab “the pad” and wrote prescriptions for three medications: 

• Lexapro (an antidepressant) for insomnia
• Omeprazole (an acid reducer) for her digestive issues
• Amoxicillin (an antibiotic) for her respiratory infections

Then he said she could take care of her co-pay at the desk on her way out.

She said she felt like cattle, being ushered in and out.

Where do I begin?

This, my friend, is what is seriously wrong with our medical system. Underlying causes of issues are brushed aside or completely ignored, and medications are thrown at virtually everything.

Let’s take a closer look at Rachel’s situation.

First, every one of her complaints is caused or contributed to by stress.

But did she get any suggestions on how to reduce stress? Nope.

So, I gently told her that it would be wise to help reduce her stress with measures like regular exercise, prayer, counseling, yoga/stretching and meditation.

Getting out in Nature (weather permitting) and enjoying the fresh air and sunshine is also helpful —this could be something as simple as a brisk walk after lunch. 

Also, ashwagandha (as found in our Ashwa Blend Gummies) has been shown to help the body combat the effects of stress. 

Alternatives to prescriptions

I also explained to Rachel that while there are serious side effects associated with the medications she was prescribed, there were also safer measures that her doctor didn’t bother to mention (or didn’t know about).

Here’s what I told her about each:

Lexapro

First, potential side effects of Lexapro include insomnia (the very thing it was prescribed for!), tics, suicidal thoughts, digestive issues including nausea, abdominal pain and heartburn (another one of Rachel’s problems), and bacterial infections (which Rachel also had).

I wish I could make this stuff up!

But I told Rachel that options which can help support sound sleep include Omega-3 fats (as in our VitalMega-3 fish oil formula), darkening her room at night, taking a warm bath with Epsom salts, drinking chamomile tea and avoiding alcohol, sugar and stimulants in the evening.

Omeprazole 

Omeprazole “works” by shutting down the stomach’s acid production. Less acid in the stomach allegedly means less acid to rise up in the throat and set your chest on fire.

But crippling your stomach’s ability to create acid can impair the body’s digestion of proteins and ultimately cause indigestion and heartburn—the very problems it was prescribed for!

To help curb digestive issues, you need to support your body’s efforts to digest your foods in these two ways:

1. Stick to a whole foods diet (meats, poultry, wild-caught fish, fresh vegetables and fruits, eggs, and healthy fats like real butter, olive oil, coconut oil and avocado). At the same time, avoid all processed foods, vegetable oils and margarines, and the number one health wrecker in the world—SODA.
2. Give your body some enzyme help with Digestizol Max enzyme formula. Digestizol Max works alongside your body’s own enzyme production and helps break down every kind of food you can eat. And its soothing herbal blend helps naturally curb indigestion and inflammation in the GI tract.

Amoxicillin

Although antibiotics are helpful because they can kill the harmful bacteria associated with various infections, they also have a very dark side.

Studies have shown that antibiotic use can disrupt your gut microbiome to the point where your immune functioning is dramatically reduced, making you more susceptible to repeated infections as well as disease.

They’ve also been implicated as a cause of Crohn’s disease due to the inflammation they stir up in the intestinal tract.

Plus, now we’re seeing increasing numbers of antibiotic-resistant bacteria emerging which sadly, has been fatal in many cases.

Two safer, natural ways to help beef up your immune system to better fight off infections include:

1. Probiotic supplementation with a potent, multi-strain formula like Super Shield PLUS can help rebuild your microbiome’s balance of helpful bacteria and support sharp immune function.
2. Vitamin B12 is also essential for a strong functioning immune system, but it’s also a common deficiency. A reliable way to help make sure you have enough is to supplement with an oral spray form of B12 like Hydroxaden 2.5 Vitamin B spray.

Did you see yourself?

If you saw yourself in any of Rachel’s situation that I described above, please keep in mind that there are always safer, natural options to most medications, and I encourage you to talk to your doctor about alternatives.

And as I always say, if your doctor is not willing to listen to you and explore other options, find one who will. There are many wonderful caring doctors out there who will gladly be your partner in great health.

To your health,

Sherry Brescia