Cutting Edge Alternative Medicine - medicine

Alternative medicine is used to replace conventional step. Alternative medicine involves a spritual, religious, metaphysical, innovative healing approach.

Alternative medicine are almost 500 number. Name are few alternative medicine, phytotherapy, acupressure, behavior health, homeopathy, Chinese herbal medicine, medical massage therapy, cranio-sacral therapy, hypnosis, imaging guided chelation, acupuncture, folk, tribal-medicine use traditional, Christian Science, megavitamins, self-help groups, reiki, flower, pranic healing, reflexology, healing energy, East of Shiatsu Massage and Ayurvedic therapy.

It has many definitions. But, according to the National Center for Alternative Medicine - it is defined as a group of different class of health and medical practices that are not part of this conventional medicine. She also integrative medicine that is a combination of alternative and conventional treatment method. For example in conventional medicine prescription, Taï nice massage is proven to make wonders.

Conventional allopathic doctors are preferred in all cases of children's health problem. Alternative medicine has gained in popularity and earned the trust of many people and the same are called to different processing field where conventional medicine are not used as stimulating patient confidence in management of pain, stress reduction and a few preventative health treatments.

Many patients use alternative medicine and traditional therapies to complement each other. Alternative medicine is a holistic and prevention, which contributes to physical and psychological well-being a patient and tried to be preventive treatment used after symptoms appear.

Alternative medicine has gained in popularity in recent years. As the name suggests these become another form of treatment when the conventional method is ineffective. Especially for a curable disease and chronic pain medicines relieve pain immediately and relieve mental pressure and tension. Compared to conventional methods, medicines has little or no side effects. Believers of evil to alternative medicine regular conventional medicine. The difference between traditional and alternative medicine is Malay conventional medicine natural cure that alternative medicine with emphasis on the mind and body.

Alternative medicine followed by philosophies are: organization with little medicine and therapy can cure itself. Always a product should improve the bodies ability to cure. Better to prevent than cure. A general check up is performed periodically to keep an audit before everything awry. Agencies responding to any processing capacity is important then the treatment itself.

Alternative medicine - what is scientific and proven?

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It's time for conventional medical experts to prove the science behind their medicine by demonstrating successful, nontoxic, and affordable patient outcomes.

It's time to revisit the scientific method to deal with the complexities of alternative treatments.

The U.S. government has belatedly confirmed a fact that millions of Americans have known personally for decades - acupuncture works. A 12-member panel of "experts" informed the National Institutes of Health (NIH), its sponsor, that acupuncture is "clearly effective" for treating certain conditions, such as fibromyalgia, tennis elbow, pain following dental surgery, nausea during pregnancy, and nausea and vomiting associated with chemotherapy.

The panel was less persuaded that acupuncture is appropriate as the sole treatment for headaches, asthma, addiction, menstrual cramps, and others.

The NIH panel said that, "there are a number of cases" where acupuncture works. Since the treatment has fewer side effects and is less invasive than conventional treatments, "it is time to take it seriously" and "expand its use into conventional medicine."

These developments are naturally welcome, and the field of alternative medicine should, be pleased with this progressive step.

But underlying the NIH's endorsement and qualified "legitimization" of acupuncture is a deeper issue that must come to light- the presupposition so ingrained in our society as to be almost invisible to all but the most discerning eyes.

The presupposition is that these "experts" of medicine are entitled and qualified to pass judgment on the scientific and therapeutic merits of alternative medicine modalities.

They are not.

The matter hinges on the definition and scope of the term "scientific." The news is full of complaints by supposed medical experts that alternative medicine is not "scientific" and not "proven." Yet we never hear these experts take a moment out from their vituperations to examine the tenets and assumptions of their cherished scientific method to see if they are valid.

Again, they are not.

Medical historian Harris L. Coulter, Ph.D., author of the landmark four-volume history of Western medicine called Divided Legacy, first alerted me to a crucial, though unrecognized, distinction. The question we should ask is whether conventional medicine is scientific. Dr. Coulter argues convincingly that it is not.

Over the last 2,500 years, Western medicine has been divided by a powerful schism between two opposed ways of looking at physiology, health, and healing, says Dr. Coulter. What we now call conventional medicine (or allopathy) was once known as Rationalist medicine; alternative medicine, in Dr. Coulter's history, was called Empirical medicine. Rationalist medicine is based on reason and prevailing theory, while Empirical medicine is based on observed facts and real life experience - on what works.

Dr. Coulter makes some startling observations based on this distinction. Conventional medicine is alien, both in spirit and structure, to the scientific method of investigation, he says. Its concepts continually change with the latest breakthrough. Yesterday, it was germ theory; today, it's genetics; tomorrow, who knows?

With each changing fashion in medical thought, conventional medicine has to toss away its now outmoded orthodoxy and impose the new one, until it gets changed again. This is medicine based on abstract theory; the facts of the body must be contorted to conform to these theories or dismissed as irrelevant.

Doctors of this persuasion accept a dogma on faith and impose it on their patients, until it's proved wrong or dangerous by the next generation. They get carried away by abstract ideas and forget the living patients. As a result, the diagnosis is not directly connected to the remedy; the link is more a matter of guesswork than science. This approach, says Dr. Coulter, is "inherently imprecise, approximate, and unstable-it's a dogma of authority, not science." Even if an approach hardly works at all, it's kept on the books because the theory says it's good "science."

On the other hand, practitioners of Empirical, or alternative medicine, do their homework: they study the individual patients; determine all the contributing causes; note all the symptoms; and observe the results of treatment.

Homeopathy and Chinese medicine are prime examples of this approach. Both modalities may be added to because physicians in these fields and other alternative practices constantly seek new information based on their clinical experience.

This is the meaning of empirical: it's based on experience, then continually tested and refined - but not reinvented or discarded - through the doctor's daily practice with actual patients. For this reason, homeopathic remedies don't become outmoded; acupuncture treatment strategies don't become irrelevant.

Alternative medicine is proven every day in the clinical experience of physicians and patients. It was proven ten years ago and will remain proven ten years from now. According to Dr. Coulter, alternative medicine is more scientific in the truest sense than Western, so-called scientific medicine.

Sadly, what we see far too often in conventional medicine is a drug or procedure "proven" as effective and accepted by the FDA and other authoritative bodies only to be revoked a few years later when it's been proven to be toxic, malfunctioning, or deadly.

The conceit of conventional medicine and its "science" is that substances and procedures must pass the double-blind study to be proven effective. But is the double-blind method the most appropriate way to be scientific about alternative medicine? It is not.

The guidelines and boundaries of science must be revised to encompass the clinical subtlety and complexity revealed by alternative medicine. As a testing method, the double-blind study examines a single substance or procedure in isolated, controlled conditions and measures results against an inactive or empty procedure or substance (called a placebo) to be sure that no subjective factors get in the way. The approach is based on the assumption that single factors cause and reverse illness, and that these can be studied alone, out of context and in isolation.

The double-blind study, although taken without critical examination to be the gold standard of modern science, is actually misleading, even useless, when it is used to study alternative medicine. We know that no single factor causes anything nor is there a "magic bullet" capable of single-handedly reversing conditions. Multiple factors contribute to the emergence of an illness and multiple modalities must work together to produce healing.

Equally important is the understanding that this multiplicity of causes and cures takes place in individual patients, no two of whom are alike in psychology, family medical history, and biochemistry. Two men, both of whom are 35 and have similar flu symptoms, do not necessarily and automatically have the same health condition, nor should they receive the same treatment. They might, but you can't count on it.

The double-blind method is incapable of accommodating this degree of medical complexity and variation, yet these are physiological facts of life. Any approach claiming to be scientific which has to exclude this much empirical, real-life data from its study is clearly not true science.

In a profound sense, the double-blind method cannot prove alternative medicine is effective because it is not scientific enough. It is not broad and subtle and complex enough to encompass the clinical realities of alternative medicine.

If you depend on the double-blind study to validate alternative medicine, you will end up doubly blind about the reality of medicine.

Listen carefully the next time you hear medical "experts" whining that a substance or method has not been "scientifically" evaluated in a double-blind study and is therefore not yet "proven" effective. They're just trying to mislead and intimidate you. Ask them how much "scientific" proof underlies using chemotherapy and radiation for cancer or angioplasty for heart disease. The fact is, it's very little.

Try turning the situation around. Demand of the experts that they scientifically prove the efficacy of some of their cash cows, such as chemotherapy and radiation for cancer, angioplasty and bypass for heart disease, or hysterectomies for uterine problems. The efficacy hasn't been proven because it can't be proven.

There is no need whatsoever for practitioners and consumers of alternative medicine to wait like supplicants with hat in hand for the scientific "experts" of conventional medicine to dole out a few condescending scraps of official approval for alternative approaches.

Rather, discerning citizens should be demanding of these experts that they prove the science behind their medicine by demonstrating successful, nontoxic, and affordable patient outcomes. If they can't, these approaches should be rejected for being unscientific. After all, the proof is in the cure.

History of alternative medicine

A new mode or rich ancient history?

You may be new to the use of alternative medicine or you perhaps already saw incredible benefits alternative medicine and medicine can bring to your life. But do you know how his practiced summer and where it originated? Allow me also to make a trip in the fascinating history of alternative medicine.

Alternative medicine history is interesting and has links with many different cultures. However, it is difficult to say exactly when Alternative Medicine starts, partly because until very recently, practices that fall under the term were traditional medical practices of their time. But if we go back in history and track multiple forms of healing are now labeled as alternative we find their origins date back to 5000 years.

Eastern philosophy to widely used alternative West

One of the oldest forms of alternative medicine can be traced throughout Chinese history. The ancient Chinese, the same way as alternative medicine is used today, founded their healing on the importance of body and spirit are in equilibrium. A large part of the philosophy of Chinese medicine is based on the principles Taoist and Buddhist and the belief that a person and their environment are closely linked. The principles widely known of yin and Yang come from Chinese medicine and are part of his practice. Yin and Yang says opposition forces are an integral part of the other, and how harmony within the body of unfolding, they must be in balance. When they are out of balance, disease occurs.

Chinese medicine is working on the restoration of balance in different ways, including the herbal medicine, acupuncture, breathing and movement (Tai - Chi and Qigong) and by diet also. Practitioner watched health patient and life in detail to determine where their force of life or Qi (pronounced Chi) was unbalanced. Various methods would then serve to restore the patient back to health. It is the effectiveness of traditional Chinese medicine it is still a large part of modern health care in the East. It is not unusual for such "alternative" practices be used in hospitals, alongside the Western medicine.

Culture is a long history of alternative medicine is the India. Dates of Ayurvedic back as 6,000 years ago, Chinese medicine also has links with Buddhism. The Ayurveda comes from two Sanskrit words - Ayu meaning life and veda meaning knowledge of. This is a system of medicine that keeps a persons body, mind and spirit into harmony with nature to maintain good health.

When in Rome...

In the West, alternative medicine history dates back to 3000 years. Treatments such as hydrotherapy were popular with the Greeks and Romans. The ancient Greeks who were greatly influenced by the Babylonians and to a lesser extent by the India and China introduced the Botanicals in the West. Hippocrates (c. 460-377 BC), a Greek physician, commonly known as the father of medicine, practised medicine by plants.

In the middle ages, monks studied European grew medicinal plants and translated numerous works on the topic of Arabic. Folk healers also passed on their knowledge of healing through the mouth, the master of learning. Understanding of the power are different plants is rooted in many native civilizations and has allowed man to understand and to prosper in often difficult environments. When the Europeans settled in America, they found that the Indians had a thorough knowledge of the power of healing of their native plants. Similarly, Australia Aboriginals understood power plants in their environment.

Go forward in time to the 19th century, before the rise of Western medicine, as we now know doctors were more like naturopaths today. They take a detailed medical history, special attention to the lifestyle of the patient. They would then suggest ways to improve this by changes in diet, the environment and would also prescribe medicines.

How a bit of mold have tables on alternative medicine

Widespread use of alternative medicine in its various forms has decreased during the 20th century. Treatment of patients became more focused on the use of hospitals and modern medicine lead to widespread use of pharmaceutical medication to treat the disease. The discovery of penicillin and its development in a drug that could treat bacterial infections in the 1940s revolutionised health and alternative medicine has lost favor with most medical practitioners.

Although many doctors let go of what they considered be outdated treatments such as homeopathy, herbal and traditional Chinese medicine for many patients still sorting, especially when conventional medicine seems to work for them.

More is an alternative, now another choice for achieving better health

The result is that Alternative Medicine is growing. Practices such as acupuncture, herbal medicine, aromatherapy and healing are kept alive by practitioners who specialize in one of the form of treatment. Often the alternatives are used side by side with modern medical treatments, which led to solutions given complementary medicine term.

This brief history of alternative medicine that many practices used today are with us for thousands of years shows. Given the growing popularity of alternative to deal with health issues today medicine use, it is likely that these practices are of many others.

Detox Tips to Keep You Healthy This Cold & Flu Season

Cold and flu season is here, so it’s time to start taking the steps to keep your body protected.

Dr. Isaac Eliaz, M.D., M.S., L.Ac., is an author, lecturer, researcher, product formulator, and clinical practitioner in the field of integrative health.

Natural chelation and detoxification expert, Dr. Isaac Eliaz examines ways to enhance your body’s natural defenses and prevent germs from attacking. Eliaz is an expert on various ways of detoxification including effective detox diets, integrative supplement formulas, lifestyle modifications, and detoxification therapies.

Almost everything you encounter today, from tap water and car exhaust to non-organic produce is contaminated with heavy metals that can harm your body. The right detoxification techniques combined with smart lifestyle choices can lessen the toxic load on your system. Simple choices such as switching to organic or locally-grown produce, and using household products that contain fewer toxic chemicals and heavy metals will all contribute to a healthier body. Understanding the types of heavy metals that are toxic to your immune system as well as how they get into your system will help you make the changes needed to avoid them whenever possible.

“Inhalation is still the most common cause of exposure to mercury and there is little we can do about that,” says Eliaz. “We can only protect ourselves from mercury toxicity with appropriate lifestyle changes and supplements.” Limiting your exposure to these dangerous toxins is a step in the right direction, but Eliaz emphasizes the importance of ridding your body of what might already be lurking there through chelation and supplementation.

Chelation Supplements
Modified Citrus Pectin binds to heavy metals so they can be excreted from your body with even greater effectiveness than other forms of treatment. Most other chelation treatments simply loosen toxins from your tissues and dump them into your intestines, allowing heavy metals to be easily re-absorbed.

This limitation inspired Eliaz to find a way to block the re-absorption of heavy metals in the intestines so they could actually be fully excreted from the body. His research led him directly to alginates , which are naturally derived from the seaweed kelp, and similarly to MCP, efficiently trap and excrete heavy metals. These supplements are designed to cleanse the body and protect the immune system from developing harmful viruses and bacteria.

Gentle, yet powerful techniques to prevent the dreaded “healing crisis”
Safe and effective removal of heavy metals and toxins is an evolving field of medical practice, and with the highly sophisticated and strategic therapies now available, it is possible for everyone, including cancer and chronically ill patients, to detox with little or no side effects.

Eliaz extends his research and methodology to successfully help many of his own patients cleanse and detoxify without the risks associated with what is popularly known as a “healing crisis.” “The goal is to design a detoxification program that will enhance the body’s vitality, not deplete it,” says Eliaz.

For more information about Chelation or detoxification, search for “Chelation” in our Natural Solutions article archive.

Dr. Isaac Eliaz, M.D., M.S., L.Ac., is an author, lecturer, researcher, product formulator, and clinical practitioner in the field of integrative health. For more information about Dr. Eliaz, visit www.dreliaz.org.

How if alternative medicine be defined

There is no strict definition on how alternative medicine really is. But at the present time, it borders on the scope covered by what we know about conventional medicine or Orthodox description. However, to define alternative medicine because we believe it is, it may be a knowledge which is considered not accepted, verified and illogical. All these were true if one wants to look a few years back. But given that alternative medicine has been studied for years later, employed by countless institutions (such as spas and others) and accepted by many as cure their ailments (even those which can be solved by conventional medicine), this definition for alternative medicine already may be considered obsolete.

To pecifies medicines are practices which can be regarded as false as sometime in the measurement of charlatanism. However, this definition is much abused by many authorities which have their own systems of beliefs and other things to take charge. Still others define it practices cannot be tested, refusing to undergo tests and may fail tests continuously. The point of view of other people, it is perhaps too unfair to those who have knowledge that make up alternative medicine and too sweeping a declaration since many have acquired a cure to alternative medicine.

This debate about the authenticity of the alternative medicine is still complicated by the number of practices which are labelled as alternative medicine, which includes some truths in their. In fact, alternative medicine covers procedures involving principles metaphysical, spiritual and religious foundations, European new sets of healing medicine practices and approaches. It's enough reasons why alternative medicine is much more difficult to accept in the West rather than in the East, where are most of these practices. In addition to these, in contradiction to many proponents of alternative medicine and several individual belief systems may reject the other.

In addition, critical of alternative medicine may also define as therapy, treatment and diagnosis which may lawfully be performed by practitioners without a licence. However, a number of doctors and physicians find good uses of alternative medicine when combined with conventional medicine when they try to balance.

But it was more logical and unbiased accepted by most definitions. Many of which only gives emotional alternative medicine without the protection on economic interests, political views and turf protection and safety. Such a definition is that alternative medicine is a field of cure, treatment and diagnosis are not based on controlled studies.

However, there are certain therapies which were previously covered by the alternative medicine that are now accepted in the medical community because they spend their emotional approval. In contrast, there were medical practices that are now neglected in medical circles since it has no deep evidence to prove their effectiveness in healing.

In fact, the term alternative medicine is quite misleading. Critics and advocates said practices supports this view. Some support the idea that Western medical practices are medicines because they were preceded by ancient practice which is somewhat true. Others would argue that the term "alternative medicine" was only designed by advocates of conventional medicine to discredit natural healing methods.

Its detractors on alternative medicine say that it is not as accepted by the medical community, because it lacks the elements that can be used in support of its effectiveness. Much say that once the alternative medicine is fully tested, then there would be large rooms for wide acceptance.

Alternative medicine: what is it?

What is alternative medicine? This is a sentence which was thrown around more and more in the media, libraries, and increasingly, the Office of the doctor, but how many times can we say what alternative medicine is?

Theoretically, alternative medicine is any form of medicine that does not match with scientific part of Western medicine. Once a form of medicine has been proven scientifically effective and theory has been determined to explain in the language of Western medicine for which it is effective, it is no longer consider alternative

Unfortunately, after the theory of politics. In reality, the United States, alternative medicine is any form of medicine which was not accepted as scientifically valid by the American Medical Association and the Government of the United States. Various official bodies in other countries will determine what is and is not alternative medicine. The United States massage is alternative medicine. The Canada massage is conventional and as such, very prescribed medicine.

You would believe that according to National Center of the Government of the United States for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, vitamins are a medicine alternative or complementary (depending on how they are used) that have not yet been proven have no further effect on human body and a placebo? Personally, I would like to know if they would like to be treated with a placebo scurvy. I'll stick with vitamin c. Using theoretical vitamins which have not yet been fully proven, but that is not less scientifically valid proven effects.

At the same time, just because someone claims they offer offer is medicine does not make it true. Herbal supplements are not regulated and may not fully disclose their ingredients. They were certainly not tell you on any dangerous interaction with your medicines for the heart!

Of course, you can ask an expert, but keep in mind that there are many types of alternative medicine, an acupuncturist is not necessarily trained in the grass, and your doctor first line would probably be brought within one of them.

If you are interested in alternative medicine, either for a specific problem, or simply improve your general State of health, it is probably better to first what types of alternative medicine you are interested and speak with the doctor you whether or not it will be ready to work with a practitioner of alternative medicine. Then find a practitioner who has trained in the specific field of alternative medicine. Most forms of alternative medicine are not allowed to United States, therefore asked where they went to school and how long they were exercised. Then they can work with your doctor to make sure that you get the care you need, without unexpected side effects.

Some forms of alternative medicine that might be useful to delve into are:

Oriental Medicine: Oriental medicine is the only form of alternative medicine which is really comparable to Western medicine as a comprehensive system of medicine. Oriental medicine is based on several theories developed for thousands of years and was the first elaborated on in classic of the Yellow Emperor, between three and five thousand years. Oriental medicine includes massage, acupuncture, herbal, qigong treatment practices and many others. Chinese medicine tradition is a variant of the Oriental medicine specific to China. This is the only variant of Oriental medicine can be found on the United States ease. In many parts of Asia, Oriental medicine is still considered the standard of medical care and Western medicine is "alternative."

Herbal treatment: herbal therapy is probably the most common form of alternative medicine in the United States and probably one of the most risky. While most conventional medicines doctors prescribe today come from herbs, supplements herbs commonly sold have no doses, carpets contain loads and rarely warns of side effects. Herbs can be used for any drug can treat and possibly quite a bit more, sure you speak with a trained herbalist before any. They can tell you what dose is safe, what providers are worth using and possible side effects.

Homeopathy: homeopathy has been developed in the 1800s by two doctors who noticed that quinine, only able to drug treaties on malaria caused symptoms of malaria in healthy people who have been given. They theorized as would cure, so that caffeine, which causes normally awake, would be used to assist a person who was unable to sleep through the night to sleep better. Homeopathy is probably the only alternative medicine who try not to speak with an expert, because the active substance is so diluted, it is not possible over the dose or suffer side effects on the amounts in local health food store, no matter the bottles that you would keep your home safe. At the same time, it is still best to consult a homeopathy to be sure that your account will work for what you need.

Massage: Massage is the use of hands or tools to manipulate the muscles and tendons. The two most common uses of massage are pain ease and relief of stress. Although there are numerous conditions massage will obviously not assist to (diabetes, for example), there is much that is surprisingly effective, such as carpal tunnel syndrome, fibromyalgia, and eating disorders. In addition, almost all muscular lesion can be treated with massage to prevent the build up speed healing SCAR and increase a limited range of motion. There are many forms of massage therapy, including the Swedish massage, Deep, prenatal massage, shiatsu, Thai massage, Lomi Lomi, medical massage, aromatherapy massage, Hot Stone Massage and massage Chair tissue massage. If you go to a massage therapist for a medical condition, make sure that they are trained in medical massage. Some States have programs for massage therapists license now, as most European countries. If you live in an area which has enabled, make sure that the therapist that go is licensed.

Other forms of alternative medicine: energetic healing, aromatherapy, Rolfing, cranial therapy sacred and most forms of holistic medicine.

Which foods are truly health-promoting?

Dr Fuhrman is a best-selling author and board certified family physician specializing in lifestyle and nutritional medicine.

To truly consume a healthy diet, the vast majority of the diet must be composed of health-promoting foods, and disease-promoting foods must be avoided.  So which foods are truly health-promoting? We can turn to science to learn which foods are consistently shown to be protective against chronic disease, associated with longevity (or mortality), and contain known anti-cancer substances.

True health-promoting foods – these foods have the power to protect, to heal and prolong human lifespan.

Green vegetables.  Many green vegetables (such as bok choy, broccoli, and kale) belong to the cruciferous family, vegetables that contain potent anti-cancer compounds called isothiocyanates (ITCs).[i] Green leaves are perhaps the most powerful longevity-inducing foods of all.

Onions and mushrooms also have well-documented cancer-protective properties.  Onions and their Allium family members contain chemoprotective organosulfur compounds[ii], and consuming mushrooms regularly has been shown to decrease risk of breast cancer by over 60%.[iii]

Fruits, especially berries and pomegranate. Blueberries, strawberries, and blackberries are true super foods.  They are full of antioxidants and have been linked to reduced risk of diabetes, cancers and cognitive decline.[iv] Pomegranate has multiple cardiovascular health benefits, for example reducing LDL cholesterol and blood pressure.

Beans are an excellent, nutrient-dense weight-loss food – they have a stabilizing effect on blood sugar, which promotes satiety and helps to prevent food cravings.  Plus they contain substances that lower cholesterol, and regular bean consumption is associated with decreased cancer risk.[v]

Nuts and seeds.  Nuts contain a spectrum of beneficial nutrients including healthy fats , LDL-lowering phytosterols, circulation-promoting arginine, minerals, and antioxidants.  Countless studies have demonstrated the cardiovascular benefits of nuts, and including nuts in the diet has been shown to aid in weight control.[vi] Seeds have even a richer micronutrient profile, abundant in trace minerals, and each kind of seed is nutritionally unique.  Flaxseeds provide abundant omega-3 fats, pumpkin seeds are rich in zinc and iron, and sesame seeds are high in calcium and multiple vitamin E fractions.

Dr Fuhrman is a best-selling author and board certified family physician specializing in lifestyle and nutritional medicine.  For more information, visit his website at DrFuhrman.com.

[i] Higdon JV et al. Cruciferous Vegetables and Human Cancer Risk: Epidemiologic

Evidence and Mechanistic Basis. Pharmacol Res. 2007 March ; 55(3): 224–236

[ii] Powolny AA, Singh SV. Multitargeted prevention and therapy of cancer by

diallyl trisulfide and related Allium vegetable-derived organosulfur compounds.

Cancer Lett. 2008 Oct 8;269(2):305-14.

[iii] Zhang M, et al. Dietary intakes of mushrooms and green tea combine to reduce the risk of breast cancer in Chinese women. Int J Cancer. 2009;124:1404-1408

[iv] Bazzano LA, Li TY, Joshipura KJ, Hu FB. Intake of fruit, vegetables, and fruit juices and risk of diabetes in women. Diabetes Care. 2008 Jul;31(7):1311-7.

Hannum SM. Potential impact of strawberries on human health: a review of the science. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr. 2004;44(1):1-17.

Joseph JA, Shukitt-Hale B, Willis LM. Grape juice, berries, and walnuts affect brain aging and behavior. J Nutr. 2009 Sep;139(9):1813S-7S.

Stoner GD, Wang LS, Casto BC. Laboratory and clinical studies of cancer chemoprevention by antioxidants in berries. Carcinogenesis. 2008 Sep;29(9):1665-74.

[v] Bazzano LA, Thompson AM, Tees MT, et al. Non-soy legume consumption lowers cholesterol levels: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Nutr Metab Cardiovasc Dis. 2009 Nov 23. [Epub ahead of print]

Aune D, De Stefani E, Ronco A, et al. Legume intake and the risk of cancer: a multisite case-control study in Uruguay. Cancer Causes Control. 2009 Nov;20(9):1605-15.

[vi] Sabaté J, Ang Y. Nuts and health outcomes: new epidemiologic evidence. Am J Clin Nutr. 2009 May;89(5):1643S-1648S. Epub 2009 Mar 25.

Mattes RD et al. Impact of peanuts and tree nuts on body weight and healthy weight loss in adults. J Nutr. 2008 Sep;138(9):1741S-1745S.

View the original article here

College of alternative medicine: making the grade

Find Alternative Medicine colleges the United States and the Canada. If you are attracted to complementary and alternative medicine, you are not alone. Alternative medicine colleges are more in demand as a "36 percent of U.S. adults aged 18 and over, use a form any of complementary and alternative medicine." [1] Which are most often searched for complementary and alternative medicine treatments include acupuncture, chiropractic, herbal medicine and nutritional therapies [2]. These occupations are often taught students in a number of alternative medicine colleges.

To register in the vast develop alternative medicine colleges, you must first determine which practice alternative medicine you wish to enter. For example, if you are interested in chiropractic, make sure selection of alternative medicine colleges in which you want to register offering this course of study. Some alternative medicine colleges offer training in a variety of therapies including education health specific pathology treatments such as rheumatoid arthritis. Studies offered by the College of alternative medicine in this field can include various programs in botanical medicine in herbal supplements and vitamins, hydrotherapy, body and spirit therapies, Ayurvedic medicine, Chinese medicine, homeopathy, chiropractic, acupuncture and other massage treatments.

Other courses offered by the College of alternative medicine can be designed for future homeopathic practitioner or professional certified massage therapist. However, there are so many fields of study from which to choose, the potential for achieving quality education at one of several alternative medicine colleges is virtually unlimited.

Currently, a number of alternative medicine College offers undergraduate career training programs graduate, postgraduate and independent. Students who are interested in naturopathic medicine and holistic medicine may obtain a full education and skills by colleges accredited alternative medicine, as well as other schools of complementary medicine. Students seeking a degree or certification programs can often achieve these goals at the College of alternative medicine, too. For example, some alternative medicine colleges specifically provides certification course of massage, herbal medicine and reflexology. Still, the various options for education are quite eloquent.

Students who have completed successfully one of several alternative medicine colleges can make personally rewarding and lucrative career mutually beneficial to help patients and clients from all walks of life.

If you (or someone you know) is interested to subscribe to one of several alternative to help find your job dream of leaving education in industries like massage therapy, cosmetology, acupuncture, Oriental medicine, Reiki, fast-growing medical colleges and others get you started! Explore careers in your curriculum.

References:
National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine: statistics on the use of the CAM to United States (http://nccam.nih.gov/news/camstats.html), National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine: news release: more than a third of American adults use Complementary and Alternative Medicine, according to new Government survey (http://nccam.nih.gov/news/2004/052704.htm)

Resource box: CarolAnn Bailey-Lloyd - freelance writer and Web Consultant for HolisticJunction.com, in association with CollegeSurfing.com - educational resources for natural healing schools, schools of alternative medicine and natural healing schools.

College of alternative medicine: making the grade
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Holiday Baking with Dr. Laura

Dr. Laura Trice is the head cookie cutter and CEO of Laura's Wholesome Junk Food in Venice, California, ad the author of The Wholesome Junk Food Cookbook, one of Natural Solutions' Top Cookbooks of 2010.

Return to the tradition of home-made baking from scratch and family: Staying healthy during the holidays by baking like grandma used to.  Dr. Laura Trice is one of Natural Solutions’ Top Cookbooks of 2010 authors, and she shares her tips on holiday baking with us below.

There are so many treats that many of us enjoy during the holidays. In my family, it is pumpkin pie, black forest cake, peppernuts (see below for the recipe), ginger cookies, potato candy, stuffed dates and stolen. Every family has their special favorites. Often these have been passed down from grandmother to mother to daughter and so on. What has happened in the past generation is many people got almost too busy to bake and retailers started making the traditional treats we look forward to. So, what naturally happened is that many of us baked less and purchased more. But, how has that impacted the quality of foods we are consuming during the holidays?

The main difference between many commercial bakeries and retailers is that they are not baking with the same ingredients (and love) that grandma did. They are often looking for the least expensive most shelf-stable way to make best selling holiday items. Often, the bottom line is profit not ingredient quality and consumer health and well-being.

So, in addition to getting enough sleep and limiting alcohol and late night eating, really getting back to the basics of holiday baking and cooking from scratch is a great way to stay healthy during the holidays and avoid unnecessary weight gain. Indulge!

For example, pumpkin pie with whipped cream and potato candy are two of my favorite holiday treats. The recipes for these can be found at www.lwjf.net on our blog. What makes these treats more wholesome than their mainstream store bought counterparts are both what they have and don’t have. For example, all our recipes are additive and preservative free.

Is whipped cream okay, you ask? Sure, in moderation. But if you make it from scratch and sweeten with some agave, honey, or maple syrup, it’s that much better for you. I don’t want to see anyone giving up their favorite holiday treats. Instead, read the ingredients and if you see some that are hard to pronounce, don’t buy it. Consider getting out your grandmother’s or mom’s recipes and making them with others. Teach your children, your neighbor or invite a friend over. If you want a quick reference of other wholesome ingredient options, here is a list of great ingredient substitutions. If you still have some questions about substitutions, post your question on our Facebook fan page, I love helping people make wholesome junk food!

The holidays are a time that we set aside to connect with those who are important to us. The pleasure of sharing traditional foods is part of that experience. Don’t say no to the foods you grew up with and love. Just make a few minor changes and celebrate guilt-free.

In joy and good health,

Dr. Laura

Peppernuts
This has always been a favorite at Christmas. These are small cookie balls with a light dusting of powdered sugar that have a slightly spicy bite.

Yield: 6 dozen
2 ½ cups sifted spelt or unbleached white flower
1/3 cup cornstarch
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon ground cardamom
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground cloves
1 cup organic butter, at room temperature
½ cup maple syrup ¼ cup organic cream
½ cup finely chopped, blanched almonds
¼ cup organic powdered sugar

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with wax paper. Sift the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, salt, black pepper, cardamom, cinnamon, and cloves together in a bowl, set aside.

In a mixing bowl, cream the butter and maple syrup together until light and fluffy. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture, alternating with the cream. Mix in the almonds.

Shape the dough into small balls, using mounded teaspoonfuls of dough. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 15 to 18 minutes or until golden brown. When slightly cool, roll the cookies in powdered sugar.

The peppernuts recipe, along with many other mouth-watering “junk food” recipes, can be found in Dr. Laura’s Wholesome Junk Food Cookbook.

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Effective Treatment for Chronic Fatigue, CFS, and Fibromyalgia

Jacob Teitelbaum, MD, is Natural Solutions' guest expert on chronic fatigue syndrome

Dr. T has helped you overcome your sugar addiction, here he talks about HOW to fight CFS and Fibromylagia.

Dear Readers,

Having had Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) and fibromyalgia (FMS), with the medical system having no idea how to help, I understand what you are going through. I also know you can get well!

I came down with what I call the “Drop Dead Flu” in 1975 while in medical school, which triggered my CFS/FMS. As I was working to pay my own way through school, the illness left me homeless and sleeping in parks in Oklahoma. It is exciting, though, to see how life magically brings us what we need. I met many natural health practitioners while homeless, each of whom taught me bits and pieces of what I needed to learn to get well—and I did!

After returning to medical school, I have spent more than 30 years researching and treating chronic fatigue and chronic pain (especially CFS and fibromyalgia). Our published research shows 91 percent improve using our “SHINE Protocol,” and hundreds of thousands have been helped (see below).

You can be one of them!

Ready to Get Well?

Our study titled “Effective Treatment of CFS and Fibromyalgia” (published in Journal of CFS) showed that 91 percent of patients improved with treatment, with an average improvement in quality of life of 90 percent. Many patients no longer even qualified for the diagnosis of CFS or fibromyalgia after treatment. In support of our work, an editorial in the Journal of the American Academy of Pain Management (the largest multidisciplinary society of pain specialists in the United States) noted “the comprehensive and aggressive metabolic approaches to treatment detailed in the Teitelbaum study are highly successful approaches and make fibromyalgia a very treatment responsive disorder.  The study by Dr. Teitelbaum et al, and years of clinical experience make this approach an excellent and powerfully effective part of the standard of practice for treatment of people who suffer from fibromyalgia and myofascial pain syndrome.” These same principles work wonderfully for optimizing energy in those with day to day fatigue.

What Causes These Syndromes?

CFS/FMS acts as a “circuit breaker,” with the hypothalamus decreasing its function to protect the individual in the face of what is perceived to be an overwhelming stress (just like blowing a fuse or circuit breaker in a house). This center controls sleep, hormones, temperature, blood flow, blood pressure, and sweating. In addition, if your muscles do not have enough energy, they will get stuck in the shortened position and you’ll be in pain (think rigor mortis).  This “energy crisis” can be caused by any of a number of infections, stresses, or injuries.

Five Main Categories of Problems Need to Be Treated ? Think “SHINE!”

These are the five key areas that need to be treated for your “circuit breaker to turn back on” and for fatigue and pain to resolve:

Sleep. Because the hypothalamic “circuit breaker” that is offline controls sleep, most patients need a mix of natural and prescription sleep treatments.  For you to get well and pain free, it is critical that you take enough of the correct natural and prescription sleep treatments to get eight to nine hours sleep at night! I recommend starting with natural therapies and supplements.Hormonal deficiencies.  The hypothalamus is the main control center, via the pituitary, for most of the glands in the body.  Most of the normal ranges for our blood tests were not developed in the context of hypothalamic suppression or these syndromes.  Because of this (and for a number of other reasons) it is usually necessary to treat with natural thyroid, adrenal, and ovarian and testicular hormones ? despite normal blood tests. These hormones have been found to be reasonably safe when used in low doses. Low thyroid, which reflects as fatigue, weight gain, cold intolerance, and even unexplained infertility, is especially common. In addition, the majority of those who benefit from thyroid have normal lab tests, so a treatment trial should be given (using natural thyroid hormones) if symptoms are suggestive.Infections.  Many studies have shown immune system dysfunction in CFS/FMS, which can result in many unusual infections. These include many different viral infections (the recently reported XMRV virus is one of many—we’ll discuss this in an upcoming blog), parasites and other bowel infections, antibiotic sensitive infections, and—most importantly—fungal/Candida infections.Nutritional supplementation.  Widespread nutritional deficiencies are common, and require dozens of nutrients. I recommend a good daily multivitamin. Ribose supplementation should also be taken as it can powerfully jump start your energy. In our initial study, ribose increased energy an average of 45 percent in just three weeks. A second, larger study conducted by 81 physicians (currently being prepared for publication) showed an average of over 59 percent increase in energy in those with chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia.Exercise as able. Do not push to the point of crashing the next day. Start by walking as long as you comfortably can (even if that is only for two minutes). After 10 weeks on treatment, start to increase your walks by up to one minute each day, as you are able. When you are walking for up to an hour, you can increase your intensity.

Other Helpful Resources

Two other resources that can help you are the Fibromyalgia and Fatigue Centers and my Online Symptom Analysis Program.

The Fibromyalgia and Fatigue Centers is a chain of clinics throughout the United States that specialize in CFS/FMS.  They can help you find a physician near you trained in treating these illnesses.

The Online Symptom Analysis Program is a free online computer program (a patented system that I developed) that can analyze your symptoms and design a SHINE treatment protocol tailored to your individual case. This is my gift to you to help you get well now!

We wish you all of God’s blessings, and our best wishes in your healing!

Love and blessings,

Dr. T

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All About Quinoa

Leslie Cerier is the author of Gluten-Free Recipes for the Conscious Cook, A Seasonal Vegetarian Cookbook, one of the Top Cookbooks of 2010 as chosen by our Natural Solutions editors.

Quinoa (pronounced KEEN-wa), the mother grain of the Incas, was domesticated thousands of years ago from its wild cousins in the high Andes. True to its origins, it’s extremely hardy, surviving not only in the cold and at high altitudes, but also in hot, dry conditions. Like amaranth and buckwheat, it doesn’t come from a cereal grass, so it isn’t technically a grain. Quinoa is a species of goosefoot, and true to its name, its leaves are shaped like a goose’s foot. Like most of the other psuedograins, quinoa is a great source of protein—one of the best plant sources, in fact—because it contains all of the essential amino acids in a good balance. It’s also rich in folic acid and several minerals.

Like corn, quinoa comes in a rainbow of color; tan, red, and, black are the most widely available varieties. Each has a slightly different texture and flavor, but generally speaking, quinoa has a light sesame-like flavor. Among its many virtues is that it cooks quickly: just fifteen minutes for whole quinoa. Cooked quinoa is great on its own or mixed with other grains, and it works beautifully in stews and salads. You can also get quinoa flakes and flour. The flour has a nutty, earthy flavor that enhances baked goods while also boosting the protein content. I especially like it in waffles. You can also use it to bind loaves, as in my Kasha Loaf with Walnuts and Sunflower Seeds recipe found in Gluten-Free Recipes for the Conscious Cook, A seasonal Vegetarian Cookbook. And if all of that weren’t enough, you can also get quinoa pastas made with a combination of quinoa and corn flour.

This truly is a marvelous grain! And as the temperature drops, try my Roasted Vegetable Qunioa Casserole (below) for a healthy comfort food alternative to warm things up!

-Leslie

Roasted Vegetable and Quinoa Casserole

Serves 4 to 6

This recipe features a somewhat unusual method of cooking grains. The quinoa is roasted with root vegetables, garlic, and basil, infusing it with their rich flavors. Make this colorful and tasty casserole on a cold day, when the heat of the oven will help warm your house. Red quinoa is particularly attractive in this dish, but if you can’t find it, “plain” tan quinoa will do just fine. If you’ve never tried celeriac, which tastes like celery, this dish is a great way to get acquainted with it. It’s a good winter keeper and can be stored for months in the refrigerator or root cellar. To prepare it, simply cut away the tough, knobby skin and then cook it like a potato.

4 cups cubed butternut squash
3 cups cubed beets
2 1/2 cups cubed celeriac
1 cup red quinoa, rinsed
6 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons dried basil
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 1/2 cups water
8 ounces crumbled chèvre or feta (optional)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Combine the squash, beets, celeriac, quinoa, garlic, oil, basil, and salt in a large casserole dish. Pour in the water and cover. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, until the vegetables are tender to your liking. Serve immediately, topped with the chèvre or feta if you like.

Excerpted and reprinted with permission by New Harbinger Publications, Inc. Gluten-Free Recipes for the Conscious Cook by Leslie Cerier www.lesliecerier.com

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Bok choy: nutrient-dense and delicious!

Dr Fuhrman is a best-selling author and board certified family physician specializing in lifestyle and nutritional medicine

Bok choy (or pak choi) is a relative of cabbage, scientifically named Brassica chinensis.  It is most often associated with Chinese cuisine, and has been grown in China for over six thousand years.  Today, bok choy is also grown in Europe, Canada, and the U.S, and is available almost year-round – it is said to be most tasty in the winter months.

Bok choy has crisp, white stalks and dark green leaves, and in Chinese its name means “white vegetable.”  There are over twenty different varieties of bok choy – the two most common seen here in the U.S. are the traditional and “baby” or “Shanghai” bok choy – however, if you visit your local Asian market, you may see several more of these varieties.[i]

Bok choy provides abundant amounts of vitamins A, C, and K as well as folate and calcium.[ii] A recent study detected 28 different polyphenols – antioxidant phytochemicals – in bok choy.  Some of these were more concentrated in the leaves, and some in the stems.[iii] The most abundant polyphenol these scientists found in bok choy was kaempferol, a molecule shown to have anti-cancer properties.[iv]

Bok choy falls under the category of cruciferous vegetables, a family of especially nutrient-dense vegetables that contain unique anti-cancer compounds. Like all cruciferous vegetables, more cancer-preventive compounds are produced when bok choy is chopped before cooking.

Bok choy scores an impressive 819/1000 in Dr. Fuhrman’s ANDI (Aggregate Nutrient Density Index) scoring system.  Only a few other vegetables, all leafy greens, score higher.

Bok choy is uniquely beneficial for its calcium availability – bok choy is lower in oxalate, a substance that binds up calcium and prevents it from being absorbed, than most other leafy greens.  54% of the calcium in bok choy can be absorbed by the human body – compare this to 5% in spinach, a high oxalate vegetable, and 32% in milk.  We can much more readily absorb calcium from bok choy than from dairy products.

Bok choy can be eaten raw in salads, green smoothies, or vegetable juices, or cooked in stir-fries, soups, or other vegetable dishes.

Braised Bok Choy
Serves: 2

Ingredients:
8 baby bok choy or 3 regular bok choy
1 teaspoon Bragg Liquid Aminos or low sodium soy sauce
2 cups coarsely chopped shiitake mushrooms
2 large cloves garlic, chopped, optional
1 tablespoon unhulled sesame seeds, lightly toasted *

Cover bottom of large skillet with 1/2 inch water. Add bok choy (cut baby bok choy in half lengthwise or cut regular bok choy into chunks).
Drizzle with liquid aminos. Cover and cook on high heat until bok choy is tender, about 6 minutes.

Remove bok choy and add mushrooms and garlic to the liquid in the pan. Simmer liquid until reduced to a glaze. Pour over bok choy. Top with toasted sesame seeds.

*Lightly toast sesame seeds in a pan over medium heat for 3 minutes, shaking pan frequently.

Dr Fuhrman is a best-selling author and board certified family physician specializing in lifestyle and nutritional medicine.  For more information, visit his website at DrFuhrman.com.

[i] http://chinesefood.about.com/od/vegetablesrecipes/a/bokchoy.htm

http://www.fruitsandveggiesmorematters.org/?page_id=3002

[ii] http://www.nutritiondata.com/facts/vegetables-and-vegetable-products/2377/2?print=true

[iii] Harbaum B et al. Identification of flavonoids and hydroxycinnamic acids in pak choi varieties (Brassica campestris L. ssp. chinensis var. communis) by HPLC-ESI-MSn and NMR and their quantification by HPLC-DAD. J Agric Food Chem. 2007 Oct 3;55(20):8251-60.

[iv] Luo H et al. Kaempferol inhibits angiogenesis and VEGF expression through both HIF dependent and independent pathways in human ovarian cancer cells. Nutr Cancer. 2009;61(4):554-63.

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