Sheldon Baker09.23.11
One of America’s top natural healthcare practitioners, Dr. Tom Potisk is a leader in his field. He was elected Chiropractor of the Year, is published and lectures extensively in his community, helps thousands of patients in the holistic practice he began in 1985, and has presented a research case study at a conference in Paris, France. Now, with his books and presentations he shares his knowledge and experience worldwide, in the form of practical self-care health methods that families and health professionals can benefit from immediately. He is called the “down-to-earth” doctor because of his family-oriented country lifestyle and his simplistic, practical, and easy to implement health advice. He is a graduate of Palmer College of Chiropractic, has hundreds of hours of post graduate training and is certified in nutritional counseling and wellness. His new book, Whole Health Healing provides information and tips to help make wiser healthcare decisions, save money and time, as well as become healthier.
Health E-Insights: Your book is called Whole Health Healing. What is that?
Dr. Potisk: It's the solution to what most people are seeking in regard to their health—to be more in control. They want to cut their healthcare expenses in a safe manner and also be confident they are doing everything possible to ensure an active, fulfilling and independent lifestyle until their final days. I wrote this book to enable people to have all that. It empowers them with simple, easy-to-implement lifestyle changes that I learned during both my training and observation of thousands of people in my holistic family practice. I dealt with all ages; my youngest was one day old and my oldest was 103. Dr. Albert Schweitzer, Noble prize winner said “Each patient carries his own doctor within him. The patients come to us not knowing that truth. We are at our best when we give the doctor that resides within each patient the chance to go to work.” That is my favorite quote and it summarizes my view about health. Whole health healing means giving that doctor within what it needs to do its job. That's holistic health. This real health is more than just the absence of symptoms or getting the typical early detection tests like cholesterol, blood pressure, mammograms and colonoscopy. Real health means addressing and maintaining all aspects of our being, our whole selves—mental, spiritual, emotional and physical. People will be delighted to know that getting better and staying better holistically is not all that difficult when you learn how. Unfortunately most of the holistic books are authored by celebrities and medical defectors who have little if any formal training and experience. That's what makes my book different. I've got the proper training and experience. Several readers have commented that it's the real thing. One man recently reported that he lost 35 pounds in six months just by implementing a few of the simple suggestions I make in the chapter called “Enjoying Eating.”
Health E-Insights: Why are you known as the down-to-earth doctor?
Dr. Potisk: My patients were calling me this and it describes the real me. My family and I live very holistically using the natural methods I describe in the book. We have enjoyed medical expenses at or near zero for two decades. Also, they tell me I have an easy-going, conversational style of writing that is easy to understand and implement.
Health E-Insights: Why do you say that people are in grave danger if they rely strictly on conventional medical care?
Dr. Potisk: Conventional medicine has been in control of our nation’s health system for a century. God bless them as they work wonders with emergencies and life-threatening illnesses and injuries. But they fall woefully short with overall health and wellness. By all measures our nation has pitiful health statistics compared to other countries. We are at or near the bottom of all those lists such as longevity and infant mortality. Yet ours is the most expensive. On top of that the World Health Organization statistics show that the leading cause of death is iatrogenic, meaning the complications of medical care like reactions, errors and side effects. My point is we need more self-care to minimize conventional health care. Holistic self-care is not just safe, it’s very safe when people learn how to use it properly.
Health E-Insights: You claim to know the missing link in healthcare. What is it and why?
Dr. Potisk: One of the chapters in the book is called Structure Based Health Care. It's often overlooked that structure effects function. I call this the missing link in healthcare because most doctors overlook it. By structure, I mean that the alignment of our bones and joints, especially of our spines, has a profound influence on how our parts work. This concept goes back centuries in other cultures. Cave drawings can be seen of ancient people manipulating each other’s bodies. Hippocrates himself wrote “Look to the spine for the cause of disease.” When our body structure is off balance, it causes irritation or pinching of our nerves, interrupting or impeding the normal flow of impulses. The nervous system controls all parts of the body, including organs and even systems like immunity. This structure-function concept is the basis of chiropractic healthcare. Doctors of chiropractic are thoroughly trained and are specialists in detecting and correcting these misalignments. In the spine they are called vertebral subluxations. The correction is called an adjustment. It's very safe, economical, effective and one of the best ways I know of to release the power of our doctor within as Dr. Schweitzer advocated.
Health E-Insights: What do you recommend when it comes to dietary supplements?
Dr. Potisk: Nothing beats getting the nutrients your body needs from eating wholesome foods. But those who can’t always do that perhaps because of time or money will need to take quality supplements to fill in the gaps. The need for one’s specific dietary supplements is best determined by a professional. Overall, I find most adults, for general health maintenance benefit by taking omega 3 fatty acids, vitamin D3, vitamin C and a multi-mineral supplement. Seek supplements that are organic versus synthetic for best absorption. And always follow label instructions.
Sheldon Baker wants to interview you. Contact Sheldon at sbaker@bakerdillon.com. Follow him on Twitter @NutraInk and visit his website at www.BakerDillon.com.
Health E-Insights: Your book is called Whole Health Healing. What is that?
Dr. Potisk: It's the solution to what most people are seeking in regard to their health—to be more in control. They want to cut their healthcare expenses in a safe manner and also be confident they are doing everything possible to ensure an active, fulfilling and independent lifestyle until their final days. I wrote this book to enable people to have all that. It empowers them with simple, easy-to-implement lifestyle changes that I learned during both my training and observation of thousands of people in my holistic family practice. I dealt with all ages; my youngest was one day old and my oldest was 103. Dr. Albert Schweitzer, Noble prize winner said “Each patient carries his own doctor within him. The patients come to us not knowing that truth. We are at our best when we give the doctor that resides within each patient the chance to go to work.” That is my favorite quote and it summarizes my view about health. Whole health healing means giving that doctor within what it needs to do its job. That's holistic health. This real health is more than just the absence of symptoms or getting the typical early detection tests like cholesterol, blood pressure, mammograms and colonoscopy. Real health means addressing and maintaining all aspects of our being, our whole selves—mental, spiritual, emotional and physical. People will be delighted to know that getting better and staying better holistically is not all that difficult when you learn how. Unfortunately most of the holistic books are authored by celebrities and medical defectors who have little if any formal training and experience. That's what makes my book different. I've got the proper training and experience. Several readers have commented that it's the real thing. One man recently reported that he lost 35 pounds in six months just by implementing a few of the simple suggestions I make in the chapter called “Enjoying Eating.”
Health E-Insights: Why are you known as the down-to-earth doctor?
Dr. Potisk: My patients were calling me this and it describes the real me. My family and I live very holistically using the natural methods I describe in the book. We have enjoyed medical expenses at or near zero for two decades. Also, they tell me I have an easy-going, conversational style of writing that is easy to understand and implement.
Health E-Insights: Why do you say that people are in grave danger if they rely strictly on conventional medical care?
Dr. Potisk: Conventional medicine has been in control of our nation’s health system for a century. God bless them as they work wonders with emergencies and life-threatening illnesses and injuries. But they fall woefully short with overall health and wellness. By all measures our nation has pitiful health statistics compared to other countries. We are at or near the bottom of all those lists such as longevity and infant mortality. Yet ours is the most expensive. On top of that the World Health Organization statistics show that the leading cause of death is iatrogenic, meaning the complications of medical care like reactions, errors and side effects. My point is we need more self-care to minimize conventional health care. Holistic self-care is not just safe, it’s very safe when people learn how to use it properly.
Health E-Insights: You claim to know the missing link in healthcare. What is it and why?
Dr. Potisk: One of the chapters in the book is called Structure Based Health Care. It's often overlooked that structure effects function. I call this the missing link in healthcare because most doctors overlook it. By structure, I mean that the alignment of our bones and joints, especially of our spines, has a profound influence on how our parts work. This concept goes back centuries in other cultures. Cave drawings can be seen of ancient people manipulating each other’s bodies. Hippocrates himself wrote “Look to the spine for the cause of disease.” When our body structure is off balance, it causes irritation or pinching of our nerves, interrupting or impeding the normal flow of impulses. The nervous system controls all parts of the body, including organs and even systems like immunity. This structure-function concept is the basis of chiropractic healthcare. Doctors of chiropractic are thoroughly trained and are specialists in detecting and correcting these misalignments. In the spine they are called vertebral subluxations. The correction is called an adjustment. It's very safe, economical, effective and one of the best ways I know of to release the power of our doctor within as Dr. Schweitzer advocated.
Health E-Insights: What do you recommend when it comes to dietary supplements?
Dr. Potisk: Nothing beats getting the nutrients your body needs from eating wholesome foods. But those who can’t always do that perhaps because of time or money will need to take quality supplements to fill in the gaps. The need for one’s specific dietary supplements is best determined by a professional. Overall, I find most adults, for general health maintenance benefit by taking omega 3 fatty acids, vitamin D3, vitamin C and a multi-mineral supplement. Seek supplements that are organic versus synthetic for best absorption. And always follow label instructions.
Sheldon Baker wants to interview you. Contact Sheldon at sbaker@bakerdillon.com. Follow him on Twitter @NutraInk and visit his website at www.BakerDillon.com.
