Do you want to ghost your current doctor?

[View in browser]( | [Unsubscribe]( [Rodale Wellness]( FROM THE DESK OF Marisa Vigilante Senior Editor, Rodale Books Dear Wellness Seeker, I ghosted on my long-term dermatologist a few years ago. It wasn't her fault, per se, but I didn't feel like our relationship was "healthy" any more, and it seemed like it was time to move on. My doctor was well-respected by her peers, and considered a leading expert in psoriasis, the condition that was likely causing my hands to develop patches of dry, scaly skin that would crack and bleed if left untreated. At our biannual visits, she would examine my hands, shake her head, and then write me prescriptions for increasingly stronger steroid creams. These creams would peel away the top layers of dry skin on my hands to reveal shiny new skin below, and provide some relief in the process. However, it was always short-lived, and using the creams continuously wasn't recommended as they lead to a variety of undesirable side effects. I was told my condition was "incurable" and that I would just have to live with it for, likely, the rest of my life. No effort was ever made to uncover the root cause or connect it to any other health issues I experienced. Is this the best our health care system has to offer? Unfortunately, the answer right now is often yes, and I'm guessing you've probably had an experience similar to what I just described. But what if there was a better way? What if you could take control of your health on your own and achieve superior results to what your doctor has been offering you? What if you could become "smarter" than your doctor and actually cure your health issues, not just treat the symptoms? [William Davis, M.D.]( cardiologist and author of the New York Times bestselling Wheat Belly books, absolutely believes that you can and outlines how in his new book [Undoctored]( on sale from Rodale Books on May 9. Dr. Davis revolutionized the health world by convincing millions of people to cut grains out of their diet and reverse years of chronic health damage. Now, he's going even further and will help you create a comprehensive program to reduce, reverse, and cure hundreds of common health conditions and break your dependence on prescription drugs through simple, effective, lifestyle interventions. Dr. Davis first explains how we got to this dismal point with our profit-driven health care system, and then walks readers through what you can do to take charge of your own health, safely and responsibly. Don't get me wrong—I have a lot of respect for doctors and they're absolute lifesavers (literally!) in plenty of situations. But, when it comes to chronic diseases, a lot of doctors don't have the time, incentives, or knowledge to work with patients to solve underlying, nagging health issues. My doctor was well-meaning, but ultimately couldn't help me get to the root cause of my disease. [Undoctored]( could be the game changer in your healing journey and forever change the way you think about treating your health issues. Break up with your doctor if he or she is no longer meeting your needs, and achieve real health freedom today! Yours in wellness, Marisa Vigilante Senior Editor 7 Steps to Minimize Your Exposure to Health Toxins Adapted from [Undoctored]( [woman-toxic-exposure-main-500.jpg] The dangers of chemical exposures can be passed down through generations with, for example, exposure to parabens in toiletries or BPA (bisphenol A) from canned foods, conveyed to children or even grandchildren via epigenetic effects (i.e., changes in the proteins regulating gene expression), a concerning new insight.36 It means that your exposure, for example, to the parabens in shampoo yield effects in your children and grandchildren even if they are personally unexposed, another example of unintended consequences of releasing chemicals without understanding the implications. We cannot personally clear the environment of banned chemicals, or even of chemicals in active use today, such as the glyphosate being sprayed on your neighbor's lawn to kill dandelions or the triclosan in antibacterial hand soaps and hand sanitizers. But we can choose to avoid ongoing exposures in our homes. Here are some steps you can take to reduce your exposure to industrial compounds and other health disrupters: Supplement iodine Know that iodine can also be part of your protection from industrial chemicals. Many environmental poisons are halogens (compounds containing bromine, chlorine, and fluorine), whose effects are partially blocked by iodine. It does not make you impervious, but it provides some measure of protection. Filter your water Even though most (not all) municipalities and cities do a good job of filtering water, most add back chlorine (or the longer-acting chloramine) or fluoride, both--as you now know--halogenated compounds. As discussed earlier, chlorine and fluoride are [antibacterial]( in water and on kitchen counters but also in your gastrointestinal tract, where we want microbes to thrive. Filtering your water with a reverse osmosis or charcoal filter system, or both, is a good practice to remove these halogenated compounds. It is also added assurance against water contaminated with atrazine, perchlorates, polybrominated diphenyl ethers, arsenic, and lead from home plumbing. Grow your own or buy organic There is no longer any question: [Consuming organic foods provides greater quantities of nutrients]( especially antioxidants and polyphenols (which provide much of the health benefits of vegetables and fruits); lower levels of the toxic metal cadmium; and dramatically reduced quantities of herbicides, pesticides, and antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Critics argue that while that all may be true, the difference in health is small to nonexistent. I believe, however, that they fail to consider that choosing organic foods reduces overall [exposure to industrial chemicals]( on the background of daily, ubiquitous exposure, that some of the chemicals encountered accumulate in the human body, and that organic farming is a more environmentally friendly and sustainable method than conventional farming. Minimize use of products with BPA Bisphenol A, or BPA, is widely used in consumer products, especially the resin lining of cans (canned foods) and plastic bottles made of polycarbonate. It is even in plastic baby bottles. The FDA and its European counterpart, the European Food Safety Authority, declared BPA safe based on two studies conducted by manufacturers, discounting hundreds of independent, noncommercial studies demonstrating otherwise. Noncommercial studies have demonstrated that BPA is an endocrine disrupter and has been associated with increased risk for diabetes, congestive heart failure, infertility (along with these other everyday chemicals), disruption of the hypothalamic-pituitary system, and prostate and breast cancers. For these reasons, despite the industry-friendly bias of official agencies, we should minimize use of canned foods (unless designated BPA-free) and plastic bottles with recycling code #7. For three more ways to reduce chemical toxins in your life, head to [RodaleWellness.com](. Recommended for You: In his New York Times bestseller Wheat Belly, Dr. William Davis changed the lives of millions of people by teaching them to remove grains from their diets to reverse years of chronic health damage. In [Undoctored]( he goes beyond cutting grains to help you take charge of your own health. With [Undoctored]( the code to health care has been cracked―Dr. Davis will help you create a comprehensive program to reduce, reverse, and cure hundreds of common health conditions and break your dependence on prescription drugs. By applying simple strategies while harnessing the collective wisdom of new online technologies, you can break free of a healthcare industry that puts profits over health. [ORDER NOW]( Did a friend forward this e-mail to you? Don't miss a single newsletter. Sign up at [RodaleWellness.com/join](. [facebook]( [twitter]( [pinterest]( [Instagram]( [Unsubscribe]( [Manage Your Email Preferences]( [Privacy Policy]( Customer Care Dept., 400 South 10th Street, Emmaus, PA 18098 © 2017 Rodale Inc., all rights reserved 10918