Recent headlines in the news question the effectiveness of 'natural' supplements and other alternative therapies. But are alternative remedies really helpful or are we just wasting our money? The answer is 'yes' and 'no' at the same time.

'Yes' in that many herbs, supplements, and alternative therapies may work as intended because of appropriate application and dosage, purity and quality of substance, considering other existing physical conditions, care when mixing with other ingested substances, and especially one's state of mind.

'No' in that many herbs, supplements, and alternative therapies don't work as intended because of inappropriate application and dosage, impurity and low quality of substance, not considering other existing physical conditions, improper mixture with other ingested substances, and especially one's state of mind.
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Throughout western culture, old cultural and scientific models are being superseded by deeper, richer, subtler paradigms grounded in holism. Holism, as a worldview, posits that living beings are more than the mere sum of their parts; and that consciousness and spirit are inextricably woven into the total being. In medicine, this means recognizing the "whole person" as an indivisible gestalt of mind and body; granting consciousness, however elementary, to the cells and organs; and considering the emotional/physical/
spiritual environment in which a body dwells as a primary influence on its health or disability.

Although holistic medicine is a step on the path toward a more comprehensive medicine, it is but a step. Beyond holistic medicine lies vibrational medicine, a philosophy and practice of healing rooted in the awareness that the body is essentially energy, energy sculpted into a complex network of patterns manifesting as the various organs, tissues, and so on. Read the rest of this entry »

Because I'm getting up in age and my immunity's been enhanced due to exposure to so many viruses over the years, I rarely get a cold or the flu. When I run my body down due to overwork, excess stress, and improper eating, however, sometimes I find myself coming down with whatever's going around (especially when I travel).

When I first notice any typical viral symptoms, I immediately begin taking a combination of astragalus root and reishi mushroom. Occasionally I will add with this 1/2 teaspoon of sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) in water, drinking this several times a day. I also look at what's going on in my life and see where I can add in some relaxation or reduce my stress.
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F. Scott Fitzgerald's short story, "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," illustrates a fictitious character who was born an old man, and as time progressed, grew increasingly younger. It goes without question we accept this as an impossible scenario, since our current body of scientific knowledge holds that a human's natural cycle is to be born tabula rasa, starting fresh as a newborn, only to experience decay and disease as we are exposed to the antagonists of healthy living. But after seeing the movie my curiosity was piqued. If we can think ourselves healthier, can we think ourselves younger?
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One of the toughest and most prevalent challenges our American society faces is dealing with excess weight. Just scan the best-seller list on Amazon and you'll usually find a diet and/or exercise manual that promises miraculous weight loss and a fabulous physique. As I write this, the book "Naturally Thin: Unleash Your SkinnyGirl and Free Yourself from a Lifetime of Dieting" is #2 on Amazon. Other books on the list include, "Eat Right for Your Type," "The Gabriel Method: The Revolutionary DIET-FREE Way to Totally Transform Your Body," and "Body for Life: 12 Weeks to Mental and Physical Strength." But another top seller is "The Biology of Belief: Unleashing the Power of Consciousness, Matter, & Miracles," and I'll discuss the importance of understanding the power of our beliefs and how they are related to this growing trend.
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The ancient Oriental belief in Qi (or Chi) is the basis for the powerful healing component in the practice of Qigong. This balancing force, essentially defined as "vital energy," "breath of life," or "electromagnetic currents," is described as flowing through and animating all living things in the universe. Blockages in the energy system cause many instances of illness and disease. Gong signifies the practice and development of self-discipline and achievement. Together, Qigong demonstrates the combined mind-body skill of harnessing the vital life force energy. The progressive development of this practice entails the use of movement, breathing, and focused intent.
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Massage therapy…Reiki…spiritual counseling…acupuncture…music therapy…guided imagery…sounds like a New Age spa retreat. In actuality, these are alternative therapies you can now find in an increasing number of hospitals across the country. Numerous hospitals now incorporate a holistic vision of treating the whole person — mind, body, and spirit — into their mission statements.

Such therapies are used to help treat anxiety, depression, and chronic pain, and reduce the need for medication, lower blood pressure, improve stroke patients' memories, aid sleep, and speed recovery.
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Liver cleanses, lemonade fasting, fat flush plans, herbal kits…is the money you spend to detoxify your body well spent, or are you just throwing it away on useless products?

Such detoxification routines are becoming extremely popular, as people try to bring back into balance what they feel is an unhealthy living environment full of carcinogenic chemicals, such as PCBs, PBDEs, and phthalates,  now being found in everyday consumer products.

PBDEs (polybrominated diphenyl ethers), in particular, pose a significant concern regarding uncontrolled overexposure to manmade chemicals. Read the rest of this entry »

There are some holistic therapies notable for improving and maintaining good heart health based on the work of cardiologists Dr. Stephen Sinatra and Dr. James Roberts, and also experiential data, folklore, and time-tested indigenous wisdom handed down through many generations.

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You may already be familiar with one of the biggest threats to our health: it is heart disease in all its existing forms — atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries from plaque buildup), stroke, hypertension (high blood pressure), peripheral artery disease, arrhythmia, high cholesterol, congestive heart failure, aneurysm, and thrombosis.

While sometimes genetic, it is mostly preventable and treatable, yet is the leading cause of death in the United States, Canada, and England (affecting approximately 700,000 people in the U.S.).
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