Whole Foods Lifestyle - Oh My Hell!!

So I have this new doctor, and after 3 1/2 years in town with no doctors and not having one, I was thankful to get her.
I am recently diagnosed hypothyroid, and now it looks like I have slightly high blood pressure.
So she tells me I need to lose weight, duh. My thyroid level is still wacked so we upped the Synthroid. Then!.........
I tell her I have really changed my eating habits, to eating nothing but real food, fruits, veggies, lean proteins, etc. And I am exercising, and have lost a few pounds already.
Good she says...but try THIS diet, its from the heart association. She pulls out this photocopied typed thing. I look over it in disbelief, and seriously look at her and ask her if shes serious.
The 3 day diet!! Eat these certain foods precisely as written for 3 days, then eat whatever you want the other 4! Including vanilla ice cream, and....HOT DOGS!!!
I was on my way home to type this diet out (I may still after my shower) but decided to do a search... its a bogus, phony diet that someone labelled as a heart association diet, and this DOCTOR bought it and recommended it to me! I am so grossed out.
Here is the link, its ON the Heart Association website.
http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=507
:barf:

i'd say no doctor is better than that doctor!

Diddo!

I tell her I have really changed my eating habits, to eating nothing but real food, fruits, veggies, lean proteins, etc. And I am exercising, and have lost a few pounds already.


Wow, how sad that you got a doctor who doesn't know a proper diet from a bogus unhealthful one! FWIW you eating plan above is very similar to mine but even better since I do eat a very few processed foods (just not many). Just yesterday I asked my doctor if there were things I could do to improve my weight loss plan...eating and exercise, etc... and she said "NO! What you are doing is perfect! Keep it up!"

Sounds like you know more than your doctor... I certainly would not even consider switching to "her" plan! Doesn't sound as if you plan on doing that though. :)

It must be difficult when you live in a place where there are not a lot of doctors to choose from!

How frightening! Are you going to print out that page and give it to your doctor?

I also live in an area where few doctors are available. My personal physician certainly isn't the best. He recommended that I try the American Diabetic Association Diet. My specialist had already told me that with PCOS and Insulin Resistance that I would lose weight best doing a low-carb plan such as Atkins or South Beach. Even after I had lost 35 lbs. he tried to get me to switch and I didn't listen to him. He then accused me of using diet pills, which was absolutely untrue. I saw him last week for my injured ankle and his only reply was "you've sure lost too much weight". I again ignored him. If he'd bother to even look at the BMI chart he'd see I am in the normal weight range. It's not like I lost it over night, it took me over a year. Sometimes doctors can be mistaken and we know best what works for our own bodies when it comes to weight loss. Most of us have tried it all and are absolutely thrilled when we find what works for us.

Geeze, and these are the people taking care of us and who are suppose to be experts in their field? :rolleyes:

I'm lucky, I have a doctor who is a very good listener, doesn't prescribe drugs for every little thing and accepts holistic and natural medicine. A few years back when I told her I joined Weight Watchers she said that was great and that she thought it was one of the best weight loss programs out there. She also encouraged me when I said I was taking a yoga class to help with stress. :)

It's really sad that things like this happen, but I am not surprised. Years ago when I first went to see a registered dietitian she told me that it was a good thing I came in to see her because most doctors don't know diddly beans about nutrition. I took her comment with a grain of salt, but as time has gone by I can see that she is correct. My current doctor actually tried to tell me I could spot reduce!!! Ummmmm She is a good dcotor with everthing else, but I think I'll leave the nutrition stuff to someone else. :D

How frightening! Are you going to print out that page and give it to your doctor?


Absolutely, and I will be attacking it with a hilighter first!

That was going to be my suggestion. I would definitely point it out to her.

Wow. That boggles. Good health care is hard to find, and I see you're in the Yukon... perhaps makes it harder?

I would certainly let the doc know, as tactfully as possible!

Wow!

I am glad you are going to let the doctor know. Just mind boggling that someone would advise this.

I am so fortunate to have a wonderful, caring doctor who listens and encourages!!

We have a shortage of medical professionals where I live too. I chose my current doctor not because I have any particular faith in her medical skills, but because she was the only one on my insurance plan accepting new patients, and she is fatter than me so she doesn't always lecture me about my weight.

From what I've heard, most medical schools don't teach even a day on nutrition. That's why there are specialists (dieticians and nutritionists). Doctors are just people too and can't be expected to know everything about everything. I think that sometimes people expect too much...Doctors aren't God. You'll always get better advice if you see someone who's really specially trained in the field in which you're seeking advice. Medicine is a huge field and growing every day.

Why do people expect doctors to be all-knowing?

I do not expect a Dr. to be all-knowing; however, common sense, good judgment, and basic medical knowledge should keep them from giving someone something like the 3 day diet. Why is it so hard for a Dr. to simply admit they do not know everything and to make a referral to an appropriate resource to help someone? I have see this happen way too often. My own husband's Dr. gave him a diagnosis of diabetes, prescribed medication and did not give him one bit of advice or a referral for dietician services. I was in in shock. At least I knew the basic diet recommendations from my experiences and got him enrolled in a diabetic education class (free at the hospital). There is no excuse for Dr.'s to not know the appropriate resources in their community to refer their patients to for further assistance with their health problems. My husband has since switched Dr.'s and his current Dr. is much more knowledgeable and provides him with helpful information; he is re-evaluating the medications prescribed and changing meds as dh loses weight and his blood sugar and blood pressure are under better control. I would suggest finding another Dr. if you ever feel that your Dr. is not willing to work with you on finding the best method to help your medical condition.

Why do people expect doctors to be all-knowing?

I DON'T expect doctors to be all knowing. Furthermore, I have never asked one of my doctors for nutritional advice. It has all been given to me unsolicited, and not once did any of the doctors say, "This is just my opinion; I have no actual training in the field of nutrition/dietetics.":nose:

Sorry, I didn't mean to say what I said in an attacking kind of way. You're right, a doctor should have known better than to give the "three day diet". Not sure why he/she would think that was appropriate. Definitely he/she should provide resources to answer questions he/she can't. I just find that sometimes people expect medicine to be perfect when its much less precise than many other fields, and I see that this may have been the wrong situation to apply this thought to. Everyone makes mistakes, but definitely if a doctor or other professional knows that he/she is not knowledgeable about something, he/she definitely has a non-negotiable responsibility to send the client to the appropriate resource.

If I were you I would report this to the Medical Affairs Department and Patient Relations Department at the hospitals in which this Physician is credentialed.

Why do people expect doctors to be all-knowing?


I absolutely don't expect her to be all-knowing, but for crying out loud, you have to SEE this thing. I will have to take the time to type it out but I can't show you how poorly typed it is, or that it just says 'Heart Association' no logo, nothing.

I am not a doctor, and it took me 2 seconds flat to see it was not a healthy diet. I'd at least expect her to figure that out. It's a total unhealthy, crash diet.

If I were you I would report this to the Medical Affairs Department and Patient Relations Department at the hospitals in which this Physician is credentialed.


I wouldn't go quite that far, I'll let her know what I found out, thats about it. Shes a nice lady and I won't set out to ruin her. She just made a bad decision not to look into this a little better.

Wow, good thing you already know better, hmm (or since you're Canadian should I say eh? :lol: )

Not to hijack this thread, but I wanted to tell Misti how great you're looking. I just got back from vacation, and saw your new picture - you look terrific, and so much younger! :bravo:

Hi Dee - nice to see you over here too. :wave:

Hi Pat... thanks so much for the nice compliment. I appreciate the encouragement and kind words! Hope you had a nice vacation.

I wouldn't go quite that far, I'll let her know what I found out, thats about it. Shes a nice lady and I won't set out to ruin her. She just made a bad decision not to look into this a little better.


My whole point was that you don't know what this physician is recommending to other people. Perhaps talking to her about it would be the best thing for you. However, having worked in a hospital for over 10 years, I know physicians and they do make mistakes and sometimes they do hurt people by nothing else but their own carelessness. Reporting this to those two departments won't ruin this woman, believe me. I hardly think you have that kind of power. But it was very careless of her. I thought you were outraged, I guess not. I would be.

Good luck with whatever you decide to do.

wow... just wow...

I wouldn't go quite that far, I'll let her know what I found out, thats about it. Shes a nice lady and I won't set out to ruin her. She just made a bad decision not to look into this a little better.

I agree! IMO this is definitely something that needs to be brought to her attention... but I also don't think it is a big enough issue that you need to create major problems for her.

I'm sure in the "Metro Detroit Area" you all have doctors there, probably even enough for all the people that live there. We don't. I've been here almost 4 years, I've never seen a doctor more than twice because they all leave. None of them were very good anyway. This one is probably one of the better ones.

My whole point was that you don't know what this physician is recommending to other people. Perhaps talking to her about it would be the best thing for you. However, having worked in a hospital for over 10 years, I know physicians and they do make mistakes and sometimes they do hurt people by nothing else but their own carelessness. Reporting this to those two departments won't ruin this woman, believe me. I hardly think you have that kind of power. But it was very careless of her. I thought you were outraged, I guess not. I would be.

Good luck with whatever you decide to do.

My whole point was that you don't know what this physician is recommending to other people. Perhaps talking to her about it would be the best thing for you. However, having worked in a hospital for over 10 years, I know physicians and they do make mistakes and sometimes they do hurt people by nothing else but their own carelessness. Reporting this to those two departments won't ruin this woman, believe me. I hardly think you have that kind of power. But it was very careless of her. I thought you were outraged, I guess not. I would be.

Good luck with whatever you decide to do.

Yes, I think every situation is different and the way that someone chooses to handle it has to fall within their own comfort zone. I don't know that I would report it either. I would certainly bring it to her attention and question her as to why she felt the need to recommend such an unhealthy diet. I'm actually really interested in her rationale behind suggesting the diet.

LadyNorth, please post what happened after you discussed this with her...assuming she'll still be there for your next doctor's visit!!!

Also, it is entirely possible to still be outraged, yet choose to handle this in a less aggressive manner...

I do not expect a Dr. to be all-knowing; however, common sense, good judgment, and basic medical knowledge should keep them from giving someone something like the 3 day diet.

I couldn't agree more!!
Also, my sister got that exact copy given to her, too! She did it for a bit, but not in a long time...and since she's pregnant now she won't be going back to it anytime soon...I will let her know about it and maybe she remembers the DR she got it from. Thanks for the info!

Melissa

This sounds just like a diet that the doctor I was seeing for weight loss "prescribed" for me. There was three days of eating a very strict, high protein diet and then for the next four days you could eat a moderate diet of your choice. Meals included hot dogs (plain), tuna fish (plain), hard boiled eggs and you could eat a small amount of vanilla ice cream. I found this quite hard to follow considering I am a vegetarian and eat whole foods. This was photo copied out of a magazine. Once she heard that I was not interested in taking diet pills/drugs, I think she kind of didn't know what to do with me. She also said that egg McMuffins were the perfect breakfast food, as long as you eat only one and nothing else. Needless to say, I did not continue to see her for very long. The whole thing was a weird experience.

She also said that egg McMuffins were the perfect breakfast food, as long as you eat only one and nothing else.


:rofl: ===cracking up=== Don't we WISH sometimes!!

You know... this thread is reminding me again... things such as this are why it is so important to make sure we are educated ourselves as to what healthful foods are, etc., and to make sure we don't just believe everything we read or even hear from what should be a reputable source... our doctors!!

I am soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo thankful for my fantastic doctor!!!