Naturopaths fight against traditional medicine doctors, traditional medicine doctors fight against chiropractors, psychologists and Chinese medicine practitioners are on their own and where is the Ayurvedic medicine in all that? What is the common factor in every one of these fields? They exist to help patients get better! They exist to make you get better!
As we improve our general knowledge in our respected fields we forget that others are improving, too. With great research comes great discoveries, great discoveries bring more specialists, and more specialists bring more specific fields of research. Above all, what if we take all the specialists in the same field? Chances are you may get a narrow-minded ways of solving a problem instead of using all the knowledge available in a holistic way to help each other out.
One of the greatest minds of all time, Albert Einstein said, “It’s not enough to teach a speciality to a man; otherwise, it becomes a usable machine, but not a personality.” The personality of a researcher brings ingeniousness, and creativity. Dating as far back as 1953, in his book, The World as I See It, Einstein wrote, “He who experiences thinking in another field will always win over one that never thinks…” The holistic approach carries open-minded solutions instead of an overly specific explanation.
How do these over specialisations affect your life? Let me give you an example of a client. If you’ve had a chance to look over my website, you saw that I recommend a multifaceted approach. I think it’s the future. The science has evolved so much in each specific way that it’s just impossible for one brain to retain it all.
Let me tell you about my client, Jeff. At 41 years of age, he comes in for a fat loss consultation, guessing he needs to lose about 60 lbs. As I always do, I go over the first consultation questionnaire and ask everything I need to know. Ninety minutes later, we shake hands; he leaves the office with his plan of action in his pocket. You would think it’s a diet plan but no, not this time, not with this client. My program has 3 parts: supplement suggestions, nutritional suggestions and additional notes.
Jeff is a highly stressed individual, working 10 hours a day as an accountant in a big firm, has 2 young kids and has been married for 16 years. Like many clients we see, he was feeling tired all the time, complaining of low libido, feeling bloated after each meal. I was barely able to measure his body fat because his skin was so tense.
After talking with Jeff for a while, I discovered the real reason why he wanted to consult me: he was barely able to play with his kids, each time feeling like he would have a heart attack and was scared to have his kids grow up without a father.
In another article, I will talk about how important it is to find the real motivation of your clients. In this case, we found that the problem was not the 60lbs of fat excess; it was the possibility of dying young. So what were my recommendations for Jeff? They were the following:
– Supplement suggestions: fish oil, 15g of good quality (in oil form, so 3 tsp a day) (the rationale here is to lower the inflammation and to compensate for the overconsumption of omega 6 in prior diet style).
– Nutritional suggestions: Eat as clean as possible, according to your knowledge i.e. cut the obvious like desserts, soft drinks, and chips. (Rationale here is to avoid putting extra pressure on his already stressed lifestyle, starting with small things and still eating with the kids and his wife.) We talked about increasing the veggies, water intake and keeping a food log. The idea is to make him conscious about what and when he’s eating.
– Notes: Meeting with an endocrinologist (a doctor who specializes in hormone evaluation)
The next week, Jeff got his blood test results. All the hormones were up to par. Cholesterol, triglycerides and sugar were a bit high, but nothing a good diet couldn’t take care of.
The second recommendation was then to have him meet with a sexologist. It turns out his libido was functioning well, but the problem seemed to be relationship related.
The third recommendation was to refer him to an acupuncturist who could help him to relax in way that complements my program. A good acupuncture therapist can effectively calm a person down. By collaborating with two other specialists, we’re contributing to a multifaceted approach that meets Jeff’s needs on a holistic level.
We talked a bit about the food he ate over the last week, tweaked a few things in his plan, and that was it.
You want to know the results? Jeff lost 18lbs in the first month. Great numbers considering he wasn’t technically on a diet. He did, however, train by himself without being advised. What is particularly interesting is the indirect fat loss for his wife who lost about 10lbs, also following some of my recommendations for Jeff.
What did I do with Jeff? I helped him get better by looking at priorities and giving him the tools to structure everything! Yes, he lost some decent weight, but most importantly, he felt much better.
After a few months of follow up, his cholesterol lowered, his blood sugar was back to normal, his triglycerides were good, his stress level decreased, the communication with his wife improved, and they now work as a team.
Is it because of my recommendation? A little. Is it because of the holistic efforts from all these specialists? You bet! Fat loss for me is a side effect of being healthier. Just like Jeff, who is now physically and mentally healthier… and as a bonus…Leaner!
Stay away from the know-it-all approach and build your team to win!