Every wellness nerd has faced a natural health skeptic somewhere along their journey, and we get it: For someone who who hasn’t yet experienced the life-altering impact of preventative and alternative health modalities – or doesn’t know where to start learning about them – many of these things can spark questions we think deserve clear answers.

Our January Guest Editor, Dr. Josh Axe, has helped make our flavor of living well accessible in a major way with his books, wellness centers and the like. All month long we’ve shared essential insights from this top-pro and are proud to dish out another dose of it, as Dr. Axe answers questions both natural health skeptics and passionates need to know about.

We’re holding out for the day where pills are replaced with plants on a mass scale, but until then we’ll keep doing our part to help illuminate important truths like the ones below…

Q: If people are using natural means to successfully address common diseases and conditions, why aren’t I learning about it from my doctors?

A: Our current medical system is all tied to the pharmaceutical industry, which is a trillion dollar industry on a global scale. So a lot of doctors are prescribing and recommending drugs that they make money from. Second, most traditional doctors have little to no nutrition training, so they have no idea that food can be used as medicine, and that supplements and herbs can be just as effective in treating illnesses as pharmaceuticals—if not more so.

When you look at what I teach, which is based on ancient Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine—two healing systems that have been around for thousands of years—it’s benefits have been proven throughout the course of history. Conversely, our modern Western medical system has been around a fraction of the time—less than 100 years—so it’s not nearly as established, nor have we uncovered all of the drawbacks and side effects.

Q: If people are experiencing improvement to their health conditions like diabetes or even cancer through nutrition and natural protocols why are they not sharing it with the world? Why don’t I hear more about it? Why am I not hearing about it all the time on the news?

A: Mainstream media outlets tend to take a traditional approach to health and wellness, often because of the big money machines that running them. The good news, however, is that the internet has made it possible for natural health practitioners like me to spread the truth to people who are interested in finally taking control of their health. I reach more than 10 million people every month with natural remedies, recipes, supplement advice, etc. And there are also other great sites like The Chalkboard that are committed to holistic wellness.

So I would say that if you’re not hearing about these topics as much as you’d like, be more intentional about searching out that information, and then be sure to pay it forward and let someone else know about their potential to naturally transform their health.

Q: I’m skeptical about natural health remedies and protocols. If I were to read one book on the topic or look in to just one account or medical practice to learn more, what would you suggest?

A: I would definitely suggest my book, Eat Dirt. We now know that true health starts in the gut (it’s where around 80% of the immune system is located), so gauging gut health is a good way to keep tabs on overall health. The problem is that so many Americans are suffering from leaky gut (a condition that results when the ratio of good to bad bacteria in the gut is thrown off) that many people learn to live with symptoms like skin rashes and digestive distress and they don’t even realize they’re unhealthy.

We’re written this book to help the reader determine the root cause of their gut troubles and provides a specific program to help heal their unique type of leaky gut. There’s a lot of information out there that can confuse people who are just beginning to take the baby steps toward a healthy life. But I tell people that all they need to do is heal their gut. If you do that everything else will take care of itself.

The Chalkboard Mag and its materials are not intended to treat, diagnose, cure or prevent any disease. 
All material on The Chalkboard Mag is provided for educational purposes only. Always seek the advice of your physician or another qualified healthcare provider for any questions you have regarding a medical condition, and before undertaking any diet, exercise or other health related program.