Last time I wrote about using deductive or logic based reasoning to navigate health information.  That does not mean that inductive information gathering is without merit.  In fact, the collecting and analyzing of information, better known as scientific studies can prove extremely valuable, if tempered by wisdom and critical thinking.

It is very common for a scientific study to prove a theory, only to be trumped by another study when more information is discovered.  In matters of health, you’re also dealing with a bit of a wild card – people.  Because no two humans are exactly the same, administered medications will never have the exact same outcomes.  Where’s the science if we can’t predict the outcomes? 

It is interesting to note that every year the FDA removes drugs from the marketplace that were previously tested to be safe. Darvocet, Calcitonin and Vioxx (estimated to cause 60,000 deaths ), are just a few of examples.  This is not surprising when you realize that the FDA bases their approval on pharmaceutical company’s own studies.  Does this make sense? 

Deductive reasoning means using critical thinking skills to ask this and other questions.  Who is conducting the study?  What do they have to gain?  What about long term effects?  Logic tells me that an FDA approval does not mean safety for me or my loved ones.   

Does it make sense that chronic lifestyle related illnesses can be fixed by introducing chemicals into the body?  If we know that a particular condition is being cause by toxicity, logic dictates that the solution is to remove that toxicity.  If it is being caused by stress, we would need to remove the stressor or learn how to adapt to stress more effectively.  Conditions that are caused by a lack of proper nutrients, a pandemic occurrence in our modern diet, can only be fixed by adding the necessary nutrition. 

This is alternative health’s answer to lifestyle related illness.

Wisdom, the second attribute of our A.W.A.R.E. formula, does not mean having all the answers.  It means asking the right questions.  These questions lead us to the next critical step in achieving a healthy lifestyle… Aspiration.  Next time we’ll discuss how this step can prove to be a stumbling block for many, and what they can do to overcome it.