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Fake Diseases and Supplement Pushers
Adrenal Fatigue Syndrome and Lifestyle Choices

The adrenals are endocrine glands located on top of both kidneys.
The adrenal glands are located
on top of both kidneys.

Have you been diagnosed with a fake disease? It may sound odd, but it's actually fairly common. Medicine has advanced at such an incredibly rapid pace, it's easy to believe there's a treatment for almost anything you're experiencing.

Are you tired? Do you feel anxious or stressed? Have you been depressed? Don't worry, there's a pill for that... except when there isn't. Scientists have figured a lot of things out, but there's still no pill you can take to cure a dysfunctional lifestyle. Many of the problems we experience every day aren't the result of illness or disease, but in how we live.

Here's where modern medicine has a problem and the fakes rush in. When you go to a doctor to discuss how you're feeling, your typical examination will last between 13 and 16 minutes. A large portion of that time is spent by the doctor glancing over your chart to learn a little about you, asking what symptoms you're experiencing and ordering tests or writing prescriptions based on their observations.

When doctors run blood tests, they may not find a cause. So they prescribe an anti-anxiety drug, sleeping pills or something else to deal with the symptoms. Too often doctors don't have time to diagnose or deal with the real reason you've got a problem, especially if it's the result of your lifestyle.

When doctors do say the problems you're having are because of what you're doing, many people refuse to listen. We don't like to hear it's our fault.

You're now primed for the promises of kind and caring "alternative medicine" practitioners that "prescribe" supplements and herbal tinctures with outlandish promises of a cure.

Charlatans say things like, "Of course you're exhausted. Your adrenals are blown!" A local supplement pusher has been telling clients, "Blood tests aren't able to detect the hormonal imbalances from Adrenal Fatigue Syndrome. Your adrenal glands need to be nurtured and replenished... and I have just the supplements that will take care of the problem."

That is an example of a fake disease. Adrenal Fatigue Syndrome isn't something a doctor can diagnose, because it doesn't exist. This is what the Endocrine Society has to say about Adrenal Fatigue Syndrome. (For those who don't know, The Endocrine Society is "the world's oldest, largest and most active organization devoted to research on hormones and the clinical practice of endocrinology.")

"No scientific proof exists to support adrenal fatigue as a true medical condition. Doctors are concerned that if you are told you have this condition, the real cause of your symptoms may not be found and treated correctly. Also, treatment for adrenal fatigue may be expensive, since insurance companies are unlikely to cover the costs."

But that's not the only problem. Since supplements aren't regulated, you have no way of knowing exactly what's in alternative medicine pills, what dosages you're getting and if they contain contaminants or other unlisted ingredients that you may react to.

A fake diagnosis will also prevent you from examining your lifestyle, to see if your everyday actions are the real cause of the problem. It's time to ask yourself a few simple questions and talk to your doctor about any that you said NO to.

1. Are you getting at least seven hours of sleep a night?

2. Do you limit the times you respond to emails, text messages or other electronic interruptions?

3. Are you exercising at least three hours a week?

4. Have you tracked your food for seven days, to make sure you're getting all the vital nutrients and keeping your calories in check?

5. Have you gathered together all the vitamins, supplements and other stuff you're taking and given them to your doctor to look at?

If you said NO to any of the five questions, write down why and schedule time to talk to your doctor about it. You don't have to deal with everything at once, but if you want to feel better, you've got to start doing something.

The truth is there may not be a diagnosis for everything that ails us. Sometimes we do too much, lose focus and inspiration, bite off more than we can chew, feel depressed. Sometimes talk therapy is better than a pill. Sometimes it may be as simple as learning to better cope with our lives and take better care of ourselves.

Doctors who don't give their patients the time of day to really listen are a problem. But quacks selling supplements for diseases that are made up aren't helping. Say NO to fake diseases and start making healthy changes today.


What's Wrong with Electronics?

We thought it was important to include more details on why we asked question #2:

"Do you limit the times you respond to emails, text messages or other electronic interruptions?"

According to data gathered by the Android app Locket, the average user unlocks and checks their phone about 110 times a day. That's more than nine times an hour, or about once every six minutes throughout the day.

Here's what all that phone checking does. You look at your phone and read a text, post on social media or check your email. Then you attempt to go back to whatever task you were originally doing. But research shows that it can take as long as 20 to 25 minutes to return to your original task, after an interruption. If you're checking your phone once every six minutes, you never have time to fully refocus and return to your original task. Of course you're feeling anxiety from the distractions, but that's not all.

All those interruptions and the continuous connectivity actually lowers our IQ. A study done in the UK showed that people who were constantly connected saw a reduction in their IQ by a full 10 points. That's twice the drop researchers saw by people smoking cannabis (pot).

Obsessive checking can also keep you from getting a full and restful sleep. When you're tired it gets worse. Tired people are more likely to overeat, gain weight and get fat. Carrying around excess weight then leads to a whole range of additional problems.

Doing something as simple as turning off your phone for set periods of time, can improve productivity and reduce anxiety. Turn your phone off for an hour and set an alarm. At the end of the hour, turn it on, respond to whatever you need, then turn it back off and return to work.

If you're not doing that now, your seemingly harmless little phone could be hurting you in ways you never imagined.

Call for a FREE Consultation (305) 296-3434
CAUTION: Check with your doctor before
beginning any diet or exercise program.

1/17/2016