December 11, 2023
Section I
13 Years in the Books
What have I learned over the last 13 years?
1) That medicine is an onion peel that never ends! We keep learning and evolving into newer and more mature ways to understand the physiology of balance in all things human. When in balance, disease is stymied. When not so balanced, disease has a chance to start and flourish. After interviewing 68 guests, one common theme has arisen - that we have a layer of control to prevent disease and strife that is huge when young and gets smaller and less nimble as we age. Thus, prevention remains the best source of therapy for the human species to overcome the current negative trajectory on human health. Starting at the individual level appears to be the best answer as the collective, especially in government, is not aligned with health. When many of the most wealthy companies are insurers, hospitals and pharmaceuticals, we have our incentives upside down. The wealth should pour into companies preventing illness.
2) Hosting a podcast can really open your mind to a convoluted web of knowledge that was more opaque before one has exposure to disparate viewpoints of the same question or questions. That has been a lovely revelation for me and hopefully the listener as well. This is value add way of seeing all things in life. The more opinions and thoughts surrounding a question that are sought and acquired, the easier the resolution or understanding of a problem. The laws of physics are usually immutable. The laws of medicine and biology, not so much. Evolution and change are the norm in a world with a volatile exposome. The PhD scientist remains a shining light in the darkness of disease progression as they are looking for answers regardless of why.
3) Life is short and worth being all in on. Derek Sivers book, Hell Yeh or No, is on point. Whether it is a new project, a podcast guest or topic, being all in is so much more fun and rewarding than the alternative. I have been all in on Dr. M's Women and Children First Podcast as well as our CIN, Children First of North Carolina and I love the world that is provided thereafter. Be all in on what you love and life satisfaction will eventually meet you in a happy place.
4) I do not think that medicine is heading in the right direction with corporations and money at the center of the experience (sense a theme). My career has spanned 27 years since graduation and we are not better off as a medical society or as a patient population of care receivers. We have a major problem that is getting worse in the past 13 years accelerated by the Covid pandemic. We are ever moving toward protocols of care, non physician business run medicine, physician and provider burnout, less preventative emphasis, suppression of speech regarding non traditional approaches of care (quack medicine monikers), and more. Medicine in the 1990's seemed more pure and thoughtful despite being imperfect. The education was instructive while also being thoughtful. While we memorized, we were also challenged to think critically about each case. These days, thinking is less prized than listening to the rule of the expert who KNOWS. The expert should only be as useful as the best knowledge to date. The youth/padawan often present disparate and often unseen views to the master. Bidirectional flow of information should be prized over top down. Listening is the key. Bidirectional listening.
5) Children remain amazing and resilient even in the face of poor quality food, screen excesses, stress and a toxic environment. Unfortunately, we may be at the tipping point of disease mitigation as we are seeing ever increasing frequencies of dysfunction and disease. Keep your eye on the four/five pillars of health. Healthy whole food diet, sleep, stress reduction, toxin avoidance and movement.
6) Having a child in college and another about to fly the coop, leaves one with a very different perspective on family. Being the gardener of love for them from afar is as important as it was at home. Maybe even more so as they spread independent wings fluttering on turbulent winds of life. Letting them go is so important. They must fly no matter the hurt that one feels for the loss. Let love shine from your heart not the pain. Feel the pain but, send the love.
7) Research continues to pour out that mindsets and mental focus on positivity are routinely useful for health. As a provider, my energy and positive attitude is ground zero for a child's health support. The stoics were very clear about this reality: temperance, wisdom, justice and courage. Moment Mori and Amor Fati have profound meaning in a difficult world. Be positive in all things lest you send a signal to your nervous system and body (or anothers) that your are a victim and broken. That is a negative spiral.
8) Sugar, high fructose corn syrup, refined flour based ultra processed foods are the main source of metabolic damage to humans. Avoiding them is a great start to a healthy life.
9) The SARS2 - Omicron variant of Covid19 has become significantly less troublesome to children compared to previous variants. This remains great news.
10) The science of epigenetics is evolving and will be used to help us make better decisions about what is causing disease at the cellular level. I am especially interested in the toxicological aspect of the science. What chemicals are harming our mothers and their children in utero and after birth. I will be watching this science.
Thanks for reading and being a part of the SPA family!
Dr. M
