Putting your own intuition before your preconceived notions might be one of the best things you can ever do for your health -- or at least it was for me.
What in the world do I mean by that?
In my world, I believed that doctors and science were top in terms of medicine. They are who could offer the strongest medication when I needed it. I didn't need any holistic woo woo stuff that was barely effective. Or did I?
In terms of attractiveness, Dita Von Teese says: "you can be the ripest, juiciest peach in the world, but there will still be people out there who don't like peaches." In medicine terms, you can have the strongest, best medication for xyz, but there will still be some people for whom it is ineffective. In many cases, that's how it was for me.
When medicines don't seem to be working, sometimes it's best to take a holistic approach. I was on 4 different allergy medications, only to find that I was still eating the foods that were giving me symptoms, not getting to the root cause. Eventually, it was an elimination diet that got me off all allergy medications, including allergy shots. I've used the strongest face creams for brown spots, only to find out that birth control is a big contributor to these spots (as I continued to use the birth control).
In another totally dumb move, I drank lemonade for years because "lemons are healthy," even though it gave me a sore throat, only to find out I was severely allergic to lemons.
Why would I do this to myself? It's because I wasn't willing to think outside the box.
If you are taking a medication for weeks and hoping it kicks in, or you don't want to try anything else because it's the strongest out there, I beg you to reconsider! A food, a natural remedy, or something "less strong," might actually be the cure for you. Even try a different medicine from a doctor, but don't hold onto something that isn't working because "it's supposed to." If a "healthy food" is causing you discomfort, don't eat it! I don't care if it's kale or apples; if you don't feel good eating it, then go by how you feel. I hope to give you permission to trust in yourself, because you know best.
I still love doctors and believe in the value of medications, but I see different types of treatments as a level playing field, you just have to find what's right for you. Be your own health detective and be self-aware of your body, and you will better your relationship with your body and be in top health.