Our NHS is the envy of the world, and rightly so. There are of course many people scared that it may soon be sold off into private hands. But it’s unlikely, there would be absolute uproar. Of course, like any institution, it has its critics. People who are not fans of public healthcare say that it encourages people to abuse the system. For instance, bored people who waste a GP’s time by visiting the surgery every time they sneeze, would not do so if they had to pay for insurance. But having said that, most visits are genuine, and the service itself provides huge benefits for all.
Dr Rangan Chatterjee (above) is one of England’s best preventive health doctors. His 4 tips for a healthy life are to 15 minutes of daily relaxation time, eating a rainbow of veggies each day, fitting short bursts of movement into your daily life (even if it’s a quick dance while waiting for dinner) and waking up early to embrace the morning light (this sets your body rhythms into a natural sleep by evening).
But there are lots of other issues too. Preventive health care is not often thought of first (walking in nature has huge proven benefits for mental health, but many ‘dinosaur doctors’ would rather prescribe a dangerous pill (all medicines have side effects) rather than some counselling or a prescription to the gym. The lack of investment in humane (non-animal) modern research means many diseases that should have been cured by now, have not been. And despite all the controversy about people waiting on trolleys in hospitals for hours on end – nobody in the media questions why.
In Japan and some parts of California, people regularly live in good health until 100 years old). Yet policies like walkable communities, air pollution and healing spaces are not even discussed by most politicians. So as far as preventive medicine goes, it’s best to tackle this one yourself – drink plenty of water, giving up smoking (and excessive drinking), get plenty of gentle exercise and relaxation and generally look after yourself. All of these combined likely has more benefits than any medicine that a doctor can prescribe.
Finding a Good GP
It’s pretty easy to register with a GP. You don’t even need much paperwork, it’s seen as a basic right, a luxury many other countries don’t get. At least you’re then on the books, if you need a doctor. Many surgeries run clinics for free health check-ups etc, so do make use of them.
If you live somewhere rural or prefer to not see a GP in person, Livi is an online service with NHS appointments and experienced doctors. Operating online by app and video, book an appointment and select your current NHS GP practice to see if you are eligible for the free service. If not, the cost is around £40 which includes prescription costs. You can then fill out your symptoms and attach photos if needed, for a more accurate diagnosis and treatment.
Moving on from Dinosaur Doctors!
A Dinosaur Doctor is classed as one who simply listens to your symptoms, then writes an illegible prescription for a medicine that sometimes you don’t need (or one that does not offer lifestyle advice or invite you back for the recommended yearly medication review, to see if any medicines need removing or updating). Many modern doctors are fans of Integrated Medicine, which basically means they do practice some forms of holistic medicine, but also alongside traditional orthodox medicine (if you get hit by a lorry, you want a surgeon, not a homeopath). Likewise even though some herbs like St John’s Wort are good for depression – they have serious side effects for some people. So using a qualified GP to issue such medicines (rather than a counter assistant at the health shop) is often safer (and cheaper).
Many doctors are quite rightly studying nutrition, as one of the best ways to reduce or prevent some of the western world’s most common illnesses: heart disease, type-2 diabetes, high blood pressure and cancer. Obesity is also a serious issue these days, yet most medical doctors get less than 20 hours of nutrition training over several years. Yet over 70% of chronic illness can be prevented/reversed with wholefood plant foods. We all hear about the ‘dementia timebomb’. But for years, there has been evidence that strokes and Alzheimer’s often have the same causes as heart disease (plaque in the arteries of the brain). For more information, visit the website Doctors for Nutrition which has detailed information by medical condition.
Although leafy greens are good, check medication as some mean you should not take too many (or grapefruit), mostly for blood-thinners like Warfarin. You can eat them – but just don’t chug down 10 green juices a day!
Dr Chatterjee has turned medicine on its end, offering lifestyle prescriptions over pills, and helped many patients illnesses simply disappear. He treats the person instead of the disease – to help reverse diabetes, IBS, blood pressure, menopausal symptoms, sleep, autoimmune conditions, heart disease. some of his patients just live longer!
Consultant haematologist Shireen is a senior lecturer at King’s College Hospital (London) with a special interest in lymphatic cancer. She runs Plant Based Health Online for patients with chronic illness. This ‘lifestyle medicine’ by a community interest company, directs all profits back to the community.
Ellsworth Wareham MD recently died (age 104!) but had TV documentaries made about him, due to practicing as a medical doctor in the Californian town of Loma Linda well into his 90s (where people regularly live to 100 in good health). This is through to be due to the Seventh Day Adventist religion which has strict controls on the sale of alcohol, a ban on smoking and most people being vegan or vegetarian (the largest supermarket does not sell meat). And apart from emergency staff, all people rest on Sundays. Ellsworth said the only problem was when the patient saw how old he was, just before they went under!
Where to Recycle Used Medical Equipment
- If you use single-use masks – snip the strips before secure disposable, to stop them wildlife getting entangled in them.
- Ask your GP for a medication review (should be done yearly) to ensure you are not taking more medicines than you need (many people repeat prescriptions for medicines they never take). Take all unused medicines to your pharmacy for safe disposal (never flush them down the loo).
- Wheels to Heal. accepts wheelchairs and crutches for people who no longer need them (or sadly if a loved one has died). Donate prosthetic legs to people in Africa who have lost limbs, from stepping on landmines.
- RecoMed offers a recycle service for hospitals to reuse oxygen masks and tubing. The collection bins are sent to specialist recyclers (a 300-bed hospital could reuse around 2.5 tons of PVC waste a year).
- Medical Aid International re-uses surgical equipment for developing countries, after being prepared by a biomedical engineering team.
- Many animal shelters can legally use medical equipment that was used once (or not used) for humans, so may appreciate any spares you have to offer. Look at local website wish-lists or get in touch.
