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Natural Awakenings Dallas -Fort Worth Metroplex Edition

 972.992.8815

Managed Prevention or Managed Disease: It’s Your Choice

Karen Asbury, M.D.

There are trends in conventional medicine that were designed to use drugs instead of actually helping the body to heal naturally, and many doctors have given up the constraints of accepting insurance because people, especially those with chronic illnesses, need more time than the average five-to-seven-minute visit. Short visits are due to the payment system dictated by the insurance companies, which usually covers only one problem at a time and is a great disservice to patients.

There are many times when drugs are important and necessary, especially in an acute or emergency situation, but doctors feel tremendous pressure to follow “practice guidelines” that are determined by Big Pharma and the insurance companies; the result of these guidelines is to put more people on more and more drugs for the rest of their lives.

The way to get healthy and stay healthy is to take charge of our health and accept full responsibility. This includes mental and emotional health, as well as physical. It is important to address the root causes of disease, which include nutritional deficiencies, toxic exposures (metals, plastics, chemicals, pesticides), parasites and emotional baggage (emotions can cause physical illness). The sooner the causes are addressed, the more actual disease can be avoided.

Start with diet—avoid GMO foods and demand labeling. Include organic fruits and vegetables and grass-fed meats. Avoid processed foods. Then, exercise and find ways to reduce stress.

Choose alternative health care practitioners carefully; they are not all alike and have a diversity of training and knowledge. A good whole body/whole person approach is to  soend one to one-and-a-half hours per visit and cover all the health issues. Stay health, and happy. Laughter really does help.


Karen Asbury, M.D., specializes in functional (integrative) medicine, in Richardson. For more information, call 972-479-9139 or visit KarenAsburyMD.com.