A Proactive Approach to Medicine: Building the Foundation of Wellbeing Through the Development of Healthy Habits

By Dr. M Kara, founder of KaraMD

Our health is the number one asset we have, and after years of serving patients, I realized there was an opportunity to help them take control of their health versus merely reacting to it when something was amiss. People schedule visits to the doctor for many reasons, but usually it is to address something that ails them, a problem, discomfort or pain. I found myself in the position of constantly taking a reactive approach to their healthcare needs and one day thought – what if I help patients take a proactive approach to their health and wellbeing? What if instead of treating problems when they arise, I worked with patients to advise them on healthy patterns and behaviors that would prevent less trips to the doctor’s office and unnecessary healthcare costs?

The Inspiration to Serve People

As a young man growing up in Northern California, my home life was filled with a unique balance of academics and the free-spirit hippie movement. My parents both held PhDs from Berkley and taught me that having an open mind was just as important as having my face in a book. My parents encouraged me to travel at a young age, and I visited my family’s homeland, Libya, and took mini sabbaticals to places like Austria while still in high school. Adventure and travel opened my mind to many new experiences where I would absorb my surroundings through the lens of a budding academic and an open-minded young man.

Returning from a trip to Austria during my senior year in high school, my life had reached a crossroad where two paths lay before me: study medicine or aeronautical engineering. I was fascinated by both areas of study, but during a heart-to-heart conversation with my mother, I discovered my highest aspirational calling in life involved helping people. And with that acknowledgment, I completed medical school back home in Libya, and completed my residency training at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio. There, I spent more than two decades practicing medicine and treating patients after graduation. 

The Art of Active Listening to Patients

When treating patients at the Cleveland Clinic, I learned to listen and genuinely understand not just the words but the alchemy of tone, inflection, body language, and mood of the patients I served. Many were interested in learning about natural solutions to address their problems. They wanted to know what would help them sleep better, focus more, lose weight, lower blood pressure, enhance cardiovascular health and more. My patients were eager to take control of their health in a natural and holistic way. Then I asked myself, why take this reactive approach to serving my patients? What if I helped them develop health plans and strategies that proactively prioritized health and wellbeing before problems occurred?

Reactive Versus Proactive Approaches to Healthcare

When I was serving as the Chief Medical Officer for the YMCA in Cleveland, I discovered my true calling. We conducted mass testing to determine if people were either diabetic or pre-diabetic. I learned that 90 million people are living with a pre-diabetic condition, but only 10 million are aware they are pre-diabetic. These 90 million people can avoid becoming diabetic with simple lifestyle changes – but many are not even aware they are pre-diabetic. Imagine if these 80 million people knew they were pre-diabetic and knew what changes to make to avoid being diagnosed with diabetes. The prevention component is HUGE in this case and would help a staggering number avoid paying additional healthcare costs and lessen the risk of morbidity.

The idea of prevention hit home when I considered the risks of other life-threatening diseases associated with diabetes and the cost factor the disease posed. I couldn’t help but feel inclined to act – and I knew it had to be an act of prevention. So, I developed three programs with recommended lifestyle changes pertaining to diet, sleep and exercise. Thousands of people began following these plans and were seeing results. It was immensely satisfying seeing people make these lifestyle changes and knowing I was partially responsible for making their lives better. 

Five Best Practices for Putting Your Health in Your Hands

Some general tips I would provide to anyone looking to enhance their overall health and wellbeing while simultaneously decreasing their chances for health risks are as follows:

• Eat at consistent times each day and only when you are hungry, not when you have an appetite for something. Take KaraMD Pure Burn XS to curve your appetite, support your weight loss efforts and promote your body’s natural processes.
• Take steps toward reducing stress in your life. Just having a five to 10 minutes of quiet solitude without interference from the outside world can go a long way towards stress reduction. I also recommend practicing mindfulness such as yoga or meditation to alleviate stress.   
• Complete 150 minutes of mild to moderate physical activity per week. If this is a new addition to your routine, you can do something as simple as power walking.
• Get at least seven to nine hours of sleep each night. Take KaraMD Sleep Guard to help you sleep better. This features a unique combination of Valerian Root, Melatonin and other natural ingredients.
• Know your numbers. Make sure you know what your Blood Pressure, Sugar, and Cholesterol levels are starting at an early age.

Supplement Healthy Habits with Natural Remedies 

The development of these prevention programs for people served by the YMCA fueled my passion for helping people take strides to improve their health. As I treated more and more patients throughout the years who were interested in natural solutions to treat health concerns, I eventually made the decision to develop effective supplements to enhance the metabolic make-over and healthy lifestyles my patients desired. I’ve served patients for 30-plus years and started KaraMD in June 2017. KaraMD is a line of supplements focused on digestive support, heart health and reducing inflammation as the gateway to overall health. My goal is to empower patients by giving them the tools they need to implement health strategies to optimize their overall health and wellbeing. A combination of lifestyle changes, healthy habits and natural supplements will assist those looking to take a proactive approach to their health care. Each day I take in pride in helping large numbers of people make lifestyle changes in a natural way.

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