In an era where health and dietary recommendations are constantly evolving, adopting a skeptical mindset can be a powerful tool for making informed decisions about our well-being. From government-backed dietary guidelines like MyPlate and the Food Pyramid to pharmaceutical claims of life-changing benefits, many widely accepted recommendations have later been questioned or debunked. By approaching health advice with critical thinking, we can avoid being swayed by dogma, misleading statistics, or unproven interventions. This post explores why skepticism is beneficial, using examples like MyPlate, the EAT-Lancet diet, pharmaceutical relative risk reduction tactics, and flawed medical recommendations such as spinal fusion. It also emphasizes the importance of personal research, humility, and openness to being wrong in the pursuit of better health choices.
Read MoreThe law of the instrument, otherwise known as Maslow’s hammer, whereby he states that I suppose it is tempting, if the only tool you have is a hammer, to treat everything as if it were a nail. Likewise, if the only tool you have is a scalpel, I also suppose it is tempting to treat everyone as a surgical candidate. A few years ago, I had a procedure recommended to me, and when I asked the doctor to justify why I should receive it, he stated,” anyone in my profession would recommended it.” In other words, “because I said so!” I did my own research and had the procedure.
But recently, A surgeon took one look at my MRI and concluded I needed surgery right away. He never bothered to ask my thoughts on the matter. I am now involved in a process cultivating me for the knife. In the meanwhile, I have been doing my homework. I am not surprised that the procedures they recommend have similar outcomes to non-surgical approaches. This post is designed to teach you how to do your own research, how to receive REAL informed consent (not the rushed one they do a foot from the operating table), and decide for yourself what is best for YOU. I will also talk about spinal health since the recommended surgery involves my cervical spine.
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