| Dr. Brownstein, MD - Author and Medical Director |


Shane: Please tell us how you became interested in medicine?

Dr. Brownstein: I have been interested in becoming a doctor since I was a little boy. That is all that I ever wanted to do.

Shane:Where did you study?

Dr. Brownstein: I went to the University of Michigan and Wayne State University School of Medicine. I finished a family practice residency and I am currently Board-Certified in Family Practice.

Shane:Did you prescribe drugs in you current practice?

Dr. Brownstein: Yes, I prescribe drugs in my practice - rarely. There is a time and a place for everything. However, my experience has been clear; drugs are overprescribed and they have many severe side-effects. Drugs can be useful for short-term emergency therapies. However, the longer drugs are used, the more likely it is that adverse effects will occur. Common sense would tell you that the long-term use of these items--drugs-- will lead to a downward spiral in one's health.

Shane: Sure. I understand this. Drugs are designed to be used short term - not like vitamins. Outside of emergency medicine, I too have yet to find any use for a prescription drug.

Dr. Brownstein: I agree with you Shane, natural counterparts are much safer. In addition, natural items promote healing in the body. Drugs poison enzymes and block receptors. I don't believe we should use items that poison things in our body. Natural couterparts to drugs and nutrition can supply the body with the raw materials it needs to promote true healing. I have just written a book, Drugs That Don't Work and Natural Therapies That Do which discusses this topic in more detail.

Shane: What kind of reaction did you get from your peers as you began to take a more common sense approach to wellness?

Dr. Brownstein: Shane, I wasn't interested in any natural therapies after I graduated from medical school. In fact, I used to tell my patients not to use these therapies!

My turning point came shortly after I completed my residency. My father was very ill with heart disease at the time and a patient gave me a book, Healing With Nutrition by Jonathan Wright, M.D. Dr. Wright described his use of natural therapies in treating many illnesses including heart disease. My father was on a host of medications and he was pretty much dying at that point. I tried two natural hormone therapies on my father and he had a remarkable improvement. A 25 year history of angina went away within a week. Once I saw the positive changes in my father, I began to devote myself to learning more about natural therapies. I quickly realized that I wasn't taught anything valuable about natural therapies in medical school. I was only educated in the use of drug therapies. Once I began to realize the toxicity of these drugs, I knew there had to be a better way. SO I found one: Mother Nature.

Shane: How long have you been using natural medicine in your clinic?

Dr. Brownstein: My father was the first patient I treated. That was 12 years ago. From that moment on, I have been searching for safe and effective treatment regimens to help overcome the underlying cause of an illness. Also, I try to help my patients achieve and maintain their optimal health. Another idea that was not taught to me in medical school.

As I continued to researched and use natural therapies to help my patients, I realized the importance of allowing the body to heal itself. The body is a wonderful machine that can run effectively and efficiently if given the correct raw materials. Drugs do not supply the body with the raw materials it needs. Drugs primarily poison enzymes and block receoptors. We should not be poisoning and blocking things in the body-we should be supporting the body. My new book, Drugs That Don't Work and Natural Therapies That Do will discuss these topics.

The natural approach makes much more sense. The body wants to be healthy and wants to be in homeostasis. It does not desire to be out of balance. Drugs generally treat only the symptoms on an illness, they do not treat the underlying cause(s) of an illness. Using safe and effective natural items supplies the body with the raw materials it needs to heal itself.

Shane: What do you tell other physicians who dismiss nutrition and continue to prescribe drugs?

Dr. Brownstein: I would encourage them to have an open mind and look at the biochemistry and physiology and look at what these drugs are doing in the body. Drugs poison enzymes and block receptors-not good things to do for the long-term. We should be supporting the biochemical processes of the body, not blocking them. I would also tell these physicians that there is ample research proving that natural therapies do work [after all, that is where drugs are derived from!]. In each of my books, I have numerous citations.

Shane: What do you think is the most dangerous aspect of Western Medicine?

Dr. Brownstein: Shane, it is clear that primarily relying on drug therapies to treat illnesses is a prescription for future problems. Drugs are too expensive and do not promote health.

Shane: Personally, I don't carry insurance. All it does is pay for drugs. And since I don't use drugs tp achieve I don't use insurance. I keep my own savings account for potential health emergencies. Do you accept insurance at your clinic? Why or why not?

Dr. Brownstein: We do not participate with insurance companies. Insurance companies generally do not like physicians who do not follow their rules. I could not accept insurance reimbursement when the insurance company can dictate to me what tests an what prescriptions I can order. I work for my patients, not their insurance company. Insurance companies simply want to pay doctors to put people on drugs...Can you beleive that!?

Shane: I can. But most people can't. They (an insurance company) might as well break into a person's house, steal their money and then tell them to go eat drug to get it back....

Shane: Tell us about your new book.

My new book, Drugs That Don't Work and Natural Therapies That Do will cover the problems with the most commonly prescribed drugs. There will be chapters about: 1. Cholesterol-lowering drugs 2. Anti-depressant drugs 3. Osteoporosis drugs 4. Anti-inflammatory drugs 5. Synthetic Hormones

The most common drugs in each of these classes of medications have numerous side effects and do not treat any underlying case of an illness. In fact, there are natural therapies that can treat the underlying cause(s) of an illness. This book will give the reader a different prospective for not only treating an illness, but how to achieve their own optimal health.

Shane: What inspired you to write it? We are going broke as a society in paying a large sum of money on many drug therapies that are not effective and yet toxic to us.

Dr. Brownstein: There are safer, less expensive ways that actually help the body heal itself. I want my patients and the public to understand there is a better way than the Big Pharma model.

Shane: What other books have you written and where can people purchase them? Shane, I have written six books (the seventh is coming soon): The Miracle of Natural Hormones 3rd Edition, Overcoming Arthritis, Overcoming Thyroid Disorders, Salt Your Way To Health, Iodine: Why You Need It, Why You Can't Live Without It and The Guide to Healthy Eating. The books are available at: www.drbrownstein.com or by calling: 1.888.647.5616,

Shane: EVERYBODY asks me, "What do physicians think of your book, Health Myths Exposed." What was your initial reaction when you read it?

I loved your book and your story of how you used to work for Big Pharma. I think your books need to be read by all. They give pertinent information on why many of these toxic drugs that are commonly prescribed need to be avoided.

Shane: The majority of physicians have no idea what "proper eating" means. I know you have studied nutrition extensively. In your own words, please tell people what you suggest in the way of "proper eating."

Dr. Brownstein: The number one positive thing people can do to help themselves is to eat a healthy diet. I wrote my book, The Guide to Healthy Eating to help people make better food choices. The food industry has really done a number on us with all of the refined, devitalized food. There is no reason to eat junk food. Remember, garbage in equals garbage out. Our bodies were designed to run on healthy, nutrient rich food, not refined, devitalized food.

About the Author: Shane is an organic chemist and internationally recognized authority on therapeutic nutrition. He is author of Health Myths Exposed and Hidden Truth about Cholesterol-Lowering Drugs. Get 6-months of his FREE Life Saving Health Briefs at www.healthmyths.net!

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