Healthy Living Tips

In the fast paced world that we live in it can be easy to neglect our health and wellness. We’re so busy racing through our day to day lives – family, friends, work, social engagements – that we don’t take the time to look after ourselves. It’s really no wonder that so many of us are tired and run down. What are some simple things that we can do to improve our quality of life?

Drink Drink Drink…

You’ve heard it a million times and you’ll probably hear it a million more – drink more water!

Think about it: The human body is 72% water. A 5% drop in fluids creates a 25-30% loss in energy. A 15% drop in fluids causes death! At this point in time 66% of us aren’t drinking enough water, so over half the population isn’t running on all six cylinders to begin with – before things like bad air, bad food and stress take their toll.

It’s not really a difficult thing to remedy. Just drink one glass of water every half hour or so – or 10-12 glasses of water per day – and you’ll notice a huge jump in your energy levels.

Living Food – Loving Life!

A little known fact is that heating food above 116°F destroys much of the nutrient content. Considering that we already aren’t eating enough veggies, that’s a fairly substantial problem. Nutritionists recommend five serves of fresh vegetables per day. How many of us are actually taking that advice?

Basic Principles of Complementary/ Alternative Therapies

JUST AS MAINSTREAM MEDICINE has a fairly consistent approach to illness, so does al-ternative medicine. Most prevalent in alternative medicine are the six naturopathic principles. In one form or another, these principles are revisited again and again throughout Section Two of this text. The following principles are described by Dr. Catherine Downey and excerpted from her chapter on naturopathic medicine.

1. The Healing Power of Nature (Vis medicatix naturae)

The body has the inherent ability to establish, maintain and restore health. The healing process is ordered and intelligent: nature heals through the response of the life force. The physician’s role is to facilitate and augment this process, to act to identify and remove obstacles to health and recovery, and to support the creation of a healthy internal and external environment. In short, give the body the appropriate tools and it will heal itself.

2. Treat the Whole Person (The multifactorial nature of health and disease)

Health and disease are conditions of the whole organism, involving a complex interaction of physical, spiritual, mental, emotional, genetic, environmental, and social factors. The physician must treat the whole person by taking all of these factors into account. The harmonious functioning of all aspects of the individual is essential to recovery from and prevention of disease and requires a personalized and comprehensive approach to diagnosis and treatment.

3. First Do No Harm (Primum no nocere)

10 ADVANTAGES OF ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE AND NATURAL REMEDIES (One man beat emphysema and COPD in six weeks … over 20 years ago.)
Fact: Emphysema, COPD, cancer, arthritis, and other diseases and adverse health conditions have in many cases been beaten. But why aren’t these countless successes acknowledged by mainstream medicine?

PREFACE
Alternative medicine is kind of an umbrella title for a number of different health or healing philosophies and approaches to medicine, health and healing. Included in alternative medicine are homeopathy, naturopathy, chiropractic care, acupuncture, and natural remedies.

Many diseases and health conditions (i.e., emphysema, COPD, cancer, arthritis) have actually been beaten by alternative medicine and natural remedies. However, mainstream medicine has for years tended to not acknowledge these countless successes, apparently because they go against its established philosophies, methodologies, and are generally far less profitable than their mainstream treatments.

From my research and experience, and that of many highly qualified sources, many safe and effective alternative treatments and remedies have been ignored or even scoffed at for years by mainstream medical authorities and professionals. Mainstream medicine has labeled some alternative treatments as “unsafe,” “unproven”, etc. However, consider how many once “approved” mainstream pharmaceutical drugs, prescribed to millions of patients, have been recalled due to harm or death to patients? Consider the numerous potential side effects they list in their ads for their drugs still on the market. (Talk about “unsafe”! Yet, they can label alternative medicine and natural remedies “unsafe”?!)

Though the antibiotics have saved million lives, they are unable to solve the revival of germs that are turning up in various forms and do not respond to conventional therapies. The use of natural therapy and medicines is an alternative way to restore and maintain your health. Alternative medicine is considered to be a practice ahead of the sphere of conventional modern medicine techniques, and various alternative medicinal techniques such as naturopathy/ natural medicine, oriental medicine, holistic, acupuncture etc are in constant demand and rise.

Herbs and plants are used in the alternate medicine process to treat illnesses like sore throats, headaches, flu and cold, ear infections, indigestion, urinary tract infections, sprains and strains and other chronic situations such as autoimmune disorders, migraines, arthritis, cardiovascular disease, cancer, muscle-skeletal pain, stress, depression and even pregnancy and childbirth.

The alternative medicine improves emotional, physical and mental health and also encourages spiritual and psychic growth and provides a devastating sense of wellness. With the increasing demand of alternative medicine professionals, taking alternative medicine as a profession can be the most promising step for any student. The job of an alternative medicine doctor has the blend of alternative medicine along with the conventional western remedial practice.

Students that are looking for alternative medicine courses such as naturopathic medicine or homeopathy can apply to the alternative medicine colleges that are offering a course in this particular field of study. An alternative medicine course guides a student in a way so that he is able to provide treatment to the patients through harmonizing modalities of the alternative medicine programs. These alternate medicine institutes train the students in various natural principles and techniques to promote the spiritual health and alternate medicine techniques. They pursue various alternative healing methods to carry forward the insight of the varied culture and modalities of health care.

The word “alternative medicine” is an extensive practice that illustrates various health and healing methods. The alternative medicine practitioner jobs have been around for hundreds of years, but last few years have brought a career boom in the field of alternative medicine. Around 30% population in the world is using various types of natural or alternative medicine today and the alternative health practitioner jobs are now being known as feasible forms of the cure of the diseases because people maintain the search of alternative medicine or natural health care to live a healthy and happy life.

The use of alternative therapy and medicine is an unusual way to refurbish and preserve your health. The conviction behind alternative practitioner jobs is that there is a secure and more natural way to identify and cure different diseases, and that the complete mental, emotional, spiritual and physical facets of a person’s wellbeing must be addressed. The healthy way of thinking has made the alternative health care much more popular in recent decades and convinced many individuals to opt for various alternative practitioner jobs in herbology, acupressure, nutritional counseling, reflexology, yoga, traditional Chinese medicine and various other fields.

In order to become an Alternative Medicine Practitioner, one must have the enthusiasm and passion to serve the needy and to explore various facets of alternative medicines because being an Alternative Medicine Practitioner isn’t just a job, instead it changes complete lifestyle and focuses on better health and well-being. Taking alternative medicine as a career can be the most rewarding step for any practitioner. Various alternative medicine schools focus on alternative health care and can make you a professional biofeedback therapist, acupuncturist, energy healer, massage therapist, meditation leader, kinesiologist and yoga instructor.

The history of alternative medicine is a rather interesting one, and has its
origins in traditional methods of medicine. Alternative medicine has been
in existence since time immemorial. Being a primeval science, this medicinal
system has been known to man since the early days of his time on Earth. Using
natural ingredients to prevent and cure most illnesses has perhaps been man’s greatest foray into medical science. Traditional medical practitioners aimed at prevention of diseases associated with an increase in resistance of the human body. As an expert rightly pointed out, “The study of the history of alternative medicine is fascinating on a variety of levels, not just concerning other and often better ways of preserving and restoring health.”

Practised for thousands of years, alternative medicine includes systems like
Acupuncture, Ayurveda and traditional Asian medicine. Alternative medicine branches
out from the Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) treatments and
therapies. CAM is often combined with formal, conventional medicine, integrating
both medical practices, in order to give the best results to patients. It can be said that
the earlier methods of medicine were attempted at achieving a balance between bodily
and natural energy. Energies were sought as positive and negative energies, where
positive energies were to bring in happiness and health and negative energies an
incapacitation of resistance to face any ailments. Matters of utmost importance in
deciding therapies or treatments in these earlier medical systems were factors like
one’s lifestyle, one’s habits of eating and one’s occupational pressures.

Alternative medicine is a major enterprise in India. In November 2009, the government’s Ministry of Health and Family Welfare announced the steps it would be taking to promote ‘Indian Systems of Medicine’ in the country, including spending  Rs. 922 crore on the promotion of AYUSH (Ayurveda, Yoga & naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy). Major claims have recently been made for alternative medicine – such as that Ayurveda can be used for anaemia or ano-rectal ailments, and that homeopathy can be used to prevent or cure swine flu, or to treat Aids and malaria.

In an era characterised by evidence-based science and politics, should official endorsement be given to remedies that cannot be scientifically proven? Is alternative medicine a form of quackery, which puts patients at risk? Or is the interest in alternative medicine a positive sign that we are beginning to move beyond a too-narrow approach to disease, towards recognising the more subtle relationship between mind and body and the need to find holistic cures? Do traditional medicines play an important role in preventive medicine, contributing to a more affordable and effective healthcare system than the Western medical model?

The debate in context:

What is complementary and alternative medicine (CAM)?

Many discussions about alternative medicine today take place under the umbrella term ‘complementary and alternative medicine’ (CAM). This implies that alternative medicine should not be seen solely as something that can be used instead of conventional medicine, but can and should be used alongside it. CAM refers to treatments that differ from conventional, or ‘allopathic’, medicine – medicine based on scientific testing that is taught to medical professionals. Systems of CAM have often evolved apart from and earlier than the conventional medical approach used in the Western world. Some such systems, such as homeopathy and naturopathy, have developed in Western cultures; others, such as traditional Chinese medicine and Ayurveda, have developed outside of the West. 

Diabetics should look after their feet ( Alternative Medicine )

It is confirmed that the health of diabetic patient’s feet is very important and any injury or bruise, the size of a spot may cause problems right down to the bone and cause gangrene, so diabetics should take care of their feet from shoes to socks and nails to heels. Experts stated at a press conference that for diabetics the most vulnerable organ is their feet. The feet are the organs which are most exposed so when the flow of blood slows at the feet they start to lose sensitivity. An expert claims that even a little bruise might leave the feet more vulnerable to future injuries so diabetics should protect their feet:

”Your feet should be washed every night with warm water, be dried thoroughly and moisturised. After sports and walking, the underside of the feet should be checked with a mirror to ensure there are no bruises. Socks musn’t be too big or too small, musn’t be scrunched up or torn. Shoes should be made from soft leather, with smooth inside and not pointed or tapered at the front. Toe nails should be cut short. Nails should be cut straight across, not rounded.” ( Alternative Medicine )

Experts warn that if diabetic people don’t take these warnings seriously and don’t follow these guidelines they may lose their feet or legs, “treatment is too difficult and lengthy. If injuries don’t heal properly, even a little bruise the size of a spot can reach the bone and become gangrene and can cause loss of toes or whole feet.”

Alternative Medicine

A terrible superstition holds people around the world in its grip.  Ministers of religion, lawyers, architects, men renowned as brilliant scientists, physicians (particularly, physicians), University professors, middle class people, working class people, people of all nationalities, are its victims.

I was one for 43 years.  I really and truly thought that what my doctor said was gospel and never questioned him.

What is this superstition?  It is that health may be obtained and maintained and diseases “cured” by drugs, medicines and remedies.  They have not taken the pains to investigate, in an unprejudiced manner, this absurd and dreadful belief.

So what we have is physician, nurses and drug stores (by the way we do not have “drug stores” any more.  They call themselves “Pharmacies” I just checked the phone book.)  Other medical specialists all engaging in these false hopes.

Frightful suffering and bereavement are the common lot of mankind, except for the few who have released themselves from this superstition.

I consider myself lined up with Natural Hygienists and Naturopathic doctors and we feel it is simply amazing that the simple facts of which we have can be ignored so generally. And that people offer themselves as sacrifices to this great superstition.

When a theory of health is presented of the ways and means to “Cure” something or they are going to “find a cure, so give us more money” these stories are heralded as a great triumph of “science”

Yet the first principles of science are violated right in the beginning and in the entirety of such a theory.

At some time or another, we’ve all experienced the effects of sunburn – be it a light burn or a more heavy burn.

Although the sting of regret of inadequate protection (from UV exposure) can be an excellent incentive to plan more carefully on ‘future’ occasions, it’s of little help in soothing the immediate physical sting (i.e. pain) accompanying sunburn.

However if you ‘have’ found yourself having spent a little too much time in the sun, — here are 4 natural home remedies to help ease the pain of sunburn, and assist in the body’s healing process:

1. Cool Milk Compresses: – The fat and lactic acids in milk are known to have soothing qualities for sunburned skin. Soak a soft cloth or cotton gauze in cool whole milk, and dab carefully onto the burned skin. Do this for around 20 minutes, and follow by rinsing off with cool water. (Due to the importance of the milk’s fat content, it’s important that whole milk be used in this treatment).

2. Cool, sugarless tea: – The tannin in tea is the active ingredient here, which helps to soothe and relieve some of the discomfort of sunburned skin. After brewing a big pot of tea, and allowing it to cool completely, slosh the affected areas with a soft sponge or washcloth. As with the vinegar (4), you could also fill a spray bottle, and spray the tea directly on the skin. And don’t throw away the used (cool) teabags. These are especially good for sensitive areas around the eyes – simply place the teabags over your eyes if they feel hot and tired. (If you have ‘St. John’s Wort’, consider using this as it contains cooling properties, which can help tone down some of the heat in your skin, as well as soothing the nerve endings damaged by the sunburn).