I might be posting this in a number of responses, as I have a lot to say & I don't really want one issue confused with another.
Number one: Christian Northrup is incredible. Any woman's "library" should include "Women's Bodies, Women's Wisdom," at least. I've had it since 1994 and continuously refer to it, as I grow up
, which will never completely happen.
Number two: To lump everyone into a category that can be covered under one method of healing only is ludicrous. It is an incorrect to say that all people can be treated allopathically as it is to say that all people can be treated with hormones, herbs or another therapy.
For example, I do better on homeopathic remedies & more gentle therapies. I choose them over herbs, supplements & pharmaceuticals, but I usually work in that order if I need something other than a homeopathic. However, other people do better with another form of therapy. It should be their right to choose what therapy works best for them.
To say anything different is like telling women their only choice in childbirth is to have a Cesaerean, or (on the opposite end) that natural, homebirth is the only real way to have a child. That takes away the rights of the individual.
NOTE: I have went through childbirth with an epidural the first time, natural but hospital birth the second time and unassisted at home childbirth the last & final time. I was told that with the first child, there was a 50/50 chance I'd have to have a C-Section, so I learned to accept that as a viable option, if necessary. I am not better than anyone else, but I have also experienced childbirth in more than just one way and all of my children are healthy. It is a woman's right to have the type of birth that she desires and feels she can handle as a woman & a mother. The same goes for bottle feeding vs. breastfeeding, etc. Education is key, but what works for one woman/family does not work for another.
It really irritates me when a health care practitioner acts as if their way is the only way. As far as medical doctors & pharmacists are concerned (for the most part), they are taught that their way is the only way. It is supported by the pharmaceutical & insurance companies so that there is a lack of cross education about other forms of healing. I do not blame the MDs or the pharmacists for their stance, however, I do wish they would recognize in themselves the very one-sided nature of their education & views.
This happens on the natural health care side also. I just ran across one the other day, who was poo-pooing anything that he did not promote & was bad-mouthing an otherwise respectable MD. I did some checking, including his website & biography, made some calls and found out what his expertise was based on and what agenda was about. After that, I "ran like crazy" the other way.
What is not being promoted in this country is INTEGRATIVE medicine, where the best of all forms of healing could come together in balance. Where an MD would have the correct, unbiased information, instead of what was taught by a system that needs to keep the drug & insurance companies happy. Christian Northrup is one of those integrative MDs.
In choosing doctors for my family, we have alway sought out MDs that allow parents to educate themselves and are willing to think outside the box. That's why I don't go to a local pediatrician, but drive a really long way when we need to see one. For generic purposes, I do see a local integrative MD here for the kids when absolutely needed.
There are really safe supplement companies out there. Acting as if every supplement should be treated as if dangerous but that drugs are so well-tested is false. "Historical nightmares such as thalidomide and sulfanilimide" aren't so far in the past at all. Vioxx & other NSAIDs? Fen Phen? Anyone really look into the long term affects of overprescribed antibiotics? Why are their national ads warning people not to take antibiotics for every infection they have? (
http://www.fda.gov/oc/opacom/hottopics/anti_resist.html) Anyone can & should go to
www.fda.gov/medwatch & research the drugs and even sign up for their alerts. It's enlightening. The simple fact is that the consumer needs to educate herself regarding drugs & supplements equally. BOTH can be used SAFELY and EFFECTIVELY when the consumer is well-educated on the subject but both are DANGEROUS when used without any form of self-education.
The statement about ginseng and pregnant women.... If you look on the back of random supplement bottles, if there is a remote chance of any kind of reaction in a pregnant woman or with the fetus, the bottle will say, "If you are pregnant or nursing, please consult your healthcare provider before taking this product." And if there is a known reaction, it will say, "Do not use this product if you are pregnant or nursing." Again, consumers need to research & educate themselves, not expect anything & everything that they are told is safe to truly be safe.
I was talking with an MD last night about a drug and its effects on his patient. We were talking about the fact that one person's biological make-up is different from another person's, so one person will react differently to the exact same drug, that it's not an exact science. The same goes for supplements, herbs, hormones & homeopathy.
To each individual, responsibility for your health & healing is ultimately yours. Don't let anyone tell you any different.
