“The P Word” – A Healthier Way of Looking at Prevention

© 2024 by Dr. David B. Meredith, D.Ac.

I’ve been working on a “unified theory of wellness,” with which I hope to simplify people’s thinking around getting well and staying well over the long term.

Part of the process of articulating this is a curiosity about where people get their current ideas from. What led to taking a particular supplement or medication, including or excluding certain foods from a diet, or adding or subtracting certain habits from your daily regimen?

And one of the most common answers I hear is: Prevention.

“XYZ disease runs in my family, and I don’t want to get it.”

“I don’t want to fall and break a hip when I get old.”

“Such and such food is poisonous, therefore I must arrange my life to avoid its toxic effects.”

In other words, not living fully now, but existing in a fear-based relationship with something that might (or might not) happen. And in addition to robbing the present moment of joy, this anxiety can lead to hasty, uninformed choices that may not be effective… and might even be counterproductive in the long run.

When it comes to your current symptoms, you know if an intervention is “working” because… it works. The symptom is affected. But how do you evaluate prevention-based decisions? Whether the dreaded condition appears or not in the future—or its severity—may not be directly related the regimen you adopt in the present. There are simply too many variables.

To be sure, nobody wants bad things to happen to them! And since 75 to 80 percent of all medical interventions are potentially avoidable with lifestyle modifications, it makes sense to adopt habits and practices that are beneficial to living well, not only in the current moment, but also in the future.

So what are some commonsense guidelines for “prevention?”

• Let go of any idea that you are ever going to control what happens to you. At best, you can influence outcomes, even if you do everything “right.”

• If your plan involves taking any sort of supplementation, research it heavily! Find studies and trustworthy sources of information. Avoid sensationalist articles and social media posts that dramatize potential results without mentioning potential hazards. Look for objective ways of measuring progress over time, such as regular blood testing. And lastly, check in with yourself and see how you feel once you’ve been taking it for a few days. Your body is wise!

• Identify practices and interventions that fit into your current vision for living fully. If you have to force yourself to do something you don’t enjoy just for the possibility of some future benefit, it’s probably not a practice that you will stick with. Find ways of making it joyful, and look for shorter-term benefits than the future issues you are trying to ward off.

• If conditions allow, try not to be an absolutist. Everything in moderation. Enjoy life!

• Look at symptoms as teachers, not problems. Even if the dreaded condition eventually arises despite your best efforts… symptoms are still pointers and reminders toward living well—and that life is a gift.

My intention for expanding Very Well in the way that I did—including Red Light Therapy, PEMF, Vibroacoustic Therapy, Infrared Sauna + Salt Room—is that, while these are powerful, broad-spectrum wellness interventions, they’re also pleasant and enjoyable. You feel good during the treatment and afterward. They feel like rewards, mini vacations, little enhancements to life that can have a big result if used regularly.

For me, they check all the boxes: effective, evidence-based, short-term (sometimes immediate) results, accumulated longer-term benefits, no known side effects… and they’re fun, relaxing, affordable (even more so if you join our memberships). The only “P word” we use here is that we promise that our full focus is on helping you live fully, comfortably, and joyfully, using the best treatments we’ve been able to identify.

(If you need help choosing which treatment is best for you, click here.)