Dr. Gannage’s Christmas Wish List

Last minute shoppers beware.  What I’m requesting under the tree is not attainable in the next 24 hours.

This is a list for December 25th 2013…what I’d like to see implemented by Christmas of next year.  Forward thinking is a creative process.  Here’s my Christmas wish list for 2013.

1. Autism is recognized not as a psychiatric disorder, but as a complex multi-system condition with gut, immune, biochemical and brain dysfunctions.  As such, the current American Academy of Pediatrics’ (AAP) guideline, newly added, to give a trial to a GFCF (gluten and casein free) diet is expanded to include even more evidence-based nutrition treatments.
2. Cancer care is expanded to more routinely include CAM therapies, with Ontario ready and willing to open an Integrative Cancer Care clinic that is publicly funded.
3. Sugar and high-fructose corn syrup are taxed, to deter purchase, help control the obesity epidemic, and provide a a source of funding for Holistic Nutrition integration into doctor’s offices.
4. Meaningful legislation that helps to curb gun violence is signed.
5. Mental health disorders are openly discussed from a comprehensive perspective. In-patients have access to sound nutrition that modifies the flawed Canada’s Food Guide, considers the brain effect of particular foods, utilizes the research showing benefits attributed to omega3 fatty acids and Vitamin D therapy, and assigns a caseworker with education in Nutrition to each individual patient – for outpatient liaising as well.
6. Cardiology patients are routinely offered evidenced-based orthomolecular medicine to complement management of their heart conditions, such as Carnitine, Omega3’s and CoQ10, and are given the option of chelation therapy based on the results of the TACT study.
7. Pobiotics are offered at hospital entrances.

The running theme: integrative care for each condition, and that involves each specialty.  I could continue, but the redundancy is a bit of a turnoff.  Suffice to say that we are ripe for Integrative Medicine moving to the forefront of the health paradigm, both corporately and within the publicly funded system – for the betterment of patient care and the easing of disease-care provincial budgets. Personalized, multi-modal, less poly-pharmacy and more lifestyle-oriented.

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL!!

In health,
Dr. John Gannage, MD