Doctor Diet is first. We need to get back to the whole, natural foods with as little processing and preparation as possible. We need to scrap that ubiquitous food pyramid, which like the pyramids in ancient lands, supports superstitious beliefs--in this case, the faith that the pyramid actually has anything to do with good nutrition.

Let's build a new food pyramid with a broad base of fresh vegetables and fruits, with plenty of room for fiber and beneficial fats from fish, legumes, and seeds, and no space at all for refined carbohydrates, trans fats, and food additives. Let's further nourish and protect our bodies with supplemental micronutrients and phytochemicals, which, for the first time in human history, science has made available to us.

As for Doctor Quiet and Doctor Merryman, they are increasingly elusive in modern times, but well worth pursuing as the spiritual side of healing. The science of psychoneuroimmunology testifies to their central importance in health.

For me personally, they were always harder to relate to than nutritional biochemistry. One day, when I was facing an especially difficult decision, a patient gave me a bit of advice that made everything clear. She said simply, "Dr. Huemer, follow your bliss." I tell others to do likewise.  --Richard P. Huemer, M.D.