After years of treating patients and studying the diseases they’ve faced, I’ve reached the conclusion a majority of diseases were NOT caused by genetics or germs, but rather:
DENIAL
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You’re probably saying, “you’re wrong, Dr. Colter”. Heart Disease, Cancer, Type 2 Diabetes, Stroke, Infectious Diseases, etc… are the leading CAUSES of disease and death!
I argue that DENIAL of ESSENTIAL BEHAVIORS is the PRECURSOR to the mechanisms that allow the body to become dysregulated. Excluding or minimally implementing these essential behaviors causes a loss of function and loss of ability to compensate for stresses imposed on the body and mind. This is the MECHANISM (in a great majority of cases) rather than “bad luck”, germ exposure or genetic predisposition that results in the the outcome of acute and chronic diseases and/or death.
DENIAL of these essential behaviors makes accepting misleading “professional” explanations for disease easier to believe. Some of these misleading explanations may include:
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adults with young school age children are likely to become sick because their children bring these diseases home with them.
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if you don’t wash your hands regularly throughout the day, you are likely to become sick.
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it’s important to get the annual flu shot to prevent the flu.
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high cholesterol is commonly a genetic condition best treated with cholesterol lowering medications (statins) to reduce the chances of heart disease and death.
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type 2 diabetes is controlled with insulin injections. Increasing insulin dosages as blood sugar levels rise is an effective method to control this disease.
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those with family histories of heart disease should be taking daily aspirin. It also reduces the chances of strokes.
The above 6 statements are not only questionable in accuracy, but distract from the REAL underlying CAUSES of disease. Regardless, people choose to accept them as “gospel” in place of ACTIVELY supporting their body’s needs. Why? It’s easier to do so. Is it surprising, then, these six “truths” haven’t reduced the rates of disease, degeneration and premature death?
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I POSE AN ALTERNATIVE “TRUTH” TO DISEASE AND DEGENERATION
My truth to overcoming a majority of the diseases and conditions we face today simply requires following 2 PHASES.
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Phase 1: ACCEPTANCE
Accepting the TRUTH that:
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sunshine
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water
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air
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exercise
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nutrition
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stress reduction
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sleep
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spiritual balance (for those choosing a religious component)
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social interaction (with family, friends and community)
creates the basis of healthy function for the body and mind. When these ESSENTIAL components of health are excluded (DENIED) or only minimally integrated into a lifestyle plan, the human body and mind begins to degenerate. This leads to impaired function. As the body continues to lose its ability to compensate under these conditions:
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“germs” overtake the immune system resulting in SYMPTOMATIC diseases
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the human cell becomes injured leading to mutations (cancer), receptor site damage (type 2 diabetes), liver dysfunction (high cholesterol), cardiac impairment (high blood pressure/plaquing of the arteries), etc…
Accepting this ALTERNATIVE TRUTH requires the individual to realize that GOOD HEALTH is the NATURAL state of the body and mind. The compromising of good health, therefore, is the widespread disruption in NORMAL FUNCTION caused by DENIAL of essential needs or inadequate integration of essential needs (in a great majority of the cases).
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Phase 2: IMPLEMENTATION
Now that this ALTERNATIVE TRUTH including: (a) sunshine, (b) water, (c) air, (d) exercise, (e) nutrition, (f) stress reduction, (g) sleep, (h) spiritual balance and (i) social interaction has been accepted (in phase 1), one must now be willing to IMPLEMENT them into a REALISTIC lifestyle pattern (in phase 2).
DENIAL once again becomes a primary obstacle because SELF WILL (implementing these essential needs) conflicts with SELF DISCIPLINE required to complete these tasks (viewed as “chores”). Since SYMPTOMS are often NOT PRESENT in the early phases of disease and/or degeneration, it becomes easy to DENY the need to implement UNWANTED tasks/”chores”.
As we reach this fork in the road at a critical point where we must choose between ACTIVELY COMPLYING with integrating essential needs or DENYING these essential needs and reclassifying them “optional choices”, we see most people have chosen the latter. The absence of SYMPTOMS (or trivial annoyance of mild SYMPTOMS) removes much of the incentive and motivation people tend to rely on to alter patterns of behavior.
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KNOWLEDGE (BY ITSELF) HAS PROVEN TO BE INEFFECTIVE AT ALTERING ATTITUDES AND BEHAVIOR!
All About Healthy Choices 
Reblogged this on A Blog About Healing From PTSD and commented:
I am reblogging Dr. Jonathan’s post because I believe he is exactly right. Ignorance, especially when it comes to our health, is a killer.
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Thank you for sharing this with your readers, Linda. I hope it opens some minds to new ideas to help overcome obstacles currently interfering with personal advancement.
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Doc, I am currently denying myself something I know is VIP for my wellbeing. I am not doing this 24hrs a day, but a big chunk of the day. I can see signs of symptoms and I am as mindful as I can be. I am however aware that I need to implement very careful choices once I can, and then keep to this. I have self discipline and am refining that plus other invaluable skills for the holistic quality lifestyle I have chosen. I agree with your phases and sincerely want to say that they may seem sturdy, but get simple if started on with faith and determination. In a nutshell, if I could avoid going to a doctor and popping pills for the rest of my life, I will gladly do all it takes.
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Clearly, when the time is right for you, you will implement the changes you recognize as needed. Each of us needs to find the strength and skill to implement these changes. Attitude plays an important role. You certainly seem to have a better understanding of SELF needs than most people and will likely integrate your solutions in time.
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Thanks Doc, clearly indeed. I. However feel what am seeing is a distraction sort of and the surfacing of an underlying issue. Getting to that root cause and obtaining holistic healing is more than the current symptom I see…hence my calm and patience and even gratitude for this awareness and attitude
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I agree with a lot of the points made here, but not as a blanket statement of truth about disease (infectious and otherwise) and how they are triggered.
Moreover, to imply diabetics don’t have to take their insulin, for example, or those with heart or stroke risk shouldn’t be popping a baby aspirin – is as irresponsible as promoting whole food vitamins *instead* of vaccines. I fear this post will resonate with those paranoid of real doctors, looking to avoid behaviors and decisions based on proper risk/benefit analysis, rather than the other way around.
Yes, denial, stress and avoiding healthy habits can be big factors in making one’s body susceptible to disease. But you word this article in a manner that assumes the victim of naturally occurring diseases are always to be blamed for denying certain common sense habits. I have genetically caused psoriatic arthritis, an auto immune disease, don’t drink alcohol, and deny none of those healthy habits. I used to get the flu every year until I started taking the flu shot every year instead. Just because certain studies *cannot* by nature be all conclusive, it is being in denial to deny preventative medications, flu and pneumonia shots (particularly in the elderly) save lives every day.
One can also be denying – not the healthy habits you listed – but grief and pain caused by years of stress or abuse, imposed upon them against their will. One can be not denying the grief and pain, but have stress, mental, emotional or physical, imposed upon them against their will, and can do nothing about it. For example job stressors, aging, having to deal with aging parents, toxic people for the sake of another – or being the victim of a traumatic event. In other words: Life. If you lead a full, active and compassionate life, it is natural for life to eventually trigger diseases to which you are genetically prone. If you don’t lead a full, active and compassionate life, it is even more natural for life to trigger diseases to which you are genetically prone.
But the “you did this to yourself (by your negligence or denial)” is the most unhealthy assumption you can make against a patient, and the most unhealthy one they can adopt as a mental lifestyle choice.
It is much healthier to accept, not deny, that life happens, and work right through the suffering. It is by not avoiding or denying (necessary) suffering that is the best way to overcome or transcend it.
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First I would like to thank you for taking the time to read and comment on this post. I appreciate the depth and detail of your comment and hope this response clears up some misunderstandings that written word “interpretations” sometimes cause.
As a physician I have an ethical, moral and professional responsibility to provide treatment recommendations addressing health maintenance and disease care that are efficacious and SAFE.
In this article, I specifically stated (regarding treatment recommendations), “Some of these misleading explanations
may include…” I used misleading because most people believe these treatments provide quality LONG TERM SOLUTIONS to various diseases.
When acute distress occurs, medications SHOULD be used to return a patient to stable health. At this point, other measures (when available) should be included in the treatment protocol to return the body to normal function. STABLE HEALTH is NOT the same thing as NORMAL FUNCTION. Most traditional physicians do not include these additional protocols leaving the patient on medications instead. Blood profiles are then used to determine the patient’s “health” status. Since it is quite clear that ALL pharmaceuticals have potential health risks and frequently cause secondary complications, an ethical practitioner (in my opinion) would diligently work hard to remove these substances if possible and replace them with ESSENTIAL “substances” the body requires to RESTORE healthy function. REAL food (as part of a healthy nutrition plan) is one such substance. Nutraceuticals might be another substance that SUPPORTS the body’s NEEDS rather than overriding its physiology like pharmaceuticals and the complications many patients go through. Proper hydration is another “substance” …and the list goes on!
The concept is actually quite simple. ESSENTIAL “substances” are required for the body to protect and support its needs. If we disregard this important component in life, we require synthetic substances (pharmaceuticals) to “patch” weaknesses we ourselves are frequently responsible for causing. For example: When an individual produces a minor cut, they do not have to use pharmaceuticals to heal the minor wound. If their body has the essential “substances” to clot and heal, it does so automatically. The body naturally restores itself to a healthy pre-injury state. If we deny the body essential needs, it becomes incapable of adequately protecting itself. This, in turn, makes it susceptible to disease and dysfunction. This, however, is NOT a pharmaceutical deficiency; it is either a lack of awareness or a disregard for essential needs. Using pharmaceuticals under these conditions as a LONG TERM “remedy” is neglecting the underlying CAUSES. This is typically how pharmaceuticals are used and why I use the term MISLEADING. This is NOT a SOLUTION to achieving GOOD HEALTH.
This same concept applies to LIFETIME insulin for Type 2 Diabetes, LIFETIME aspirin for heart disease, etc… If doctors were better at doing their jobs, fewer people would be required to be on LIFELONG medications. Unfortunately there is little incentive to motivate patients to understand the serious health complications caused by LIFETIME use of pharmaceuticals (in most cases). It is easier (although NOT ACCURATE) to look at lab panels and use lab values to judge whether a person is “HEALTHY” or not. Of course I certainly believe a smaller segment of our population would still require lifelong medications. Those having sustained too much damage to reverse their pathology would typically fit this category.
When an overweight individual is taking statins for cholesterol, beta blockers for high blood pressure, metformin for type 2 diabetes, aspirin for blood viscosity issues, etc… and is told he or she is in GOOD HEALTH (because their lab values are within “normal ranges”), I strongly disagree with this conclusion. These individuals are being MISLEAD about being in GOOD HEALTH. In reality, they are TEMPORARILY STABLE. Again, this is NOT the same thing as being in GOOD HEALTH.
When a person cannot walk up 3 flights of stairs without pausing to catch their breath; when arthritis interferes with daily function and is considered “normal” as we age by my medical colleagues, when LIFELONG CPAP machines are required to prevent sleep apnea when self destructive behavior (in many cases) was the underlying mechanism CAUSING this diagnosis, when lifestyle behaviors affecting telomeres, beta amyloid accumulation, neurotransmitter and receptor site alterations, etc… resulting in cognitive impairment and decreased life expectancy is a REALITY we face today and we conclude that…research to discovering the next PHARMACEUTICAL drug is the answer …. YES, I believe our population (to a large degree) is being MISLEAD into falsely believing current day treatment protocols offer quality “SOLUTIONS” to modern day diseases.
I hope you see this explanation validates the use of pharmaceuticals under appropriate circumstances. They rarely offer complete SOLUTIONS, however, to most chronic diseases, yet the average consumer believes pharmaceuticals offer REAL SOLUTIONS to achieving GOOD HEALTH. When more than 100,000 people die annually from pharmaceuticals properly prescribed and properly taken, when iatrogenic causes of death (defined as death resulting from medical treatments) is the 3rd or 4th leading cause of death in the United States (depending on reference chosen), we must open our eyes to accepting current day protocols are NOT achieving the results we falsely believe they are. Therefore, these “misleading” concepts I discuss in this post are legitimate (rather than irresponsible as suggested) and offer a better approach to consumers wishing to achieve actual GOOD HEALTH.
I would like to add to this I agree with you regarding emotions and their impact on life. Emotional imbalances are certainly an underlying cause of disease. Once again, however, psychotropic pharmaceuticals do not provide SOLUTIONS in and of themselves. Yet, this is frequently the exclusive protocol used by many primary physicians. Few address the various underlying mechanisms resulting in emotional instability and ultimately disease. Genetic predisposition, however, vs. familial family patterns plays a significantly smaller role. Even so, epigentics is proving that natural approaches to health can “turn on” and “turn off” genetic expression controlling better outcomes. Pharmaceuticals do NOT address this important component when confronting emotional stress and imbalance.
As far as your comment regarding the “concept” “you did this to yourself”, the purpose of expressing this sentiment (although certainly with greater empathy and compassion) is AWARENESS, not BLAME. Compassionately making people aware of their personal harmful choices and the destructive outcomes often faced is an important part to resolving disease (whether physical, mental or both). Once again, the written word in a post, can sometimes miss the underlying sentiment intended to be conveyed. Your interpretation is understandable, but didn’t accurately reflect my intentions.
I am passionate about HEALTH and have ALWAYS done my best to offer the best possible care to my patients. As a physician, I do not align with extremist or blindly biased views promoting an agenda with any personal motives. Through my personal clinical experience (and throughout my career) I have witnessed the REALITY I discuss over and over again. This does NOT mean, however, that I possess all the answers. I continue to LEARN and LISTEN to professionals as well as every day consumers (like yourself) because each person possesses information adding to existing information that produces new REALITIES.
Thank you again for taking the time to be part of this post. Your dialogue is an essential part to growth and understanding each one of us benefits from. I welcome all future comments or concerns (whether supporting or opposing views expressed). In my opinion, it shows you CARE which means a great deal to me. Thank you, again.
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I have been saying things like [lack of knowledge] when I want to avoid hinting at why the knowledge is missing (could be either nescience or ignorance). Just in case the hearer uses [ignorance] that broadly, I have been saying [willful ignorance] when I want to indicate that there is no good excuse for not knowing. It’s a shame that [nescience] is not more widely known.
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Hopefully people find the comparison interesting and give the concept some thought. It provides a possible and logical reason why change is so often avoided.
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Another great post – thank you!
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Thank you so much, Sarah.
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You make me smile, I love how you can hit the nail on the head every single time!! You are wonderful. Thanks great post. If anyone is having problems you certainly know how to lay it out so we can all understand it. Thanks Jonathan…kat
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Always a pleasure, Kat. I simply say it like I see it. I think most people realize it’s based on caring and sharing (compassionately) the reality of what lies ahead if modifications are not implemented in a meaningful way.
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Its nice to have someone like you on here. thank you for all that you do to help me and everyone else.
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Enjoy communicating with the world. It’s fun to see the intended and unintended consequences. Keeps me on my toes! 🙂
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Excellent Jonathan !!! I 100% agree with you !!!
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It doesn’t get much better than 100% does it? 😀 Thank you Lynne.
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I loved this share. And so happy that you share that healthy choises is also what makes us healthy. And that relaxing is also the key to health. Wishing you a great day 🤗
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Thank you Nina. Health is certainly not ONLY about the physical body…it is just as much about the emotional existence and its effects on the physical body!
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Another great post! Knowledge by itself is not enough in preventing disease.. one must make a choice and then take action to be healthy and prevent these diseases. This is especially true when you know you have predisposition to certain diseases.
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Very good post. A positive approach to life. Mere acceptance of disease is like a denial to cure yourself.
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