The main purpose of this blog is to help you reduce or eliminate Health risks you can control. Your health care provider can and should be a partner in this quest. They should be well-trained, for example, a physician, osteopath, or an advanced practice clinician (a licensed physician’s assistant, licensed nurse practitioner, or licensed nurse midwife). They will provide information, diagnosis of health problems, and treatments you may need to get and stay healthy.

Expert healthcare providers are needed to conduct physical examinations, order necessary laboratory tests, and provide some of the other needed preventive measures and therapies. Some significant health-threatening conditions, for example, high blood pressure and high cholesterol, do not cause symptoms. Testing is necessary to detect them. Screening for cancer is also needed. And although conditions that lead to illness are often responsive to Lifestyle modification, they may also require and benefit greatly from treatment with drugs or other forms of modern scientific medicine.

Here is a word of warning: Healthy adults can usually follow this blog and my book’s Advice about nutrition and other lifestyle changes without difficulty. But getting the advice and approval of your physician before a lifestyle change is recommended. Anyone taking medication or with a health problem must obtain medical advice and supervision when changing their lifestyle. New patterns of diet and exercise may present risks for some people. A lifestyle change may decrease or even eliminate the need for medication for conditions such as high blood pressure or diabetes. Users of anti-hypertensives or insulin could experience problems unless their drug dosages are adjusted under medical supervision, and a person with heart disease may be at risk if they undertake an unsupervised exercise program.

This blog presents opinions and ideas and is intended to provide helpful general information.  I am not engaged in rendering advice or services to the individual reader. The ideas, procedures and suggestions in that are presented are not in any way a substitute for the advice and care of the reader’s own physician or other medical professional based on the reader’s own individual conditions, symptoms or concerns. If the reader needs personal medical, health, dietary, exercise or other assistance or advice the reader should consult a physician and/or other qualified health professionals. The author specifically disclaims all responsibility for any injury, damage or loss that the reader may incur as a direct or indirect consequence of following any directions or suggestions given in the book or participating in any programs described in this blog or in the book, The Building Blocks of Health––How to Optimize Wellness with a Lifestyle Checklist. References for most of the health related information in this blog can be found in the book, The Building Blocks of Health now available on Amazon at https://www.amazon.com/Building-Blocks-Health-Lifestyle-Checklist-ebook/dp/B08RC3XRCY/. Copyright 2020 by J. Joseph Speidel.