NaKCCrit

I keep seeing this idea that doctors are idiots about nutrition and that all we do is push pills, instead of curing the real root cause of disease which in this worldview universally comes down to poor diet and exercise. First, I discuss nutrition every day. My goals are not as lofty as these people imagine; I am trying to get my patients to drink water, any water at all, ever. If that succeeds, I try to get them to eat actual food sometimes, not solely food products. Things that occur in nature and do not require a chemistry lab to produce. That’s it. 99% of the people I see don’t get past that. I don’t need to get into details about beef tallow and turmeric and ashwaganda or whatever. I admit I am not an expert in nutrition but I am much more of an expert than 99% will ever need me to be. Second, I don’t get paid to prescribe. I’m hourly. I have no interest in pushing pills. I’d be fine if no one was on them. But I do have to treat the diseases that people already have, even if they were all a 100% direct result from lifestyle (which they aren’t). What would you have me do for the patient who drinks nothing but Mountain Dew and puts it in her children’s baby bottles? Start talking about macronutrients as if that will prevent her impending DKA? Sometimes you need to push some pills. IV meds even.