A few weeks ago, our neighbor, who happens to be a patient, had our kids over for a 4th of July celebration to teach them a few songs, make some crafts, and perform in a little 'backyard parade.'

My two-year-old daughter has not stopped singing 'God Bless America' since that day.

She sings it all the time and she won't stop unless we start to video her on camera.

The other day, I got a secret video of her on camera singing her new favorite song, but when she saw me filming, she stopped singing and hid. (See video above. Beware - She's hiding behind the couch in her birthday suit as we are still in the throws of potty-training)

If you just watch the last three seconds of the video, you will think my daughter is the shyest toddler on earth, but if you catch her with her hair down, it's another story.

Sometimes, your body can act like my daughter when she is on camera.

It can be performing a certain way all the time, but when you try to get a snapshot of how it is doing, it acts differently.

For example, here is a common scenario when it comes to Blood Pressure (BP):

Your BP is always ideal, but when you have it checked at the doctor's office, you get anxious with 'whitecoat syndrome,' your BP is high, and you're diagnosed with hypertension.

Another example is when a lab test that is not accurate. Often, patients have low thyroid, but when they take a blood test, their TSH happens to be right where it should be at that moment, resulting in being told that their thyroid is perfectly normal, when it's not.

If you stop at that one test, opinion, diagnosis, belief without taking it a little further, than you're going to be mislead.

So, what's the application?

Don't just quickly believe everything you're told based on a test, a diagnosis, a so called 'leading expert,' a news report, and what's being propagated on mainstream media or the internet.

You must take the time to investigate, dig a little deeper, and THINK logically while looking at the whole big picture.

Often, I will encourage my patients to get another opinion, hear what the other practitioner has to say and do what makes sense to them.

I love when my patients question what I am doing, because it lets me know they are THINKING and in the process of investigating & figuring things out for themselves.

The more you embrace this approach, the greater health you will experience.

Have a Terrific Tuesday!

Dr. Derek 'sing like no one's watching' Taylor