I have been writing articles every week in the local paper for over fifteen years. I’ve written almost 1,000 articles. And I started posting them on this website a few years ago. I’m often asked how I come up with new information each week. It’s easy! I see hundreds of patients every week, which means I know what problems people are dealing with, what questions they have, and the struggles they are experiencing when it comes to health and healthcare.
How did it all start? Twenty-three years ago, when I started my practice, I noticed right away that people were confused, misinformed, and were being misled when it came to the decisions they were making in regards to their health. The business of medicine was leading them down a path of increased doctoring, but not an increase in overall health, energy, and vitality.
I saw more and more medical testing, diagnosis, and treatment, but people were still getting sicker and sicker. It was becoming very rare to find a patient that wasn’t on at least one medication, and usually on three, four, or more. What I noticed was that even if the medicine did what it was supposed to do, i.e., lowered blood pressure, lowered cholesterol, improved blood sugar, they were still struggling with chronic illness, weight problems, depression, anxiety, and were not experiencing better health.
It was also clear that there was so much information, most of it contradictory, that people did not know where to turn for answers. And when they did find a source of information that seemed helpful, the author usually emphasized one thing, was usually extreme, and almost always had something to sell.
That’s when I decided to start writing a weekly article. I figured it was the best way to convey solid, scientific, and sensible information to thousands of people. I had no real goal other than to try to change their thinking and philosophy on health and wellness over time. So, I committed to doing the weekly articles for an extended period of time.
For years, Mick (the guy who was my contact person at the paper) would come in to my office each week to pick up the article, then return with a proof for us to approve. Because the ads in the paper were primarily for advertising, he would always ask if I was getting new patients from these articles. Truth be told, I wasn’t writing them to get new patients, so we never tracked if they actually brought more patients into our office. I would always have the same answer… We aren’t doing the articles to get new patients, Mick. I’m trying change peoples’ thinking about health.
The reason I have continued to write these articles is because of the continued feedback, praise, and thanks I get from readers like you. I get phone calls, emails, and still get hand-written cards and letters from readers every week thanking me for the information I provide. I get stopped in public often by people recognizing my picture from the paper, and once they realize how they recognize me, they tell me that they read my articles every week and thank me for writing them.
If I didn’t think they were making an impact, I wouldn’t commit the time or money into these weekly articles. But the continued positive feedback has kept me writing them. With more people using mobile devices and computers, we started putting these articles on this website each week.
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I love writing these articles and thank you for your continued trust and support. You need good, consistent, and solid information now more than ever.