A new book offers a way forward in our fight against the epidemic of chronic disease.
In his new book, The Community Cure, author James Maskell documents a new approach to medicine centered on community: that is, coming together as groups of patients suffering from the same afflictions to heal more effectively (and cost effectively). In a world where chronic illness is on the rise and bankrupting health systems across the globe, it is an intriguing solution. This approach puts functional medicine at the center, emphasizing lifestyle changes, social support, and natural health to maintain wellness rather than the use of prescription drugs. Unfortunately, the federal government, at almost every turn, prevents Americans from becoming knowledgeable about the benefits of natural health by maintaining the monopoly of prescription drugs on American medicine, and it has to stop.
Integrative medicine is all about getting to the root cause of disease, and Maskell argues that an overlooked root cause is loneliness. He presents research demonstrating the debilitating effects that loneliness and isolation have on human health. He quotes the Chief Medical Officer of Cigna as saying loneliness “has the same impact on mortality as smoking 15 cigarettes a day, making it even more dangerous than obesity.” A chief characteristic of Blue Zones, which are regions around the world where populations live longer and experience less chronic disease, is the presence of strong communities. In short, social isolation is a bigger determinant on health and disease than any other factor.
How can this knowledge be leveraged to improve our health? Maskell promotes the notion of group visits. The idea is for diabetes patients (or cancer patients, heart disease patients, etc.) to come together in a group to learn about the elements of the disease, how to address them with diet and lifestyle changes, and work together as a group to implement these changes. Working as a group instills a sense of comradery and accountability. The Community Cure documents the stunning results that have been achieved by different practitioners and patients using this model across the country.
This makes a lot of sense. The standard in our medical system is for a doctor to diagnose a condition, prescribe a drug or surgical intervention, and send the patient off on their own. Many physicians, let alone patients, express frustration with this model. One doctor got involved in this movement when he noticed that, after heart bypass surgeries, many patients came back with clogged arteries because they returned home after treatment to the same habits that caused the problem in the first place. Patients with depression are prescribed anti-depressants and sent off to manage their condition on their own. Not only is this approach ineffective, it is incredibly costly. In 2016, the total costs for the treatment of chronic disease in the US totaled $1.1 trillion—equal to about six percent of GDP.
The problem with implementing such a pioneering approach to medicine are the many barriers the federal government throws up that block patient access to the cheap, safe, and effective natural medicines that can help us heal.
- Through the “new supplement” notification system the FDA is in the process of developing, consumer access to thousands of dietary supplements is threatened;
- The FDA oversees a process that allows Big Pharma to turn natural compounds into expensive monopoly drugs;
- By restricting the health claims that can be made about supplements—claims that are backed by strong scientific evidence—consumers are prevented from learning about the benefits of natural medicines that can help them heal, preserving the monopoly of prescription drugs on healthcare;
- The FDA is considering a ban on compounded bioidentical hormones like estriol, as well as a host of other compounded supplements and medications that are crucial to patient health;
- The federal government caves to special interests that want to keep exposing us to dangerous chemicals like glyphosate, BPA, arsenic, and others while we are learning that these chemicals are a main driver behind chronic disease.
The links above will take you to recent coverage of these issues where you can take action to defend natural health.
If you’re interested in a free electronic copy of Maskell’s book, fill out the form below.
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I am all for this wonderful type of true health care and hope to see this spread far and wide. I just watched a great podcast by Mike Adams regarding this same formula. I can only imagine how much better off the world would be if this was implemented world wide.
Looking forward to reading this book.
Thank you for getting the word out.
Cancer needs all the help to combat it!
I could better utilize your Action items if you would make the default recipient list a series of checked boxes, that I could uncheck as I wish. I have passed on a number of items, that I would have otherwise been happy to participate in if I had that option.
I’d love to access this free e-book in a more ethical manner. I do not use Amazon for anything, not even a freebie. Please send another link to download if that is available. If not, please consider another seller. Thanks for all you do!
I was not happy to find out that in order to access the free e-book, I would have to download some Kindle app from Amazon. I have never had this requirement to receive free e-books before. Every other one from various sources over the last several years has been in the form of a simple pdf file I can read on my browser or download straight to my computer. ANH, please inform your readers of this so we aren’t unpleasantly surprised after pressing the “submit” button. It’s almost like a “bait and switch” scam except thankfully no money is involved.
Re: “Not only is this approach ineffective, it is incredibly costly. In 2016, the total costs for the treatment of chronic disease in the US totaled $1.1 trillion—equal to about six percent of GDP.”
Of course…that’s intentional. The cost is not to the monopoly…the cost is to the individual and/or the taxpayers as a whole. Just as planned by Big Pharma and their Globalist bosses.
If it got changed, they would just get laws passed or changed through their lobbyists, to put everything back into their favor. You can’t beat them unless you get rid of them completely. Human nature being what it is, who’s to say the replacements would not go down the same path later, if not sooner.
I am looking forward to reading about this approach. Insurance is increasingly pushing integrated medicine aside for the traditional sickness model. If I were to outline the system, it would be like this. Picture a triangle with big ag, big food and big bio-chew industries on the bottom. On the left side of this triangle, picture the insurance industry. On the right side picture our current medical system. In the middle of the triangle picture a large $ (dollar) sign. Around this triangle picture a protective circle with an American Eagle on the top with wings outstretched in a protective manner. In other words the system begins with the with the bottom big 3 mentioned who produce our food with the assistance of GMOs, and other pesticides adding fake ingredients to enhance that which was taken out. Waiting in the wings to take care of the disease created by this system is what I call the “sickness” symptom controlled system and the financiers the insurance companies. We pay for this through our elected government who are on the payroll of these business therefore they protect them. It began this way over a 100 years ago and accelerated about fifty years ago with pesticide farming methods and will continue on unless we come to realize that this is the “real” problem with climate change resulting from monocropping and deforestation with allows carbon into the atmosphere.
Through the “new supplement” notification system the FDA is in the process of developing, consumer access to thousands of dietary supplements is threatened. The FDA oversees a process that allows Big Pharma to turn natural compounds into expensive monopoly drugs. By restricting the health claims that can be made about supplements—claims that are backed by strong scientific evidence—consumers are prevented from learning about the benefits of natural medicines that can help them heal, preserving the monopoly of prescription drugs on healthcare. The FDA is considering a ban on compounded bioidentical hormones like estriol, as well as a host of other compounded supplements and medications that are crucial to patient health. The federal government caves to special interests that want to keep exposing us to dangerous chemicals like glyphosate, BPA, arsenic, and others while we are learning that these chemicals are a main driver behind chronic disease.
I was forced to self-diagnose and self-treat myself and sons – who did have International Careers.
Drs ask me what I am doing and congratulate me – the ones who are not afraid of their “evidence based Medicine” and the Gov’t and like bodies. Yet I was the one with the fuzzed brain and fatigue etc., etc.,
I do remember James Maskell in earlier days doing his best to get recognition and make a difference, so all the very best with this book.
Has it always been your (FDA) policy to bow to the large corporations and medical groups to your benefit?? It seems to me that since the “wonder in the change of philosophy for the concern of others well being” that occurred in 2016 with the coming of a disordered acting president. If your concerns are real, what are they. I find it difficult to accept openly the raping of the conventional medicines and natural products as well as the food industry.
no amazon