Dr. Al Danenberg ● Nutritional Periodontist
March 9, 2019 [printfriendly]
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My Rant
To my amazement, I have become the target of vitriol. Harsh and cruel lashing out. I have been called “stupid” and “ignorant”. My writings have been branded “rubbish”. And all this because I described the way I eat to stay healthy. Here is a link to my article that started this labeling by complete strangers: https://drdanenberg.staging.wpengine.com/i-eat-meat/
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Why Vitriol?
I shouldn’t be surprised. We live in a world where heroes are denigrated, and thugs are lauded. We exist in a world where gun violence is on the rise and people are scorned because of their color, ethnicity, or their station in life. Our social fabric is allowing prominent people to indulge in criminal behavior with impunity. Therefore, I shouldn’t be shocked by some people throwing verbal daggers at me because I say things they don’t like.
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But I am surprised, and I am shocked.
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What happened to the days when a person’s experience and opinions presented an opportunity to learn? I realize as a society we are bombarded with so much information, misinformation, and fake news. These might become overwhelming. But we still are able to filter, focus, and accept what makes sense. And we still have the ability to reject what does not make sense. In the United States, we are not forced or coerced into habits and actions in which we don’t believe are in our best interest. At least this is true for the most part. We are not living in a dictatorship where we must succumb or suffer the ruthless consequences.
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Source of Vitriol
Amazingly, this hatred is coming from within the group that views healthy eating as a priority. It is not coming from those who eat the Standard American Diet, which is grossly unhealthy and has directly influenced the burgeoning levels of chronic disease in the US.
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Followers of a group that proposes various methods and diets to live a heathy life should be rallying around the common causes of health. These educated people should be sharing information, debating the methods that work or don’t work for them, and researching new science that provides further understanding about the inner workings of the human body. If we have the power, our common goal should be to change the quality of life for ourselves, our families, and humankind. To dismiss the thoughts of a member of this health group with hateful and slanderous remarks makes no sense to me.
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I Am Who I Am
Those who know me, know that I am a periodontist – a dental specialist who treats various forms of mouth disease and trauma that affect structures surrounding and supporting the teeth. Clinically, I have been treating patients for 44 years. I incorporate the importance of diet, environment, and lifestyle into the way I treat my patients. I base my knowledge on professional training, medical research, and years of experience.
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Today, I appreciate the numerous factors that go into what makes us healthy or unhealthy. I also realize that I don’t know everything – far from it. But I teach an awareness that biological and nutritional factors play supportive and critical roles in the health of the entire body, which obviously includes the mouth.
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I am open to any and all discussions of the scientific facts and anecdotal stories surrounding health. I might disagree with some people, but I never would call a colleague or patient “stupid” or “ignorant”. I would never brand their opinions as “rubbish”.
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I share my writings with anyone who wants to learn my thoughts, and I invite constructive criticism. I cite published scientific articles in peer-reviewed medical journals to support my thoughts.
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If you would like to have PDFs of any of these writings at no cost, get in touch with me. This is my way of “giving back” and “paying it forward”. Just send your request to my email: Dr.Danenberg@iCloud.com.
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I am now done with my rant.
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