Medicine Health

Preventative Health Care: America's New Direction

Naturopathic doctors and holistic healing professionals across the country are excited and hopeful about the new President's plan to change the health care system. President Obama's proposed health care reform plan, explained in detail on BarackObama.com, highlights health education and preventative medicine as two important strategies for reducing out of control health care costs in the United States. Naturopathic physicians, Chinese medicine doctors, holistic healers and other healthcare professionals expect the government to begin programs that encourage healthier lifestyles and increased awareness of nutrition, supplements, preventative screenings and more.

Natural Health Care News Watch

Since the fall of 2008, naturopathic doctors and alternative medicine practitioners have been carefully watching and critically analyzing President Obama's comments, proposals and presentation of health care reform ideas. On September 26, 2008 writer Neil Osterweil reported on the presidential candidates and their healthcare reform plans for the Medscape Medical News. Osterweil discussed McCain and Obama's plans to present their strategies for healthcare reform to the New England Journal of Medicine for evaluation. Obama's plan proposed a more public solution that included both public and private participation. According to Osterweil's article, one of the three main goals outlined in the plan was an "emphasis on disease prevention and health maintenance."

A September 16, 2008 article in the Wall Street Journal titled "Why Obama's Health Plan Is Better" also outlined the details of the Obama administration's health care reform plan. According to the Wall Street Journal, "Sen. Obama's proposal will modernize our current system of employer- and government-provided health care, keeping what works well, and making the investments now that will lead to a more efficient medical system. He does this in five ways: Learning, Rewarding, Pooling Preventing and Covering." Pooling and Covering are related mainly to a much needed reduction in health care costs. Learning, Rewarding and Preventing all have the potential to increase mainstream awareness of natural medicine and healthy living principles.

The Wall Street Journal explains that through Learning, Rewarding and Preventing Obama's health care reform plan addresses multiple issues. "One third of medical costs go for services at best ineffective and at worst harmful," states the Wall Street Journal. "Doctors and hospitals today are paid for performing procedures, not for helping patients." "In today's health-care market, less than one dollar in 25 goes for prevention, even though preventive services -- regular screenings and healthy lifestyle information -- are among the most cost-effective medical services around," the article continues. "Guaranteeing access to preventive services will improve health and in many cases save money."

The Future of Holistic Medicine and Alternative Health Care

In order for holistic health care practitioners like naturopathic healers, acupuncturists, Chinese herbalists and homeopathic doctors to solidify their role in keeping Americans healthy they must get involved. President Obama's plan will hopefully bring both traditional and holistic health care providers together to build a health care system that values prevention over the treatment of disease, makes health education a top priority and focuses on achieving the highest level of patient care. This ensures great change and healthier Americans in the future.

Encompassing various modalities of health care to balance mind, body and soul for its harmonious functioning, today holistic medicine is one of the major alternative medical sciences that have gained enough popularity in the last few years. In fact, it is one of its own kinds of alternative medicine that emphasizes on the preventative medicine and maintenance methods. The best feature of this medicine system is that it primarily utilizes various types of healing methods such as Yoga, Tai Chi, Acupuncture, Reiki, and herbal and plant remedies to achieve balanced mental and physical health.

Today there are more than 100 medical conditions that can be helped with holistic medicine, including migraines, chronic fatigue syndrome, and even cancer. Making a career in this field definitely seem to be very promising as the demand of holistic medicine doctors are even expected to grow more in the next few years. Talking in context of job responsibilities, the work of a holistic medical doctor actually represents the best of both worlds, i.e. the unique mingle of conventional western medicine and alternative medicine.

Holistic medical doctors are majorly involved in offering solution to patients and follow natural approach advocated by complementary modalities. They address all the standard medical needs similar to a traditional medical doctor, however, they adhere to holistic principles and use a variety of alternative methods to promote the spiritual health and encourage a better quality of life. Moreover, they generally follow treatment methods that draw together the wisdom from a variety of different health care modalities and cultures.

Perhaps holistic approach is one of the major forms of alternative medicine that recommends a person suffering from a disease to be treated not only for its illness, but the whole self in order to reach a higher level of wellness. A good holistic medicine program is essential to acquire sufficient knowledge on the modalities of natural health and wellness. A holistic medicine course prepares you with various elements of alternative medical system such as naturopathy, nutrition, anatomy, psychology, etc. all of which that play a major role in healing mental and emotional health. The key benefit of holistic medicine courses is that it helps you in understanding the philosophy of holistic health and living.

A holistic medicine distance education program from an alternative medicine institute helps you learn how to animate the vital force within to bring mind, body, emotions and spirit back into balance. Apart from this, the courses also enable you to learn different types of holistic therapies that are excellent for treating illnesses and stress.

An alternative medicine school teaches you about the positive balance between body, mind and spirit, and how to practice medicine in a natural, drug-free way. As a student you also learn about the various uses of natural vitamins and other nutritional supplements that can help the body function efficiently.

In today's world, there are numerous advantages to holistic medical therapy, and the career prospects even seem to be very promising. It is useful to learn holistic medicine not only for the various advantages it has as a practitioner but also for your own self being and health.

Americans spend more than one-tenth of their out-of-pocket health care dollars on alternative medicine, according to the first national estimate of such spending in more than a decade. Chiropractors, massage therapists, acupuncturists and herbal remedies are commanding significant consumer dollars as people seek high-touch care in a high-tech society, the report shows. Researchers can't explain why. The answer is deceptively simple.

"Holism" (or wholism, to some) is taking the place in modern medical thought of "compartmentalism", the principle being that the body's ailments need be addressed in the full complexity of the individual organisms, rather than as separate and distinct systems. Thus, an awareness of how, for instance, back pain often relates to the arches of the feet, or how headaches relate to neck pain which further derives from deficits in one's vision, are all critical facilities for today's health care practitioner.

Medical doctors are generally not trained to think this way. They are taught compartmental theory and tend to have "protocols" for treatment. "If patient X presents with symptom Y, prescribe drug Z". This approach works well in crisis situations or when the solution is fairly elementary but, as health questions compound, this approach has been exposed as inadequate. Rather, evaluating the patient as a "whole person", taking into account all of their systems and their relationships, even indirect, has been shown the more successful perspective. Conditions such as fibromyalgia, chronic and myofascial pain, and many psychological disorders, commonly labelled "syndromes" due to our nebulous understanding of them, have responded well to holistic consideration.

Chiropractors have been holists for decades. A good chiropractic diagnostician can see the "sum of the parts" as well as the parts themselves. What does this get you? Results. That is why Americans spend an increasing amount of health care dollars on alternative medicine. It works!

Once again the “wisdom” of the FDA and the supplement hating Academia and the out of control trial lawyers - have gotten it wrong. And are doing everything they can to take away your right to take control of your own health.

Here’s the problem –

They are brewing up several false angles to make you believe that Citrus Aurantium is somehow dangerous to your health.

Really? Are you aware that the Chinese have only been using this safely to improve their digestive health for over 2000 years?

The Chinese and other Asian cultures have used this safe, natural Herb for over 2000 years for good digestive health.

I am talking about the safe, natural herb Citrus Aurantium.

Let’s give the Chinese people credit where credit is due. Do you really think they would be using this safe, natural herb for over 2000 years if it was not good for their health?

Nothing which is bad for your health gets used for very long.

This absolute arrogance on the part of the FDA, academia and trial lawyers which is costing you your health and your freedom.

Anyone can look up the fully documented facts about this herb and how it has been used for thousands of years.

The following story and I do mean story, as in this is not fact, has been run all over the media, the internet “news” sites and supposed “health watch” type sites which proclaim to be watching out for your health while pushing dangerous prescription drugs.

[http://gumc.georgetown.edu/communications/releases/release.cfm?ObjectID=3341]

This article contains absolutely no scientific proof.

Where are the lawyers as people are now dying and suffering? Adverse health effects from prescription drugs? Will the pharmaceutical companies ever be held accountable for? the deaths and the adverse health consequences they and the doctors who prescribe these drugs cause?

Here is a more accurate article on this health giving herb.

[http://www.foodqualitynews.com/news/news-NG.asp?id=54469]

Where are all the stories and hand wringing over the adverse effects on your health from dangerous prescription drugs?

Fact: Each year there are currently over 100,000 deaths which are caused By properly prescribed drugs of all types in hospitals.-1

Here is the next myth widely distributed in the media –

That some foods have adverse reactions with drugs.

Food interacting badly with drugs?

Wrong, drugs interact with grapefruit juice and other safe, natural healthy foods.

Once again the media have it backwards.

Drugs are not a normal part of a person’s diet.

They would have you believe that you should not eat healthy grapefruit and should instead ingest their liver and kidney killing drugs which inhibit your body in its ability to absorb the nutrition in your food.

Fact: unwanted interactions between supplements and drugs were not serious In 94 percent of the cases -2.

Never mind that drugs interacting with other drugs are proven to be dangerous and deadly to people.

One only has to look at the recent recall of the arthritis and Acute pain drug Vioxx™ as yet another example of the real health danger to consumers.

This drug has proven to cause an increase in the risk of heart attack and stroke.

Read on http://www.thewbalchannel.com/health/3772349/detail.html

Where are the articles warning you of this?

Are you going to avoid safe, natural, healthy foods and load up on drugs?

Your health is in your hands. It is your right to believe the drug companies, lawyers and self proclaimed academics with no scientific proof.

Where are their thousands of years of providing real healthy solutions to real health problems?

What they offer are decades of harming your health. Guaranteed. Just listen to or read their list of side effects. You know them well don’t you.

Will you stand up for your freedom and write your Senators and Congressmen?

Or will you sit idly by as your freedoms are taken away one by One and you no longer have a choice to control your own health.

What is next? Will they decide to ban food because it contains many of these same nutrients?

Demand accountability from the FDA, urge your legislators to uphold your freedoms and stop the banning of supplements, Vitamins, minerals and herbs which have a track record proven to be safe for thousands of years.

http://www.senate.gov

htp://www.house.gov

Sources:

1- “Incidence of Adverse Drug Reactions in Hospitalized Patients:

A Meta-analysis of Prospective Studies,” JAMA 1998; 279(15):

1,200-1,205

2- “Herbal supplements/meds not a dangerous mix” Yahoo Health, March 23, 2004.

Trends in health and beauty are placing more trust in the efficacy of natural and organic ingredients. Skin care is no exception, with more women coming to realize the purity of what they put on their skin is as important as that of what they eat. The skin is the largest organ, and is generally permeable to substances placed on it. This is particularly important in healing wounds, for the skin may be broken and more sensitive. Enter essential oils; these powerful plant derived medicines have been used for many years for treating skin conditions, enhancing beauty and promoting wellness. Oils have been found particularly useful for regenerating skin that has suffered from accidents or surgery, or has their remaining signs in the form of keloid, acne, or other scars. Certain essential oil blends can speed healing time, reduce or eliminate scars from recent wounds and even greatly diminish the appearance of old ones.

There are a few primary essential oils used in skin care which offer their regenerative properties; these oils can be used in low concentrations, and are generally well-tolerated - certainly more so than many synthetic ingredients. The most important of these may be Helichrysum italicum, also known as Everlasting oil. This wonderful oil is distilled from the daisy-like flowers of the herb. It has a lovely earthy aroma and, despite it's apparent expense, works in very low concentrations (only a few drops per tablespoon of your total blend). Helichrysum is strongly anti-inflammatory and contains powerful regenerative molecules unique to this oil only.

Helichrysum is the foundation of many blends for healing the skin, and can be used by itself in a synergistic carrier oil such as Rosehip seed. This combination may be all that is needed to speed the healing of recent wounds - though often a little Lavender oil is added as well. Kurt Schnaubelt, one of America's leading aromatherapists notes in his quintessential guide "Advanced Aromatherapy" that Helichrysum essential oil and Rosehip seed can "heal wounds with minimal or no scarring".

As mentioned above, Lavender is often included in skin care blends - it has gentle anti-inflammatory and tissue regenerative properties, along with very soothing, anti-anxiety aroma. Lavender essential oil itself began the modern aromatherapy revolution when a scientist burned his hand in a laboratory accident, and after cooling the wound in a beaker of Lavender found the wound to heal remarkably quickly. It is also thought to 'synergize' or improve the efficacy of other essential oils in combination.

The essential oil distilled from common Sage leaves is also used in the healing of scars, particularly old or unsightly scars. It's natural regenerative properties and ability to promote circulation aid in gently breaking down the tough skin resulting from wound healing. Sage oil should only be used in these instances and in small quantities, as it's Thujone content can be toxic in high quantities. If used in a recipe for stretch marks (see below), it should only be used post-partum. Despite it's powerful components, however, when diluted and used with respect, one can use this oil safely.

Rosemary will be the final essential oil we'll mention here for scar treatment. For the skin, Rosemary of the Verbenone chemotype has many important properties - it contains regenerative ketone molecules, and stimulates cellular metabolism. This oil helps new skin form, bringing nutrients into the cells and supports the removing toxins and wastes.

The essential oils mentioned here must be diluted in a carrier oil for daily application. In aromatherapy, more is not better! There have been numerous studies showing the great efficacy of essential oils in low concentrations based in seed or nut carrier oils. The two most commonly used base oils for skin care are Rosehip seed and Hazelnut oils. Rosehip seed has many documented uses in skin care, with it's triple-unsaturated fatty acids and it's vitamin A compounds. Rosehip seed has the ability to support tissue regeneration like Retin A, but without the drying or redening side effects. Hazelnut oil is the most well tolerated of all the carrier oils, and with its mild astringent properties, can even be used in cases of very oily skin. It will tend to leave the skin feeling nourished without feeling greasy.

So how does one mix these natural botanicals for particular uses? There are a few simple but effective recipes specifically for wound healing and scar reduction. For old keloid or acne scars, use one ounce each of Hazelnut and Rosehip seed oils - to this, add one milliliter of Helichrysum Italicum essential oil and Sage officinalis essential oil. Apply regularly for three to six months for best results. For more recent cuts, scrapes, and even surgical incisions (that have reached the point where they are safe to get moist), use the same Hazelnut and Rosehip seed blend, adding one milliliter of Helichrysum and one milliliter of Lavender (Lavendula angustifolia). Apply twice a day while the wound is healing. For the reduction and possible elimination of stretch marks post partum, again to one ounce each of Hazelnut and Rosehip seed oils, add one milliliter Sage and one milliliter Rosemary verbenone. Like the formula for old scars, use this regularly for several months.

So there is a few effective combinations of natural botanical ingredients that can support certain skin care conditions. Many, many more skin care formulas are available when blending essential oils - with many oils able to aid with very particular situations. If needed, a little research should go a long way in helping you find what you need. And as always with aromatherapy oils, go slowly, pay attention to your body's reactions and remember that increasing concentrations of the essential oils will not make a more effective blend. Be safe and enjoy.

As consumers learn more and more about their health care options, people are increasingly turning to holistic medicine to aid the healing process. Homeopathic and holistic treatments take a big-picture approach that looks at the dynamics of the entire body rather than focusing on a single issue.

Unfortunately, most standard American health care providers consider homeopathic treatments out-of-scope and require costly out-of-pocket payments.

Now, with new medical travel options, you have access to a different kind of health care--world-class homeopathic treatments performed by extensively trained doctors who appreciate the combined benefits of traditional medicine and holistic health.

Mexico has become a premier location for American medical tourism, with holistic practitioners versed in the following types of treatments:

Ozone therapy for back pain--a revolutionary treatment for disc herniation. In this therapy, a highly beneficial molecule, Ozone (O3), is injected inside the diseased intervertebral disk in trouble. Ozone reduces the production of pain-causing substances that are produced by a diseased or injured disc. It sets off production of antioxidant enzyme system that works on injured tissues that have been subject to long standing oxygen injury, releasing chemicals that oppose inflammation and indirectly relieve pain.

Colon hydrotherapy-- a gentle internal massage and bath using warm, purified water for safe, painless, and effective of cleansing your body's accumulated waste and toxins.

Cell therapy rejuvenation--a cutting-edge technology to transplant healthy cells into damaged tissue or cells. This process of biocellular rejuvenation stimulates healing, joint cartilage rebuilding, and a stronger immune system.

Chelation- the use of chelating agents to detoxify poisonous metal agents such as mercury, arsenic, and lead by converting them to a chemically inert form that can be excreted without further interaction with the body.

Located in Puerta Vallarta, Mexico, Dr. Jose Luis Romo is one example of an established, experienced practitioner. For the past 20 years Dr. Romo has dedicated himself to the study of holistic healing. He firmly believes that, given the proper support, including nutrition and holistic treatments, the body can heal itself and maintain a healthy balance. Dr. Romo continues to attend courses and workshops to increase his knowledge and to learn about breakthroughs in the holistic field. He uses various modalities in his practice, including ozone therapy, colonic irrigations, chelation therapy, homeopathy, acupuncture, neural therapy and anti-aging therapy, among others.

Dr. Romo's postgraduate studies include courses in internal medicine and intensive care, geriatric care, and biocellular medicine. His philosophy of healing and well-being connects the most vital factors necessary for optimum health, including genetic inheritance, nutrition, exercise and lifestyle.

So, if you are looking for an alternative to your current health care options, do your research on reputable medical tourism companies, and consider travel abroad. You'll find experienced physicians, affordable prices, and great locations for a vacation or even just a few hours of sight-seeing following your treatments. For more information on Dr. Romo or medical travel, visit www.healthtravelguides.com.

With the adverse side effects of many top brand medicines revealed by scientific research and experimentation's, people all over the world are looking for some viable alternative to traditional medicines. Natural health supplements, especially those based on herbal components, have not only proved to be beneficial for health but also effective replacements for traditional medications.

Herbal Treatment

Herbal treatment is nothing new. For ages immemorial, people have depended on it for treatment of ailments. Some of the major features of herbal treatment are -

• Herbal medicines are also known as botanical medicines and the process of treatment is known as medical herbalism, herbology, as well as phytotherapy.

• Herbal medicines not only contain plant based products but also mineral, fugal, bee products, shells, as well as some animal parts.

Research on Alternative Medicine

Back in 2001, an extensive research on medicines revealed that around 122 compounds that were derived from plants were used in traditional medicines. However, their effects were reduced considerably due to combining with other chemical and synthetic products that were harmful to health.

Plant Substances Useful as Medicines

Many plant substances are quite useful as medicines and can replace the traditional medicines. Some of them are -

• Aromatic substances like phenols.

• Tannins that are derivatives of oxygen substituted phenols.

• Secondary metabolites elements.

• Alkaloids that serve as the preventive against microorganism based infections.

• Herbs and spices used in food components.

All Herbs Are Not Good

Users trying to find alternative medicines using herbs should remember that like traditional medicines, many herbs also have side effects. Moreover, inappropriate formulation can result in adverse effects on the body of the user. Yet plants have been in use as medicines since pre-historic ages. A glaring example is the use of bitter plant parts for treatment of various diseases. Berks of sinkona trees proved to the component that could prevent and cure malaria and was later incorporated as main ingredients in Quinine.

Types of Alternative Medicines

Various types of alternative medicines can be found in the market. Those in more use are -

• Classical herbal medicines based on Greek and Roman methods.

• Ayurvedic medicines based on Indian and South Asian systems.

• Chinese herbal medicines.

• Traditional native medicines of African tribes.

• Unani medicines used in Middle East countries.

• Shamanic herbal medicines used in Himalayas of India and Tibet as well as South America.

• Medicines used by Native Americans.

In any case, the concern of the person as well as his or her physician trying to find out alternate medicines would be the well being of the patient. It would be good obtaining the advice of the physician before using any of them.

Alternative medicine seems to have become the "NEW BLACK" in the world of medicine. More and more people are heading towards different forms of keeping healthy than the conventional run of the mill way of doing things. There is no clear definition of "Alternative medicine" but the general consensus seems to be that it is "non conventional."

Nearly everyone is thinking about or doing either reflexology or aromatherapy, acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine, western herbal medicine, Ayurveda (traditional Indian medicine), dietary therapy, homeopathy, seeking advice from spiritual healers or a little of them all. And so we see the different ways and means of non conventional medical treatment that goes on.

Why is it the rage? Alternative medication tends to focus more on the patient than the disease. I hear you asking why that is a good thing. Well we are all unique individuals and what works for the one may not always work for the next. In fact in some cases the medication prescribed is nothing but a complete waste of time. There are sometimes other underlying issues at play that conventional medicine does not always see.

It has been said that conventional medicine may be quite effective in dealing with traumatic injury and crises yet it tends to fall short in understanding and effectively treating chronic diseases and degeneration. Conventional medicine focuses on the symptoms while alternative medicine generally takes the more holistic approach.

People are also getting tired of the general adverse effects, the battling of addictions and the increased costs of the more conventional side of medicine. Health care around the world tends to cover less and less and people have had enough. That coupled with the fact that when most doctors may be focusing on the symptoms, they have little, if any regard for the patient and the emotional trauma that they go through. All this leaves a rather bad taste in the patients' mouth.

Prescription drugs tend to be habit forming and they may have serious adverse side effects that will only be discovered after the fact. Many prescription and over the counter drugs originated from herbs or have herbs as part of the content. Some experts have gone so far as to state the chemical medication that we get prescribed are not defined properly and tend to be rather misleading in what the health risks may be.

Herbs have been used for time and memorial in treating diseases and ailments and it has come back into popularity with a bang. Probably because there uses are so vast. They not only act as a cure in ailments but they are also great as a preventative. Adaptogenic herbs are herbs that increase resistance and resilience in the bodies' immune system and then you have the tonics that are taken for increased energy. Herbs can be used internally or made into salves or balms for external usage. Herbal teas are great as a relaxant.

Chinese Herbal medicine is an ancient form of healing that originated approximately 4000 years ago and until the time of the renaissance it was far more successful in treating illnesses than Western Medicine. Chinese Herbal medicine incorporates the Yin and Yang, the flow of Qi (pronounced Chee) and the theory of the 5 elements. Health is when the flow of Qi (energy) is balanced because of a constant dynamic process between the yin and the yang. Chinese medicine is extremely effective, safe and gentle.

Ayurveda comes from the words ayus meaning "life" and veda meaning "knowledge". Its beginnings is purported to come from ancient Hindu Sanskrit written on palm leaves. Herbal medicine is given in conjunction to massages, change of diet and yoga exercises.

I am not suggesting that herbs are without dangers because there are very real ones (arsenic is natural, and we are all aware of the dangers of ephedra), so herbs are only to be used as directed by an Herbalist. Always tell you Doctor if and what herbs you are already taking as some herbs clash horribly and the side effects can be quite dangerous when taken in conjunction with Chemical drugs.

Imagine a form of medicine that treats acute as well as chronic diseases, may be used on animals, does not have negative side effects or adverse reactions, and has no toxic chemical properties. In Western medicine, where conventional drugs (both prescription and over-the-counter) prevail, the belief is that a treatment that is powerful and yet gentle on the body is not altogether plausible. Fortunately, such an alternative does exist--in the powerful yet gentle treatments of homeopathic medicine.

Homeopathy is a system for treating and preventing disease in which minute amounts of a substance, that in large amounts causes disease symptoms, are given to healthy individuals to enhance the body's natural defenses. Homeopathic remedies have been used for generations all over the world--in more than 80 different countries. With over 100,000 doctors using homeopathy in their daily practice and over 300 million patients using it in their daily lives, homeopathy is the primary healing process for many.

Homeopathy has a long history of curing people and today is growing more popular even in Europe and South America. Yet until now this medicinal treatment has been relatively ignored by doctors in the United States.

According to the 2007 Shift Report article, "Health Care: A New Model in Medicine" (Institute of Noetic Sciences, Petaluma, CA), over the past century medical care and insurance costs have escalated, millions of Americans have gone without health coverage, and iatrogenic (medically induced) illnesses have increased due to the economic pressures and work overload that medical professionals currently endure.

Now is the time for Americans to become familiar with economically efficient and impressively effective homeopathic medicine.

The good news is that the necessity for change in Western medicine is starting to be recognized and people are beginning to embrace alternatives. The Shift Report article says, "While there is ample reason for concern, this crisis is leading to breakthrough and transformation. Patients and professionals alike are demanding that the heart and soul of medicine be reinstated...Researchers and clinicians are attempting to understand better the nature of the mind-body healing system." Perhaps Western medicine has had to reach a state of crisis in order for Westerners to be able to more fully envision alternatives? Whatever the cause for awakening, homeopathic medicine is a welcome complement to the American wellness consciousness.

Alternative and Holistic medicines have been used from around, oh, the beginning of memory for humans, so the title is quite the misnomer, to say the least. Today the scene of health care is changing rapidly and so is the way that people are addressing individual health and well being. As the many types of practical solutions for simple illnesses or conditions are given more weight in the scientific community, the more the healthcare insurance industry is realizing that this method of treatment is as good as any traditional medicines being used in the healthcare industry. The insurances are starting to cover Alternative and Holistic health care.

The basic definition of health is to free of disease and from injury. Whole body wellness has become the focus of many healthcare plans because in this manner, more preventative medicine is being practiced rather than reactive medicine. A proactive approach to wellness brings a better quality of life as well as quantity. Conventional medicine is often reactive rather than proactive and this is a great shift in the paradigm of thinking among healthcare professionals, though Alternative and Holistic practitioners have been conducting their medical plans this way since the start of memory.

Western medicine started recognizing Alternative and Holistic medical practices around fifteen to twenty years ago, back in the mid 80' to early 90's. Alternative and Holistic medicines have been used in many countries around the world as a normal way to treat certain conditions, but conventional medicine disciplines did not have much faith in the founding part of their profession. A good analogy is that we all think when we are young that our parents just don't know what is what, well, the medical field is much the same way, they didn't think the foundation of modern medicine was practical any longer and the Alternative and Holistic practitioners no longer knew what is what.

The past decade has brought great discontent with the managed care systems that are in place. The cost of healthcare sky rocketed about the same time and these two events have allowed the Alternative and Holistic approach to medicine to flourish.

Whole body wellness is based on a healthy nutritional style of eating and lifestyle changes that can radically alter the way the body processes food and uses exercise. A very good instance of this is when someone stops smoking. Almost immediately the amount of oxygen that is being taken in is increased and the ability of the lungs to process this oxygen into the blood stream is better. More oxygen in the system means clearer thinking, better muscular performance and a better cardiovascular performance. What a change this can make in a person's life!

It is expected that the healthcare consumer is fully informed and involved in the healthcare decisions that are made concerning their personal health. The patients that take advantage of the opportunity to access global heath information and treatment options are the wave of the future. Alternative and Holistic medicines are being used by more people today than ever in the past fifty years. This trend continues to grow because these forms of treating the whole body work.

A number of challenges face any physician looking to implement a concierge medicine or direct primary care business model in their practice. In today's health care reform and rhetoric-rich society, we are witnessing the perfect storm of price transparency among doctors, a growing base of cost conscious patients and a lack of properly educated, consumer involvement.

It's a little known fact that over 90% of current concierge physicians need additional patients in order to reach their desired patient threshold. Numerous concierge physicians across the country need over 300 patients. Furthermore, preliminary results from a concierge medicine research poll over the past years has shown that nearly 20% of concierge physicians fail in the first 24 months due to a lack of participation in their new business model.

Let's face it, shifting a primary care practice that has been around for years into a retainer-based, relational practice or business model can be seen by many as elitist, bring up patient abandonment talk or by some as a welcome answer to a growing problem where patients actually say to their physician, 'thank you - I've been waiting for you to do this!'

There is no reason why patients, if properly and professionally educated, when shown the facts, cannot see the vast economical benefits and value through healthcare provided by a relationship-oriented and wellness-focused doctor. Concierge doctors offer something valuable and personally tailored to meet the needs of each of their patients. Each concierge doctor and direct care physician should be congratulated for answering the call and providing quality care to their patients.

Naturopathic medicine is amongst the major forms of alternative medicine programs and is broadly studied and used for curing diseases that include a natural approach towards treating various sorts of illnesses. Natural Medicine courses are among those few medicine programs that provide opportunity to make a bright holistic health care career. Naturopathy practitioners can work in hospitals or open their own clinics.

Today, a naturopathy degree has its own rewards and hence pursuing education through a natural health school can train the students in numerous modalities of natural healing. The key areas that this program covers are acupuncture, herbal medicine, nutrition therapy and homeopathy. The principle of alternative medicine colleges is based on the belief that human body has an ability to ascertain, maintain, and repair health and that is the reason why alternative medicine schools focus on curing patients with natural therapies to attain total wellness.

After completing a natural health course from a reputed natural health school you will be able to heal the actual causes of the disease and its symptoms completely. Today, a lot of naturopathic colleges are offering numerous regular and correspondence holistic health degrees so that the students may learn about various dimensions of naturopathic medicine and help the persons suffering from a disease and help him achieve optimal level of wellness. The career aspects after completion of natural health degrees are very bright since more people are turning towards natural ways to cure the diseases.

To attain a holistic career as a naturopathic medicine practitioner, you must have a proper education and desire to cure the needy. Choosing natural medicine can be the best career option as it provides you with complete knowledge and ability to serve the needy; also professionals that are properly trained in this field are in great demand. A natural medicine school not just provides a challenging career but also comes with good financial security as the demand of natural practitioners is increasing day by day.

Choose a renowned natural health school today and start the journey towards a rewarding naturopathy career!

Our health is often surrounded by a number of things, and superstition could be one of them.

Decision making of any kind becomes a daunting situation. Making any decision about health is the most responsible and crucial one we may have to face in our lifetime.

Controversy and knowing the truth in question over the debate about any health issue - do we seek prescription drug medicine or alternative therapy? This would be a difficult decision to make for most people unless we have a certain amount of knowledge and the controversy on either side sorted.

There is a considerable amount of superstition by some when it comes to alternative natural remedies. We easily can become victims of this superstition, holding us back from other health possibilities.

There are many who only believe in conventional medicine. One side of all this being substantiated in a positive way. There is no better than conventional medicine when it comes to emergency, surgery and trauma as such. For anything else alternative or natural medicine is by far more effective.

Drugs are only a band-aid solution; they never fix the core problem where the sickness originated from.

Between conventional or prescription medicines and natural alternative medicines are a lot of differences. One particular issue with conventional therapy is a strong barrage of side effects. Such side effects often go to the extreme of being worse than the original illness.

Drugs may get immediate temporary relief. You will feel and know that the disease is becoming more and more serious. It will always be there, and won't go away.

What is this superstition? Can health be achieved and maintained, sickness and diseases cured by alternative, natural medicine and remedies? Shouldn't we investigate every possibility in an unprejudiced way and not just believe anything that they fulfil all the promises, regardless of which side of the fence we're on?

When we become ill, does all this happen over night?

No, you may feel like that when first awakening in the morning. You did not get in to that condition overnight.

Whatever illness it is, it has developed gradually over years. Experiencing the very same thing: it was here in the morning without any pre-warning days before. Therefor you will not get in to a state of health overnight.

No drug will fix it, it will only relieve the symptom. Your body will fix the problem not just the symptom.

This is not only about gloom and doom; there is also some good news: On a positive side natural alternative medicine being tested and proven over time and age already and is save for your body.

Give your body what it needs: minerals, vitamins, enzymes, exercise, drink pure water "not water out of plastic bottles". Have a close look at the diet you are on, and choose a good natural supplement.

Dismiss any negative thoughts you may have, think only positive. Let your immune system do the job, give it what it needs and you will have your health back. Mother Nature's original super food is more powerful than manmade pills. Planet earth is having it all, only we ignore it most of the time.

When discussing alternative medicine one cannot do so without bringing up meridians. In many ways, the focus and manipulation of meridians is the key to overall well being.

Meridians have been compared to many things. Some people look at them from the world of nature and they see rivers and streams flowing through the body. Others look at them from the world of technology and see copper wires on a control panel carrying electricity through over a complex control panel. These are the meridians that carry the vital energy force through the body.

There are 20 of these Meridians. Twelve of them are considered main Meridians, and eight of them are called extra Meridians. There are also a few branches or offshoots of the main Meridians. The Meridians are sometimes named for an organ although the connection is not an exact one. For example, the Lung Meridian runs out of the arms, does pass the lungs, and turns around in the area of the large intestine.

The Chinese medicinal theory came to some conclusions about the nature of energy and matter over 5,000 years ago. They identified two distinct types of energy. One was physical energy and the other was called subtle energy. Both of these energies were in a constant state of vibration. Physical matter is vibrating slowly and can be detected and even seen and felt. Subtle energy is vibrating very fast is unseen. Despite this the Chinese accepted subtle energy as every bit as real as physical energy. The theory of Yin, the energy of earth, and Yang, the energy of heaven enters into this as well. These opposite energies have combined in human beings and created inside them a balance.

This balance is maintained by the flow of subtle energy through the Meridians. Western scientific knowledge has not accepted the existence of the Meridians because they have not been able to see them or touch them. It is thought that the kind of internal connections that Traditional Chinese Medicine associates with Meridians is actually accomplished by the central nervous system.

The Meridians are very carefully mapped and on them are the body points that act like switches and dams to control and regulate the flow of qi energy to the parts of the body where it is lacking, or even to drain it away from areas where it is too abundant. The Main Meridians and two of the Extra Meridians have their own distinct points. The other six Extra Meridians are controlled and regulated by combining stimulation of combinations of points located on the fourteen. By turning on and off switches, energy flow can be corrected and health issues overcome.

Preventive Medicine is the care and measures taken to prevent illness. Professional preventive care includes examinations and screening tests tailored to a patient's age, health, and family history. In addition to avoiding the initial development of diseases, preventive medicine also includes preventing the worsening of diseases that have already developed.

There are a number of ways that doctors treat their patients with Preventive Medicine. Immunization is a common but important example of preventive medicine provided by doctors. Vaccines are regularly used to guard against illness, especially influenza. Antibiotics are used to prevent infections when treating wounds and burns.

Good hygiene practices are another essential part of preventive care and health maintenance. Hand washing and bathing are important to cleanse the body of infectious agents and dead skin cells. It is also important to wash food and clean utensils and kitchen surfaces before eating. These measures reduce the likelihood of germs and bacteria entering the body.

Health maintenance is an ongoing process that is important to preventive care. There are several aspects of improving health and staying healthy. Physical exercise can improve overall health and reduce the likelihood of becoming ill. Personal health is also impacted by personal observations of daily living, as well as the clinical treatment plans based on these observations. Professional health care is an important part of health maintenance. The medical, nursing, and allied health professions offer services for the prevention of illness and preservation of mental and physical health.

The social structure of a person's life also affects their health. Maintaining strong social relationships has been linked to good health and longevity. Including volunteer work in one's social activities can have a positive impact on personal health. Stress management is also a component of health maintenance. Relaxation techniques, cognitive therapy, and confidence building techniques can reduce negative stress responses in the body.

The importance of Preventive Medicine cannot be overstated. Many of the leading causes of death in the United States could be avoided with Preventive Medicine. Preventive care and health maintenance are an important part of what Doctors of Internal Medicine and Family Practitioners offer their patients. These physicians provide their patients with a better understanding of wellness and disease prevention, which can lead to a longer and healthier life.

Preventive Medicine is the care and measures taken to prevent illness. Professional preventive care includes examinations and screening tests tailored to a patient's age, health, and family history. In addition to avoiding the initial development of diseases, preventive medicine also includes preventing the worsening of diseases that have already developed.

There are a number of ways that doctors treat their patients with Preventive Medicine. Immunization is a common but important example of preventive medicine provided by doctors. Vaccines are regularly used to guard against illness, especially influenza. Antibiotics are used to prevent infections when treating wounds and burns.

Good hygiene practices are another essential part of preventive care and health maintenance. Hand washing and bathing are important to cleanse the body of infectious agents and dead skin cells. It is also important to wash food and clean utensils and kitchen surfaces before eating. These measures reduce the likelihood of germs and bacteria entering the body.

Health maintenance is an ongoing process that is important to preventive care. There are several aspects of improving health and staying healthy. Physical exercise can improve overall health and reduce the likelihood of becoming ill. Personal health is also impacted by personal observations of daily living, as well as the clinical treatment plans based on these observations. Professional health care is an important part of health maintenance. The medical, nursing, and allied health professions offer services for the prevention of illness and preservation of mental and physical health.

The social structure of a person's life also affects their health. Maintaining strong social relationships has been linked to good health and longevity. Including volunteer work in one's social activities can have a positive impact on personal health. Stress management is also a component of health maintenance. Relaxation techniques, cognitive therapy, and confidence building techniques can reduce negative stress responses in the body.

The importance of Preventive Medicine cannot be overstated. Many of the leading causes of death in the United States could be avoided with Preventive Medicine. Preventive care and health maintenance are an important part of what Doctors of Internal Medicine and Family Practitioners offer their patients. These physicians provide their patients with a better understanding of wellness and disease prevention, which can lead to a longer and healthier life.

In part one of this article we discussed some of the problems with our current health care system and the differences in point of view between acupuncture and Chinese medicine and our current western medicine views. Part 2 discusses exactly how acupuncturists and practitioners of Chinese medicine treat the body and disease, as well as the future of health care.

Treatment

Once a diagnosis is made, treatments are designed to help the body restore its balance. The treatments in Chinese medicine are particularly different from what we're accustomed to in the West. Chinese medicine primarily uses acupuncture, Chinese herbs and other traditional physical therapies to heal the body.

Acupuncture is a hands-on treatment method designed to adjust the circulation in the body. The acupuncturist may be adjusting circulation to or from an organ, joint, painful area, etc. To adjust circulation, the acupuncturist properly chooses a series of five to ten acupuncture points, out of the several hundred points all over the body. The acupuncturist then stimulates the point using pressure, heat, or a fine, hair-like needle. Much like tuning an instrument, this gentle and precise method fine-tunes the body's systems to make it operate smoothly. And, unlike drugs, acupuncture is free of harmful side effects.

Acupuncturists also often use natural herbal substances to aid in the healing of imbalances; however, we prescribe herbs differently from Western herbalists. Most naturopaths and Western herbalists prescribe herbs in the same way that doctors prescribe drugs (Herb X cures Symptom X, etc.). A Chinese herbalist will instead create a complex, customized formula involving approximately five to twenty herbs, uniquely balanced for that specific patient and problem. Because no two people are alike, no two people with the same problem will take the same formula! This prescription method is very powerful in helping each individual heal and restore balance.

Herbs are not used as a palliative measure to gloss over problems or merely relieve symptoms, and once the patient has restored his/her health, he/she discontinues taking the herbs. The goal is to heal the patient, then maximize health through prevention.

Prevention

The last way that a Chinese medicine practitioner differs than a modern Western medical practitioner is our focus on prevention. We feel that once the patient has healed from the problem and restored a healthy balance, both the patient and practitioner must focus on prevention to make sure that the problem does not recur. Through education, the practitioner helps the patient understand how the imbalances occurred in the first place, and how to prevent them in the future.

Maintaining health is similar to driving a car. The driver can't hold the steering wheel in one position and expect to stay safely on the road! He/she must constantly make minor adjustments with the steering wheel to stay on course. Our bodies are the same; even when healthy, we must make periodic, minor adjustments to stay perfectly healthy.

Prevention can consist of activities such as the proper exercise for that individual, the proper diet for that individual, relaxation techniques and home health remedies. The practitioner may also recommend periodic "tune-ups" to help the patient maintain optimum health. Prevention and maintenance is always cheaper than waiting until you get sick.

Other Considerations

One more thing to consider: acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine is much less expensive than Western medicine. An average office visit to a Chinese medical practitioner costs approximately $65, plus about $10 for herbs. The average visit to a Western medical doctor can cost hundreds of dollars, and prescription medications can cost nearly as much (sometimes more). And let's just hope you don't need tests, the sum total of which occasionally runs in the thousands of dollars. The meager cost of a natural, preventative approach pays for itself in cash, happiness and well-being.

Remember, you can always increase the strength of a treatment, but you can never undo a surgery. Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese medicine may not be the solution for every problem, but isn't it worth giving yourself the chance to heal naturally? If you or someone you know is dealing with a health problem, you have nothing to lose by trying this time-proven medicine - the health care system for the new millennium.

I've often heard variations of this question, "Why should I choose a natural doctor over my traditional MD?" Part of the answer lies in another question, "What is natural medicine?"

Natural medicine is a discipline that emphasizes the body's ability to heal itself and maintain itself at optimum health. Naturopathic doctors use herbs and foods to stimulate the body's healing processes rather than simply using drugs to treat the symptom of a disease. Simplistically, natural medicine can be thought of as wellness management rather than disease management.

So, by choosing natural medicine, a person is choosing to adopt a preventative, proactive approach to health rather than a reactive approach - waiting until a health issue arises and then seeking treatment. He or she has also made the choice to address the root cause of health issues rather than just treat the symptoms. That's not to say that natural medicine doesn't treat symptoms; it does. For example, a person committed to natural medicine may take St. Johns Wort instead of a synthetic pharmaceutical drug to combat symptoms of depression.

That's also not to say that a person choosing natural medicine has to reject traditional medicine. This isn't an either/or situation. Natural medicine and traditional allopathic medicine can and should exist side by side, but in balance.

Naturopathic practitioners believe in the body's ability to heal itself. By focusing on strengthening and balancing the body's systems - immune, nervous, hormone, and detoxification - healing occurs and optimal health is restored. Since naturopaths approach each patient holistically, they look at uncovering and treating underlying imbalances, such as nutrition, rather than simply treating the presenting health symptom. Treating the symptom may be a quick fix band aid, but addressing the underlying causes will help the body return to its natural state of optimal health.

Natural medicine isn't a silver bullet, magical fix approach. A pharmaceutical may provide quick relief from a symptom, but does it provide a cure? Maybe, maybe not. However, great results through natural medicine can come from positive behavior changes and the persistence it requires to maintain these changes long enough for the body to respond.

If you believe in the concept of ideal health, developing optimum wellness, and disease prevention, perhaps you should consider natural medicine before your next visit to the doctor.

Kevin: My guest is Dr. Mark Hyman, M.D., who is a respected medical consultant, New York Times best-selling author and a leader in the emerging field of functional medicine. Functional medicine is ideal medicine made real. It is a new medical model, a more successful way of treating human illness and disease born of recent technological and clinical advances applied in a fresh methodology. As Dr. Hyman says, "the future of medicine available now." Functional medicine moves beyond diagnosis-based medicine to allow treatment of the underlying causes of disease. It works with the body's natural forces to achieve what Dr. Hyman calls ultra wellness, lifelong good health and vitality. Doesn't that sound good?

So what I want to do now is welcome Dr. Hyman to the program. This is exciting. You're one of my own personal heroes in terms of medicine and I've read all your books and I'm really excited to have you here.

Mark: Well, it's a great opportunity to be able to talk about the work I do and it's really grown out of my own experience of being sick and my own patients and learning a whole new field, called functional medicine.

Kevin: Well, why don't you talk a little bit about how you got here and your story from when you first started and now, how it's developed into functional medicine?

Mark: Well, actually my original development started way back when I was in college where I was very interested in Chinese and Asian studies and actually the ancient healing systems of China. I learned Chinese and then I actually became a yoga teacher and way before I went to medical school I was very interested in health and was a vegetarian and actually thought I was going to go into medicine to do this kind of work in the first place.

So I had this sort of in my mind right from the beginning and then I slowly got into medical school and sort of got brainwashed little bit and took on the medical model fairly strongly, because it was pretty convincing model. Over the years, I began to realize that even if I was doing a great job with this model I could only do so much for people. It was kind of like I was putting my finger in the dam. In about my mid 30s, I went to China and actually I was there doing a project there, but I got sick. I
got mercury poisoning. I got back to the states and a number of different things happened and my whole body collapsed and I developed chronic fatigue syndrome. It was through the process of my own illness and recovery and through my work as the medical director at Canyon Ranch that I discovered a new way of treating and diagnosing illness that was based not on symptoms, but based on the causes of illness. It was based on the underlying issues that are really at the root of why we get sick and I realized that with putting your finger in the dam and simply treating symptoms you may quiet them down briefly, but the disease, or the processes that are causing the disease still are going on.

So for example, if you take a high blood pressure pill your blood pressure normalizes, but if you stop the pill your blood pressure goes up. So you really haven't done anything to treat the high blood pressure. All you've done is suppress the symptoms. So I began to have to understand this not in sort of an academic way, but in a very real way to my own process of detoxification and healing, because I had no other way to get better. Conventional medicine didn't offer me any solutions other than here take some Prozac, or take some drugs that deal with this or that, that were really not helpful anyway and so I got very lucky at the time and I was working at Canyon Ranch and I was introduced to the work of Jeffrey Bland, who is a nutritional biochemist, student of Linus Pauling, who's been working over the last 35 years really reframing our medical science in a way that allows us to understand things and how they work together.

This is called systems biology and it's an understanding that there are thousands and thousands of diseases, but there are really only about seven underlying systems in the body that has to function in order for you to be healthy and those things, when they're not functioning create illness and the treatment and the diagnosis has to be focused on those seven things. So the rest of the names in the things we call diseases really become more irrelevant as we understand those seven causes. So you can have migraines, or depression, or Alzheimer's disease, or heart disease, or diabetes or irritable bowel, or whatever. Those are just names for collections of symptoms and that any two people with exactly the same named disease can totally different problems. We have no way of knowing that if you have depression, one person might have mercury poisoning. Another person might be severely folate deficient, or B12 deficient. Another person might be hypothyroid and you can't treat them all with Prozac. They're not suffering from a Prozac deficiency. They are suffering from some fundamental, underlying imbalance that has to be addressed in order for them to get better and the body has to get the things it needs to function and thrive properly.

So this is sort of the evolution of functional medicine which has happened over the last 15 years and we have just recently published a textbook of functional medicine that lays out this paradigm in great detail. For those who are health practitioners, it's a wonderful resource, with over 20,000 scientific references. I contributed a couple of chapters to that. Mine was very large chapter on influence of diet on health, which is a big topic. It's a really exciting model, because it's not just an idea. I'm a practicing physician and every day I see patients in my office and I always say I get to be a witness to miracles.

Kevin: Wow. What's the difference between integrative medicine and alternative medicine, as opposed to functional medicine?

Mark: Great question. That's a great question and I think it's an important question. Let me just go through the history of how we got to where we are. We had conventional medicine, which is basically a reductionistic science. It breaks things down into component points, component parts. We have organ systems. We have various diseases. Then came along holistic health, which said we should pay attention to some other things, like mind-body effect and we should use some other treatments that help the body heal, like meditation, or yoga, or massage, or energy healing and then there was sort of a movement in awareness of other modalities, called alternative medicine, which included things like Ayurveda and Chinese medicine, which unto themselves are entire, whole healing systems with their own philosophy and methodologies that are very different from conventional medicine. Then Andy Wilde came along and he said there's all these great things out there that we're really not paying attention to that have been around for centuries or even some newer techniques that can really help the body heal, whether it's osteopathy, or acupuncture, or herbs and we should integrate those treatments with conventional approaches to kind of have the better outcome. So what that does is that it says well, here are the conventional diagnoses; migraine, irritable bowel, depression, arthritis, whatever. We're going to use these treatments, these alternative therapies and integrate them with conventional therapies.

Now, I think that's a good advance, but I also think it's very limited, because we're simply doing what I call, green medicine, in the sense where we're simply applying an herb instead of a drug. Someone that has a migraine headache, you give them feverfew instead of Imitrex. Maybe that'll work and maybe it won't. Maybe it's a less toxic therapy, but it does nothing to help us figure out if that person has a migraine, because they have a gluten allergy, or because their estrogen levels are imbalanced, or because they have a mitochondrial defect and need high doses of riboflavin. The feverfew is not going to work. So you have to have a way of thinking to understand the architecture, so functional medicine is the next step. It's the next evolution and it's a way of using all therapies, whether they be conventional, or alternative, in a way that allows you to think about things differently and allows you to get to the problem, deal with the causes and help the body regain balance and it's a really informational architectural of a model of a philosophy, or a theory basically, of how things work. It's based on systems biology and allows us to understand how things relate and connect. So it's not exclusive or inclusive of any particular treatment, modality, test, anything, so surgery could be functional medicine. It's really, what is the best treatment for this particular problem and how do we find that out, because in conventional medicine, or integrative medicine we don't have that opportunity.

I've seen in case conferences with patients in integrative medicine and you take someone, for example, with migraine and you'll sit around the table with various modalities like acupuncturists, say well, they have a spleen chi deficiency and they need acupuncture and an herbalist says they need this herb, feverfew. A nutritionist may say they shouldn't eat aspartame, because that can cause headaches. The other one says maybe they're just really stressed out and need some mind-body therapies and spiritual healing. So you're sort of getting a smorgasbord of choices, but no organized way of how to use them and you can't use everything on everybody. So you have to figure out what is the root and you have to figure out how to navigate to that problem.

Kevin: You say there are seven causes of disease, or illness. Are those the basis of the functional medicine?

Mark: Absolutely. Those are what I call the seven keys to ultra wellness, but they're also called the seven core imbalances of functional medicine. So I simply borrowed them
and made them accessible to lay people, because it's very hard for people to understand
mitochondrial and oxidative redox imbalances, or biotransformational dysfunction, but I try to translate these concepts into things that people can actually get and understand and do something about.

Everybody gets that there's some nutritional imbalances. Everybody gets that you can get inflammation. Everybody gets they might have detox issues. Everybody gets that you might have trouble making energy in your body. Everybody gets the might have stress and mind-body imbalances. Everybody gets that you can have hormonal problems. So these are the base end, or digestive problems. These are the basic systems and if those are not in balance, your body can't be healthy.

Since centuries, man has always turned towards natural therapies in case of health maladies. There is not even a bit of doubt that these natural therapies have helped man kind and again and again to balance their physical and emotional self. Subsequently, natural medicine played a significant role in improving health and treating illness.

What's astonishing is that these natural medicines haven't been dented by the gradual increase of modern medicines. In fact, these cures are moving from strength to strength. Natural health therapies such as homeopathy, traditional Chinese and Oriental methods are worldwide famous for their positive impact. And that is the reason why more and more modern medicines are investing their research and interest in natural medicines. The one potent reason for this lies in the fact that these naturally solutions have no possible side effects. Add to that, the medicine tends to work better once the cause is known or addressed.

Within the genre of botanical medicines, one of the most famous and effective practice marks its arrival in the form of aromatherapy. It is still used to treat certain body ailments and helps in relaxing your mind and body. Ancient Chinese and Indian medicines are well known examples of any such practices and are still doing great. Now-a-days, people are falling pray to foods with processed ingredients, pesticides and other harmful ingredients, thereby putting their health at the maximum risk. In order to cut this maximum risk into half, one of the most common natural remedies is the inclusion of herbal plants.

Very rarely a medicine comes that symbolizes almost all cultures around the world with a potential mix of herbal extracts. Herbal medicines may also be taken in the form of tea, tablets, capsules and other possible means of extracts. There are many proven benefits of these herbal medicines that are listed as under:

• Meditation, massage, mind and body exercises (such as Yoga and Tai Chi) are some of the important techniques performed by these herbal wonders.
• Includes non-medicinal based healing and treatment such as sufficient exposure to sunlight.
• Besides everyday herbal remedies, herbal medicines can treat many health problems and diseases such as high cholesterol, arthritis, weight loss, flu and cold.

In the real sense, the idea is to strengthen and heal your body to lead a healthy life. These herbs remedies are aimed towards treating common health disorders and for this, nature has endowed us with limitless arrays of herbal cure such as lavender, eucalyptus oils, green tea and lemon oils to name a few. Green tea, for example, is quite effective in reducing cancer and certain heart diseases. Similarly, eucalyptus oils deal with complicated respiratory ailments.

However, it's a case of tragic satire that some people born of the nature are averse to these natural medicines. In other words, they are reluctant to reap the benefits of natural cure; reasons cited being laziness, drug addiction, racism, anti-Christ factor and other apprehensions or skeptic thoughts.

Snow fungus is traditionally eaten for its medicinal health benefits. Also called Silver Ear fungus or Wood Ear fungus, it naturally grows on a variety of trees in many countries with tropical or sub-tropical climates. It has been cultivated in China for at least a century. It is commonly labeled as white fungus and sold in its dried form. It is white in color, almost translucent. The superior quality of snow fungus is more yellowish in color and with a mucilage like texture.

Research has shown that polysaccharides found in snow fungus helps to increase the body's immune system. Scientific tests have shown its ability to fight and prevent cancer and is traditionally popular as an anti-aging food. A useful benefit of snow fungus is the prevention of leukopenia, or low white blood cell counts, in people who are undergoing chemotherapy treatment.

The Chinese have traditionally used it to cure dry coughs and also heart palpitations, and to help stabilize the nervous system. At the same time, snow fungus is commonly used as a stimulating herb and also as a beauty augmenting medicine. It is also consumed for the benefit of improving the skin tone. However, it is reported that consuming excessive amounts of these may lead to internal bleeding.

It is commonly eaten in Asian countries like China, Vietnam, and South East Asian countries where it is used as part of an ingredient in sweet dessert soups and herbal soups. Before cooking, it has to be soaked in water for about ten minutes to bring out the soft, jelly-like texture. The fungus by itself is tasteless and is slightly crunchy.

To get the health benefits of snow fungus, there are many ways to cook it with. A popular dessert soup would involve boiling white fungus with sugar, gingko nuts, longan (a popular Chinese fruit). It can also be served in Chinese chicken herbal soups with ginger and wolfberries. Another way of eating it is mixing it in a salad dish to make the dish crunchier.

Perhaps you've heard the term Holistic Medicine and wondered just what it means. Is it some sort of mystical healing art or far out alternative method of medicine? Well, it's not either of those. In fact, it's not far out or strange in any way. Holistic medicine is really just a "whole" approach to treatment as opposed to a narrow approach. So, if you're interested in an overall approach to both your health and well being then you should definitely take a look at holistic health.

Standard medical practice tends to focus on specific maladies and treatments. You have medical condition and the doctor takes care of that condition with a specific treatment. Many times the root cause of the condition may be ignored and the focus is upon the symptoms. As an example, if you have high blood pressure your doctor will most likely prescribe a drug to lower it. But, the root cause of your high blood pressure may remain requiring that you stay on the drug for an indeterminate period of time. Unfortunately that is generally how standard medicine works. It tends to ignore your overall state of health and well being and focuses on particular ailment or condition. This approach is not necessarily bad but it does not always create a better level of health for its patients.

Holistic medicine approaches health from a more generalized perspective. It looks at the physical, mental, emotional, nutritional, environmental, social and spiritual aspects of the patients well being. It also considers all aspects of diagnosis and treatment. Holistic medicine views treatment from a natural perspective first but does not rule out drugs or surgery if they are needed. While conventional medicine tends to immediately rely upon drugs, holistic medicine explores all other opportunities before going down the drug path. Personal responsibility for one's health and well being are also an important aspect of holistic medicine. After all, if your own personal health is a low priority for yourself then you really can't pass the responsibility on to someone else. Holistic practitioners want to help their patients in any way they can but the patient himself must take some responsibility for their well being.

The holistic approach looks at each person as a unique individual and disease as the result of an imbalance in the physical, emotional, spiritual, social or environmental aspects of a persons life. It is believed that by re-introducing balance between these components healing will occur naturally. The holistic practitioner explores all aspects of their patients livelihood and tries to guide them toward a more balanced equilibrium. The patient, however, is the one that must make the effort to change things such as habits, beliefs, lifestyle etc.

Holistic medicine is an umbrella term that covers many different alternative and mainstream approaches. Acupuncture, acupressure, aromatherapy, homeopathy, meditation, reflexology, yoga, qigong and massage are just a few of the techniques used in holistic medicine. Obviously these techniques can result in better health even when no disease is present. Unlike traditional medicine where you usually visit your doctor only when something is wrong, the practice of holistic medicine can result in much better health and well being long before any illness or disease occurs. And, hopefully the practitioner can avoid disease all together.

So, if you're considering a holistic approach to your health there are many options available to you and you should carefully consider each of them. Find what works best for you as an individual and make the move toward better health. As the holistic approach becomes more popular more practitioners, and conventional doctors for that matter, will be available to help you better understand your options. In the future an effective blend of alternative, complementary, and traditional medicine, which is the goal of the holistic approach, will hopefully result in better health and longevity for everyone.

In Part 1 we discussed the fact that alternative medicine
(so called) was being used in ancient times long before
conventional medicine came on the scene. It is interesting
to note that there were not so many diseases plaguing mortals
in those days. What has caused this never-ending increase of
deadly diseases that wreak such havoc on the body today?

If conventional medicine was the answer to health problems,
why have diseases increased, and why are so many people dying
from these devasting illnesses? Why do so many persons seem
to be convinced that alternative medicine made by God do not
have healing virtues as the conventional medicine made by man?

There is also what is called complementary medicine, that is,
other treatment used along with conventional medicine to effect
a cure. However, not all substances categorised as complementary
medicine must be used with conventional medicine to be effective.

For example, aromatherapy is regarded as complementary since
it is used in many cases with conventional therapy. I have had
great results with the use of essential oils in the case of
swollen joints, arthritic pains, nasal and chest congestion,
'flu and other ailments. No conventional medicine was used
in these cases.

Why is information about cures by alternative medicine often
suppressed even though conventional medicine very often
interferes with the natural process of healing?

People are so coerced to use conventional medicine that they
refuse to even give alternative medicine a chance because
advertisements have such great influence when heard often
enough, that the public is convinced.

Have you ever noticed the way conventional medicine is
advertised? It would seem that every effort is made to down
play the possible negative effects.

The ads begin by distinctly emphasizing the benefits of the
medicines; then with hurried words they are changed to
something like this, "If you have gallbladder problems, or
ulcers, (or other ailment) you shouldn't take this."
Then in closing, someone affirms that the benefits have
been personally experienced!

Beware such deception and trickery; your health may be
seriously compromised. I often say to myself, "If this
conventional medicine is likely to affect my stomach, kidneys,
liver, whatever, why should I take it at all when I can use
some form of alternative medicine that is not toxic?"

Many people, so trained to distrust natural remedies and eager
to get well, jump at the announcement of some apparent new
super healing conventional medicine; and, without any
hesitation, embark upon a regimen with the belief that it is
the answer to their problem; Yet, they continue to be sick or
even get worse. In spite of that they keep on ingesting them.

I am of the opinion that if persons are encouraged to use
alternative medicine to treat disease before it develops into
a serious illness, they might very well have but little need
for the administration of conventional medicine such as
chemotherapy, synthetic drugs, and surgery. If the body is
kept in a healthy state, it is not likely that disease will
develop.

Day by day warning signs of an impending illness are being
ignored, then when that illness becomes overwhelming a quick
fix is sought through conventional medicine which,
unfortunately, seldom delivers the required result.

I just cannot understand why most people will not try natural
remedies. My son, who was diagnosed with an exceedingly high
count of diabetes, was given the conventional treatment of
insulin and told that he would have to use it for the rest of
his life. He decided to try a herb called Gymnema Sylvestre
that is known in India as 'sugar destroyer' and, instead of
using sugar, he used the extract of another herb called Stevia.

What a surprise when he tested the level of sugar to discover
that it had drastically dropped! After a few weeks, he
stopped using insulin altogether. This was well over a year
ago and to this day he has not resumed the insulin therapy.
His blood sugar is back to normal and he now uses the natural
treatment only for maintenance.

I am not saying this to suggest that you will have the same
results, or to suggest that you rush out and buy these items.
This is only to support my confidence in natural remedies. If
you have diabetes, you are well advised to consult your doctor.

Very often a simple massage is the answer to a problem. I
personally have not had a headache for many years. There
was a time when I was headache-prone, and got into the habit
of using synthetic medicines to ease the pain, but after I
decided to try natural treatments and medicines, I changed
my diet from eating 'junk' foods and tried to stop using those
synthetic headache remedies.

I started to massage my head and shoulders whenever a headache
came on. Then to my delight, I realised that headaches were few
and far apart. Now they are virtually no more a part of my life.

Whenever I sense the feeling that a headache is imminent (which
is exceedingly rare), I just give myself a quick head and
shoulder massage and I am OK again. No more headache remedies
for me, like the 'Oh-so-famous' ones that are so often advertised.

I have helped many, many persons to be rid of a headache by just
simply giving them a massage as mentioned above. Many had
headaches lingering for days, and after about 20 minutes of
massage, they miraculously stopped.

Every person should find the time to learn about the natural
treatments that could be taken to protect his/her own body
and prevent or cure diseases. I do, do you? I have studied
and read about hundreds of cures by natural means, and have
experienced some myself.

Think of the many thousands of persons who might have been
alive today if only they had known, and had been encouraged,
to use certain natural remedies to be healed.

It is not the intention of this article to condemn the use of
conventional medicine which plays a wonderful role in the case
of surgery and other traumatic conditions. There have been
countless such cases where, without the administration of
conventional medicine, many persons would not have survived.

However, it is my hope that conventional medicine in the field
of drugs will one day give way to alternative medicine, and
conventional medicine retain its place in the field of surgery
and other traumatic conditions where it cannot be ignored.

Many persons have begun to take charge of their health and have
wisely shifted their preference to alternative medicine with satisfactory results. It is likely that this trend will continue
and alternative medicine will one day regain the recognition it
so rightfully deserves, as greater emphasis will be put on the prevention of disease and maintenance of health by natural means.

A word of caution. If you have decided to try alternative
medicine, be sure to get in touch with a qualified practitioner.

This article is written for information only and is not
intended to suggest treatment of any disease. Information
contained herein is based on my own experience and research I
have done and just want to share with interested persons.
Anyone suffering from a disease is advised to consult a
qualified recognized health care professional for advice.

Medical Treatments are toxic by definition. Is there an alternative to this process which may lead to further degeneration of health to the point of no return.

This is the madness of western medicine. We do nothing until we suffer from symptoms of illness, and then go to the Doctor for help. While this is convenient, and apparently cheap, it is not the only way to look at health and vitality.

I am in my 58th year. How many people my age, still have free movement of their bodies and no medications. In fact, the statistics for disability in those over 50 is quite alarming. How many people do you know who have had a major operation, or serious illness before they reached the magical 55, the age which used to mean early retirement.

What is wrong with our Health System?

Today there is a big debate in Australia between the Prime Minister and his opposition counterpart on health! It is centred around propping up the "sickness" system, as I call it, and an attempt on a TV Q & A show to even suggest that preventive medicine should be high on the agenda was very quickly brushed off by the Health Minister.

We live in a world where personal responsibility has become a catch cry, but is little understood. Our health system is a huge industry fueled by drug companies, health professional groups and technology companies who make all those outrageously expensive machines. Any attempt to change the system is fiercely opposed by big Pharma and the politicians who support them. To even think of fundamental change is simply untenable.

Here are two health models. Look at both of these, and decide logically which one is likely to give you better health.

The Traditional Medical Model.

This is embraced by Health professionals, including most natural therapists! I would call it remedial.

We live our lives as we choose, ignoring health as an issue. When we feel unwell, we reach for the Panadol, or if that doesn't work, go to the Doctor. As matters get worse, there is the hospital system, and out the other end a retirement village or palliative care.

Something is wrong with this way of looking at health. First it ignores the cause of illness and second, it encourages us not to take responsibility as the system will fix us up when things go wrong. The more interventions, and medications we embrace, the more likely we will permanently lose our mobility and vitality. Modern medicine may keep you alive, but for most the cost is in quality of life.

If you think Naturopaths are different, when you next walk out of your favourite Naturopath's premises armed with bags of herbs and supplements for every deficiency your body has, realize this is another form of the same system. It is individual remedies for each perceived health challenge.

The Terrain Approach

There is another approach. Why not give the body what it needs to stay healthy. Instead of waiting until it breaks down, we add essential vitamins and minerals, and remove the toxins which cause most disease. By working on whole body vitality, the chances of ending up in the medical system are greatly reduced! This is the world I live in.

It is a much simpler way to look at a complicated problem and you don't need a nursing or medical degree to help people! That is the threat to the traditional system. They spend years learning their craft and then someone comes a long and says for most people, eating correctly, detoxing, exercising and supplementing has a more positive effect than all the medications combined.

In China, there is an emphasis on prevention rather than "cure". Doctors trained in that country are paid while their patients are healthy, the opposite of what happens here. Some health professionals understand this approach, but they are usually discouraged from presenting it.

I would like to write a whole lot more about this, but in reality, it is so simple I don't have to! Give the body what it needs and it works very well!

What Does The Body Need?

We all need to detoxify to eliminate the many poisons, heavy metals, herbicides, pesticides, food additives, etc it is now virtually impossible to avoid. Then we need a small amount of a broad range of nutrients to thrive.

An elder of the Church visited a 3rd grade Bible class one Sunday morning. He asked the class why people call him a Christian? A little girl named Laura raised her hand. "Yes," said the elder pointing to the girl, "go ahead"

In sweet innocence, Laura replied, "Because they don't know you?"

Ba-da Bing, Ba-da Boom!

Indeed, I often wonder why God puts up with us as His children given the way we often think and act. No, I am not speaking about holiness, though holiness is certainly an element of faith. Rather, I am referring to the way Christians walk in step with the world when it comes to their health and lifestyle.

Based on health and lifestyle, most people would be hard pressed to single out a Christian in a crowd of unbelievers. Christians eat the same junk foods, drink the same soft drinks, get just as obese, come down with the same diseases and get treated by doctors trained in the same medicine, take the same drugs and often die from complications following the same medications and treatment.

Don't get me wrong. I am not questioning anyone's faith, their Church attendance, worship, church activity, or none of that stuff. No, rather what I'm questioning is the spiritual disconnect I see in the operation of our faith with our own physical health and well-being. I mean it's as though many Christians consider food and medicine as being irrelevant to the practice of their faith.

Oh sure, we pray over our food and we pray for healing when under the care of a doctor. I am not talking about that. What I'm talking about is not giving consideration to food and medicine as being a weapon of Satan. Crazy, you say?

Let me give you a word of knowledge from God's Word. It is our responsibility as Christians to "test everything" and to "avoid every kind of evil" (I Thessalonians 5:21). Everything certainly includes food and medicine, two large parts of our life.

Time and again, God's Word tells us to; "live a life worthy of the calling" we received (Ephesians 4:1), to not be "conformed to the pattern of this world" (Romans 12:2), "not to be yoked together with unbelievers" (II Corinthians 6:14). "For what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever" (II Corinthians 6:15)?

We typically relate those verses to avoiding sin, and rightfully so. But there's more than holiness at stake here. There is a matter of righteousness in how we care for our fleshly body as well.

For "What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: 'I will dwell in them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people.'...Therefore, come out from among them and be separate...Let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God" ((II Corinthians 6:16 to 7:1).

So now: If I tell you that eating a diet high in saturated fats creates heart disease, would a steady diet high in saturated fats be something that contaminates the body? Would it matter to you?

If I tell you that monosodium glutamate (MSG), a flavor enhancer found in many processed foods, may cause obesity and creates adverse reactions in many people, could MSG be something that contaminates the body? Would you care?

If I tell you that your body must be alkalized to remain free of disease, would having an acidic body be something that contaminates the body? Would this information cause you to want to test your body's pH level?

If I tell you there are safe and effective alternatives to prescription drugs, which often cause adverse reactions, including death, would taking those drugs be something that contaminates the body? Would it matter to you?

My point is that the world could care less about your well being, it only wants your money. So the world is full of lies and "feel goods" to keep you coming back. That is how the world works. For instance: To get you to buy processed meats, meat packagers inject sodium nitrite into the meat to make it look fresh and to preserve it. Never mind that sodium nitrite when heated forms nitrosamines, extremely powerful cancer-causing chemicals. Does that matter to you? It matters to God who knit your body together in the womb of your mother. He has something to say about that.

Or suppose you are diagnosed with cancer. Never mind there are safer and more effective alternatives then the surgery your physician recommends. He thinks a surgeon should cut you open from front to back to remove the tumor. If you survive the surgery, you would be given toxic and often lethal drugs. Your doctor gives you no other viable options. Does that matter to you? It matters to God who knit you together in the womb of your mother. He has something to say about that as well.

Here's the point. God receives no glory in you getting sick with a disease. He receives no glory in disease and suffering period. God receives glory in healing, and through sacrifices we offer to Him in body, spirit and soul. That word sacrifice refers to how we live our life, which includes the welfare of our body.

Since food and medicine are high on our list of life"s priorities, it is in these areas that we must be on guard and cautious about the most. Why food and medicine? Well, if you were Satan, could you think of a greater way to inflict more harm than through food and medicine? People need to eat and people need medical help. Satan acting through the world works 24/7 in both the food and medical industry to put and keep you down, to keep you from glorifying God in body.

It sickens me to see so many Christians in physical suffering brought on by their own neglectful lifestyle. Trust me, this has a huge impact. Others looking in the Church from outside observe there is nothing going on there different from the world. There is nothing to make them want to seek God. If only Church leaders would understand God"s laws do not stop at the Church door; if they would only begin to educate Christians about the holiness of their body as it relates to food and medicine, life as a Christian would become much healthier. Many people outside of Christ would begin seeking Him.

I believe the local Church has a responsibility to educate believers in the righteous manner they should treat their bodies. No, not just warn them about the misuse of sex and drugs, but to teach them the difference between good and bad food and medicine. Church leaders should teach us how to "purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit," But here is where things get fuzzy and blurred.

Many Church leaders, ignorant themselves of the connection between physical and spiritual health, are fearful of getting into trouble with the law or fear being outcast as false teachers. Even worse, some Church leaders just don't get the connection between obeying God's natural laws and spiritual healing.

They have an "eat, drink and be merry" attitude toward the body. This is the disconnect I spoke of earlier. The mindset they carry is that Church is where one goes for salvation. The world is where one goes for health and healing. Nothing could be further from the truth.

We are created in the image and likeness of God (Genesis 1:26). Our body is a member of Christ's Body (I Corinthians 6:15). Our body, spirit and soul have all been redeemed. There is no earthly reason why we should leave responsibility to the world for our health and well-being, anymore than we should leave our souls to the world for salvation.

Churches conduct classes on almost any Bible related topic you can imagine. Why not a healthy lifestyle class? Topics could include such things as learning how to read food labels and what to watch out for, identifying known food chemicals suspect for poor health, identifying physicians in your area trained in holistic health, Bible study on the subject of health and much more. Not only would such classes be popular, they would serve to draw more visitors.

Food and medicine are the issues of our time. The more a Church is willing to involve itself in educating its flock on the topic of food and medicine as a spiritual act of worship, the more we will see a healthier Church.