Clarifying Some Things About Medical Advice
After some good feedback on Saturday's newsletter, I figure it's up to me to provide some clarity.
I’m a personal trainer, athlete, nutrition coach, and self-diagnosed hypochondriac,
Not a doctor or medical professional.
What I wrote last Saturday about birth control and its harmful effects was not meant to be medical advice, a recommendation, or something you shouldn’t first talk to your doctor about.
In the post, I didn’t recommend against birth control as a whole — I felt as though I made a pretty even-keel analysis of the two sides of using it, both to prevent pregnancy and pregnancy issues, as well as the side effects and drawbacks that come with both methods.
The closest I came to disadvising it was this paragraph:
“And I was also very wrong about my clients, how to treat them and, which questions to ask when it came to my initial intake with them.
I’m smarter about the side effects and inflammatory reactions contraceptives can have, and wouldn’t recommend anyone use them if they’re trying to make a dramatic change in their health.”
The “if they’re trying to make a dramatic change in their health” part may have been missed by some, but enough readers came to me with very valid concerns about how this looks.
First, as a man, it is not the best look to advocate for what women should do with their bodies, especially in this political climate.
I was not implying that no woman should ever use birth control, simply that women should proceed with the utmost caution and seriously evaluate all the effects of both paths, using or not using.
Here’s what I’m going to cover in today’s newsletter, since I know my longest-time readers really respect my work and transparency:
But first…
I might not be a doctor, but I do think you should find a primary care doctor who lets you be a part of the process of your wellness as often as you’d like to be.
I think Thrive25 is the closest we can get to being really in tune with our doctor.
I’ve partnered with Thrive25 and developed my personalized longevity routine, not one that’s cut-and-pasted from the web.
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Newsletter Summary:
What I didn’t want to convey in Saturday’s newsletter
What I won’t apologize for concerning my qualifications and criticisms
Unbiased Birth Control Facts
Aside from preventing pregnancy, birth control can, in some cases, prevent ectopic pregnancy, help regulate menstruation, help make periods/the usual cramping of the PMS cycle less painful, and even prevent certain types of ovarian and uterine cancers.
The nuances of opting out of birth control are not lost on me.
Menstruation pain is one that I’ll never experience, so I’d fully understand using BC as a means of reducing overall pain, stress, and other symptoms.
Knowing what I know about BC (which I’ll admit is a learning work in progress), it seems many women are damned if they do, damned if they don’t with pain management from menstruation, so I’m willing to concede that there are flows, cramps, and other upstream effects of staying off contraceptives that might not seem worth it to any woman aged 20-50.
As I’ve learned in personal training, every human on this earth’s biology is vastly different from one another, and it’s dangerous to make sweeping claims about interventions that may work well for a certain population better than others.
It’s not uncommon for some women to see more predictability in their periods and cycles when they’re on birth control as well. For those who spend an extended amount of time on contraceptives before removing them in preparation for pregnancy, some also see improvements in their cycles after years on contraceptive methods.
Again, I’m not here to bash birth control as a standalone measure of reproductive health — the context of last weekend’s article was that using it and expecting to maintain a certain level of fitness, physique, or certain biomarkers can be incredibly hard (and inconvenient, at best) depending on the route you go.
What I Won’t Apologize For
One of the critiques I received on my last newsletter is that “it’s not within my scope to recommend/consult readers on what they should choose to do with their bodies.”
I understand this.
It is out of my scope of practice.
I don’t want to betray the trust of my readers and then face the consequences of someone suffering adverse effects from following my advice.
But here’s what I’ll say about staying in my scope: I should be able to offer an opinion and critique about a scope of work that I feel isn’t completely doing its service in the best interest of the people it serves.
No, I’m not a doctor.
And no, not every doctor is working in the interest of money, despite their client’s health problems.
However, everyone has the right to question why a doctor might prescribe or recommend something and ask honest questions about the side effects, as well as the desired effects, of a medication or treatment.
I don’t think it’s out of my scope to have criticisms about treatments and legitimately highlight how some side effects can disrupt health.
If the scope of practice in question is questionable, then we should…I don’t know… ask questions?
We’re currently living in a wellness uprising, where people are increasingly focused on how they can extend their healthspan.
I think it would be negligent — and even irresponsible — not to highlight how big a role hormones play in weight loss. We’re currently learning more and more about it through the Ozempic Trials.
If an entire gender is fighting an uphill battle with their hormones, we have to examine all the culprits.
It’s not just food — it’s medication, lifestyle, air quality, and a whole host of other things that need our speculation.
I hope my newsletters as a whole aren’t viewed as counterproductive, but discussion-invoking.
And if they aren’t, I hope you all continue to let me know.