Why I look my patients in their eyes


I know that some patients ( in family practice or the ER ) present with concerns that may seem trivial to a medical provider and request for unnecessary investigations.  I think that is because they lack knowledge and are genuinely anxious or scared. I can’t see any other reason why anyone will wait in ER and watch CP24 for 5 hours straight on a Saturday evening in the company of a roomful of sick people; or demand to ingest some substances they don’t understand or go through the trouble to be irradiated.  I feel that one solution to our growing healthcare challenge is to seize every opportunity and educate. To share a simple message. To “share” with kindness rather than blame. To help patients see the personal relevance. To encourage them to share what they learn with their family.

Why I look my patients in the eyes:

I want them to know I care.
I want to hear what they say.
I want to feel what they don’t say
I want them to know and feel they are heard.
I want them to understand when I tell them the reason they catch colds so easily is due to their challenged immune system from poor nutrition (not getting the 8000 disease preventing flavonoids in the daily dose of 400 grams of non-starchy vegetables), chronic stress (inability to manage thought contents; to stay mostly in the present rather than in the past regrets/shame or future hope/fear ) and poor life balance (inability to prioritize what’s important in life)
I want them to understand when I tell them that their challenged immune system is the cause of a legion of pain, suffering and illness awaiting them: chronic physical conditions (Infections, allergies, autoimmune disorders, Inflammations, Intestinal conditions, Obesity, Diabetes, Hypertension, High cholesterol, Heart attacks, Strokes, Kidney failures, Arthritis, Neurological conditions, Eye conditions, Memory loss, etc. ) and chronic mental conditions (childhood attention deficit disorders, behaviour disorders, eating disorders, anxiety, depression, etc.)
I want them to understand that their poor life habits will not only hurt them personally but also the people they care about.
I want them to understand that most diseases can be managed if not prevented by a set of Basic Wellness Messages practiced diligently.
I want them to understand that pain, suffering and sickness are all way in which the body informs me when my mind is inattentive to the Basic Wellness Messages.
I want them to know that I can help them interpret the real cause of their pain, suffering or sickness and the real solutions.
I want them to understand the real solution is usually not a test.
I want them to understand the real solution is usually not a pill.
I want them to understand the real solution is usually not a device.
I want them to understand the real solution is usually not a book, a supplement or yet another “snake oil”
I want them to understand the real solution is usually not a therapist.
I want them to understand the real solution is mostly within their own control.
I want them to pay attention when I share with them the importance of a daily dose of 400 grams of non-starchy vegetables, daily Breath Awareness meditation as a way of training the mind and have authentic conversations to gain perspectives of gratitude and what is truly important in life.
I want them to understand that while there may seem to be a great many thing in the world that is out of their control; they do have higher degree of control over what they eat, think and prioritize in life. ( in that order :)
I want them to understand that they can vote for wellness in society with every meal they eat and every present moment lived and every wellness conversation enjoyed.
I want them to understand that they can be a powerful changemaker to bring about a blissful world for the future generations.

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