Dr. Gus Vickery is a licensed, practicing medical doctor who helps individuals experience their full human potential through health optimization. He is the author of Authentic Health, a well-respected speaker, and the founder and directing physician of Vickery Family Medicine in Asheville, NC. He established his practice with a commitment to delivering holistic, compassionate and evidence-based care and strives to help everyone achieve their authentic health. He is an expert in weight management, human performance and longevity.
Question: You advise your patients to “remove the blame.” Please explain.
Answer: Most of the patients that I see who are dealing with poor health blame themselves. They feel their poor health is the result of their lack of willpower and their inability to change. This causes shame, guilt and a negative self-concept. Others blame their poor health on circumstances beyond their control and develop a victim mentality. Whether they blame themselves or blame others, the result is a negative mindset that further disempowers them from being able to pursue their best health. The truth is that most people truly desire to feel good and be healthy. More than likely, individuals who find themselves in a state of poor health did not intentionally choose the habits that created this state. Their behaviors were conditioned patterns that started long before the age of conscious choice. They need to recognize this and let go of blaming themselves or others, practice self-forgiveness and leave shame behind.
Question: For losing weight, you go against conventional wisdom regarding consuming small meals throughout the day. Please explain your reasoning.
Answer: Our eating behaviors and body composition are powerfully influenced by genetic and hormonal processes. Our genetics have been finely tuned over an immense span of time to promote the ability to survive and thrive. If you study the pattern of eating of our remote ancestors, you will find very few examples of societies that ate multiple small meals a day.
The typical pattern was one or two meals daily with ample fasting periods. Our bodies were designed to spend more time in a fasting state than in a fed state. Our ancestors who grazed throughout the day would have been climbing trees to pluck fruit, cracking open nuts, and digging roots and tubers out of the ground while walking long distances. They would not have been stopping to eat a meal every few hours. Eating every few hours causes us to focus on food all day long and keeps changing our physiological state from an energy utilizing state to an energy storing state. Fasting helps develop the metabolic flexibility that allows us to use stored energy properly which results in stable energy levels and the ability to manage our hunger effectively.
Question: You’ve said you believe the use of supplements should be individualized. With that in mind, what recommendations can you make to natural product retailers?
Answer: I know based on my own clinical experience and the review of biomedical literature that almost all people will improve their health by adding supplements to their daily routine. I think it is safe to say that everyone would benefit from a high-quality multivitamin, a high-quality omega-3 supplement, and some form of trace mineral supplement. In addition, most individuals will benefit from targeted supplements based on their conditions and goals. What is important to recognize is that we now have tools that can evaluate an individual’s nutritional status, as well as their specific genetic biochemical blueprint. With these tools, we can recommend very precise supplement protocols. My advice to natural product retailers would be to develop resources to better understand their client’s unique needs and goals. I would also suggest they cultivate relationships with practitioners who can provide the testing discussed above. The future of the health industry is collaboration and customization rather than a shotgun approach.
Question: You have stated, “I think our health care system makes health sound complicated and difficult, but I believe that it’s actually quite simple and quite enjoyable.” How do you help your patients achieve simple and enjoyable health?
Answer: I try to help my patients understand that, although our bodies are infinitely complex, the basic habits that support our best health are relatively simple. We need sleep. We need nutritious foods. We need clean air and water. We need movement, natural light, and exposure to nature. If we create a daily rhythm that honors these needs, our bodies and minds will be fine. The challenge is that our current lifestyle paradigm works against these principles. But if we are willing to start making small changes in the right direction, our bodies will return us to a much healthier state of being. Once people experience the benefits of better health, these habits become self-reinforcing. They feel too good to return to their old patterns.
Website: www.drgusvickery.com
