Читать книгу Streaming Lifestyle: Healthier Living By Choice - Dr. Robert L. Bynum - Страница 6

Perhaps this would be a good time to introduce myself. I am Dr. Robert Bynum, a practicing family physician for thirty years. I see patients in my office on a daily basis, and like to think of us—that is, my patients and I (and in this case you as well)—as team players in the health care process. Our greatest desire is to be well and flourish as we face the marvelous adventure we call life.

Like most other doctors, I’ve offered advice to patients over the years, suggesting things they could do to improve their overall health. And even if they didn’t say a word, I could almost hear their responses in my head, and it wasn’t a pretty sound. Of course, I didn’t take it personally, because I’ve been there and don’t like lectures (even cordial, compassionate ones) any more than the next guy. But while life changes are never easy, they are possible, and they really can improve our quality of life, even if we take baby steps on our way to our destination. The harsh reality is that doctors can’t make anyone do anything, and I wouldn’t want that to be part of my job description. I see my job as a kind of cheerleader, empowering you to do what works best for your particular situation.

Perhaps you’ve heard this definition of insanity: Expecting different results from the same old behaviors. It’s true, but you can choose to participate in your own health care decisions, making changes that will ultimately benefit you more than you can even imagine. Your life stream is what you make it.

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You know how they say that every doctor should become a patient at least once in his life, to understand how the other half lives? Well, that very thing happened, and after suffering a back injury, my focus changed dramatically. Since 2006 I have had two back surgeries, and the end result was debilitating chronic pain. As you can imagine, I certainly couldn’t take narcotic pain medications and function with a clear head in the office. But what other options did I have? I say all this so you know I’ve been in that place where my “stream” was no longer free-flowing. I understand the frustration of being unable to move without pain, unable to continue living the kind of life I wanted.

Angry at the hand I had been dealt, I decided I was entirely too young to settle for that kind of life. That motivated me to search for other options, not just for myself, but for my patients as well. My life stream was literally screaming, demanding that I take charge to turn things around. Necessity—or perhaps in this case, desperation—truly was the mother of invention.

Without making lifestyle changes, I tried multiple prescription medications. Unfortunately these did not work for me, either because of significant side effects or because they were ineffective.

After years of dealing with pain, I “got with the program.” I went on an anti-inflammatory diet, lost 25% of my body weight, and started physical therapy as prescribed by my physician (and allowed by my insurance company). I continued to work out at home—walking or running on the treadmill almost daily. After all this, I experienced some improvement, but I still was not satisfied with the level of pain relief.

I started to do some new research and discovered supplements that addressed my pain and “stagnant flowing stream.” After finding a new level of relief with these supplements, patients started asking me what I was doing and wondered if they could do the same thing. The quantity and expense of the supplements I was taking was more than most people were able or willing to afford, so I founded a nutritional company called ByPro Nutrition to manufacture quality products at a more affordable price.

My business partner suggested I write a book to tell my story, but after careful consideration, it seemed that presenting the “flowing stream” was much more important than my personal story. And thus this book was created.