Why Most People Stay Sick: The Medication Trap, Metabolic Dysfunction & The Ancestral Blueprint for Real Healing
Why Most People Stay Sick: The Medication Trap, Metabolic Dysfunction & The Ancestral Blueprint for Real Healing
PART 1 OF 4
By Ron Lyons | Do Life Healthier
The Healthcare System is Designed for Disease Management, Not Health
Most people assume doctors are trained to help them heal. But what if the system they work inside is built to do something very different?
Modern healthcare is structured to manage diseases, not restore health. Most clinicians never receive training in nutrition, metabolic healing, gut repair, or ancestral lifestyle principles. Instead, they’re trained—often unintentionally—to become experts in diagnosing symptoms and prescribing medications to control those symptoms.
As Dr. Roshani Sanghani (an endocrinologist - https://reisaanhealth.com/) explains:
“We entered healthcare thinking we were entering the healing space… only to realize we were becoming experts in the disease space.”
Doctors want to help. But the system gives them one solution:
If one medication doesn’t work, add another.
If two don’t work, add a third.
If symptoms persist… increase the dose.
There is no map in modern care that shows how to reverse a condition or restore metabolic health.
But ancestral nutrition does.
The Medication Trap: Why So Many People Stay Sick
Millions of people feel stuck in a cycle of fatigue, weight gain, anxiety, digestive issues, and insulin resistance—even while taking multiple medications.
Why?
Because many medications silently contribute to the very problems they’re supposed to fix.
Common prescription drugs are known to:
Increase insulin resistance & raise blood sugar: Beta-blockers (like Metoprolol) and certain antipsychotics (like Olanzapine) can significantly impair glucose metabolism. Thiazide diuretics (like Hydrochlorothiazide) used for blood pressure can worsen blood sugar control.
Slow thyroid output & worsen nutrient absorption: Drugs like Lithium or even long-term use of Proton Pump Inhibitors (like Omeprazole) can interfere with thyroid function and strip your body of essential minerals like magnesium and B12.
Disrupt gut bacteria & increase inflammation: Non-steroidal anti-inflammatories (like Ibuprofen) can damage the gut lining, while broad-spectrum antibiotics wipe out beneficial bacteria, creating a cascade of inflammation and digestive issues.
Make weight loss harder: Perhaps the most frustrating cycle is with medications like insulin itself. While lifesaving for a diabetic, insulin is a fat-storage hormone. Without addressing the underlying diet, higher doses can lead to weight gain, which in turn worsens insulin resistance, requiring even more medication—a vicious cycle that feels impossible to escape.
A statin can lower your LDL… while your insulin resistance increases. *This isn't just a theory; a large meta-analysis in The Lancet confirmed that statin use is significantly associated with an increased risk of new-onset diabetes.
And since most people never get educated about these side effects, they blame themselves—thinking they’re “not trying hard enough.”
It's Not Your Fault: The Myth of Age and Genetics
If you’ve blamed yourself, it’s time to stop. You haven’t failed. You’ve been failed by decades of marketing and a medical system that prioritizes quick fixes over root-cause education.
You’ve been told your rising blood pressure or weight gain is "just part of getting older." But from an ancestral perspective, age-related decline is massively accelerated by the modern mismatch in diet and lifestyle. Studies of hunter-gatherer populations like the Tsimane people show virtually no increase in blood pressure with age—a stark contrast to our modern epidemic.
You’ve been told your rising blood pressure or weight gain is 'just part of getting older.' But from an ancestral perspective, age-related decline is massively accelerated by the modern mismatch in diet and lifestyle.*Longitudinal studies of hunter-gatherer populations like the Tsimane people show virtually no increase in blood pressure with age—a stark contrast to our modern epidemic.
You’ve been told it’s "just your genetics." But as leading experts like Dr. Peter Attia emphasizes, genetics load the gun, but environment pulls the trigger. Your genes expect the nutrient-dense, anti-inflammatory signals from an ancestral diet. When you feed them seed oils and processed sugars, you trigger the expression of disease.
As Dr. Gabrielle Lyon states:
"The focus on calories has completely missed the mark. It's about the quality of the food and the signal it sends to your muscles and your body. Protein-rich, ancestrally-aligned foods are anabolic signals that build metabolic health."
This is why you get stuck in cycles of chronic fatigue, overeating, and inflammation. You’re fighting a biological system flooded with the wrong signals.
This doesn’t mean medication is unnecessary.
It means medication without lifestyle changes is like bailing water out of a sinking boat without fixing the hole.
Modern Medicine Focuses on Numbers — Not Root Causes
Doctors are trained to aim for “better numbers”:
Lower A1C
Lower blood pressure
Lower cholesterol
Lower fasting glucose
But numbers don’t equal health.
A blood pressure medication can lower your reading… while the underlying metabolic dysfunction continues to worsen.
A statin can lower your LDL… while your insulin resistance increases.
A thyroid medication can correct a lab number… while your thyroid remains underactive because the root causes—nutrient deficiencies, inflammation, stress, poor sleep—are never addressed.
This is the exact difference between ancestral healing and modern management.
This is the fundamental shift in thinking:
Instead of a system designed to control symptoms (Modern Healthcare), we embrace a model that addresses root causes (Ancestral Healthcare).
We move beyond a focus solely on lab numbers to a focus on metabolic function.
We prioritize nutrition, sleep, and stress first, not medication.
And we operate from the core belief that the body can heal, rather than accepting chronic disease as permanent.
This is why our blog on The Fat Truth: Why Ghee, Tallow & Butter Beat Seed Oils resonates so well: people WANT simple, root-cause solutions that actually move the needle.
Where the System Breaks: It’s a Training Problem, Not a Caring Problem
It’s critical to understand this: the vast majority of doctors are caring individuals who want the best for their patients. The problem is not a lack of compassion—it’s a fundamental gap in their education.
During a 5–10 minute appointment, doctors are expected to:
Diagnose
Review labs
Adjust medications
Document notes
File insurance codes
Handle multiple unrelated complaints
There is simply no time for, and more importantly, no standardized training in:
Nutrition counseling
Metabolic education
Sleep coaching
Stress management
Gut health guidance
As Dr. Roshani Sanghani admits:
“The doctor is so busy… they’re not going deep into nutrition. Their job becomes renewing medication.”
They aren’t taught natural health principles. This is precisely why depending on this system alone for long-term health restoration is a flawed strategy. We see this with our community every day—people are trying hard, but the system keeps them sick.
The Ancestral Alternative: A Return to What Works
We’ve written before about returning to the foods and practices that built human health for 2.5 million years, long before diabetes, fatty liver, and obesity existed.
The root-cause healing method is simple:
1. Eat Ancestral Foods
(Referencing our previous blog: The Ancestral Advantage: Why Ancestral Eating Beats the Western Diet for Health & Longevity)
Animal-based proteins
Grass-fed meats
Pasture-raised eggs
Wild-caught seafood
Bone broth & collagen
Tallow, butter, ghee
Organ meats
Fermented foods
Minimally processed fruits & tubers
These foods reverse insulin resistance, reduce inflammation, support hormones, and rebuild gut lining.
2. Remove the Metabolic Killers
Seed oils
High-fructose corn syrup
Processed grains
Ultra-processed foods
Synthetic additives
Refined sugars
This isn't just our opinion; it's what the experts who focus on metabolic health consistently warn against.
Dr. Paul Saladino explains:
"Seed oils are arguably the most pro-inflammatory component of the modern diet. When you remove them, you remove a primary driver of oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction."
Dr. Ken Berry adds:
"The processed foods and sugars that dominate the standard diet are making your body sick and broken. Returning to the meat, organs, and fruits our ancestors ate is the most powerful intervention for metabolic health."
3. Heal the Gut
Most medications damage the microbiome.
Ancestral gut repair includes:
Bone broth
Grass-fed gelatin
Fermented foods
Collagen peptides
Electrolyte-rich hydration
Organ meats (especially liver & tripe)
4. Fix the Four Wheels: Nutrition, Sleep, Stress & Movement
Dr. Roshani Sanghani calls these the “four car wheels” of health.
If one is flat, the whole life rides wobbly.
Our ancestral approach strengthens all four.
How to Bridge the Gap: A Complete Philosophy for Healing
This blog series isn’t anti-medication.
Neither are our referenced experts.
Medication can be lifesaving and is sometimes necessary for stabilization.
The problem is medication without metabolic correction leads only to dependence—not healing. The ultimate goal is to use the ancestral model to create a state of health so robust that the need for medication is reduced or eliminated, always under a doctor's supervision.
Dr. Roshani Sanghani's rule in practice:
Use medication to stabilize the numbers… Use lifestyle to remove the cause.
This is exactly the philosophy behind Do Life Healthier Wellness Coaching. This isn't just a blog; it's a practical system. Our coaching offers a complete approach, providing you with the personalized nutrition strategies, targeted training plans, and specific supplement advice that the traditional system misses. It’s about giving you the tools, knowledge, and support to become the driver of your own health, creating a sustainable lifestyle that addresses the root causes.
Watch this video with Dr. Roshani Sanghani as the guest speaker with Lily Kane hosting:
What To Do Next (Your Action Steps)
Here are the steps you can take immediately:
1. Start an Ancestral Metabolic Reset
→ Read our previous blogs:
Oxalates & Lectins: Hidden Plant Toxins Causing Pain, Kidney Stones, Inflammation
The Ancestral Advantage: Why Ancestral Eating Beats the Western Diet for Health & Longevity
Processed to Primal: Prepare Plants, Unlock Superfoods, Reclaim Health
2. Heal With High-Quality Ancestral Supplements
Our Product Link for clean products on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3XmMyJL
More resources - 👉 https://alphalyons.com/dolifehealthier
Recommended:
Grass-Fed Collagen
Beef Organs
Bone & Marrow
Living Collagen
(from Ancestral Supplements & Heart & Soil)
3. Test Root-Cause Labs
Not just symptom-based labs.
A full metabolic panel can reveal deficiencies in:
Vitamin D
Zinc
Iodine
Selenium
Thyroid markers
Insulin markers
4. Partner With a Provider Willing to Taper Medication
Not all doctors are the same.
Find one who supports deprescribing where safe.
5. Explore Do Life Healthier Wellness Coaching
Ready for a complete solution? Let's work together one-on-one to create a customized plan for your nutrition, training, and supplement needs to finally address the root cause. Contact Coach Ron today - Explore Do Life Healthier Wellness Coaching
References & Resources
1. Gary Brecka
Focus: Methylation, longevity, detox (seed oils, toxins).
YouTube: @GaryBrecka
Website: The Ultimate Human
2. Dr. Eric Berg
Focus: Keto, fasting, seed oil dangers, holistic health.
YouTube: @DrEricBergDC
Website: DrBerg.com
3. Dr. Shawn Baker
Focus: Carnivore diet, athletic performance, ancestral health.
YouTube: @SBakerMD
Website: Shawn-Baker.com
4. Dr. Paul Saladino
Focus: Animal-based diet, plant toxins, regenerative health.
YouTube: @paulsaladinomd
Website: CarnivoreMD
5. Dr. Ken Berry
Focus: Real food, debunking dietary myths, seed oils.
YouTube: @KenDBerryMD
Website: KenDBerryMD.com
6. Dave Asprey
Focus: Biohacking, Bulletproof diet, seed oil elimination.
YouTube: @DaveAsprey
Website: DaveAsprey.com
7. Andrew Huberman
Focus: Neuroscience, diet-brain connection, longevity.
YouTube: @hubermanlab
Website: HubermanLab.com
8. Dr. Gabrielle Lyon
Focus: Muscle-centric medicine, protein, metabolic health.
YouTube: @DrGabrielleLyon
Website: DrGabrielleLyon.com
9. Dr. Mindy Pelz
Focus: Women’s health, fasting, detox from processed foods.
YouTube: @drmindypelz
Website: DrMindyPelz.com
10. Dr. Catherine Shanahan
Focus: Seed oils, deep nutrition, traditional fats.
YouTube: (Search for interviews)
Website: DrCate.com
11. Dr. Anthony Chaffee
Focus: Carnivore diet, plant toxins, evolutionary health.
YouTube: @anthonychaffeemd
Website: TheCarnivoreBar
12. Dr. Bill Schindler
Focus: Ancestral lifestyle, fermentation, reducing antinutrients.
YouTube: @drbillschindler
Website: EatLikeAHuman.com
13. Dr. Mary Ruddick
Focus: Ancestral lifestyle, fermentation, reducing antinutrients
YouTube: @thesherlockholmesofhealth
Website: https://www.maryruddick.com/
Scientific Studies & Journals:
1. To Support the "Medication Trap"
You can add specific references for the drug side effects you mentioned.
Statins & Insulin Resistance: A large meta-analysis published in The Lancet found that statin therapy is associated with a significantly increased risk of developing new-onset diabetes.
Citation: Sattar, N., Preiss, D., Murray, H. M., et al. (2010). Statins and risk of incident diabetes: a collaborative meta-analysis of randomised statin trials. The Lancet, 375(9716), 735–742.
Beta-Blockers & Thiazide Diuretics: The American Diabetes Association recognizes that these common blood pressure medications can adversely affect glucose metabolism.
Citation: American Diabetes Association. (2023). Pharmacologic Approaches to Glycemic Treatment: Standards of Care in Diabetes—2023. Diabetes Care, 46(Supplement 1), S140–S157.
Proton Pump Inhibitors (PPIs) & Nutrient Absorption: Research shows that long-term PPI use is linked to deficiencies in magnesium and Vitamin B12.
Citation: Heidelbaugh, J. J. (2013). Proton pump inhibitors and risk of vitamin and mineral deficiency: evidence and clinical implications. Therapeutic Advances in Drug Safety, 4(3), 125–133.
2. To Debunk "It's Just Age or Genetics"
The Tsimane Study: This is your strongest piece of evidence against "it's just age." This study famously shows the Tsimane people have the lowest reported levels of coronary artery disease in the world and no increase in blood pressure with age.
Citation: Gurven, M., Blackwell, A. D., Rodríguez, D. E., et al. (2012). Does blood pressure inevitably rise with age?: longitudinal evidence among forager-horticulturalists. Hypertension, 60(1), 25-33.
Pima Indian Study: This is a classic example of "genetics load the gun, environment pulls the trigger." The Pima Indians of Arizona have one of the highest rates of diabetes in the world, while the genetically similar Pima of Mexico, living a traditional lifestyle, have low rates.
Citation: Schulz, L. O., Bennett, P. H., Ravussin, E., et al. (2006). Effects of traditional and western environments on prevalence of type 2 diabetes in Pima Indians in Mexico and the U.S. Diabetes Care, 29(8), 1866-1871.
3. To Validate the Ancestral Diet & Metabolic Health
Low-Carb/Ancestral Diets vs. Diabetes: A systematic review and meta-analysis shows that low-carbohydrate diets (a key component of many ancestral approaches) are effective for improving glycemic control and reducing medication use in type 2 diabetes.
Citation: Goldenberg, J. Z., Day, A., Brinkworth, G. D., et al. (2021). Efficacy and safety of low and very low carbohydrate diets for type 2 diabetes remission: systematic review and meta-analysis of published and unpublished randomized trial data. BMJ, 372, m4743.
Seed Oils & Inflammation: A review in Molecular Nutrition & Food Research details the mechanism by which high intake of linoleic acid (from seed oils) can promote oxidative stress and inflammatory processes.
Citation: Ramsden, C. E., Zamora, D., Majchrzak-Hong, S., et al. (2016). Re-evaluation of the traditional diet-heart hypothesis: analysis of recovered data from Minnesota Coronary Experiment (1968-73). BMJ, 353, i1246. (This one re-analyzes old data, showing the negative impact of replacing saturated fats with seed oils).
