HealthyLife.Net Radio Show
Wendy’s Animal Talk, Host Wendy Nan Rees
Guest Russell Louie
It Tests Bad: Allopathic Testing Versus Holistic Results
Wendy’s Animal Talk, Host Wendy Nan Rees
Guest Russell Louie
It Tests Bad: Allopathic Testing Versus Holistic Results
November 17, 2009, 1-2:00 PM PDT
Russell, has studied holistic health and spirituality for over 30 years and lived a holistic lifestyle for over 57 years. He specializes in integrating his scientific background with his knowledge of health, to holistically help both people and pets. His greatest talent is being able to cut through all the marketing hype using his scientific background to tell people what is truly holistic. Today, our topic is “It Tests Bad: Allopathic Testing versus Holistic Results.”
Russell, what do you mean by, “It Tests Bad?”
I hear that phrase a lot today from both holistic practitioners, as well as our clients. What I see from my perspective is a blending of allopathic and holistic principles, with the end result not always benefitting the client (whether for people or pets). In other words, a product will supposedly test “bad” but it is not necessarily bad for the person or animal.
This sounds important for my listeners to know. Would you share your holistic perspective with us?
Almost all testing methods today are allopathic. By allopathic I mean taking the same approach as conventional medicine, in that a single question, single method or single perspective is used to evaluate the needs or benefits of a particular product on the body. While this type of testing can provide valuable information, relying on a single test method, single answer or just one perspective is NOT holistic.
OK, can you give me an example of why this is not holistic?
An example would be the standard medical blood test. The value of individual blood parts (for instance, red cells, white cells or platelets), hormones levels, vitamins, enzymes, minerals, electrolytes, metabolites, markers, protein, toxins, etc. are measured against a “normal” range. If the value is too low, the assumption is that body part or organ needs to be boosted up. If the value is too high, that part or organ needs to be suppressed. If the value is in the “normal” range, all is well and the body is healthy.
Yes, I have seen many doctors use that test. Why is that not holistic?
Well, here is an example that will show the fallacy of those assumptions. Suppose the thyroid hormone levels are measured in the normal range according to an allopathic blood test but the body is still exhibiting classic symptoms of hypothyroidism, namely slow metabolism, lethargy, fatigue, weakness, coarse-dry hair, losing hair, weight gain, etc. If one solely relied on the blood test, the thyroid does not need treatment because it tests in the “normal” range.
Based on your holistic experience, what would you do?
Taking a holistic approach, we would continue to look for reasons why the body was exhibiting low thyroid level symptoms in spite of the “normal” blood values. One reason could be the thyroid hormones being produced are inactive or bound. This could be because the proper nutrients are not present, the thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) or thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) are not working, or a genetic defect exists that prevents the body from properly utilizing the thyroid hormone. In these cases, we would suggest a holistic course of action for the thyroid is still needed in spite of the “normal” test value.
So, you are using other information, in this case your observations, in addition to the blood test?
That is exactly right. Let me give you an animal example. One conventional vet, Dr. Alfred Plechner, found many dogs and cats to follow this pattern of exhibiting low thyroid hormone symptoms but testing within the “normal” thyroid hormone levels in standard blood tests. When he administered low doses of replacement (not pharmaceutical dosages) thyroid hormone to these animals, all symptoms of a low thyroid disappeared. This proved to him the thyroid hormones being produced by the body and measured at normal levels in blood tests, were not being utilized for whatever reason. So, relying solely on a blood test to determine treatment would have left the pets with hypothyroid symptoms.
What can my listeners do to avoid this misinterpretation?
The lesson for me is to not rely solely on one allopathic test but holistically look at all the symptoms and holistic options before deciding the next appropriate action. Get second opinions using a different testing method (for instance, kinesiology or muscle testing, radionic machines that test the frequency, machines that test energy fields, pendulums, etc.).
Now that I understand what allopathic testing is, what does testing “Bad” mean?
When a practitioner says something tests “bad,” for you, the general conclusion is whatever product or substance they were testing is harmful to your body. But from my experience that is this not the only answer.
What are the other possibilities?
Some other possibilities are:
1. The practitioner’s bias is influencing the testing
2. The practitioner is not skilled enough at their testing modality to get accurate answers.
3. The product is good but would cause more detoxing than your body can handle right now
Let’s go over the first one. What is practitioner bias?
No energetic testing modality can give 100% accurate answers. The more skilled the practitioner is at using the modality and the more detached they are from the answer, the better the results will be. If the practitioner sells the product they are testing and is very invested in selling it, then perhaps they may not be able to test it accurately.
Conversely, if they know nothing about the product, they may not be able to test it accurately, either, as they may be biased against unfamiliar products. Also, testing results can sometimes be influenced by the person being tested, if they are very invested in getting a particular answer. Some testing methods are better than others at being free of these biases. Muscle testing (also known as kinesiology) is particularly susceptible to bias and therefore takes a very skilled and detached practitioner to get accurate answers.
You sell holistic products, how do you deal with practitioner bias?
I tell people we are holistic wellness consultants first and our first priority is to give them a holistic solution to their pet’s problems. If it involves selling them one of our products, that is great. If it doesn’t but we can provide them a holistic solution using some else’s product, we will do that too.
Sometimes people will order the most therapeutic product in their first order. After going over their pet’s health status and issues, I might determine the less expensive maintenance formula might do just as well. The customer is amazed that I talked them into buying a less expensive product but that is just our philosophy. We would rather cultivate a trusting relationship with a returning client by giving them a holistic solution that works the first time, rather than make only one sale to a first time customer.
Next, could you tell me how the skill of the practitioner matters?
The more skilled the practitioner doing the testing, the more accurate their results will tend to be. If your body is very sensitive, you may want to go to a practitioner that has 20-30 years experience in their testing modality, as they will be more accurate from all the years of practice.
The most skilled practitioners are generally better at testing unfamiliar products as well. Additionally, they may be able to tell you why a product tests bad for you, that is, is the product toxic or is it a beneficial product that your body just can’t handle right now? If someone tells you that a product tests “bad” for you, ask them if they can tell you why it tests “bad”.
OK, what are some of the reasons a product can test bad?
One reason is the product could be so therapeutic, it will cause excessive detoxing. Let me give you an example from our own furry family. We had been routinely giving our 11 year old Chihuahua, Mikki, our BioPreparation-f3+ to help her arthritis. She has a malformed femur and when her muscles get fatigued or it is cold outside, she has a noticeable skip in her rear leg. We had been giving her BioPreparation-f3+ to reduce any inflammation and help keep her leg flexible enough for all normal activities. However, one time the BioPreparation-f3+ tested “bad” for Mikki when our chiropractor checked it. So we switched to the maintenance formula, BioPreparation-f2+, instead. Within one week her arthritis got worse, she was skipping more and she refused to jump up on anything indicating her arthritis was painful. We immediately switched back to the more therapeutic BioPreparation-f3+ which has more antioxidants and Omega oils to nutritionally help the body reduce inflammation and pain. Within one week Mikki was walking normally and jumping up on furniture again.
So, we took our BioPreparation-f3+ back to our chiropractor and insisted that Mikki needed it and asked her to find a way to make it work. Our chiropractor determined that our BioPreparation-f3+ would test good for Mikki if she added some drainage remedies to her regimen. By doing that, we were able to offset the detoxing caused by the more therapeutic BioPreparation formula and Mikki could receive the benefits from it. So, “testing bad” could mean a product is too potent (therapeutic) for the body.
Sounds like one needs to ask the right questions to get an accurate testing.
That’s right. When something tests “bad” one has to look at the exact question being asked and what additional questions might be needed, before coming to the right holistic conclusion. Let me list some of the questions we ask of ourselves and our holistic practitioners:
1. Are there any benefits in using this product with this body at this time?
2. Will this product be beneficial in the future?
3. Is there something else we could use to make this product work with this body at this time?
4. Why is this product not good for the body at this time (e.g., too potent, too detoxing, too stimulating, not the right form of nutrition)?
5. Would another practitioner come to the same conclusion? Get a second opinion.
6. Is this product toxic? A highly skilled practitioner can test the quality of products with energetic testing and tell if they are “clean” or “toxic”. Generally, the cheaper products are made with lower quality materials and will often be toxic. Even if the product provides some benefit to the body and makes you feel better initially, the toxins in it will stress the body and create damage that will have to be dealt with at some point. The cheaper supplements sold in stores will often test toxic when a skilled practitioner evaluates them.
Will you post these questions online for our listeners?
I will post them on your blog as soon as the show is over.
You seem to have wealth of pet knowledge. How can we access more of your 57 years of holistic wisdom?
One way is to go to our website, http://www.optimumchoices.com/ and sign up for our free monthly e-newsletters. We have written articles on such topics as, Is glucosamine the answer for arthritis? Healthy water for you and your pets and Whole Food Nutrition vs. Supplements. All past articles are archived online and one can search for a specific topic. If your listeners will check the box at the bottom of the subscription form, we’ll send subscribers a free report entitled What Pet Food Companies Don’t Want You to Know. This report contains 11-points some of which we covered today.
What other holistic resources do you have that would be of interest my listeners?
We have written a series of Holistic Choices e-Books. Readers can take advantage of the latest holistic research we find and absorb the information in a small chunk rather than a 100+ page book. The first three titles that have been published are:
• Save Your Dog or Cat
• Secrets of Longevity (for people )
• How to become a canine massage provider
How can I and my listeners get a copy?
Go to our website http://www.optimumchoices.com/ and click on the [e-Books] button in the left column on our home page. As a special offer, I will give your listeners one e-Book of their choice free with a purchase of any BioPreparation for pets or BioSuperfood for people product. Just have them say, “Wendy sent me” and ask for the free e-Book title of their choice with any product purchase in the Special Instructions box of our shopping cart. This is very important—the must mention the title of the e-Book they want free.
Thank you for sharing your holistic wisdom with my listeners today.
For more information on Optimum Choices and holistic options for your pet, go to Russell’s website at http://www.optimumchoices.com/. You can call toll-free
866-305-2306 or e-mail them at info@OptimumChoices.com.
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