I’ve been thinking about another false dichotomy. Theme of the year? We tend to put people into one of two camps: natural-health-minded people and follow-the-science people. We sort our friends, family and medical professionals into these categories as well. Oh, you make your own kombucha? You probably also use essential oils and believe in “conspiracy theories.” Oh, you take a pharmaceutical drug? You probably haven’t done “research” and haven’t thought for yourself. These are ridiculous jumps, but I know that we sometimes make them, probably more frequently than we realize. Whichever end of the spectrum we tend to find ourselves on, we tend to jump to conclusions and try to quickly identify someone as our teammate or as our adversary.

Medical procedures and decisions are just another area where we simplify perspectives and ignore nuance. When I question alternative health beliefs and practices that don’t have much research base, I am viewed as being “unenlightened” and close-minded. When I question the efficacy of a particular type of drug and the unintended consequences that may accompany it, I am immediately put into the camp of pill-haters.

Perhaps it may be helpful to share a bit from my own journey with health and wellness. My journey with health took an interesting turn one evening at small group. I was eating a kebab and all of a sudden, a piece of meat became lodged in my throat and I was unable to breathe. Long story short, Josiah ended up saving my life by performing the Heimlich (which he had just learned several days previously). Unfortunately, the food actually became lodged further down my throat, so although I could breath, I couldn’t swallow. A trip to the ER and a procedure and endoscopy later, I walked away with a diagnosis: Eosinophilic Esophagitis (EE).

I went to the allergist and gastroenterologist with not many answers but plenty of prescriptions to fill. I believe this is when my journey towards more holistic health really took off. Here I was, mid-twenties, facing a diagnosis that not much was known about. I was told that there was nothing I could really do about it, but I would have to be on medication for the rest of my life. These medications only worked for some people and eating would still be potentially life-threatening for me. Also, none of the treatments were appropriate for during my pregnancies.

I started treatment and still faced periodic difficulties with swallowing, sometimes by myself when I did on occasion have to throw myself over a chair in order to dislodge the food. This was an anxious and frustrating time for me. So, what did I do, besides cry out to God? Well, being the reader that I am, I started reading all the research I could find on Pubmed. What did the literature have to say about EE? This started me on a journey of educating myself about conventional and alternative treatments for digestive issues.

I won’t go into all the things I learned about digestion, gut health, and allergies, but through this journey of experimenting with various diets, naturopathic visits, genetic testing, and herbal courses, I have walked away with a very different perspective on what constitutes health, and how to get there. I have come to embrace functional medicine, working at some of the roots of why a particular thing is happening instead of medicating symptoms and being done.

Perhaps the largest takeaway for me is the power of food to either heal or harm. Along with reading research and plenty of personal stories from others, I discovered the work of researcher Weston Price. I developed a way of eating that focuses on traditional foods, “old” foods that have been eaten before the last century. I came to understand how our obsession with quick food (even beyond fast food) has changed the quality of the food we eat. Even the quick, standardized yeast that we now use in breads makes bread a lot more problematic than bread using natural yeasts (sourdough). Our obsession with sweetness and portability has even affected the varieties of produce that we are able to buy in the store. Often these varieties of produce are not as high in nutrients as heirloom varieties. (Book Rec: Eating on the Wild Side).

I also learned a lot more about how pharmaceuticals can adversely affect the body. Not only are there side-effects from medications, but there are frequently nutritional imbalances that develop. I am not saying to never take medications, but I believe we need to understand what are the long-term effects of the pharmaceuticals that we are using. Have we experienced true informed consent, when we have been presented with the potential risks and benefits of a particular treatment? Are we ok with the trade-offs? If we are, great, we can be thankful for the intervention.

I also delved into the world of herbs that have been traditionally used for generations and can be very effective at relieving some (not all) symptoms. This involves a call to humility – of recognizing the wisdom of our ancestors and not just assuming that our generation has gotten everything right because we can make something in a lab. I am not saying that we haven’t gotten a lot right. Let’s just not throw away the past.

I also have a different understanding of the gifts and limitations of medical professionals. I value and respect the training of my family doctor, allergist, and gastroenterologist. I also understand a bit of their limitations in regards to what they were trained in and the way they view disease and healing. I believe there is a way to value people’s training, but also think critically and ask questions. My family doctor confessed that I probably was more well-read on my condition than she was and I respect her for her humility and honesty.

I also have a different understanding of the gifts and limitations of alternative health professionals. They also have a certain way that they were trained and a certain framework for how they view disease and healing. They also do not have the full picture, but are viewing things through a particular lens.

And, even with all my reading and research, I still only know a part. There is so much I don’t know. Even though I’ve put a lot of pieces together, the puzzle isn’t complete. And perfect health is not my one goal for this life anyway.

I believe that God is healer. I believe in the healing power of prayer. I also believe in the healing power of medical interventions. I also believe in the healing power of lifestyle changes. I am saddened by our tendency to pray for healing and our slowness in making the hard, life-giving changes. (I want to be able to eat anything that tastes good and not worry about the consequences. I don’t feel like exercising. I deny my need for sleep.)  I am saddened by our tendency to focus on sanitization, and our neglect of building a healthy bodily terrain. We know in part, but forget that it is only a part. Medical professionals know in part, but we forget that it is only a part.

How do I think critically and remain open-minded? How do I walk in humility, acknowledging the training of others, yet not shutting down my own questions? How do I help people with competing viewpoints listen to each other, so that everyone can benefit? I’ve sensed recently that Jesus is calling me to be a bridge-builder. I often resist this because it is easier to place myself in one camp than to deal with conflicting perspectives, especially with all the emotional volatility so often present. When it comes to health – is it not obvious that we are on the same side anyway? Do we not desire all people to walk in health and wholeness? Obviously there are different approaches, but the overall goal is the same.

Lord, You are not only our Creator, but our Healer and Guide. Our health is in Your hands, but help us to not abdicate our role as well. Give us wisdom, courage, and peace as we walk in (faltering) obedience.