Doctor Sells Practice, Starts Treating People With Food

[rgray222]

Doctor Sells His Practice, Opens Up “Farmacy” Using Food as Medicine Instead

I find it ironic that people consider treating illness with food as alternative medicine but here is one health professional that has seen the light.

http://imgick.nj.com/home/njo-media/width960/img/star-ledger/photo/2014/08/22/-04038914fd8f6da0.JPG

Source (http://www.nj.com/politics/index.ssf/2014/08/hudson_county_physician_open_farm-based_practice_in_long_valley.html)

LONG VALLEY — After taking care of some of Hudson County’s sickest residents for 25 years, internist Ronald Weiss says he’s figured out how to make people healthy — and it’s not by writing prescriptions or ordering surgery.

Weiss would rather recommend a daily dose of what’s growing on his 348-acre, 18th-century farm in Long Valley. And next week, this city doctor will get that opportunity when he launches New Jersey’s first farm-based practice, rooted in the philosophy that the right food — fruits, vegetables, grains, nuts, beans and seeds — is medicine.

About 55 miles from his West New York office last week, Weiss sat outside the farmhouse at which his assistant, Asha Gala of Califon, had prepared a lunch that vibrated with color: a salad of baby kale, radicchio, purple carrots, cucumbers, onions and cherry husk tomatoes tossed with a walnut vinaigrette, followed by eggplant rollatini with tofu instead of cheese, and dairy-free chocolate pudding garnished with raspberries.

Fruits and vegetables contain nutrients that prevent inflammation, which is believed to be cause of many chronic diseases, said Weiss, a 52-year-old married father of two and an assistant professor at the Rutgers New Jersey Medical School in Newark.

"There are so many naturally occurring drugs on this plate," he said. "Plant-based whole foods are the most powerful disease-modifying tools available to practitioners — more powerful than any drugs or surgeries."

"I am not saying if you fall down and break your ankle, I can fix it by putting a salve of mugwort on it. You need someone to fix your fracture," Weiss said. "I am talking about treating and preventing chronic disease — the heart attacks, the strokes, the cardiovascular disease, the cancers … the illnesses that are taking our economy and our nation down."

Weiss said he so believes in this reinvention of his medical career, he cashed in all of his assets — even selling his practice, at which he still sees patients three days a week — to buy the farm. In June, he launched Ethos Health, a community-supported agriculture project.

His two farmers have produced fresh vegetables, fruit and herbs for 90 families, who pay a membership fee and volunteer their time picking potatoes and weeding. It’s a collaboration that encourages people to take a keener interest in their diets, which is where health care should start, he said.

"Human health is directly related to the health of the environment, the production of food and how it is grown," said Weiss, who earned an undergraduate degree in botany at Rutgers College of Arts in Science in Newark. "I see this farm as an opportunity for me to take everything I’ve done all my life, all the biology and chemistry of plants I have studied, and link them to the human biological system."

Weiss acknowledged that his philosophy is not shared by many of his peers.

He was thrilled when Kim A. Williams, president-elect of the American College of Cardiology, published an essay last month advocating his patients eat a plant-based diet. Williams described how becoming a vegan reduced his cholesterol levels after a low-fat diet had failed.

Some doctors, however, criticized Williams’ essay, saying a diet eschewing all meat, fish, eggs or dairy products is still experimental, according to published reports.

Nutrition science has long been a moving target for a confused public, hungry for answers on how to eat healthier. In March, the British journal Annals of Internal Medicine added to the mystery after reviewing 72 studies and concluding there was "no significant evidence that saturated fats increase the risk of heart disease."

The American Heart Association recommends a diet of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy products, fish, poultry and nuts.

The plant-based diet is also a hard sell for some patients. For the doubters, Weiss tells them about 90-year-old Angelina Rotella of West New York, who came to his office on the night before Christmas Eve, in a wheelchair with congestive heart failure.

"I asked her, ‘Do you want me to call 911 and admit you to Palisades General? Or will you let me feed you sweet potatoes and kale?’ Amazingly enough, with the help of her daughter, she chose this," Weiss said. "She doesn’t have diabetes anymore and chronic heart failure. She is cooking, sewing and walking around town. I’m not saying it’s easy, but she seized the opportunity and she is transformed."

Angie Rotella-Suarez, who lives upstairs from her mother, said she faithfully prepared her meals, strictly adhering to Weiss’ diet of grains (such as whole-grain brown rice and sweet potatoes), steamed greens (including kale and spinach), fruit (a big serving of wild organic blueberries is a must) and water.

The results have been "more than a miracle," Rotella-Suarez said in a telephone interview. Within two weeks, her mother stopped taking her blood pressure medication.

"Eight months later, she is down 40 pounds. My mother is out of the wheelchair. My mother does the dishes again," Rotella-Suarez said, starting to cry. "She hasn’t done the dishes in seven years, easy."

The recovery was so swift, Rotella-Suarez and her sister both adopted the vegan diet and each lost 40 pounds; they are no longer pre-diabetic.

"It sounds like a hoax, but Dr. Weiss is absolutely thorough. He is the best of what the medical profession has to offer," she said. "He is not living in a make-believe world."

There is something dreamlike about Weiss’ farm in Long Valley — a pastoral section of Washington Township, where 39 percent of its acreage is preserved for agriculture. Facing a canopy of mature trees on Schooley's Mountain, the farm’s winding driveway circles a farmhouse listed on the national register of historic places. Visitors are greeted in the unpaved parking lot by Maya, farm manager Nora Pugliese’s dog, who barks and promptly rolls over for a belly rub. A crumbling German stone barn will be restored to serve as an exercise and wellness center where Gala, a nutritional education trainer, will offer cooking demonstrations and other programs.

Education is critical because people are being asked to abandon the only diet they’ve ever known. "If the patients wants to come with us, great," Gala said. "We meet the patients wherever they are."

"Food is Medicine," a lecture by Weiss last Tuesday night, drew about 60 people to the Brookside Community Center in Mendham. Questions ranged from "How do you feel about vaccines?" ("I have two little children, and we have given them every single vaccine around") to "Which are better for you? Raw or cooked vegetables?" (Both are good, but studies say celery and carrots are better cooked.)

Beth Niehoff of Mendham, a married mother of four, admitted the idea of changing everyone’s diet daunted her.

"What if you someone does this 80 percent?" she asked.

"Well, then you will have 20 percent of issues, which is fine. I work with people who say, ‘I don’t want to go that far,’ " Gala said.

Weiss conceded it’s not easy convincing people to graze for their health in a fast-food world. Once a year, he confessed, he looks forward to eating a hot pastrami sandwich.

Source (http://www.nj.com/politics/index.ssf/2014/08/hudson_county_physician_open_farm-based_practice_in_long_valley.html)

[Matt P]

Smart Doc! This is how my family approaches healthcare, too, and my wife is a nurse practitioner. Rare are the times anyone in our family gets sick and it never lasts long. What's interesting is most of her clinical patients have difficulty wrapping their heads around this simple concept. They come in and just want a pill to fix them. I love to hear about more doctors realizing the truth of "let thy food be thy medicine and thy medicine be thy food." THAT is what will help lead people to true health and happiness.

Matt

[idiit]

I find it ironic that people consider treating illness with food as alternative medicine but here is one health professional that has seen the light.


^ yeah that! :)

I have diabetes type 2 symptoms but I gots insulin. so, I'm not a diabetic. they gave me metformin and it made me very sick. they never even checked back on me. I was literally laying on the floor at the doctors office. I was weaker than "weak". I felt like sh1t. they treated me with something that made me sicker and didn't even check back.

I got on the internet for natural remedies. I now am functioning and feeling much much better; it's a quality of life issue. it's a big deal to me.

barley : really helps regulate blood sugar levels for me. several cups/day.

salacia oblonga: 2 capsules/day. 12 cents apiece, 25 cents/day. root/stem extract. essential. I can't function without it.

now the reason i'm posting; CANDIDIASIS ; CANDIDA. the global population is suffering a candida epidemic. it causes hyperglycemia. the medical profession doesn't know much about it and nothing about how to kill it. we're talking possibly half of human adults have candida in early-late stages. here's the google search links for candida epidemic:

^ https://www.google.com/?gws_rd=ssl#q=candida+epidemic

answer for candida? nana colloidial silver 10 ppm. moringa oliefera

barley, salacia oblonga in addition for hypoglycemia. the candida causes hypoglycemia and i'm still needing the barley and salacia oblonga fornow.

now, here's another reason i'm posting:

harald kautz-vella repeatedly emphasizes candida, proper nutrition, monoatomic minerals ( colloidal silver is a monoatomic mineral). once candidiasis progresses ( candida, candidiasis, morgellons are the three stages) you gots morgellons.

the medical community gots no f'n clue. they are big pharma's puppets.

[Pam]

Wonderful!!! It's wonderful that he was able to see the truth. I realize that most doctors have so much invested in the lies that they are taught. And it is true that most people at this point would prefer the pill over the work and planning that is involved in eating correctly. We are indoctrinated to expect the easy fix, even if it isn't an easy fix at all.

[awakeningmom]

Great step in the right direction, although I was disheartened when the doctor says at the end that he gave his children all the vaccines (""I have two little children, and we have given them every single vaccine around")! So odd. Why is it that people can recognize the dangers of GMO's, the vast corruption in health care, and the collusion between Big Pharma and the medical profession in so many other areas, but still think that vaccines are a human health benefit that shouldn't be questioned? I have friends like this too. They have open eyes on so many other medical and corporate conspiracies, but mention that vaccine manufacturers also operate by a profit-motive, that the FDA's advisory committees on vaccines are filled with people with deep conflicts of interest, that vaccines are unavoidably unsafe, etc. and they don't want to hear it!

Not to get this thread off topic -- I'm thrilled that this doctor is doing what he's doing, but it's sad that he's probably still recommending that his patients vaccinate their children with "every single vaccine around"!

[raregem]

I find it ironic that people consider treating illness with food as alternative medicine but here is one health professional that has seen the light.


^ yeah that! :)

I have diabetes type 2 symptoms but I gots insulin. so, I'm not a diabetic. they gave me metformin and it made me very sick. they never even checked back on me. I was literally laying on the floor at the doctors office. I was weaker than "weak". I felt like sh1t. they treated me with something that made me sicker and didn't even check back.

I got on the internet for natural remedies. I now am functioning and feeling much much better; it's a quality of life issue. it's a big deal to me.

barley : really helps regulate blood sugar levels for me. several cups/day.

salacia oblonga: 2 capsules/day. 12 cents apiece, 25 cents/day. root/stem extract. essential. I can't function without it.

now the reason i'm posting; CANDIDIASIS ; CANDIDA. the global population is suffering a candida epidemic. it causes hyperglycemia. the medical profession doesn't know much about it and nothing about how to kill it. we're talking possibly half of human adults have candida in early-late stages. here's the google search links for candida epidemic:

^ https://www.google.com/?gws_rd=ssl#q=candida+epidemic

answer for candida? nana colloidial silver 10 ppm. moringa oliefera

barley, salacia oblonga in addition for hypoglycemia. the candida causes hypoglycemia and i'm still needing the barley and salacia oblonga fornow.

now, here's another reason i'm posting:

harald kautz-vella repeatedly emphasizes candida, proper nutrition, monoatomic minerals ( colloidal silver is a monoatomic mineral). once candidiasis progresses ( candida, candidiasis, morgellons are the three stages) you gots morgellons.

the medical community gots no f'n clue. they are big pharma's puppets.

I cannot grasp how Morgellon's is a symptom from malnutrition. I understand Morgs to be nano technology. Otherwise, I agree that our water and food sources either create room for disease or create a strong body, which in turn enhances our thinking etc.

[idiit]

[QUOTEI cannot grasp how Morgellon's is a symptom from malnutrition]



^ I don't recall anyone saying it was causal. the correlation to poor nutrition causing poor immune system has been proven by many. our immune systems are battered. our livers and kidneys are battered ( heavy/toxic metals for one). moringa is great for nutrition and cleansing the kidneys and liver according to moringa studies.

the candida epidemic might be at least partially deliberately induced by the nano particles in chem trails according to kautz-vella.

here's main stream's opinion:

^^ http://www.nationalcandidacenter.com/What-Causes-Candida-Yeast-Infection-s/1825.htm

[OneLittleFrog]

Questions ranged from "How do you feel about vaccines?" ("I have two little children, and we have given them every single vaccine around")
Sad, just when he was making so much sense........:(



the medical community gots no f'n clue. they are big pharma's puppets.
Thank you, idiit. :)

[TargeT]

I really hope they don't lean on the "vegan stick" to heavy... though that was a nice subtle propaganda slip in there (authors choice or doctors?)

Down in the VI we have a TON of plant based remedies, they are all subtle and slow working taken by vegans, pescetarians and good old (statistically) normal eaters, we have seeds that treat blood pressure, large leafed plants for local pain (topical) and so much more.

It's funny that we forget where the extracts for "pills" come from (usually something growing near you, well at least down here that's how it is).



Questions ranged from "How do you feel about vaccines?" ("I have two little children, and we have given them every single vaccine around")
Sad, just when he was making so much sense........:(


Hopefully this is more than some fanatical vegan move & is a honest drive for better health for patients, but statements like that really make me think this is just more typical veganism.

[Pam]

I really hope they don't lean on the "vegan stick" to heavy... though that was a nice subtle propaganda slip in there (authors choice or doctors?)

Down in the VI we have a TON of plant based remedies, they are all subtle and slow working taken by vegans, pescetarians and good old (statistically) normal eaters, we have seeds that treat blood pressure, large leafed plants for local pain (topical) and so much more.

It's funny that we forget where the extracts for "pills" come from (usually something growing near you, well at least down here that's how it is).







Questions ranged from "How do you feel about vaccines?" ("I have two little children, and we have given them every single vaccine around")
Sad, just when he was making so much sense........:(


Hopefully this is more than some fanatical vegan move & is a honest drive for better health for patients, but statements like that really make me think this is just more typical veganism.



Don't worry Target, he says he looks forward to a pastrami sandwich, once a year.....so I guess he hasn't joined with those nutty vegans that get your goat every time. teeeheee ;)

[TargeT]

Don't worry Target, he says he looks forward to a pastrami sandwich, once a year.....so I guess he hasn't joined with those nutty vegans that get your goat every time. teeeheee ;)

Excuse my cynicism, but that's the perfect closure for a NJ based business that doesn't want to prematurely scare off customers.

& how did you know about my goats? I gave them to a vegan because I knew they wouldn't be eaten; I figured it was just smart (and they had WAYYYY too much energy for my property).



"What if you someone does this 80 percent?" she asked.

"Well, then you will have 20 percent of issues, which is fine. I work with people who say, ‘I don’t want to go that far;" Gala said.


so, the 80/20 rule is UBIQUITOUS; if you "do his program" 20% of the time you will solve 80% of your issues.... but when trying to "sell something" you don't want people to know about the 80/20 rule i guess...

80/20 applies to everything, it's silly to ignore it.

[Constance]

If someone cannot see what is right in front of them, even when you present them with all the facts then it sounds like cognitive dissonance to me.
If someone is not able to see something for what it really is I am speculating that either the neural pathways have not developed, are lacking in the first place or have been shut down.

[awakeningmom]

Great step in the right direction, although I was disheartened when the doctor says at the end that he gave his children all the vaccines (""I have two little children, and we have given them every single vaccine around")! So odd. Why is it that people can recognize the dangers of GMO's, the vast corruption in health care, and the collusion between Big Pharma and the medical profession in so many other areas, but still think that vaccines are a human health benefit that shouldn't be questioned? I have friends like this too. They have open eyes on so many other medical and corporate conspiracies, but mention that vaccine manufacturers also operate by a profit-motive, that the FDA's advisory committees on vaccines are filled with people with deep conflicts of interest, that vaccines are unavoidably unsafe, etc. and they don't want to hear it!

Not to get this thread off topic -- I'm thrilled that this doctor is doing what he's doing, but it's sad that he's probably still recommending that his patients vaccinate their children with "every single vaccine around"!
If someone cannot see what is right in front of them, even when you present them with all the facts then it sounds like cognitive dissonance to me.
If someone is not able to see something for what it really is I am speculating that either the neural pathways have not developed, are lacking in the first place or have been shut down.
:offtopic::focus:

Yes, but how do you explain an educated doctor who knows enough about what's wrong with the allopathic system to begin treating serious medical conditions with a nutrition-based protocol, but still doesn't bother to research what goes into vaccines and/or analyze what's wrong with that medical protocol? You can't really say his neural pathways aren't working, at least on some levels. And it just doesn't make sense that he hasn't gone down that rabbit hole too, since he bothered to depart from the main stream medical establishment in the first place and since the vaccine issue is obviously another big controversy right now.

[Constance]

If someone cannot see what is right in front of them, even when you present them with all the facts then it sounds like cognitive dissonance to me.
If someone is not able to see something for what it really is I am speculating that either the neural pathways have not developed, are lacking in the first place or have been shut down.
:offtopic::focus:

Yes, but how do you explain an educated doctor who knows enough about what's wrong with the allopathic system to begin treating serious medical conditions with a nutrition-based protocol, but still doesn't bother to research what goes into vaccines and/or analyze what's wrong with that medical protocol?

I get the feeling that it is partially due to cognitive dissonance.

When I was studying hypnotherapy formally many many moons ago, I discovered that nearly all of my teachers were either obese or morbidly obese and ate junk food despite the fact that they were training us in the field of psycho nutrition!

And yet something else I've observed along the path is that there are those who live in alternative communities, or those who work in alternative health sectors.
I have spoken with some who say they practise wholistic health and yet they still are only aware of certain aspects of wholistic health or they are only practising various degrees of wholistic health themselves.

As for my experience with alternative communities. I live in an alternative "eco-village". I have neighbours who live in homes that are anything but "eco" and I have neighbours who have gone the whole hog and then there are the in-betweeners. It is all just varying degrees of "eco".
I have neighbours who are very careful about what they eat, they grow their own organic food, they are against anything GMO and are vegan but their homes are far from chemical-free, they still drink fluoridated water, vaccinate their children and send their kids off to school.


You can't really say his neural pathways aren't working, at least on some levels. And it just doesn't make sense that he hasn't gone down that rabbit hole too, since he bothered to depart from the main stream medical establishment in the first place and since the vaccine issue is obviously another big controversy right now.
Sorry, I should have qualified by beginning with the comment that I believe that there are an infinite number of neural pathways in our brains.
In particular, there are pathways that need to be developed in order to give us the intelligences we need to be able to see things as they really are. Howard Gardiner talks about multiple intelligences here.
http://www.tecweb.org/styles/gardner.html

As I mentioned before, it is only my speculation that these may either have not been developed (in-utero or in childhood due to any of the methods you care to think of eg fluoride, plastic eostrogens, lack of minerals - nutritionally) lacking (lack of stimulation in the womb eg. the mother being too sick to walk and the baby not getting all the movements it needs to develop certain neural pathways), shut down eg. due to programming/brainwashing, fluoride, chemical overloads, lacking nutritional needs.

Maybe that doctor hasn't gone down the rabbit hole but has just dug a small hole and found one aspect that agreed with his world views.

From what I have observed from asking questions, is that many "educated experts" haven't got the time to research outside of their own field of expertise, so busy are they concentrating on the one field they do know. They are already too full of what they know so there is no room for anything else. They have just as many filters on their belief systems as those who are not "experts" in any field.

Something else I've noticed is that doctors are put through the most exhausting routine of study and practice. Could it be that anyone who works those kinds of hours as an intern becomes so burned out that maybe they haven't got the additional mental energy for anything else other than what they know - just stick with the status quo?
And then there is something that a friend once said to me that made me take another look at how people behave. The observation was that even though people know that they shouldn't be doing something, they can't help themselves and do it anyway.

[Selene]

Great step in the right direction, although I was disheartened when the doctor says at the end that he gave his children all the vaccines...


Yes, but how do you explain an educated doctor who knows enough about what's wrong with the allopathic system to begin treating serious medical conditions with a nutrition-based protocol, but still doesn't bother to research what goes into vaccines and/or analyze what's wrong with that medical protocol?

Well, this is where the Perfectionism of the Reader sets in, doesn’t it?

In other words, if this person I’m reading isn’t – according to my own personal standards of fabulous – Absolutely Perfect in All, then I am free to ignore them totally and their advice. I can safely hit the reject button here, and that will excuse me from any uncomfortable learning…. Moving on, avoiding.

I’m not trying to single you out here, awakeningmom nor breal, it isn’t you. Your comments above are simply an excellent example of what we all do at some level: reject the entire message because we’ve gratefully found an escape (whew!), a purported flaw, in the messenger. Your comment here is a springboard.

In other words: I will only follow a Perfect Master….heh, heh, so that will exonerate me from learning anything at all from this person….

That’s stupid. But it works as a fine excuse, doesn’t it?

We are each free to accept or reject aspects of other's assertions. That's what discernment is all about.

If you already agree with everything a teacher asserts, in what ways can you hope to learn from them?

Q: If we say I will only learn from a Perfect Master, what makes you think you are the Perfect Pupil?

People are complex, their views and ideas are mixed and always a work in progress. Aren’t your own? Waiting for the Perfect Master (but actually, the person whose views we already agree with and is therefore only a vindication of our own [possibly distorted] ideas) can be just another way to avoid doing anything positive for ourselves. We can’t actually learn from that.

Finding our own truth by exploring the views of others is much more difficult than a false search for the perfect - in our own terms - teacher.

Cheers and my most respectful regards,

Selene

[TargeT]

I get the feeling that it is partially due to cognitive dissonance.
.

You say that like it's a bad thing, with out cognitive dissonance we could NEVER hold two ideas in our own mind that contradict each other, in fact the lack of cognitive dissonance would be exactly what I would want in a docile population.

I think we have too little of it these days really; people get set into a way of thinking and never consider alternate ideas due to a lack of cognitive dissonance or the lack of accepting the process.

[Constance]

Great step in the right direction, although I was disheartened when the doctor says at the end that he gave his children all the vaccines...


Yes, but how do you explain an educated doctor who knows enough about what's wrong with the allopathic system to begin treating serious medical conditions with a nutrition-based protocol, but still doesn't bother to research what goes into vaccines and/or analyze what's wrong with that medical protocol?

Well, this is where the Perfectionism of the Reader sets in, doesn’t it?

In other words, if this person I’m reading isn’t – according to my own personal standards of fabulous – Absolutely Perfect in All, then I am free to ignore them totally and their advice. I can safely hit the reject button here, and that will excuse me from any uncomfortable learning…. Moving on, avoiding.

I’m not trying to single you out here, awakeningmom nor breal, it isn’t you. Your comments above are simply an excellent example of what we all do at some level: reject the entire message because we’ve gratefully found an escape (whew!), a purported flaw, in the messenger. Your comment here is a springboard.

In other words: I will only follow a Perfect Master….heh, heh, so that will exonerate me from learning anything at all from this person….

That’s stupid. But it works as a fine excuse, doesn’t it?

We are each free to accept or reject aspects of other's assertions. That's what discernment is all about.

If you already agree with everything a teacher asserts, in what ways can you hope to learn from them?

Q: If we say I will only learn from a Perfect Master, what makes you think you are the Perfect Pupil?

People are complex, their views and ideas are mixed and always a work in progress. Aren’t your own? Waiting for the Perfect Master (but actually, the person whose views we already agree with and is therefore only a vindication of our own [possibly distorted] ideas) can be just another way to avoid doing anything positive for ourselves. We can’t actually learn from that.

Finding our own truth by exploring the views of others is much more difficult than a false search for the perfect - in our own terms - teacher.

Cheers and my most respectful regards,

Selene

I didn't reject the message Selene.

I totally embrace the notion that let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.

The message above is not my quote, it is awakeningmom's.

[rgray222]

Well, this is where the Perfectionism of the Reader sets in, doesn’t it?

Selene

Selene
I agree wholeheartedly with your comment.

Many people believe what they want to believe, many people believe what they need to believe and many people "say" things they need you to believe.

If this doctor had said he did not vaccinate his children it could put his entire effort to educate the public about food's medicinal benefits in jeopardy. This doctor has gone pretty far out on the limb (discarding his education, selling his practice, etc) and there is little doubt in my mind it would have substantially diminished his reputation if he had said anything negative about vaccinations.

I know I have said this before, so sorry if it sounds repetitive. We are all looking for sources to validate our beliefs. This frantic look for sources is an exercise in futility. We all know what is inherently right and wrong, it was built into our DNA. This story about the doctor is the perfect example. We don't need a reporter to tell us that food can be used as medicine, it just makes us feel a little bit better to get validation.

This information was built into every fiber of our being, we just lost touch along the way. We already have a very accurate internal compass to guide us through our lives, we just need to start using it.

[Omni]

What a great find :) I wish there were more like this guy. I've always thought foods are drugs too. They have both positive and negative effects on consciousness and the body. I commend this doctor for blazing his own trail in a very holistic and healthy way. :)

[Constance]

I get the feeling that it is partially due to cognitive dissonance.
.

You say that like it's a bad thing, with out cognitive dissonance we could NEVER hold two ideas in our own mind that contradict each other, in fact the lack of cognitive dissonance would be exactly what I would want in a docile population.

I think we have too little of it these days really; people get set into a way of thinking and never consider alternate ideas due to a lack of cognitive dissonance or the lack of accepting the process.

Hello TargeT:waving:

In my eyes and as I understand it, if someone is able to hold two or more totally contradictory ideas in their mind whilst embracing the whole, there is no cognitive dissonance.
It is only when there is a state of internal conflict around the opposing or contradictory ideas and there is an avoidance pattern around situations and information likely to increase that internal conflict, there is cognitive dissonance.
There could be the possibility that this is the case with this doctor in reference to him vaccinating his children but as I don't know him personally, I can only go on what I felt when reading the article.
I am all for having a true awareness around why we do the things we do in order to fully understand the human condition.
As I have said elsewhere, I don't like getting into debates with people because it never leads to peace.

[awakeningmom]

Great step in the right direction, although I was disheartened when the doctor says at the end that he gave his children all the vaccines...


Yes, but how do you explain an educated doctor who knows enough about what's wrong with the allopathic system to begin treating serious medical conditions with a nutrition-based protocol, but still doesn't bother to research what goes into vaccines and/or analyze what's wrong with that medical protocol?

Well, this is where the Perfectionism of the Reader sets in, doesn’t it?

In other words, if this person I’m reading isn’t – according to my own personal standards of fabulous – Absolutely Perfect in All, then I am free to ignore them totally and their advice. I can safely hit the reject button here, and that will excuse me from any uncomfortable learning…. Moving on, avoiding.

I’m not trying to single you out here, awakeningmom nor breal, it isn’t you. Your comments above are simply an excellent example of what we all do at some level: reject the entire message because we’ve gratefully found an escape (whew!), a purported flaw, in the messenger. Your comment here is a springboard.

In other words: I will only follow a Perfect Master….heh, heh, so that will exonerate me from learning anything at all from this person….

That’s stupid. But it works as a fine excuse, doesn’t it?

We are each free to accept or reject aspects of other's assertions. That's what discernment is all about.

If you already agree with everything a teacher asserts, in what ways can you hope to learn from them?

Q: If we say I will only learn from a Perfect Master, what makes you think you are the Perfect Pupil?

People are complex, their views and ideas are mixed and always a work in progress. Aren’t your own? Waiting for the Perfect Master (but actually, the person whose views we already agree with and is therefore only a vindication of our own [possibly distorted] ideas) can be just another way to avoid doing anything positive for ourselves. We can’t actually learn from that.

Finding our own truth by exploring the views of others is much more difficult than a false search for the perfect - in our own terms - teacher.

Cheers and my most respectful regards,

Selene

Selene,
I think you completely misunderstood what I wrote. No where did I say I "completely rejected" his message or that I was looking for a "Perfect Master." I'm all for alternative therapies and for healing medical conditions via nutrition -- and indeed I publish articles on the subject. I'm happy to see that an allopathic doctor is going this path. It seems like you wanted to make your point, but at my expense and by misinterpreting my posts. I certainly didn't say what you imply.

Cheers back.

AM.

[Selene]

Selene,
I think you completely misunderstood what I wrote. No where did I say I "completely rejected" his message or that I was looking for a "Perfect Master." I'm all for alternative therapies and for healing medical conditions via nutrition -- and indeed I publish articles on the subject. I'm happy to see that an allopathic doctor is going this path. It seems like you wanted to make your point, but at my expense and by misinterpreting my posts. I certainly didn't say what you imply.

Cheers back.

AM.

Sorry for misinterpreting you, awakeningmom. I meant to use your comment as a springboard to address a wider issue, not as a critique of your personal views. My apologies for any offense. None was intended.

:flower::flower::flower:

Sincerely,

Selene