Science Explains Our Energy Fields
Monday, June 14th, 2010In 1996 the American Physical Society, responding to a request from the National Research Council, was asked to examine the potential health hazards of power lines. One of the concerns was that electromagnetic background fields of 2 milligauss might cause cancer (for comparison the earth’s magnetic field is 500 milligauss and fields generated by human physiological processes are hundreds of thousands of times less than 2 milligauss). Monitors of outdoor exposure for children to wear were marketed to parents. “Some city regulations sought to constrain B fields to less than 2 milligauss”. The report, which was a comprehensive study of the alleged dangers, included both molecular and epidemiologic studies and found that no adverse health effects could be attributed to these low fields.
One of the conclusions emphasized that physical calculations rule out carcinogenic effects because at physiological temperatures thermal noise fields in human cells are larger than the background fields from power lines.1, 2 Thus the political agenda, concerned with fear of carcinogenic mechanisms arising from low level magnetic fields, lost credibility. However, about 10 years later claims for health effects from mattress pads equipped with small magnets were marketed. A study of this was funded by National Institute of Health’s Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine and claims for their benefits were published in alternative medicine journals.3
Some of the rationale for the claims were ludicrous. I attended one sales pitch which claimed their mattress magnets were better because they incorporated only North Poles. About the same time, small 300 gauss magnets, began to appear on the shelves of drug stores. In 2007 a lawsuit brought by the National Council against Health Fraud against advertisers of these products was successfully settled. I was one of the persons who agreed to appear as an expert witness if needed. The Federal Trade Commission also threatened to prosecute purveyors who claimed healthful benefits for these products.
Amazingly, in the last few years the health and medical and nursing communities in their ‘integrated medicine’ outreach are now marketing the unsubstantiated claims that healing fields of 2 milligauss are emitted from the hands of practitioners.4,5 This belief in distance healing, Therapeutic Touch, Reiki, and Qiqong cobble the language of physics with the language of physiology, misleading the patient. For example, in Therapeutic Touch the protocol requires that a therapist moves his or her hands over the patient’s “energy field,” allegedly “tuning” a purported “aura” of biomagnetic energy that extends above the patient’s body. This is thought to somehow help heal the patient. (Curiously, the rubrics never define what may happen if the practitioner is inept.) Although this is less than one percent of the strength of Earth’s magnetic field, corresponding to billions of times less energy than the energy your eye receives when viewing even the brightest star in the night sky, and is billions of times smaller than that needed to affect biochemistry, the web sites of prominent clinics nevertheless market the claims6 This belief has been published in the peer reviewed medical literature.7 Silence on this issue by the major scientific societies is a serious compromise of the scientific endeavors of those of us who work at the frontier of physics, medicine and biology.
The terms, energy and field, are used by alternative medicine practitioners, and integrative medicine physicians without any understanding of their meaning — their on-line and public lectures impart the pretense that fields are unknown philosophical constructs. Invited speakers at medical meetings at major academic institutions philosophize relationships between phenomena of many different magnitudes and sources, such as dark matter and biochemistry. The laws of quantum mechanics and electromagnetism are responsible for the biochemical bonding of molecules. Scientists understand that the discovery of dark matter is associated with the gravitational forces in our universe. No formulation of the properties of dark matter could have any observable effects between individual molecules in a cell.
What follows is a tutorial on fields:
Transmission of a force when objects are not in contact is represented by a set of vectors defined at all points in space which enumerate the direction and magnitude of the force. This set of vectors constitutes the field. There are four fundamental forces: gravitational, electromagnetic, weak nuclear and strong nuclear. Other fundamental forces have been looked for and not found. Scientists cannot rule out the possibility that science may one day find a new force field, but should such a discovery occur it will be through using the tools and methodology of science. Theorists understand that the strength of such a force must be much less than our weakest known force.
We live in a gravitational field which causes an object near the surface of the earth to fall with acceleration such that its velocity increases each sec by 32 feet per sec. Further out from our planet this number is less. Place signs with these numbers all over space and you have a picture of the field and its associated ‘action at a distance’ force. Knowing these numbers allows us to build rockets and satellites and explore outer space.
Similarly we know the numbers for electromagnetic fields. This allows us to build MRI machines. Ultrasonic imaging arises from us knowing the numbers at the level of cells to image the densities in tissues. We are constantly bathed in electromagnetic fields from communication devices.
Studies of equations for these forces and the enumeration of the strength of their fields underlie our current technology. When energy fields are used as a medium for conveying information, scientists ask and answer the following key questions: How large is the signal? What is the transmitter located in the source, and what and where is the receiver? How can the device be tuned and detuned? Lastly, how can one replicate this by a device to be used for medical intervention?
The alleged source of TT’s purported biomagnetic field is the practitioner, and the alleged receiver is the patient. Beyond this, TT practitioners fail to give detailed and plausible answers to the key questions above. TT practitioners’ adoption of the scientific term “biomagnetic” field, without an equation to describe the field and without any grounding in known physics and biochemistry, conveys the impression of scientific respectability to claims that have no scientific basis. Its claims are anecdotal and no measurements such as blood work or respiratory function are made.
I’m sure your ENT or GP would never suggest visits to a TT practitioner to cure a hearing loss. Practitioners of alternative medicine never recommend it as an intervention for a condition that has an easily measurable physiological response. The clinical trials using TT associated with the 1.8 million dollar NIH grant, which were to measure the health of women with cervical cancer, were completed in 2006 and 20078 but a recent search using Clinical Trials .gov data base yields no reported results. Curiously, expert scientific opinion, and inventions using fields are welcomed by the evidence-based medical community but rejected by the integrative medicine community when this knowledge contradicts belief systems purported to be medically healing.
Researcher Calls for Alternative Medicine in Qatar Hospitals
Monday, June 14th, 2010A medical researcher from the Primary Health Care Department has suggested that a separate section for alternative medicine be set up within the public hospitals in Qatar.
“A national centre for alternative medicine research should also be established in the country,” urged Dr Mohamed Reslan.
He had recently carried out the first Qatari research on the effect of cupping therapy in treating chronic headache and back pain at Al Heijamah clinic at Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC).
The scientific investigation, which involved a team from HMC, took more than a year to complete and its results have been published in the Middle East Journal of Family Medicine.
The total number of the participants was 86, with 51.2% of them being male (51.2%). The majority was non-Qatari (72.1%); 37 of them had headache and 49 back pain.
Most of the participants were treated with wet cup therapy (98.8%) and only one of them was treated with dry cup. Fifty-two of the participants had one session of cupping while five completed all the four sessions.
The pain score for patients with headache was decreased from eight to four after cupping therapy followed by intermittent periods of fluctuating pain, scored from four to five for around five weeks, then it maintained constant at four score until the end of the follow-up period.
Meanwhile, the pain scale for patients with low back pain decreased from seven to three after two weeks and stayed constant until the end of the 12 weeks, Reslan explained.
It is claimed this is the first study of its kind, in the Middle East and elsewhere in the world, which discusses cupping therapy mechanism as a scientific theory capable of laboratorial investigation and application and establishes specific criteria for quantity of blood withdrawn at each session, frequency of cupping and the power of blood aspiration in any single session.
Reslan also recommends in-depth studies on cupping therapy for its impact on the individual and community health and its direct dealing with blood. He has encouraged the use of cupping therapy for treatment of chronic severe pain, particularly in cases where no surgical intervention is available and cases with no satisfactory response to medications.
However, Reslan has urged caution from using cupping therapy in treating cases that require blood transfusion, anaemic and hemorrhagic cases, or any case not properly diagnosed as well as cases of varicose veins, varicocele, diabetes, thyropathy or epilepsy.
A Primer on Genetically Modified Foods
Monday, June 14th, 2010A GMO (genetically modified organism) is the result of a laboratory process of taking genes from one species and inserting them into another in an attempt to obtain a desired trait or characteristic, hence they are also known as transgenic organisms. This process may be called either Genetic Engineering (GE) or Genetic Modification (GM); they are one and the same.
But haven�t growers been grafting trees, breeding animals, and hybridizing seeds for years?
Genetic engineering is completely different from traditional breeding and carries unique risks.
In traditional breeding it is possible to mate a pig with another pig to get a new variety, but is not possible to mate a pig with a potato or a mouse. Even when species that may seem to be closely related do succeed in breeding, the offspring are usually infertile�a horse, for example, can mate with a donkey, but the offspring (a mule) is sterile.
With genetic engineering, scientists can breach species barriers set up by nature. For example, they have spliced fish genes into tomatoes. The results are plants (or animals) with traits that would be virtually impossible to obtain with natural processes, such as crossbreeding or grafting.
What combinations have been tried?
It is now possible for plants to be engineered with genes taken from bacteria, viruses, insects, animals or even humans. Scientists have worked on some interesting combinations:
- Spider genes were inserted into goat DNA, in hopes that the goat milk would contain spider web protein for use in bulletproof vests.
- Cow genes turned pigskins into cowhides.
- Jellyfish genes lit up pigs� noses in the dark.
- Artic fish genes gave tomatoes and strawberries tolerance to frost.
- Potatoes that glowed in the dark when they needed watering.
- Human genes were inserted into corn to produce spermicide.
Current field trials include:
- Corn engineered with human genes (Dow)
- Sugarcane engineered with human genes (Hawaii Agriculture Research Center)
- Corn engineered with jellyfish genes (Stanford University)
- Tobacco engineered with lettuce genes (University of Hawaii)
- Rice engineered with human genes (Applied Phytologics)
- Corn engineered with hepatitis virus genes (Prodigene)
What is a gene?
Every plant and animal is made of cells, each of which has a center called a nucleus. Inside every nucleus there are strings of DNA, half of which is normally inherited from the mother and half from the father. Short sequences of DNA are called genes. These genes operate in complex networks that are finely regulated to enable the processes of living organisms to happen in the right place and at the right time.
How is genetic engineering done?
Because living organisms have natural barriers to protect themselves against the introduction of DNA from a different species, genetic engineers have to find ways to force the DNA from one organism into another. These methods include:
- Using viruses or bacteria to “infect” animal or plant cells with the new DNA.
- Coating DNA onto tiny metal pellets, and firing it with a special gun into the cells.
- Injecting the new DNA into fertilized eggs with a very fine needle.
- Using electric shocks to create holes in the membrane covering sperm, and then forcing the new DNA into the sperm through these holes.
Is genetic engineering precise?
The technology of genetic engineering is currently very crude. It is not possible to insert a new gene with any accuracy, and the transfer of new genes can disrupt the finely controlled network of DNA in an organism.
Current understanding of the way in which DNA works is extremely limited, and any change to the DNA of an organism at any point can have side effects that are impossible to predict or control. The new gene could, for example, alter chemical reactions within the cell or disturb cell functions. This could lead to instability, the creation of new toxins or allergens, and changes in nutritional value.
Does the biotech industry hold any promise?
Genetic modification of plants is not the only biotechnology. The study of DNA does hold promise for many potential applications, including medicine. However, the current technology of GM foods is based on obsolete information and theory, and is prone to dangerous side effects. Economic interests have pushed it onto the market too soon.
Moreover, molecular marker technologies – so called Marker Assisted Selection (MAS) used with conventional breeding shows much promise for developing improved crop varieties, without the potentially dangerous side effects of direct genetic modification.
GMOs in Foods:
What kinds of traits have been added to food crops?
Although there are attempts to increase nutritional benefits or productivity, the two main traits that have been added to date are herbicide tolerance and the ability of the plant to produce its own pesticide. These results have no health benefit, only economic benefit.
Herbicide tolerance lets the farmer spray weed-killer directly on the crop without killing it.
Crops such as Bt cotton produce pesticides inside the plant. This kills or deters insects, saving the farmer from having to spray pesticides. The plants themselves are toxic, and not just to insects. Farmers in India, who let their sheep graze on Bt cotton plants after the harvest, saw thousands of sheep die!
Why do genetically engineered foods have antibiotic resistant genes in them?
The techniques used to transfer genes have a very low success rate, so the genetic engineers attach “marker genes” that are resistant to antibiotics to help them to find out which cells have taken up the new DNA. These marker genes are resistant to antibiotics that are commonly used in human and veterinary medicine. Some scientists believe that eating GE food containing these marker genes could encourage gut bacteria to develop antibiotic resistance.
What are the problems created through genetic engineering of food and crops?
Genetic engineers continually encounter unintended side effects � GM plants create toxins, react to weather differently, contain too much or too little nutrients, become diseased or malfunction and die. When foreign genes are inserted, dormant genes may be activated or the functioning of genes altered, creating new or unknown proteins, or increasing or decreasing the output of existing proteins inside the plant. The effects of consuming these new combinations of proteins are unknown.
What foods are GM?
Currently commercialized GM crops in the U.S. include soy (89%), cotton (83%), canola (80%), corn (61%), Hawaiian papaya (more than 50%), zucchini and yellow squash (small amount), and tobacco (Quest� brand). There are currently plans to grow GM sugar beets in 2008.
What are other sources of GMOs?
Products derived from the above, including oils from all four, soy protein, soy lecithin, cornstarch, corn syrup and high fructose corn syrup among others. Also:
- meat, eggs, and dairy products from animals that have eaten GM feed (and the majority of the GM corn and soy is used for feed);
- dairy products from cows injected with rbGH (a GM hormone);
- food additives, enzymes, flavorings, and processing agents, including the sweetener aspartame (NutraSweet�) and rennet used to make hard cheeses; and
- honey and bee pollen that may have GM sources of pollen.
The Health Dangers:
What are the potential dangers of eating GM foods?
There are a number of dangers that broadly fall into the categories of potential toxins, allergens, carcinogens, new diseases, antibiotic resistant diseases, and nutritional problems.
Hasn�t research shown GM foods to be safe?
No. The only feeding study done with humans showed that GMOs survived inside the stomach of the people eating GMO food. No follow-up studies were done.
Various feeding studies in animals have resulted in potentially pre-cancerous cell growth, damaged immune systems, smaller brains, livers, and testicles, partial atrophy or increased density of the liver, odd shaped cell nuclei and other unexplained anomalies, false pregnancies and higher death rates.
But aren�t the plants chemically the same, whether or not they are GM?
Most tests can�t determine the differences at the level of the DNA. And, even if they appear to be the same, eyewitness reports from all over North American describe how several types of animals, including cows, pigs, geese, elk, deer, squirrels, and rats, when given a choice, avoid eating GM foods.
Haven�t people been eating GM foods without any ill effect?
The biotech industry says that millions have been eating GM foods without ill effect. This is misleading. No one monitors human health impacts of GM foods. If the foods were creating health problems in the US population, it might take years or decades before we identified the cause.
What indications are there that GM foods are causing problems?
Soon after GM soy was introduced to the UK, soy allergies skyrocketed by 50 percent.
In March 2001, the Center for Disease Control reported that food is responsible for twice the number of illnesses in the U.S. compared to estimates just seven years earlier. This increase roughly corresponds to the period when Americans have been eating GM food.
Without follow-up tests, which neither the industry or government are doing, we can�t be absolutely sure if genetic engineering was the cause.
What about GM hormones in milk?
Milk from rBGH-treated cows contains an increased amount of the hormone IGF-1, which is one of the highest risk factors associated with breast and prostate cancer, but no one is tracking this in relation to cancer rates.
Why do genetically engineered foods have antibiotic resistant genes in them?
A. The techniques used to transfer genes have a very low success rate, so the genetic engineers attach “marker genes” that are resistant to antibiotics to help them to find out which cells have taken up the new DNA. That way scientist can then douse the experimental GMO in antibiotics and if it lives, they have successful altered the genes. The marker genes are resistant to antibiotics that are commonly used in human and veterinary medicine. Some scientists believe that eating GE food containing these marker genes could encourage gut bacteria to develop antibiotic resistance.
But is there any documented instance of adverse effects of GMOs on people?
One epidemic was rare, serious, and fast acting, and therefore more easily discovered. Called EMS, it was traced to a GM brand of the food supplement L-tryptophan. In the 1980’s, the contaminated brand killed about 100 Americans and caused sickness or disability in about 5,000-10,000 others.
Why are children particularly susceptible to the effects of GM foods?
Children face the greatest risk from the potential dangers of GM foods for the same reasons that they also face the greatest risk from other hazards like pesticides and radiation, these include:
- Young, fast-developing bodies are influenced most.
- Children are more susceptible to allergies.
- Children are more susceptible to problems with milk.
- Children are more susceptible to nutritional problems.
- Children are in danger from antibiotic resistant diseases.
How dangerous, or potentially dangerous, are GM foods relative to other food dangers, e.g., pesticides, irradiation, additives, preservatives?
Since so little research has been done on the safety of GM foods, it is not possible to rank its risks. Unlike the others, GM crops persist in the environment, and may continue to pose risks to health for centuries.
In addition, transfer of transgenes to gut bacteria may present long-term chronic exposure, since the foreign protein may continued to be produced inside of us after we no longer consume the GM food.
Dangers to the environment and traditional agriculture:
What is the effect of growing GM crops on the environment?
Studies have shown that pesticide-producing crops contaminate nearby streams, possibly affecting aquatic life. They may harm beneficial insects too.
As weeds adapt to herbicides, they develop resistance and what are recalled �super weeds� can evolve. When that happens, herbicide use increases and the benefits of herbicide resistant crops are diminished, if not lost.
Can the growing of GM crops effect nearby crops?
Pollen from GM crops can contaminate nearby crops of the same type, except for soy, which does not cross-pollinate. In fact, virtually all heritage varieties of corn in Mexico (the origin of all corn) have been found to have some contamination. Canola and cotton also cross-pollinate.
Why is there an effort to create GM-free agricultural zones?
Using identity preservation (IP), farmers keep crop varieties separate from others to meet purity requirements of their buyers. Contamination is a key challenge to IP growers. Unwanted varieties may cross-pollinate or get mixed up in the seed, harvest equipment, or during storage and transport.
Some farm regions create entire zones that exclude unwanted varieties, where all the farms, and if possible all collection and distribution points, only handle approved grain.
Have any local efforts in the US been successful?
There are local efforts throughout the U.S. that are raising public awareness, changing laws, and creating commitments to non-GM ingredients. Most notably, voters in Mendocino and Marin Counties in California passed ballot initiative to ban GM crops.
Officials in Trinity County and Arcada California have passed ordinances banning the outdoor cultivation of GM crops as well. But since then, a California law was passed prohibiting this type of local initiatives.
In March 2008, voters at the Montville, Maine, annual town meeting overwhelmingly passed a binding ordinance banning the cultivation of GM crops in their community.
Is it possible that organically grown crops can be infected by GM genes?
Yes. Organic standards do not allow the use of GM seeds and therefore steps are taken to try to prevent contamination. Tests are not required, although some vigilant organic companies require them. According to the organic standards, contamination by cross-pollination is not disallowed, but some companies reject contaminated product above some small amount such as 0.1%.
Organic canola farmers in Canada sued biotech companies, since cross-pollination has made it impossible for them to grow organic, non-GM canola.
Is the Natural Foods Industry doing something to insure the purity of its products?
Right now there are efforts underway for an industry wide clean up of foods labeled organic and non-GMO. A handful of noble companies took it upon themselves to ensure that consumers could rest assured that their organic and non-GMO foods are truly free of modified genes. They established The Non-GMO Project, which has created an industry-wide consensus-based set of standards and a third-party verification process with testing for GMO content.
Companies began to enroll their products in the spring of 2008 and the first �non-GMO� seals for companies who fully comply with the protocols will be issued in 2009.
Government Regulation:
Q. Hasn�t the FDA said that GM foods are safe?
The biotech industry claims that the FDA has thoroughly evaluated GM foods and found them safe. This is untrue. The FDA does not require safety studies. Instead, if the makers of the GM foods claim that they are safe, the agency has no further questions.
Q. Didn�t the scientists at the FDA study GM foods themselves?
No. The FDA relies solely on information supplied by the biotech companies.
Q. What kind of information did the companies provide?
Calgene, the makers of the first GM crop, the FlavrSavr tomato, was the only company to submit detailed raw data from animal feeding studies to the FDA. The rest provide only summaries and conclusions. Industry research can be rigged; data often is omitted or distorted.
In the FlavrSavr tests, lab rats refused to eat the tomatoes and had to be force-fed. Several developed stomach lesions, and seven of forty died within two weeks. Still, the tomato was approved, but has since been taken off the market.
Q. Based on the information that was supplied, did the FDA scientist have concerns?
Agency scientists did warn that GM foods might create toxins, allergies, nutritional problems, and new diseases that might be difficult to identify. Internal FDA memos reveal that the scientists urged their superiors to require long-term safety testing to catch these hard-to-detect side effects.
Q. What did the FDA do about these concerns?
Nothing was done that would protect consumers. In fact, in the case of genetically modified bovine growth hormone, some FDA scientists who expressed concerns were harassed, stripped of responsibilities, or fired. The remaining whistleblowers had to write an anonymous letter to Congress complaining of fraud and conflict of interest at the agency
Q. How could the government approve dangerous foods?
A close examination reveals that industry manipulation and political collusion � not sound science � was the driving force.
The FDA official in charge ignored all warnings of the FDA staff scientists. The official, a former outside attorney for Monsanto, was a political appointee specifically to a new FDA post on GM policy, and left shortly after to become vice president at Monsanto.
Q. Why aren�t foods with GMOs at least labeled here?
The same political influence and money that got them past the FDA has prevented any labeling laws from being passed. However, the Democratic Presidential candidate has pledged to support labeling laws if elected.
Q. So do the biotech companies always get everything they want?
No. The biotech companies have fallen far short of their goals due to consumer resistance. The GM potatoes and tomatoes were taken off the market, and other GM crops, although approved, were never commercialized.
Concerned consumers in Europe were able to get major companies to commit to eliminate GMOs within one week. This was done with only a small percentage of the overall population. Businesses do not want to lose even a portion of their customer base. Everyone can vote with his or her pocketbook!
In 1998 the industry tried to get the USDA to let GM products pass as organic. During the public comment period, the Department received over 275,000 irate letters of protest from citizens, a public response unprecedented in the USDA’s history. Thanks to this public protest, GM products cannot be labeled organic in the USA.
Around the World
Q. What about in neighboring countries?
In Canada, government scientists also complained that they were being pressured to approve the GM hormone, which is injected into cows to increase milk supply. They were concerned about human health impacts. They testified that the drugs maker, Monsanto, offered them a bribe of $1-2 million to approve it. They also reported that documents were stolen from a locked file cabinet in a government office.
Mexico has resisted GMOs, but contamination has still occurred.
Other stories of pressure, bribes, and threatened whistleblowers are reported through the history of GM foods and their approval, research, and promotion around the world.
Q. What is happening with GM foods in the rest of the world?
A. All over the world, regions and even nations are demanding an end to GM crop cultivation. Twenty-two countries in Europe have regions wanting to be GM-free. States in Australia, regions in New Zealand and Brazil, the countries of Venezuela, Zambia, Sudan, Angola, and others, all want to be GM-free. Thus, world markets are shrinking.
In 2007 over three million Italians signed a petition, declaring their opposition to GM crops in their country. France, Hungary, Italy, Greece, Austria, Poland and Romania have all banned Monsanto’s Mon 810 GM corn because of its documented hazards to biodiversity and human health. In Europe over 175 regions and over 4,500 municipalities have declared themselves GM-free zones. In Spain alone this includes over 50 municipalities and regions like Asturias, the Canary Islands and the Basque country.
Europe has greater rejection of GMOs due to a more balanced reporting by their press on the health and environmental dangers. In Europe, at least 174 regions, more than 4,500 councils and local governments have declared themselves GM free.
Q. Have any GM foods been banned?
The rules of the World Trade Organization (which the US and other 150 countries are members of) explicitly prohibit countries from banning GM products. Therefore, countries that ban them do so at great risk. If this weren’t the case, no doubt many countries would already have done so.
Some countries have banned GM crops entirely or not approved certain GM crops that are approved elsewhere.
In the US, GM wheat was not approved when wheat farmers banned together because they were concerned that contamination would seriously hurt exports. So the reason was economic, not safety.
More Hospitals Offer Reiki
Monday, May 10th, 2010More doctors are now prescribing Reiki and more hospitals are offering it as complementary alternative medicine.
Celebrated heart surgeon Dr. Mehmet Oz is the co-founder of the Complementary Care Centre at New York’s Columbia Presbyterian Hospital. He is also the host of his own show, aptly named The Dr. Oz Show.
In one of his shows, Dr. Oz focused on alternative medicine. He featured a Reiki therapist and provided the audience with a short demonstration of healing through Reiki. At the end of the show, he gave his audience three recommendations, the first of which was, “Try Reiki.”
Since the late 1990s, Dr. Oz had been a staunch proponent of Reiki and the only doctor who publicly explored Reiki. Much has changed since. Today, more and more doctors are recommending Reiki.
More Doctors Recommend Reiki
In an article entitled “Reiki: Hype or Help” which appeared in “Discovery Health,” Therese Droste writes about Neursosurgeon Clinton Miller, a former skeptic turned believer. After experiencing a Reiki session, Miller said, “I went from high personal excitation to feeling like I was floating in the ether.” Like Dr. Oz, Miller now prescribes Reiki for his patients.
Then there is cardiologist Dr. Stephen Sinatra, who is also the head of the New England Heart Center in Manchester. Sinatra recommends Reiki to patients when he thinks that an energy blockage is preventing a patient from healing.
Says Droste in her article: “Many healthcare professionals and others are beginning to incorporate Reiki in their treatment of illnesses ranging from asthma to cancer to depression. Reiki sessions are being used for pain management, to accelerate recovery from surgery and reduce medication side effects.”
Such acceptance from the medical profession is supported by personal experience, feedback from patients and more importantly, by various research studies.
Pre and Post Surgery Reiki
In April 1999, the Journal of Nursing Care Quality published an article by Patricia and Kristan Alandydy on the effects of Reiki on surgical patients. Eight hundred and seventy patients confined at the Columbia/HCA Portsmouth Regional Hospital in Portsmouth, New Hampshire were asked to participate. All the participants were given 15 minutes pre- and post-surgery Reiki treatments. As a result of the Reiki treatments, there was less use of pain medications, shorter length of hospital confinement and increased patient satisfaction.
The effects of Reiki on Alzheimer’s disease have also been explored. An empirical study was conducted, which aimed at exploring the efficacy of Reiki in improving memory and behavior deficiencies in patients with mild cognitive impairment or mild Alzheimer’s disease. This quasi-experimental study showed that “Reiki treatments show promise for improving certain behavior and memory problems in patients with mild cognitive impairment or mild Alzheimer’s disease.”
A paper presented by Mary Ann La Torre, Wardell DW, Engebretson J., at Universtity of Texas Houston Health Science Center in Houston, Texas explored the biological effects of Reiki. The aim of the study was “to test a framework of relaxation or stress reduction as a mechanism of touch therapy (TT).” The study was conducted in 1996 and 23 healthy subjects were asked to participate. It was intended to be a close examination of select physiological and biochemical effects after 30 minutes of Reiki, which was considered a form of touch therapy.
The biological markers that were related to stress-reduction response included: state of anxiety, salivary IgA and cortisol levels, blood pressure, galvanic skin response (GSR), muscle tension and skin temperature. Biological marker levels were measured before and after the 30-minute Reiki sessions. Test results showed that anxiety was significantly reduced. Skin temperature increased and electromygraph decreased during the treatment, although the before and after changes were not significant. It was concluded that the “findings suggest both biochemical and physiological changes in the direction of relaxation.”
Reiki as Biofield Therapy
According to the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine at the National Institutes of Health (which is part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services), Reiki falls under the category of Energy Medicine. It is considered part of a number of healing modalities categorized as “Biofield Therapies which are intended to affect energy fields that purportedly surround and penetrate the human body.”
Reiki is now proving to be very useful in hospices, nursing homes and hospitals. The number of hospitals offering Reiki is increasing. It is now offered in several other hospitals such as Mercy Hospital in Portland, Maine, Wilcox Memorial Hospital in Hawaii, Center for Integrative Medicine at George Washington University Hospital, Tucson Medical Center in Arizona, California Pacific Medical Center, Portsmouth Regional Hospital in New Hampshire, Marin General Hospital in California, University of Michigan Hospital, Foote Hospital in Michigan.
Indeed, Reiki has come a long way since the time it was first introduced in Japan by Mikao Usui -a Japanese spiritual seeker who called it a “natural method of healing.”
Cotton May Be Promising Source of Protein
Friday, April 2nd, 2010Researchers engineered the cotton to reduce the toxic gossypol to tolerable levels in the high-protein seed, without affecting higher levels in the rest of the plant, to ward off pests and disease.
“The results look very promising,” said
Rathore said kernels from the safe seed could be ground into a flour-like powder and used as a protein additive in food preparations or perhaps roasted and seasoned as a nutritious snack.
Less than three years ago, Rathore had announced that cotton plants had been successfully altered in the lab to “silence” gossypol in the seed.
But this year, five generations of cotton plants produced in greenhouses and the small test plot in the field are showing similar findings, Rathore said, though the results have not yet been published in scholarly journals.
Gossypol has long been a block for cotton farmers trying to make cotton seed available for human or animal consumption.
Cotton fibers have been spun into fabric for more than 7,000 years, but generally only cattle have been able to eat the fuzzy seeds that are separated from the fiber.
Cattle can tolerate the gossypol because it is gradually digested through their unique four-part stomach.
“The levels of gossypol and related defense chemicals are similar to that of regular cotton plants in the buds, leaves and flowers. But the seed is still showing the ultra-low levels of gossypol.”
The “beauty of this project,” Rathore said, is that the high-protein seed could be a new food source – especially in developing countries.
Because the variety is “genetically modified,” the scientist and AgriLife Research will have to negotiate with others who hold patent rights to some of the basic technologies used to develop this “ultra-low seed-gossypol” cotton.
Rathore will also have to seek approval from the US Department of Agriculture, US Food and Drug Administration and perhaps other agencies to make it commercially available as seed to farmers.
INDEX OF POSTS AS OF MARCH 31, 2010
Thursday, April 1st, 2010TO LOCATE ANY POST – PLEASE ENTER THE KEY WORDS INTO THE SEARCH BOX.
1 in 10 Chinese Adults Are Diabetics, Study Finds
1 in 5 U.S. kids found deficient in vitamin D
1 Million Premature Babies Worldwide Die Every Year
3 in 4 British Kids Don’t Know Junk Food Could Kill Them
3-D Structure of Human Genome Deciphered
540 Common Phobias
75-Year-Old Grows New Skull
8 Million Americans Seriously Consider Suicide Annually
800-Year-Old Apple Could Be Healthiest to Eat
A Discussion on Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
A Guide To How Much Water, Potassium, Sodium, You Should Take
A Mind That Touches the Past
A Primer on Mineral Supplements and Dosages
Active Elders Live Longer: Study
Acupuncture, herbal medicine become more popular in U.S.
Adding Flaxseed to Juices, Salads, Jellies Fight Prostate Cancer
Alcohol Protects Accident Victims from Distress
Alcoholism Affects Sleep During Sober Periods
Aligning Your Chakras
Alternative Supplements Can Now Be Claimed on Your Insurance and Get a Cash Refund
Alternative Treatments For Autism
Alzheimers Risk Linked to Level of Appetite Hormone
America’s Deadliest Sweetener Betrays Millions
Ancient Surgeries – Trepanation and Nose Jobs
Animals Using One Side of their Brains are More Successful
Anti-Ageing Creams Could Cause Cancer
Antidepressant Found to be Just as Effective as Placebo in Child Pain Relief
Antifungal Effects of Pumpkin Protein
Antioxidant in Melon Relieves Stress
Ants Can Count
Anxiety, Depression Much More Common Than Thought
Appealing Health Insurance Denials
Are There Toxins in Your Herbs?
Are You Unwittingly Practicing Alternative Medicine?
Artificial Sweeteners Linked to Kidney Decline
Aspirin Is Only for Heart Patients
Asthma/Allergy Trigger Control Plan
Aura’ Migraines a Stroke Risk
Aussie Scientists Find HIV Reservoir in Brain
Autopsy Reveals Ancient Egyptian Mummy Died of TB
Bacteria Can Help Build Durable Bone Implants
Bacteria Can Help Convert Waste to Power
Bacteria Can Transform Minerals Electrically
Bacteria With Tiny Projections Can Make Efficient Fuel Cells
Bad Drug Reactions, Side Effects – 500,000 US Kids to Doctor Each Year
Bangladesh Telemedicine Firm Plans to Reach Out to South Asian Workers
Basic Diabetic Diet
Basic Hygiene More Effective Against Swine Flu than Drugs
Being Too Optimistic could Harm Weight Loss Efforts
Best Vitamins for Women
Better Ventilation May Ease some Asthma
Bike Rides for Women Over 50 Can Cut 16 Years off Age
Binge Drinking Weakens Body’s Ability to Fight Infections
Biodynamic the New Organic?
Biofeedback is the Best Stress-Buster for Students
Bionic Eye May Help Blind See: Retinal Prosthesis Shown To Restore Partial Vision
Blueberries Keep Brain Active In the Afternoon
Bone Strengthening Drugs Linked To Lower Breast Cancer Incidence
Brain Can Quickly Learn a Forgotten Language Again
Brain Circuit That Controls Binge Eating Uncovered
Brain Function of Earthquake Survivors Acutely Affected
Brain Prods You Into Gorging on Good Food
Brain’s Face Processing Ability does Reduce with Age
Brains Can be Trained
Brain-to-Brain Communication Developed
Brainy Ingredients Get Brawny
Breakdown of Who Lacks Health Insurance by State
Breast Milk Best if Consumed as Soon as it is Expressed
Breast Tissue Feature Could Predict Woman’s Cancer Risk
Breathalyzer Screening may Help Spot Lung Cancer Early
Breathing Technique can Reduce Asthma Severity
Brit Men Having Boob Jobs on the Rise
British Jail Staff Red-Faced after Inmates Get Drunk on Anti-Swine Flu Gel
Broken Heart ‘Ups Heart Attack Risk’
Brown University Study Of Marijuana Use In Head And Neck Cancer
California’s Real Death Panels: Insurers Deny 21% of Claims
Calorie Restriction Reduces Disease and Extends Life
Can Eastern Medicine Meet Western Medicine?
Can Sweeteners Be Blamed For Rise In Obesity?
Cancer patients and their experiences of using the Internet
Cannabis Helps Sleep Apnea
Cannabis in The Old Testament
Celiac Disease and Osteoporosis Link Brings Possible Treatment
Cherry Juice May Help Ease the Pain of Sore Muscles
Childhood Physical Abuse Linked To Arthritis, Study Finds
Chilling Brains Aids in Cardiac Care
Chinese Herbal Medicines For Preventing Diabetes In High Risk People
Chinese herbs may hold back diabetes
Chinese Martial Arts Tai Chi Offers Effective Treatment for Dizziness, Balance Disorders
Chlorophyll Compounds may Help Treat Cancer
Chocolate Can Help Prevent Stroke
Chocolate, Water Can Melt Away Your Pain
Cholesterol Crucial to Brain Development
Chromosomal Birth Defects Linked to Absence of a
Chronic Rhinosinusitis Patients Going for Alternative Medicine
Chyawanprash: Ancient Indian Elixir
Citation for 2009 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine
Cities, Human Brains Evolved in Similar Ways
Cocaine Changes How
Cocktail with real snake venom has bite
Coffee Can Give Kids Sleepless Nights, Breathing Problems
Coffee May Stop Liver Disease
Cola Drinking Linked to Diabetes in Pregnancy
Color Therapy
Combination Heart Device Cut Chances of Heart Failure by 41 Percent
Common Abbreviations Used in Nutrition
Common Attitudes About Personal Pain
Communicating With Nature Makes You More Caring
Communicating With Your Teenager
Complementary Therapies for Eczema
Complimentary and Alternative Medicine Glossary
Comprehensive Eating Disorders Dictionary for Parents
Computer Model of Brain Can Help Victims of Anxiety Disorder
Consciousness is Brains Wi-Fi Network
Consider Kinesiology for Stress Relief
Controlling Your Breathing Helps Sea Sickness
Cookware Chemical Linked to Thyroid Disease
Cosmetic Surgery Patients At More Risk Than Ever
Could Chinese Herb Be a Natural Viagra?
Could Higher Levels Of Vitamin D Cut The Risk Of Type 2 Diabetes?
Could This Forbidden Medicine Eliminate the Need for Drugs?
Cup of Aloe Nutritious Shake, Herbal Tea make for a Healthy Breakfast
Cup of Mint Tea is an Effective Painkiller
Curcumin May Protect Smokers from Nicotine-Induced Head, Neck Cancers
Curry Compound Kills Cancer
Curry Spice ‘Kills Cancer Cells’
Cutting Caffeine Won’t Quiet Ringing in the Ears
Dairy Foods Help Fight The Flab
Dentures with Paste is Best Cleaning Method
Depressed Teens Higher Risk of Mental Health Problems in Later Life
Depression Leads to Protein Linked to Heart Disease
Depression Ups Cancer Patients Dying Risk
Determining the Quality of your Supplements.
Dietary Fiber Can Keep Diseases at Bay
Different Anxiety Disorders
Dimensions of the Most Attractive Face
Dioxin In Your Daily Life Causes Cancer
Disease-Detecting Device Vibrates with Potential
Do Multivitamins Curb Kids Allergy Risk?
Do Not Use Expired Cosmetic Products
Doctors Feel Choosing To Be Thinner In 2010 – Bad For Your Health
Doctors Unable to Restrain Mentally Ill From Smoking
Does Acupuncture Help Your Back?
Don’t Spank Your Kids if You Want Them to be Intelligent
Don’t Watch Your Wife Give Birth or You May Get Divorced
Drinking Coffee During Midlife May Reduce the Risk of Dementia in Later Life
Dung of the Devil Plant Roots may Offer Swine Flu Cure
Eat the Butter: Study Finds Fatty Foods Help Pilots on Mental, Flying Tests
Eating Fruit the Correct Way for Good Health
Eating Walnuts Cuts Cholesterol
Efforts to Promote Breast Feeding Urged
Egyptian Mummies Had Clogged Arteries
Elderly Women Sleep Better Than They Think, Men Nap Worse
Enjoy Life Now
EU Grants Nearly $2.25M For Complementary Medicine Research
Exercise can Cut Heart Disease Deaths by 60 per cent
Exercise in Adolescence May Cut Brain Tumor Risk
Exercising in the Heat may Help You Eat Less
Experts Map the Body’s Bacteria
External therapy Cannabinoids Effective in Reducing Pain Patients with Herpes Zoster
Extra-Virgin Olive Oil may Help Prevent, Treat Alzheimer’s
Eye Test that Spots Alzheimer’s 20 Years Before Symptoms
Face, Nose, Bust Lift-Without Surgery?
Facebook May Boost your Brain’s Working Memory
Face-to-Face Medical Care over the Internet?
Facial Structure Can Predict Propensity to Aggression
Fake Blood-Clotting Products to Heal Wounded Soldiers
Fashion and Beauty Trends in Fall Takes Toll on Health
Feverfew Herb
Fibromyalgia: Treatable With Chiropractic Care and Reimbursable Through GE
Fighting Infection With Manuka Honey
FIRST-OF-ITS KIND HEALTH CARE PLAN REIMBURSES USERS OF MEDICAL MARIJUANA
Flaxseed May Lower Cholesterol
Flickering Bright Colors Likely To Trigger Epileptic Fits
Flower Essence Therapy
Focus and Concentration
For Patients Suffering With Chronic Rhinosinusitis
For Very Obese, Gastric Bypass May Extend Life
Forgotten Memories Still Exist in the Brain
Four Major Food Groups for a Healthy Life
Four Things You Didn’t Know About Natural Medicine
Frequent Nasal Irrigation May Increase Infections
Functional Ingredients Found in all Supplements
Genetic Link Between Psychosis and Creativity Revealed
Gingko Biloba May Protect From Radiation
Glucosamine Effectiveness
Glucose Could Potentially Power Our Gadgets, Cars
Got a Pet Tarantula? Better Protect Your Eyes
Got Cognitive Activity? It Does a Mind Good
Green Spaces ‘Improve Health’
Green Tea may Help Improve Bone Health
Hand Size–Not Sex–Determines Sense of Touch
Having a Pet Can Help You Stay Healthy
Health Benefits of Chocolate
Health Canada Warns of Health Risks Posed by Rating Raw Bean Sprouts
HEALTH CARE REFORM – MONEY AWARDED FOR PEOPLE USING VITAMINS
Health insurance Premiums Rose Modestly in 2009
Healthy Foods that Contain Vitamin A
Healthy Older Brains Not Smaller than Younger Ones
Heartburn Drugs Safe for Fetuses, says Israeli Study
HERBAL MEDICINES IN YOUR BACKYARD
Herbal Remedies Linked To Poor Asthma Control
Herbal Supplements: What to Know Before You Buy
Here Are Some Terms Used in Homeopathy – Easier to Understand
Here is Why Evolution is Irreversible
Here’s How Exposure to Diesel Fumes Causes Cancer
Here’s What Causes Arteries To Clog Up
Here’s Why Sugar in Green Tea is a Healthy Idea
Here’s Why Wine is Good for Health
High Dose Folate And B Vitamin Supplements Increase Uterine Cancer Risk
High-Fat Diet Harms Muscle Health in Pre-Diabetic Teens
High-Fructose Diet Increases Blood Pressure Risk
High-Protein Diets Shrink the Brain
Hippocampus Governs How We Devise Concepts in the Brain
History of Homeopathy
HIV Outwits Yet Another Microbicide
Holistic Hospitals Appear in Maine
Home Remedies Series – Alcoholism
Home Remedies Series – Allergies
Home Remedies Series – Amnesia
Home Remedies Series – Anemia
Home Remedies Series – Angina
Home Remedies Series – Anorexia
Home Remedies Series – Anxiety
Home Remedies Series – Arthritis
Home Remedies Series – Athletes foot
Home Remedies Series – Belching
Home Remedies Series – Body Rash
Home Remedies Series – Burns
Home Remedies Series – Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Home Remedies Series – Cataracts
Home Remedies Series – Celiac Disease
Home Remedies Series – Colitis
Home Remedies Series – Conjunctivitis
Home Remedies Series – Cough
Home Remedies Series – Cracked Heels
Home Remedies Series – Dandruff
Home Remedies Series – Dark Circles
Home Remedies Series – Depression
Home Remedies Series – Diarrhea
Home Remedies Series – Dizziness
Home Remedies Series – Dry Skin
Home Remedies Series – Edema
Home Remedies Series – Hair
Home Remedies Series – Heat Stroke
Home Remedies Series – Insomnia
Home Remedies Series – Intestinal Worms
Home Remedies Series – Kidney Stones
Home Remedies Series – Laryngitis
Home Remedies Series – Leg Cramps
Home Remedies Series – Mononucleosis
Home Remedies Series – Obesity
Home Remedies Series – Pyorrhoea
Home Remedies Series – Razor Burns
Home Remedies Series – Varicose Veins
Home Remedies Series – Vertigo
Honey Sends Virility-Seeking Men to the ER
Hormone Replacement Therapy Beneficial for Postmenopausal Women
How Addictive Drugs Influence Learning and Memory
How Birds and Mammals Evolved to Have 4-Chambered Hearts
How Color Plays Musical Chairs in the Brain
How Do Sensory Signals Make Themselves Heard?
How Infant Pain Has Repercussions in Adulthood
How Long Can I Keep Food Before It Becomes Bad?
How Marijuana Inhibits Brain Cancer
How Proximity to Convenience Stores Promotes Child Obesity
How Salmonella can be Used To Kill Tumors
How Silver is Used in Wellness
How Some People Maintain Weight Loss, Others Don’t
How the Brain Encodes Memories at a Cellular Level
How to Eliminate and Prevent Cancer
How to Get Your Medical Insurer to Cover Alternative Medicine Treatments, If you are Not USTM Patient
How to Make Antibiotics More Effective at Lower Doses
How To Relieve Pain Without Medicine
How We Navigate Through Undesired Objects to Reach What We Want
Humidity, Rain Linked to Kids Headaches
Imaging Techniques Can Identify Plaques Likely to Cause Heart Attacks
Implants Don’t Increase Women’s Breast Cancer Risk
India Suggests Therapeutic Cloning
India, Nigeria, Congo Account for 40 percent Child Deaths
Individual Reactions to Traumatic Stress
Indoor Plants Can Reduce Toxic Ozone Levels
Innovative, Low-Cost Medical and Diagnostic Tests
Intelligence In Young Children Is Not Influenced By Omega 3 Fatty Acids
Introducing – Aloe Vera
Introducing – Alpha Lipoic Acid
Introducing – Artichoke
Introducing – Bee Propolis
Introducing – Beta-Carotene
Introducing – Bilberry
Introducing – Black Walnut
Introducing – Cinnamon
Introducing – CoQ10
Introducing – Devil’s claw
Introducing – DHEA
Introducing – Ephedra
Introducing – Garlic
Introducing – Ginger
Introducing – Glucosamine
Introducing – Goji Berries
Introducing – Guarana
Introducing – Kava
Introducing – L-Carnitine
Introducing – Licorice Root
Introducing – Melatonin
Introducing – Milk Thistle
Introducing – Milk Thistle
Introducing – MSM
Introducing – Multivitamins
Introducing – Omega-6 Fatty Acids
Introducing – Passion Flower
Introducing – Policosanol – The Natural Statin
Introducing – Saw Palmetto
Introducing – Spirulina
Introducing – St. John’s Wort
Introducing – Tea Tree Oil
Introducing – Tribulus
Introducing –
Introducing – Velvet Bean: Herbal Alternative for
Introducing – Vitamin B3 (Niacin)
Introducing – Vitamin C
Introducing – Vitamin C
Introducing – Vitamin E
Introducing – Vitamin K
Introducing – White Willow Bark
Introducing – Wild Yams
Introducing – Yohimbe
Introducing – Zinc
Introducting CAM – Complementary and Alternative Medicine
Iodine Must for Developing Kids’ Intellect
Iron Accumulation in a Cell Can Cause Disease
Is Marijuana a Medicine?
Is Weight Loss Surgery A Good Option?
It’s Not a Tumor, It’s a Brain Worm
Jet Lag Cure A Step Closer
Joint and Bone Health are Connected
Juggle Your Way To a Sharper Brain
Keep the Body Alkaline for Optimum Health
Key Mechanism in Development of Nerve Cells Found
Key Protein Behind Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension Identified
Kids With Small Head Size at Risk of Neurologic Problems
Know the Difference between Cold and Swine Flu Symptoms
Kuwait Government Approves New Alternative Medicine Hospital
Lack of Sunshine Vitamin Linked to High BP in Women
Laptop Save Student From Dropping Dead
Large Thighs May Protect Heart
L-Arginine is wonderful for Blood Pressure, Erectile Dysfunction, Wound Healing
Laser-Processes May Help Create Better Artificial Joints, Arterial Stents
Lesser Known Chinese Herbal Remedies
Light, Photosynthesis Harmful to Fresh Produce
Linking Breast Cancer Patients With Alternative Therapies
Linking To US-Tele-Medicine Blog and Twitter
Liquid Vitamins Or Chewable Vitamins, Which Is Best
Living Proof – A Man’s Unusual Prescription for Bone Cancer
Long Lasting Weight Loss
Long Working Hours Make Parents Compromise on Food Choices
Loss of Loved One make Grievers Vulnerable to Heart Attacks
Low Incomes Leads to Higher Mortality Rate In Prostate Cancer Patients
Low Vitamin C Levels Related to Vascular Disease
Lower Fat Hormone Levels Turn Blood Infection Deadly
LSD and Cannabis Less Harmful than Alcohol, says UK Drug Expert
Lupus News
Lychee Fruit for Metabolic Syndrome
Malaria Parasite Infects Gorillas, Not Just Humans
Male and Female Chromosomes do Communicate with Each Other
Males Experience Loss of Libido During Hepatitis-C Therapy
Man ‘Allergic’ to His Wife
Managing Blood Sugar Emerges as a Top Concern
Marijuana Rivals Mainstream Drugs For Alleviating HIV/AIDS Symptoms
Mayo Clinic Introduces Two Consumer Mobile Applications
MDs Could Learn From African Healers
Measles Vaccine Inhaler Shows Promise
Meat Linked to Prostate Cancer
Mechanism Related to Onset of Genetic Diseases Identified
Meddling in Mosquitoes Sex Life Could Cut Malaria
Medical error is a lot more dangerous than homeopathy
Melatonin Improves Mood In Winter Depression
Memory Test Spots Pre-Dementia
Men More Vulnerable to Mental Illness,
Microwaving Hot-Dogs can Provide Protection Against Food-Borne Illness
Mid-Life Obesity Cuts Women Chances of Healthy Survival
Migraine Sufferers More Vulnerable to Hangover
Milk During Pregnancy May Lower a Baby’s Risk of Developing MS Later in Life
Mind Really Does Matter When It Comes to Health and Healing
Mobile Microscopes Illuminate the Brain
Monkey Brain ‘Hardwired’ for Simple Math
More good news about bad times: the Great Depression increased US life expectancy
More On Life Saving L-Arginine – Heart Health
More On the Great L-Arginine – Improves Blood Flow and Exercise Capacity
More People Rely On Alternative Medicine
More Women Opting to Remove Healthy Breast After Cancer Diagnosis
Most Babies Born This Century Will Live to 100
Most Deaths in Young People are Preventable: WHO study
Most Medical Students Support Complementary Therapies
Multi-Drug Resistant TB on the Rise in Australia
Muscle Imbalances May Cause Back Pain
Nano Drug Delivery Helpful in Treating Erectile Dysfunction
Nanotechnology and Resveratrol
Nasal Spray Raises
Nationwide Survey Shows Americans Oppose A Cosmetic Tax
Native American Herbal Remedies No. 1
Native American Herbal Remedies No. 2
Natural Compounds in Vegetables Make Chemotherapy More Effective
Natural Drug to Fight Cancer and AIDS Begins Trials in Cuba
Natural Hormone Replacement Therapy
Natural Hydrogel May Boost Spinal Cord
New Aircraft Air Filter System Destroy 99.9% of Bugs
New Approach to Wrinkles Could Replace Botox
New Biomarker Can Bring Rapid Relief from Major Depression
New Brain Pathway for Regulating Weight, Bone Mass Identified
New Chip Can Detect Cancer Early
New Drug Kills Cancer Like a Stealth Slayer
New Evidence for Homeopathy
New Evidence That Marijuana is Safe, Effective
New
New iPhone Apps to Study Human Body in 3-D
New Microchip-Based Device Can Put an End to Painful Biopsies
New Patsari Stove Smproves Women’s Lung Health
New Radioactive Imaging Agent may Revolutionize Skin Cancer Diagnosis
New Series of Posts Presenting Phobias
New Series of Posts Presenting Phobias
New Weight-Loss Fad Uses Tongue Patches Make Eating Painful
Nigerian Government Trains Herbal Medicine Practitioners
No Need for Pregnant Women to Fast During Labor
No Pain, No Gain Applies to Happiness too
Noisy Roads Ups High Blood Pressure Risk
Non-Invasive Way of Diagnosing Sleep Apnea
Normal Ranges for the Two Types of Cholesterol
Not All Expert Advice is the Right Advice – Medical Myths
Novel Biosensor Can Detect Typhoid Bacteria Instantly
Novel Cancer Therapy Found by TA Researchers
Novel Minimally Invasive Technique to Treat Snoring
Novel Treatment Helps Paralyzed Rats Walk Again After Spinal-Cord Injury
Novel Two-Step Chemical Process Makes Cancer Cells Glow Quickly, Safely
Now a Molecular GPS’ to Help Probe Aging and Disease Processes
Obese Kids Aged 12 Early Signs of Heart Disease
Obese Women have Less Chances of Enjoying Old Age
Obesity Spurs a Tide of Cancer in Europe
One in Five U.S. Teenagers Has High Cholesterol
On-Off Fasting Helps Obese Adults Shed Pounds
Organic Food Is The Right Choice – Financially As Well
ORPHCAM Project first to look at GP-CAM interface in rural areas
Overweight People Less Likely to Have Sex
Oxidized Form of Vitamin A May Treat Bowel Diseases
Oxygen Therapy Can Help Cluster Headaches
Paris Rooftops Gardens Hives of Activity for Beekeeping
Parkinson’s – A Novel Therapeutic Target
Patients in Vegetative State Can Learn, say Researchers
Peculiar Pageant Focuses on Surgically Enhanced Beauties
People Having Social Groups Stay Healthy
People Susceptible to Colon Cancer Cut their Risk in Half with Aspirin
Pervasive E-health services using communication technology
Phobias – 540 Common Phobias
Physically Active Boys Are Smarter
Pig bristles latest cure for eye problems
Pituitary Tumor Caused World’s Tallest Man’s Gigantism
Port Wine Birthmarks Now Easy to Remove with Laser Therapy
Presenting – Agoraphobia
Presenting – Claustrophobia
Preservation of Antibiotics
Preventing Hepatitis
Prevention In Getting H1N1 Flu
Prince of Wales Says Spiritual Care Can Help Healing Process
Prospects for Brain Regenerative Medicine
PROTECT YOURSELF TOXIC CHEMICALS IN PERSONAL CARE AND SKIN CARE PRODUCTS
Protecting Your Liver When You Have Diabetes
Protecting Your Virtual Privacy – Health Information
Protein that Repairs Alzheimer’s Brain Damage Identified
Qwest’s Connections Power Colorado Telehealth
Radon Gas the Second Leading Cause of Lung Cancer
Rap Fans At Increased Car Accident Risk
Read This Before Vaccinating Your Child
Reduce the Side Effects of Antibiotics
Regular Exercise Cuts Prostate Cancer Risk
Relieving Pediatric Respiratory Disease Symptoms By Hypnosis
Remains of World’s Oldest Human Brain Found in Armenia
Researchers Find a Way to Block Fat Consumption
Researchers Test Smart Bandage for Wireless Vitals Monitoring
Researchers tout cheap eHealth alternative
Researchers Unlock Secret Behind Acupuncture
Restless Legs Syndrome, Erectile Dysfunction may be Linked
Resynchronization Cuts Down Risk of Heart Failures
Retinal Implant Could Help Restore Part of Vision
Rhubarb Can Help Fight Cancer, Claim Scientists.
Right Dose of Omega-3 Fatty Acid May Be Identified
Santa Should Get Off His Sleigh, Give Up
Scientists Crack Brain’s Numerical Code
Scientists Create Super-Strong Collagen
Scientists Create World’s Tiniest Laser Squeezing Light
Scientists Develop Better Technique to Study Bacterial Swimming
Scientists Develop Tiny Sensor to Sniff Toxins
Scientists Developing Probiotics to Ambush Disease-Causing Gut Bacteria
Scientists Find How Relaxed Minds Remember Better
Scientists Give Evolutionary Explanation for Fertility Problems
Scientists Grow Liver Cells From Patients’ Skin Cells
Scientists Identify Another Step in Memory Formation
Scientists Identify Bacterium That Helps in Formation of Gold
Scientists Map How White Blood Cells Repair Wounds
Scientists Scratching Heads Over Mega Boobs Mystery
Scientists Show Blue Light Can Help Reset Sleep Cycle
Scientists Trying to Identify Sanjivani Herb
Scientists Uncover New Anti-TB Compounds
Scientists Uncover Vulnerable Enzyme that Can be Targeted to Kill Dangerous Pathogens
Scientists Unveil Brain Area Involved In Alert Status Control
Scientists Watch Evolution Unfold In a Bottle
Seaweed Extract Hold Promise For Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma
Secondhand Smoke Linked To Sleep Problems In Children
Secrets of Anti-Aging Adaptogenic Herbs
Sexually Satisfied Women Experience Greater Vitality
Shame Is Essential, But You Can Get Out Of It
Shockwave Therapy Shows Promise for Erectile Dysfunction
Short-Term Stress Boosts Anti-Tumor Activity
Should You Use Tramadol For Pain?
Skinny Friends with Big Appetites Bad for Weight Watching
Sleep Loss May Affect Health by Curbing Exercise
Sleep Loss may Lead to Alzheimer’s
Soccer Better Than Running for Womens Fitness
Social Isolation Speeds Up Breast Cancer Growth
Sodium bicarbonate helps to save countless lives every day
Soluble Fiber Effective in Treating Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Some Colors Offer Better Sun Protection
Soon, Booster Broccoli to Keep Diseases at Bay, Control Weight
Soon, Chip on the Shoulder to Remind Patients to Take Pills
Soon, Robo-Bees that Mimic Bees Behavior
Soon, Single Shot to Protect Against Rabies
Soybean Compounds Could Prevent Heart Disease, Cancer
Soybeans May Sub for Fish Omega-3
Space-Industry Technology May Help Treat Breast Cancer
Spectacular Treatment for Skin Cancer Developed
Statin Use Reduces Heart Attacks, Deaths After Surgery on Blood Vessels
Steroid Hormone Deficiency May be Behind Cardiovascular Disease
Still Alive and Well – Confirmed Bicarbonate Cancer Cure
STILL TRYING TO BURN OFF HOLIDAY WEIGHT?
Stressed? Dark Chocolate Might Help, Scientists say
Student Study Shows Energy Drinks Don’t Boost Performance
Study Finds Women Happier than Men, While Youth Most Distressed
Study Links Vitamin D, Race, And Cardiac Deaths
Study: Alternative medicine use on the rise in U.S.
Successful Aging – DNA and Lifestlye
Sudoku Can Make You Fat
Sunlight May Help Cancer Patients Survive
Sunshine States Really are Happiest
Superhero Comics to Help Kids Understand Diseases, Treatments
Supplement May Offer a Statin Alternative For Some
Surge In Infertility Tourism Leads to Viking Babies
Surgical Masks Offer No Protection Against a Pandemic
Sweat Lodges, Steam Rooms Aren’t for Detox
Sweeteners Make Sweet Life But Promise Cancer Instead
Swine Flu Prompts Calls for Kissing Strike in Spain
Tai Chi Relieves Osteoarthritis Knee Pain: Study
Tanning Linked to Moles in very Light-Skinned Children
Teddy Bear-Shaped Nurse Robot Developed
Teen Internet Addicts More Apt to Self Harm
Teen-Age Good at Reasoning but Lack Emotional Maturity
Teenage Hormones – Watch Out
Teens Who Smoke Marijuana But Not Tobacco Are Different From Other Teen Groups
TELE-MEDICINE SERVICE OVER SATELLITE NETWORK.
Testimonies document the medicinal properties of cannabis and its derivatives
Testosterone Spray May Help Post-Menopausal Women Fight Dementia
Tests Reveal Why Light Can Worsen Migraines
THC Normalized Impaired Psychomotor Performance and Mood
The Best Commercial Bread To Buy
The Cause and Treatment of Heart Disease
The Connection Between Acne and Gluten
The Dietary Supplements Labels Database
The Emergence of E-Patients
The Immunity Herb –
The Importance of Potassium
THE LIFE SAVING BUDWIG PROTOCOL
The Origins of Tidiness
The Pill Bottle Gets a Cell Phone, to Remind You to Take Your Medicine
The Purpose of Sneezing
The Truth About the Composition of Different Fats – Oils We Eat
The Wireless Revolution in Medical Devices
Thinking of Cryogenics? Here Are Some Sources
Too Many Chocolates- Mental Problems Linked to Acne in Teens
Too Much Liquorice During Pregnancy may Affect Child’s IQ and Behavior
Too Much of Vitamin A is Bad for Human System
Topical Cream for Erectile Dysfunction could Prove Safer
Touching Toes May Indicate Heart Risk
Traumatic Childhood Might Take Years Off Adult Life
Treating Multiple Sclerosis with Diet
Trouble Thinking? Better See the Dentist
Truth About RGBH Milk Hormone – Again
Two Out of Every Three Blind in India are Women
Two-Thirds of World’s Blind are Women: Study
Types of Holistic Healing Therapies and Treatments
UAB To Study The Effects Of Olive Oil On Breast Cancer
UAE uses SMS to Raise Awareness about Swine Flu
Understanding Amino Acids and Proteins
URMC Study Links Vitamin D, Race, And Cardiac Deaths
US House
US Tele-Medicine – Our Philosophy
US Tele-medicine Blog is Now on Twitter
US TELE-MEDICINE ENGAGES
US TELE-MEDICINE ENGAGES
US Tele-Medicine Offers FREE Refunds on Your Purchases of Alternative Remedies
US Tele-Medicine Offers NO COST Refunds on Your Purchases of Alternative Remedies
Use Exercise To Reduce Cellulite
Using Glutathione Therapy For
Using Herbs To Detoxify Your Body
Viagra Compounds Found to Shrink Abnormally Large Hearts
Virtual Medical Visits
Virtual Reality Tele-Rehab Improves Hand Function
Vitamin B 6 for Metabolism of Proteins, Fats and Carbohydrates
Vitamin B6 Tied to Better Prostate Cancer Survival
Vitamin C can Help Protect DNA Damage of Skin Cells
Vitamin D Helps Improve Survival From Bowel And Skin Cancer
Vitamin D may save your life from swine flu
Vitamin Supplements Lowers Risk of Heart Disease
Vitamin-Like Substance Could Slow Down
Vitamins and Minerals for Healthy Blemish-Free Skin
Walking Regularly Taking Supplement Can Significantly Ease Pain of Arthritis
Want To Boost Your Confidence – Sit Straight!
War Talks Can Boost Older Adults’ Mental Health
Warning Pictures on Cigarettes
Ways To Improve Your Brain Health and Fitness
Weight Loss Supplements Are Misleading
Well-Being: Hawaii Tops Utah for Nation’s Best
What about Cholesterol?
What Are Nutraceuticals?
What Are Probiotics?
What Are the Adrenal Glands?
What Are the Advantages of Alternative Cures
What are the Types of Anxiety Disorders?
What Does Anti-Aging Mean?
What Emotions Do
What Holistic Healing Means
What is Anorexia? What is Bulimia?
What is Asthma?
What is Bipolar I Disorder?
What is Blood Pressure?
What is Lupus?
What is Neurogenesis?
What is Shamanic Smudging?
What is Tele-Medicine?
What Makes Human Muscle Age
What Men Should Know About Low Testesterone
What Types of Eggs Are Best For You and How to Eat Them
What You Need to Know to Save on Out-of-Pocket Health Care Costs
Which Diet Makes You Happy?
Whisky Hangover Worse Than Vodka, Study suggests
White Wine,
White Wines ‘Bad for the Teeth’
WHO head backs role of traditional medicine Two Years Ago – So what happened?
WHO Maps World’s Deadliest Roads
Whole Grains May Help Blood Pressure
Why Frequent Blinking is Essential for Healthy Eyes and Optimal Vision
Why Have a Healthy Breakfast?
Why Some Women Suffer Breast Cancer Relapses
Why Use Bioidentical Hormones
Why We Can Remember 7 Digits In the Brain
WORLD WIDE MEDICAL CANNABIS NEWS
World’s Oldest Surviving “Medicine” System Gets Government’s OK
Yoga Reduces Cytokine Levels Known To Promote Inflammation
Yolks May Reduce Risk of Age-Related Macular Degeneration
Young Adults Likely to Outgrow Bipolar Disorder in Later Life
Young Patients With Chronic Illnesses Find Relief In Acupuncture
Your Skin Needs Vitamins
Your Weird Body Ex
Scientists Scratching Heads Over Mega Boobs Mystery
Sunday, March 28th, 2010LONDON – Scientists in the UK are trying to figure out why women’s breasts are getting bigger.
While some scientists blame expanding waistlines for the increase in bust sizeS, others say pollution from pesticides is causing the ‘outburst’.
But others feel there’s an as yet uncovered real reason as to why boobs are growing, reports The Daily Star.
A scientific source said: “It’s the big question and it’s got a lot of people baffled.”
In the recent years, the demand for super-size bras has been rocketing in the UK.
Some experts reckon the reason for the chest expansion is an increase in man-made chemicals in the environment.
Agricultural pesticides and plastics are known to upset hormonal development if they get into the food chain.
“It’s what causes the stimulation in breast tissue, so if we’ve got extra estrogen coming in from the environment that’s going to have an effect on breast size.
“It might be a better way of getting bigger boobs than a breast implant but there is a trade-off.
“It shows that breasts are being stimulated but that’s not good if cells start to mutate.
“It will get worse if something’s not done about it. Breasts, in theory, could get even bigger.”
“We looked at 300 British women over four years and found an increase in the size of the average bosom, not just in women who are fat.”
Gene Research Reveals Fourth Human Species
Wednesday, March 24th, 2010LEIPZIG – fourth type of hominid, besides Neanderthals, modern humans and the tiny “hobbit”, was living as recently as 40,000 years ago, according to research published in the journal Nature.
The discovery by
It further enriches the scientific picture of human life in the recent geological past. “Forty thousand years ago the planet was more crowded than we thought,” said
Until recently scientists believed there were just two members of the genus Homo alive at the time: Neanderthals whose ancestors left Africa 400,000 years ago, and modern humans, who left about 50,000 years ago. The picture changed in 2003 when archaeologists found remains of a third species, the tiny “hobbit”, which had survived on the Indonesian island of Flores until 14,000 years ago.
The identification of a fourth species is potentially more significant because it was not an isolated population but lived in the centre of the Eurasian continent, where Neanderthals and Homo Sapiens were also present.
The Leipzig team extracted DNA from a child’s finger bone, which Russian archaeologists discovered with other hominid bone fragments in Denisova Cave, a well known Neanderthal site in Russia’s Altai Mountains.
The site’s exceptional cold helped preserve enough DNA to be read with the latest gene sequencing technology.
The scientists first decoded the “mitochondrial” DNA. It was human but, to their astonishment, very different from Homo Sapiens and Neanderthals.
The differences imply that the ancestors of the still unnamed Siberian hominid diverged from the human family tree about 1m years ago, well before the split between Neanderthals and modern hominids about 500,000 years ago. The results also suggest a previously unsuspected migration out of Africa about 1m years ago, said
He expects within months to decode the hominid’s “nuclear” DNA. That will be compared with the modern human and Neanderthal genomes.
Until more of the new hominid’s DNA has been analysed – or larger pieces of bone discovered – it will not be possible to say much about its physical or cultural characteristics, or how it interacted with other human species.
But one thing is clear: it must have clothed itself in thick furs to withstand the Siberian winter, said Prof Pääbo: “It would have been a bit colder 40,000 years ago than today, and it was -40°C when we went there this January.”
Gene Transfer Can Help Ailing Heart Heal Itself
Thursday, March 18th, 2010The breakthrough also offers a tantalizing glimpse of a day when “closed heart surgery” via gene therapy is as commonly prescribed as today’s cocktail of drugs.
Five million people in the US have heart failure, about 550,000 new cases are diagnosed each year, and more than 287,000 people die each year of heart failure, according to the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
The most common causes of heart failure are coronary artery disease, hypertension or high blood pressure, and diabetes.
Heart failure is a condition where the heart cannot pump enough blood and oxygen to meet the needs of other body organs.
“We hope that our study will lead some day to the development of new genetic-based therapies for heart failure patients,” said
Herron and colleagues treated heart muscle cells from the failing hearts of rabbits and humans with a virus modified to carry a gene which produces a protein that enables heart cells to contract normally.
“Helping hearts heal themselves, rather than prescribing yet another drug to sustain a failing organ, would be a major advance for doctors and patients alike,” said
Viagra Compounds Found to Shrink Abnormally Large Hearts
Thursday, March 18th, 2010ROCHESTER - Compounds related to Viagra, already in clinical trials to prevent heart failure, may also counter the disease in a different way, says a new study.
The results hold promise for the design of a new drug class and for its potential use in combination with Viagra or beta blockers.
In heart failure, which affects about 5.7 million Americans, the heart gradually loses the ability to pump with enough force to supply the body with blood.
One reason for lost pumping strength is the mass death of heart muscle cells seen in many heart attacks. Fewer remaining muscle cells must then push around the same amount of blood, and hard working muscles grow.
Unlike the healthy bulging of an athlete’s bicep, abnormal muscle growth (pathogenic hypertrophy) in diseased hearts thickens chamber walls, slows the heartbeat and causes potentially fatal arrhythmias (erratic beats) and heart failure as well.
Recent efforts to reverse hypertrophy included a clinical trial, sponsored by Viagra manufacturer Pfizer, and the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), where they looked at whether Viagra (sildenafil) can treat moderate heart failure and reduce hypertrophy.
Along with increasing blood flow in arteries, Viagra interferes with phosphodiesterases (PDEs), the enzymes that break down the messenger molecule called cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP), which would otherwise restrain heart muscle cell growth.
“Our results suggest that a PDE1a inhibitor alone can shut down abnormal cardiac growth, and when combined with Viagra or beta blockers, may do so in more than one way,” said
Yan’s lab is focused on revealing the role of various PDE enzymes in atherosclerosis and hypertension as well as in heart failure.
How Birds and Mammals Evolved to Have 4-Chambered Hearts
Thursday, March 18th, 2010DETROIT – Scientists have discovered the first genetic link that can explain how the heart evolved from being a three-chambered to four-chambered organ.
The discovery has shed light on how cold-blooded birds and mammals became warm-blooded.
Frogs have a three-chambered heart consisting of two atria and one ventricle, which sends a concoction of blood that is not fully oxygenated to the rest of the frog’s body.
On the other hand, turtles’ hearts have three chambers, but the single ventricle starts developing a wall, or septum, which makes the heart send blood that is slightly richer in Oxygen than the frog’s.
However, birds and mammals have a fully septated ventricle-a bona fide four-chambered heart, which ensures the separation of low-pressure circulation to the lungs, and high-pressure pumping into the rest of the body.
As warm-blooded animals, we use a lot of energy and therefore need a great supply of oxygen for our activities. The four-chambered heart gives us an evolutionary advantage- we’re able to roam, hunt and hide even in the cold of night, or the chill of winter.
But many humans suffer from congenital heart disease, a very common birth defect, which is usually caused by VSD, or ventricular septum defects-a condition that is frequently correctable with surgery
He teamed up with scientists at Michigan State University to examine a wide evolutionary spectrum of animals and found that in the cold-blooded, Tbx5 is expressed uniformly throughout the forming heart’s wall.
On the other hand, warm-blooded embryos showed the protein very clearly restricted to the left side of the ventricle, which allowed for the separation between right and left ventricle.
Interestingly, in the turtle, the molecular signature was found to be transitional as well.
A higher concentration of Tbx5 is found on the left side of the heart, gradually dissipating towards the right.
“The great thing about looking backwards like we’ve done with reptilian evolution is that it gives us a really good handle on how we can now look forward and try to understand how a protein like Tbx5 is involved in forming the heart and how in the case of congenital heart disease its function is impaired,” concluded Bruneau.
Novel Biosensor Can Detect Typhoid Bacteria Instantly
Thursday, March 18th, 2010TARRAGONA – Scientists from Rovira i Virgili University (URV) in Tarragona have come up with a novel biosensor that can instantly detect Salmonella typhi, the bacteria that causes typhoid fever.
The technique uses carbon nanotubes and synthetic DNA fragments that activate an electric signal when they link up with the pathogen.
“We have developed a new biosensor that can detect extremely low concentrations of bacteria immediately, easily and reliably”, F. Xavier Rius, lead author of the study and a professor in the Chemometrics, Qualimetrics and Nanosensors research group in the Analytical Chemistry and Organic Chemistry Department of the URV, told SINC.
The new biosensor functions using a method, which involves carbon nanotubes with inbuilt aptamers providing electrochemical readings.
According to the researchers, the aptamers are small fragments of artificial DNA or RNA designed to attach themselves specifically to a particular molecule, cell or micro organism, in this case Salmonella.
If the bacteria are not present, the aptamers remain on the walls of the carbon nanotubes.
However, if they detect bacteria, they become activated and stick to it, and the carbon nanotubes generate an electric signal that is picked up by a simple potentiometer connected to the biosensor.
“The presence of the bacteria sparks a change in the interaction between the aptamers and the nanotubes, which takes place in a few seconds and creates an increase in the voltage of the electrode”, said Ruis, who led the research along with researcher
“This technique means small quantities of micro organisms can be detected simply and practically in real time, just the same as measuring the pH of water”, Ruis added.
The study appears in the scientific journal Angewandte Chemie International Edition
Bacteria With Tiny Projections Can Make Efficient Fuel Cells
Thursday, March 18th, 2010BOSTON – A team of scientists has isolated bacteria with large numbers of tiny projections called pili, which were more efficient at transferring electrons to generate power in fuel cells than bacteria with a smooth surface.
The team was led by
The researchers isolated a strain of Geobacter sulfurreducens, which they called KN400 that grew prolifically on the graphite anodes of fuel cells.
The bacteria formed a thick biofilm on the anode surface, which conducted electricity.
The researchers found large quantities of pilin, a protein that makes the tiny fibres that conduct electricity through the sticky biofilm.
“The filaments form microscopic projections called pili that act as microbial nanowires,” said
“Using this bacterial strain in a fuel cell to generate electricity would greatly increase the cell’s power output,” he added.
The pili on the bacteria’s surface seemed to be primarily for electrical conduction rather than to help them to attach to the anode. Mutant forms without pili were still able to stay attached.
Microbial fuel cells can be used in monitoring devices in environments where it is difficult to replace batteries if they fail, but to be successful, they need to have an efficient and long-lasting source of power.
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Complimentary and Alternative Medicine Glossary
Friday, March 12th, 2010Complimentary and alternative medicine is a broad group of healthcare and medical practices, systems, products and services not generally considered to be a part of conventional medicine. This glossary of complimentary and alternative medicine terms will assist you in learning more non-traditional medicine.
Understanding complimentary and alternative medicine is important given the nation’s move toward consumer directed health care. Without knowledge of complimentary and alternative medicine terms consumers will not be able to effectively manage their own healthcare. This is especially true since most complimentary and alternative medicine treatments are considerably less expensive than conventional medicine.
To use the Complimentary and Alternative Medicine Glossary of term simply click the first letter of the word for which you would like to find information:
A
Aboriginal healing
Each culture among the First Nations has a unique healing tradition. Physical and spiritual cleansing are common aspects of many of these practices, as is the use of medicinal herbs. Most Aboriginal healing traditions are holistic processes that include spiritual, physical, mental and emotional healing. Healing ceremonies combining these elements are designed to meet the individual’s needs. They may involve the use of herbs together with chanting, singing, dancing and vision quests. Connections with the community and with the natural and spiritual worlds are integral parts of the healing process.
Acupressure
Acupressure is a form of Chinese massage that is often described as “acupuncture without the needles”. Both practices involve working with the body’s vital energy or qi, in order to release blockages and stimulate the balanced energy flow necessary for good health. Acupressure involves applying firm finger pressure for several minutes to specific spots, called acupoints, on the surface of the body. Acupressure is used to relieve stress, muscle tension and pain. It is thought to improve blood and energy flow, which promotes healing and the elimination of wastes.
Acupuncture
Acupuncture is a therapeutic technique that originated in China more than five thousand years ago. It is based on the idea that vital energy, or qi, must flow in the correct strength and quality throughout the body in order to maintain health. Illness and disease are related to blockages and stagnation of qi.
To stimulate or balance the flow of energy in a patient’s body, an acupuncturist inserts special, very thin needles just under the skin at specific spots called acupoints. Often the patient does not even feel these needles and they typically do not draw blood.
Depending on the patient’s symptoms and how they respond during the session, the needles may simply be left in place for a few minutes or more stimulation may be applied. This stimulation may include the application of gentle pressure, mild heat or a small amount of electricity to the needle.
Adverse Drug Reaction
An unintended, toxic or unpleasant effect caused by treatment with a drug or a natural health product. Adverse reactions may range from mild effects such as headache or drowsiness, to more severe effects such as neuropathy, a nerve disease that can produce numbness or weakness and even death.
Alexander technique
Alexander technique is a body-based technique that focuses on proper posture, movement and breathing. Facilitated by an instructor, Alexander students are taught to recognize and change habits that interfere with their body’s functioning.
Developed by Australian actor Frederick Alexander, the technique uses physical and verbal cues to help the student to consciously focus on their posture and relearn the natural alignments of the body’s parts both at rest and during movement. Students are taught to visualize and feel the correct postures and practice them in simple, efficient physical movements. Alexander technique is used to improve balance, posture and coordination and to relieve back pain, arthritis, rheumatism and gastrointestinal and breathing problems.
Amino acids
Amino acids are nitrogen-containing organic molecules that are naturally found in plants and animals. In the human body, 20 different amino acids are used to make proteins.
Antioxidants
Antioxidants are substances that prevent changes in other molecules caused by oxidation. They protect cells and prevent tissue damage by soaking up or quenching free radicals. Antioxidants are thought to be particularly important in preventing the oxidation of substances (lipids) that make up cell membranes. Some common antioxidants are vitamins C and E, and the minerals zinc and selenium.
Aromatherapy
Aromatherapy involves the inhalation or topical application of aromatic plant oils to help healing and enhance well-being. It is thought that these scents influence the primitive part of the brain called the limbic system. The limbic system associates odors with past experiences and feelings. Aromatherapy is used to affect moods and relieve stress, headache, digestive upsets and minor aches and pains. Some oils also have anti-microbial and anti-inflammatory properties and may be absorbed through the skin. r
Note: Most essential oils should be diluted with a carrier oil (such as almond oil) before use – direct application of pure essential oils may cause serious adverse effects. Essential oils should not be taken internally unless advised by a trained health practitioner — many oils are very toxic when ingested.
Art therapy
Art therapy uses art or creative self-expression for therapeutic purposes. It employs simple art materials, drawing and painting as a means to restore, maintain, or improve an individual’s physical and mental health. Assessment and treatment is based on established human developmental and psychological theories. Art Therapists look at the images a client creates, and at the client’s responses to their own creations, and interpret them as reflections of an individual’s development, abilities, personality, interests, concerns and conflicts. Art therapy is used to help resolve emotional conflicts, promote self-awareness, improve social skills, treat behavioral problems, solve problems, reduce stress and increase self-esteem.
Ayurveda (Aryuvedic medicine)
A holistic healing system developed over the past 5,000 years in India, Ayurveda means “science of life.” In Aryuvedic medicine, health is defined as harmony and balance between the body, mind, and spirit. Illness and disease are thought to occur when these factors are out of balance. The therapies and treatments used in Ayurveda depend on the nature of the imbalance in the patient, and their “dosha” or doshic profile – physical traits, emotional temperament, food preferences and mental attributes that suggest a particular set of tendencies, both in health and illness. Treatments may also vary according to the season. Aryuvedic therapies include herbal medicines, changes in the diet, massage, meditation, breathing exercises (pranayama) and/or yoga.
B
Bioenergy
Similar to the concepts of qi, prana, and vital energy, bioenergy is the term used to describe the aura or subtle energy field in and around the human body. Bioenergy approaches such as magnetic therapy are used to restore, balance and enhance the human energy field.
Biofeedback
Biofeedback is a mind-body therapy that teaches a person how to control their body’s vital functions. Sensors placed on the body are used to monitor functions such as heart rate, blood pressure, skin temperature, and muscle or nerve activity. The patient is made aware of this information by sight (visual) signals, sound (auditory) signals, or body-muscle signals. The patient learns to control body functions they want to change by visualizing or imagining changes in the sensor signals. Biofeedback is commonly used as a complementary therapy for high blood pressure, headache and migraine, chronic pain, stress and asthma. In some cases, relaxation exercises are used along with this treatment.
Body therapies (Bodywork)
The term “body therapies” has traditionally been used to describe practices that involve physical treatments, or manipulations of the body, skeletal system, nerves or muscles. Body therapies are “hands-on” approaches — such as massage that are used to improve the structure and functioning of the human body. Some people include indirect manipulations such as drugs and natural health products in a larger definition of body therapies.
C
Chelation therapy
Chelation therapy involves a series of injections of a chelating agent — usually the synthetic amino acid EDTA or ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid. An accepted treatment for some types of heavy metal poisoning, Chelation is also claimed to detoxify, or cleanse the body. It has been used to treat cancer and arteriosclerosis (hardening of the arteries). Treating these diseases with chelation is very controversial, because there is little good quality evidence supporting the safety and efficacy of chelation for these purposes.
The name “chelation” comes from the Greek chele, which means claw. This refers to what happens within the body in the process of chelation. The chelating agent (EDTA) grabs, or binds onto a metal ion to form a stable compound. Vitamins, minerals and other supplements are often given along with the chelating agent.
Chinese herbal medicine
Chinese herbal medicine is based on concepts of yin and yang and of qi energy. It is the most common form of treatment used in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). The properties of the herbs are described in terms of their taste, and qualities, such as “cooling” (yin) or “stimulating” (yang). They are used to treat or balance patients who have too much, or too little of these qualities.
In Chinese herbal medicine, preparations containing only one herb are very rarely used. Most often, a patient receives a prescription for an herbal formula containing many different herbs. The practitioner determines which formula to prescribe according to diagnostic ideas and methods used in TCM. The formula is selected and customized to suit the patient’s traits and symptoms – not according to what ailment or disease they have. This means that the same formula would not always be given to treat a particular condition.
Chinese medicine
The theories and diagnostic techniques of TCM are quite different from those of conventional medicine. The proper balance and flow of vital energy or qi is the main focus of this 5,000 year old healing system. Ideally, TCM is a preventive practice. The role of the practitioner is to help the patient maintain optimal health.
In TCM, diagnoses are based on the patient’s pulse, an examination of their tongue, and other physical, mental and spiritual characteristics. The diagnoses are described in terms of disturbances, blockages, or imbalances in the energy flow and the organ systems that are affected. Several therapeutic modalities and healing practices are used to help restore and maintain the balanced flow of energy. In addition to the primary approaches of herbal medicine and acupuncture, practitioners may also use massage (tui na), changes in the diet, exercise, qi gong and meditation.
Chiropractic
The main focus of chiropractic is the relationship between the skeleton (particularly the spine) and the nervous system. In chiropractic theory, misalignments of the vertebrae caused by poor posture or trauma are thought to lead to decreased function, pain and illness. Chiropractic diagnosis is primarily based on physical examination and x-ray. In treatment, the chiropractor usually uses his or her hands to adjust or manipulate the spine, and bring it back into alignment. Chiropractic is commonly used to treat back pain, headaches, and injuries, and is also used as a preventive therapy.
Chiropractor
A chiropractor is a practitioner who corrects the misalignments of the spine by physically adjusting, or manipulating the body. Depending upon the provincial regulations, some chiropractors may use only their hands to make adjustments while others may also use devices to facilitate the process.
Color therapy
Color therapy, or color healing, is the use of various forms of color and light to promote physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being. Highly specialized equipment is used to project different colors to rebalance the body and encourage healing. The color is beamed onto the parts of the body corresponding to the problem for a specific period of time.
Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM)
“Complementary and alternative medicine” (CAM) is often used as a catch-all phrase to refer to a wide range of unrelated healing practices. Although many people understand what is meant by “complementary and alternative medicine” or CAM, it is hard to define this term because there is no real agreement about which practices should or should not be included.
Many therapies that used to be considered CAM practices are becoming more accepted in the conventional medical community. This is because scientific evidence (research) is showing some CAM therapies work, and are safe. Many mainstream practitioners are also using more holistic approaches, and putting more emphasis on prevention and health promotion.
For this reason, it is easier to define CAM by stating what it is not – CAM includes any therapy that is not generally accepted or used in mainstream medicine.
There are a number of different ways to describe and categorize CAM practices. In the simplest model, four general types or modalities of CAM practices are recognized:
- body therapies – approaches that involve direct physical contact with the patient’s body
- mind-body therapies – practices such as hypnosis and visualization that use the power of the mind to make positive changes in the body
- body-energy therapies – techniques for manipulating the body’s energy field to positively affect health
- body-spirit therapies – prayer, faith healing and shamanism are examples of techniques used to affect both body and soul with the goal of healing
Many CAM health systems, such as traditional Chinese medicine and Ayurveda, use several of these modalities.
Complementary medicine
The term complementary medicine is used to describe therapies that are used alongside or in addition to mainstream medical treatments, therapies that are used in addition to or as a complement to conventional techniques. Complementary therapies are often used to improve well-being and quality of life.
Complementary and alternative (health) practitioner
This term describes a person who provides or practices a non-conventional therapy or CAM technique such as acupuncture, herbology or naturopathic medicine.
Complementary and Alternative Healthcare (CAHC)
Most complementary and alternative health practices are intended to help maintain health and prevent illness, rather than to treat disease. Since the word medicine generally means the treatment of illness or disease, the term “Complementary and alternative healthcare” has been proposed as a better way of describing these practices. As with the term CAM, Complimentary and Alternative Healthcare refers to healthcare practices and therapies that are not part of conventional medicine.
Craniosacral (cranial sacral) therapy
Craniosacral therapy is a body therapy for relieving pain and loss of function due to restrictions in the craniosacral system. The craniosacral system includes the:
- brain
- spinal cord
- skull bones
- sacrum (base of the spine) and
- fluid and membranes around these structures.
Practitioners use their hands to apply gentle pressure and make adjustments, primarily to the skull bones. The goal of the treatment is to restore the proper alignment and balance of the craniosacral system, and what is described as the rhythmic movement of the fluid that bathes the brain and spine (cerebrospinal fluid). Craniosacral therapy is used to treat chronic pain, migraine headaches, and many other conditions.
D
Dance therapy (Movement therapy)
In dance therapy, the patient expresses and explores thoughts and feelings through movement rather than words. Dance therapy helps people become more aware of their feelings and the relationship between the mind and the body. For many people, it also provides a way to express deeply felt and complicated emotions, and a way to work through confused feelings. In addition to providing a physical outlet, dance therapy can help build self-esteem and self-confidence, and increase self-awareness. It is used to support other forms of therapy.
E
Environmental medicine
Environmental medicine focuses on the relationship between health and factors such as diet, lifestyle, chemicals, stress, water and air quality, and other environmental factors. Practitioners of environmental medicine are doctors.
Practitioners take a complete history from the patient about their nutrition and environment, and also do a physical examination. They pay special attention to possible causes of allergies, such as yeast, moulds, fungus, parasites and pollen as well as chemicals in the patient’s environment, dental work and family illnesses.
Treatments may include:
- avoiding particular substances or environments
- changes in the diet
- nutritional support with supplements, herbal medicines and other natural health products, and
- detoxification support (helping the body “clean” itself, inside and out) with manual therapies, aromatherapy, relaxation and meditation and other approaches.
Enzymes and co-factors
An enzyme is an organic substance (most often a protein) that catalyzes (increases the rate) at which a chemical reaction takes place. There are hundreds of different enzymes. Enzymes are involved in many types of bodily functions including converting and storing energy, and building and breaking down various substances. Most enzymes only catalyze a single reaction or a few very similar types of reactions. Most commercial enzyme products are different types of digestive enzymes from plants and animals.
Co-enzymes or co-factors are substances that play an essential helper role in chemical reactions. Each co-factor has a specific role — for example, acting as a carrier molecule, providing energy or lending an electron to a reaction. There are many different co-factors found in the body. Many of these substances are made from vitamins and/or minerals.
Enzyme therapy
This therapy uses enzymes that come from plants and animals to improve body functions. Enzyme therapy is intended to help strengthen the digestive system, with the goal of enhancing overall health. It is used to relieve problems with digestion, and improve the absorption of nutrients. People who believe in enzyme therapy claim that better digestion may also improve many other acute and chronic conditions.
F
Flower essences
Flower essences are specially prepared extracts of plants and flowers. Each plant species used is thought to have a different type of healing property. Similar to the preparation of homeopathies, the flowers are extracted in an alcohol solution that is shaken and diluted several times.
Flower essences are used to change a person’s emotional state, with the goal of improving both physical and mental well-being. A few drops of the flower essence are taken under the tongue to restore harmony and balance. The flower essences are thought to help relieve the basic causes of stress.
Bach flower remedies are the best-known flower remedies. The Bach flower remedies include 38 different essences. Each of these essences is supposed to correspond with a particular state of mind.
Free radicals (Reactive oxygen species)
Free radicals are highly reactive atoms that have at least one unpaired electron. They bind with the electrons of other chemicals, often setting off a chain reaction of molecules losing and gaining electrons. Their “stealing” of electrons can disrupt important processes and cause damage to cells. Cell damage caused by free radicals is called oxidative stress. Free radicals are normal by-products of the metabolism that are usually mopped up or “quenched” by antioxidants such as vitamin C. The formation of free radicals may also be promoted by radiation and some toxins.
G
Gerson therapy
Gerson therapy involves a special diet originally developed by Dr. Max Gerson to treat cancer. Gerson believed that cancer occurs when the liver, pancreas, thyroid and immune system are not balanced and functioning at their best. This therapy focuses on flooding the body with nutrients and avoiding harmful foods. The diet consists of a strictly vegetarian low-salt diet, freshly crushed fruits (mainly apples), and vegetable (mainly carrot) juice. To cleanse the body of toxins and relieve pain, three to four coffee enemas a day are recommended. (A coffee enema involves taking strong coffee into the large intestine through the rectum. The coffee is held as long as possible before voiding. This is a very controversial treatment). Other supplements include vitamins, minerals, digestive enzymes, and thyroid extracts (glandulars).
Glandulars
Glandulars are specially prepared extracts of animal (usually cow) glands and organs that are taken by mouth. The idea behind their use is that “like heals like,” or like cells help like cells. Glandular products are made from different endocrine glands that secrete hormones into the bloodstream, including the following glands: pituitary, pineal, thyroid, parathyroid, adrenals, pancreas, prostate, testes and ovaries. Extracts of other organs such as the heart, spleen, uterus and brain may also be used in glandular therapy, even though they are not glands.
Guided imagery
Guided imagery is a technique that uses the power of the mind to encourage relaxation and healing. The instructor guides the participant by asking them to imagine or visualize a vividly described scene or feeling. Guided imagery is used to reduce stress and pain, stimulate the immune system, and promote healing.
H
Healing practice
Any therapy or system of treatment used to cure or prevent illness and improve health. This term usually refers to an individual therapy such as acupuncture or reflexology. Some people also use this term to describe a complex healing system such as traditional Chinese medicine which includes many different therapies.
Health promotion
Health promotion means more than just encouraging people to adopt a healthy lifestyle or just trying to prevent disease. The goal of health promotion is the best possible physical, mental and emotional health for all individuals and society in general.
People need the best possible health to achieve their goals and live life to its fullest. Health promotion focuses on providing educational, economic and organizational supports that will help people have more control over their health and the many factors that affect their well-being.
Herbal medicine (Herbalism, Botanical medicine, Phytomedicine or Phytotherapy)
Herbal medicine or the use of plants as therapeutic substances is believed to be the oldest form of medicine. Today, herbal medicine is still a very important part of many different health systems around the world. More than 75% of the world’s population relies on herbal medicines as their primary form of health care. Every cultural group has its own beliefs and cultural traditions involving healing with herbs. For example, herbs are used as medicines in traditional Chinese medicine, Aryuvedic medicine, Tibetan medicine and Aboriginal healing traditions. Each of these health systems is based on different theories or ideas about health and healing. The herbs that are used, and the way they are used may differ.
Herbalist
An herbalist is a practitioner who prescribes herbs to treat illnesses and to maintain health. The herbalist may also prepare the herbal remedies — some grow and harvest their own herbs as well. Herbalists are often described in terms of the region or cultural background in which they were trained, such as Western, Chinese, or Aryuvedic herbalists. These descriptions provide more information about the herbalist’s approach to healing, the species or types of plants they use as medicines and the philosophy behind their practice.
Herbs (Herbal remedies, Herbal medicines or Botanicals)
An herb is a plant or part of a plant used for medicinal purposes. For each specific type or species of herb, particular parts of the plant are used. Depending on the herb, this may be the whole plant, above ground or aerial parts, roots, flowers, fruits, bark or leaves. It may also be a substance extracted from a plant such as a resin, sap, gum or essential oil.
Herbal products that contain plant material from more than one herb species may be referred to as herbal formulas. Herbal medicines may be prepared in many different ways, for internal or external use. They may be used fresh or dried, or made into a tea, tincture, extract, oil, salve, or cream. Herbs differ from pharmaceutical drugs in that they contain many chemical compounds, not just one.
Holistic
Holistic refers to an approach that considers the “whole person” including mental, emotional, spiritual, physical, social and environmental factors. Rather than focusing on a specific disease or disorder, holistic practitioners look at all aspects of the person’s life, and try to help them achieve a healthy balance.
Homeopath
A homeopath is a practitioner who practices homeopathy. Homeopaths use a holistic approach, taking into account physical, mental, emotional, environmental and spiritual aspects of the patient in their diagnoses and treatment approaches.
Homeopathy
Homeopathy attempts to stimulate a person’s natural healing processes with minute (homeopathic) dilutions of specific remedies. Based on the patient’s physical, mental and emotional state, a remedy is chosen to match the pattern of their symptoms or the “profile” of their illness. The remedies selected would cause the same symptoms if they were given in very large doses. Most homeopathic remedies are much diluted extracts of natural substances from plants, minerals, and animals.
Homeopathy is a healing system that was founded in the 18th century by Samuel Hahnemann, a German doctor and chemist. It is based on three principles:
- that “like cures like” (Law of Similars)
- the more diluted the remedy, the stronger, or more potent it is (Law of Infinitesimal Dose), and
- illness is individual and holistic.
Homeopathic medicine (Homeopathics or Homeopathic remedy)
A homeopathic medicine contains a much diluted, non-toxic dose of a specially prepared natural substance — a substance that, at higher doses, would produce the same symptoms the patient is experiencing in a healthy person.
Homeopathics are made from plants, minerals, metals and other natural substances that are dissolved in alcoholic solutions and shaken. This solution is called the mother tincture. One drop of the mother tincture is diluted into a hundred drops of alcohol solution and then vigorously shaken or succussed. It may be diluted in the same way several more times.
Symbols such as 6X and 30X are used to indicate the number of times the mother tincture has been diluted — 6X means it has been serially diluted six times, while 30X means it has been diluted 30 times. In homeopathic practice, the more diluted the solution, the stronger it is thought to be — the exact opposite of the way we usually think about the strength of pharmaceutical drugs.
Homeopathic remedies are may be given directly as drops, or the diluted solution may be sprayed onto inert tablets, granules or powder. Remedies taken in these solid forms are held in the mouth until they dissolve — they are not to be swallowed.
Hypnosis
Hypnosis is a mind-body therapy that taps into the mind’s healing power on a subconscious level. The practitioner guides the patient through visualization, breathing and other relaxation exercises to gradually put the patient into a light trance. While the patient is in this deeply relaxed state, the hypnotist provides the patient with suggestions or cues that will help them overcome habits, mental barriers and emotional traumas.
Hypnosis may also be used to help the patient become aware of gifts and abilities they may not have known about. Hypnosis is often used to help a person change their behavior in areas such as quitting smoking, reducing drug and alcohol dependence and changing eating habits. Some people also find it helps treat stress, sleep disorders, anxiety, phobias, and depression.
L
Light therapy
In light therapy, natural and artificial light is used to restore normal circadian rhythms. Circadian rhythms are the body’s internal clock that controls sleep cycles, hormone production and other body functions. The types of light that may be used include full spectrum light, bright light, ultraviolet light and laser light. The patient spends specified periods of time in an area lit with these lights. Light therapy is used in the treatment of seasonal affective disorder (SAD), some forms of mild depression, sleeping disorders, skin problems and other problems related to disturbed circadian rhythms.
Lomi Lomi (Hawaiian massage)
Lomi Lomi is an ancient form of massage used by the native Hawaiian people. The techniques have been passed down through many generations of traditional healers as part of their religious and healing practices. It has been described as the loving touch that connects the body, heart and soul with the source of life. Practitioners use their hands, forearms and elbow to perform massage strokes and stimulate pressure points. Treatment often includes a steam bath and shower. Lomi Lomi is used to:
- release muscle tension
- improve blood and lymph circulation
- help facilitate the remove wastes, and
- aid childbirth.
M
Macrobiotics
Macrobiotics is a special lifestyle diet that was developed by George Oshawa and Mischio Kushi. The macrobiotic diet is made up of whole, natural and organic foods. A macrobiotic menu would include whole grains such as brown rice, barley and millet; a variety of vegetables, beans, and other whole foods. People following this diet avoid foods that are considered hazardous to health. This includes products containing chemical food additives, refined or processed foods, meat and dairy products. The time of day, the season and the environment are also factors that affect food choices.
Magnet therapy (Bio-magnetic or Electromagnetic therapy)
This body-energy therapy involves the application of magnets or magnetic fields to the human body to diagnose illness, and as a treatment. By enhancing the body’s natural energy fields, magnetic therapy is thought to stimulate the metabolism and increase the amount of oxygen delivered to the cells. It is used to relieve headache, stress and pain, promote healing, and slow disease processes such as cancer and infections.
Massage therapy
Massage Therapy is a general term for a number of techniques that involve manipulation of the muscles and connective tissues. Massage is used to relieve muscle tension and stress, improve flexibility and enhance the patient’s sense of well-being. There are many different types of massage, with approaches that range from the very light touches used in lymphatic drainage massage to the deep tissue manipulation involved in rolfing. Other massage techniques include Swedish massage, Aryuvedic massage, Thai massage, Lomi Lomi and Shiatsu.
Manipulation
This is a general term used to describe the movement of a body part or tissue by a practitioner. Manipulations are performed by applying manual force or passive manual movements. They include movements in which therapists use their hands to apply traction, knead, stretch, rub, vibrate or otherwise stimulate the patient’s muscles, bones, and connective tissues. Manipulation techniques are the basis of many body therapies, including massage therapy, chiropractic, and osteopathy.
Medical acupuncture (French acupuncture, Helms-style acupuncture)
The term medical acupuncture is used to describe acupuncture treatments performed by conventional doctors (M.D.s) who also have special training in acupuncture. It is also called Helms-style acupuncture because Dr. James Helms at the UCLA Medical School has been the leading advocate and teacher in this field. Medical acupuncture is used to relieve pain, stimulate the body’s natural healing and enhance the patient’s physical and emotional well-being.
Meditation
Meditation is a practice in which a person tries to still and empty their mind, by:
- focusing on breathing
- visualizing a particular image, or
- chanting a word, phrase or prayer.
This practice provides many people with a sense of inner calm, peacefulness and relaxation. There are many different types of meditation, as well as different reasons for using mediation. Some people use meditation simply as a relaxation technique to calm the mind and body, relieve stress and pain, and improve their sense of well-being. Meditation is also an important part of some personal development programs and some religious practices, where it is used to help achieve greater self-awareness, self-realization and spiritual communion.
Metabolic therapies
Metabolic therapies are most commonly used in the treatment of cancer. They are based on the idea that many different factors contribute to the development of cancer. Most of these therapies use several different treatments including cleansing the body of toxins, whole or raw food diets, herbal medicines and nutritional supplements such as vitamins, minerals and enzymes. Gerson therapy is one example of a metabolic therapy.
Mind-body therapies
There is a growing amount of scientific evidence that a person’s mood, attitudes and beliefs can have a very significant impact their health. Mind-body therapies use this powerful relationship between the mind and body. There are many different techniques that focus on various levels of consciousness, but all involve the patient actively using their mind to positively affect health. Examples of mind-body therapies include meditation, hypnosis and art therapy. Mind-body therapies are commonly used to:
- reduce pain and stress
- promote relaxation and
- stimulate the body’s innate ability to heal.
As the patient is the most important healer in the treatment process, mind-body therapies can help patients re-find their sense of control and improve their sense of well-being and ability to cope. A number of mind-body therapies are no longer considered “alternative.” They have been integrated into conventional medical practice because of strong scientific evidence supports their safety and efficacy.
Minerals
Minerals are inorganic substances that play important roles in many of the body’s biochemical processes. Minerals that are needed in relatively large amounts are called macronutrients. These include calcium, chloride, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium and sulphur. Minerals that are only needed in very small or trace amounts are called micronutrients. These include chromium, cobalt, copper, fluoride, iodide, iron, manganese, molybdenum, selenium and zinc.
Modalities
A modality is the mode, mood or manner of a therapy. This is the way a diagnosis is made or the technique with which the treatment is given. The two most common are manual therapies and mind body therapies. With manual therapies such as massage therapy, the mode or manner of the treatment is the physical manipulation or handling of the body. Mind-body therapies use the power of the patient’s mind as the means of delivering treatment.
Music therapy
Music therapy is used to help patients express their thoughts, moods and emotions. It also helps relieve stress, anxiety and pain. The patient may perform the music, or listen passively, with the goal of helping the patient communicate, overcome personal barriers or blockages, and express their feelings. Music therapy may be used to help lower blood pressure, overcome learning disabilities, or improve movement and balance. Background music, or various types of “non-intrusive” New Age music, is often used in combination with meditation, hypnosis and to guided imagery.
N
Natural health products (NHPs)
“Natural Health Products” or NHPs is used to refer to the entire spectrum of substances found in nature that may be used to maintain health, prevent illness and treat some disorders. In addition to well-known supplements such as herbs, vitamins and minerals, the NHP category also includes natural substances such as enzymes, glandulars, hormones, animal substances (such as shark cartilage, bear gallbladders and bee venom), and purified chemical compounds, amino acids, glucosamine and co-enzyme Q10. In the United States, the term “dietary supplements” is usually used to describe these products.
Naturopathic medicine (Naturopathy)
Naturopathic medicine is a comprehensive holistic health system that incorporates therapies from traditional Chinese medicine, Aryuvedic, Homeopathy, Western herbalism, as well as nutritional approaches, body therapies and other healing practices.
Naturopathy is based on six governing principles:
- First do no harm (Primum Non Nocere)
- The healing power of nature (Vis Medicatrix Naturae)
- Identify and treat the cause (Tolle Causam)
- Treat the whole person
- Doctor as teacher (Docere)
- Disease prevention and health promotion
The practitioner or naturopathic physician considers the patient’s physical symptoms, diet, lifestyle, work, and personal characteristics when determining a treatment regimen. The goal of naturopathic treatment is physical, mental, and spiritual well-being.
Naturopaths (Naturopathic physicians)
Naturopaths or naturopathic physicians are doctors who practiced Naturopathic medicine. Licensed naturopaths have successfully completed a four-year educational program that includes the conventional biomedical sciences, natural therapies and a supervised clinical practicum.
O
Osteopathy (Osteopathic medicine)
Osteopathy is based on the idea that the body’s structure is closely related to its function. With proper nutrition and a healthy environment, a body that is in correct structural alignment can fight off disease and other toxic conditions. The role of the practitioner is to help restore structural balance in order to enhance the body’s natural ability to heal.
Although the osteopath’s approach to realigning the structure of the body is similar to chiropractic, osteopaths also focus on improving the blood and lymph circulatory systems. Osteopathy is mostly used to treat musculoskeletal disorders including spinal and joint difficulties, arthritis, traumatic injuries and chronic pain. The practice of osteopathy has changed significantly over the past 100 years. In addition to manipulation and physical therapies, modern American practitioners are also trained in conventional therapies such as surgery, and may also prescribe drugs.
Oxidizing agents (ozone, hydrogen peroxide)
Ozone and hydrogen peroxide are the oxidizing agents most commonly used in oxidative therapy. It is thought that these substances supply additional oxygen to the body’s tissues. Oxidizing agents can also destroy disease-producing bacteria, viruses, and other invading microbial organisms. Oxidizing agents should not be taken internally, unless under close medical supervision – these chemicals are toxic if administered incorrectly or taken in too large a dose.
P
Placebo
A substance or mock therapy made to look like some form of experimental treatment that has no therapeutic or medicinal qualities. Placebos are given to the control group in placebo-controlled clinical trials. On average, 33% of patients receiving a placebo report they feel better after receiving a mock treatment – this is known as the placebo effect.
Placebo-controlled clinical trial
In this type of clinical trial, the participants are split into two groups. The people in the control group are given an inactive substance or placebo and the therapy under study is given to the other patient group (verum). Otherwise, the two groups are treated exactly the same, and go through the same tests and evaluations.
The use of this placebo control reduces any bias in the results that may result from the participant’s expectations. By comparing the results from the experimental group to those of the placebo group, researchers can determine how much of the therapeutic effect was actually due the therapy being studied and how much was simply due to the patient’s belief that they were receiving a medicine.
Polarity therapy
Polarity therapy is based on the idea that health is determined by the flow of energy in the human energy field. It is thought that specific parts of the body have either positive or negative charges and that these differences in polarity create the electromagnetic currents that form the body’s energy field. Therapists use their hands to redirect the patient’s energy flow but do not physically manipulate the body. Changes in the diet, exercises, breathing techniques and counseling may also be used to help free energy blockages or disturbances and rebalance the body’s energy field.
Prana
In Aryuvedic medicine, the Sanskrit word “prana”, which means life force, is used to describe the vital energy that animates life. Similar to concept of qi in traditional Chinese medicine, prana is power that connects body, mind and spirit to function as one individual. Prana is the essence associated with air and breath. Although prana does not mean air in the physical sense, oxygen is a vehicle through which prana is “seen” in material form. The breathing techniques and exercises practiced in yoga are designed to help focus and enhance this vital life force.
Q
Qi (Chi or Ki)
The practice of traditional Chinese medicine is founded upon the concept of qi or vital energy. Qi is the energy and potential energy that flows throughout and around the body, animating us and connecting us to all aspects of the world around us. It is manifested as the energy that animates life forms and as potential energy in the physical world, in the earth, water and air. The proper balanced flow of individual qi is essential for optimum health. Disruptions, imbalances or blockages in the flow of qi result in illness. For example, physical pain often results from qi stagnation (qi that is “stuck” or not circulating).
In the human being, qi circulates through 12 main meridians or energy pathways. Each meridian is associated with specific organs and body functions. There are over 1,000 nodes or acupoints along these meridians that focus or amplify the energy. The energy flow can be most effectively manipulated at these acupoints. The flow of qi can be detected and measured as electric currents that flow along the meridians. Qi is perceived as a physical entity that can be measured using electronic devices and influenced using herbs and techniques such as qi gong and acupuncture.
Qi gong (Chi-kung or Energy medicine)
Qi gong is the ancient practice of meditative exercise used in traditional Chinese medicine. Qi gong combines slow, circular and symmetrical movements with meditation and breathing exercises. The practice of qi gong stimulates and balances the flow of qi, or vital energy. It is used to promote inner strength, calm the mind, reduce stress, and restore the body to its natural state of health.
R
Randomized controlled trial (RCT)
In a randomized clinical trial, participants are randomly assigned to one of the treatment groups, either the experimental treatment group(s) or a control group (placebo or positive control). A lottery, performed by hand or by a computer, is used to determine which patient gets assigned to which therapy group. Randomization is used to reduce any possible treatment bias by the researchers or participants. It also helps ensure that the characteristics of the patients in the treatment groups — known as the “arms” of the trial — are similar. A study is not randomized if the doctor or the participants decide which therapy they will receive.
Raw foods
The raw foods or living foods diet emphasizes eating foods in their natural, raw state to obtain the maximum nutritional benefit and help regulate digestion. The diet consists of organic, raw fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Cooked, processed and refined foods are avoided.
Reflexology
Reflexology is a body therapy that involves the gentle application of pressure to key spots on the feet. Some therapists also work on the hands and ears. Practitioners use their fingers and thumbs to detect small deposits or lumps. They gently apply pressure to these points to release blockages and imbalances so that the flow of energy may be restored. Reflexology is based on the idea that there are reflex areas on the feet that correspond or map to every part of the body. Stimulating a specific area on the foot triggers a reflex reaction in the corresponding organ, gland or part of the body. Reflexology is used to release tension and stress, improve circulation, help cleanse toxins from the body, and to promote healing and general well-being.
Reiki
The word reiki means universal life energy. Reiki is a Japanese qi (or ki)-energy therapy in which the practitioner acts as a conduit for this energy and uses their hands to channel energy to the patient. Reiki is used to help the body heal, relieve emotional and mental distress, and improve spiritual focus and clarity. Stones such as crystals and quartz are sometimes placed on the body to help focus this energy.
Rolfing
Rolfing is a body therapy developed by Dr. Ida Rolf. It is based on the idea that physical and emotional traumas are held or recorded by the body, causing misalignments that are made worse by gravity. Practitioners use their hands, knuckles and elbows to perform a deep tissue massage to loosen the connective tissues and muscles. On the physical level, the objective is to re-align the major segments of the body (head, shoulders, chest, pelvis and legs) in order to improve posture and freedom of movement. Correcting these body memories is also said to provide an emotional release of these stored traumas and restore the flow of vital energy.
S
Shiatsu (Japanese acupressure or massage therapy)
A Japanese body-energy therapy involving pressure from the fingers, thumbs or palms at specific points on the body. (These are the same acupoints used in acupuncture and acupressure). Shiatsu is used to stimulate the proper flow of energy through the body in order to optimize health.
Swedish massage
In Swedish massage, the manipulations imitate the effects of exercise and are used to help relax muscles, improve circulation and to increase flexibility and range of movement. Five basics kinds of massage strokes are used: kneading, long strokes, friction, vibration and percussion or tapping. Swedish massage is generally performed for relaxation and pleasure. The intent is to energize the body by stimulating circulation.
Supplements (Dietary supplements)
The term supplements initially referred to purified and concentrated forms of essential nutrients taken to supplement a person’s normal intake of food. Many people now use the terms supplement or dietary supplement in a broader sense to refer to any or all natural substances that are taken in order to maintain wellness or treat illnesses.
Some supplements such as vitamins, minerals, amino acids and protein drinks, are used by conventional medical practitioners to treat disease and illnesses caused by lack of nutrients (deficiencies). In addition to vitamins and minerals, a broad range of other natural substances have also become popular as supplements that may help a person attain and maintain optimal health.
T
Tai chi (Tai qi, Tai chi chuan or Taijiquan)
Tai chi is an ancient Chinese exercise system. It is commonly practiced in China to help people maintain their health and live longer. It is a gentle routine of meditative exercises that involve a set pattern of slow but purposeful circular movements. The movements are designed to contain and balance energy, rather than use it up. The practice of tai chi encourages the development of the mind and the body and their integration through movement.
Tai chi is used to:
- reduce stress
- lower blood pressure, and
- improve breathing, cardiovascular function and general health.
It improves strength, balance and flexibility, and inspires a sense of inner peace and tranquility.
Therapeutic touch
Therapeutic touch is a body-energy therapy that was developed by Dolores Krieger, Ph.D., R.N. and Dora Kunz in the United States during the 1970’s. It is now taught in many medical and nursing schools and is a fairly common practice in many hospitals. Therapeutic touch incorporates several techniques including visualization, aura reading and manipulation of the body’s energy field.
In spite of its name, this therapy usually does not involve physical contact as the practitioner’s hands are usually placed a few inches away from the body. The practitioner uses slow, rhythmic hand motions to first detect energy imbalances, then to release them and restore the flow of energy. Therapeutic touch is used to reduce pain and anxiety, and to promote healing.
Tibetan medicine
This traditional system of medicine is rooted in Buddhist philosophy, but includes ideas from India, China, Persia, and Greece. It is a complex health system with a unique approach to diagnosis and healing. Health is seen as a state of balance between the three humours called “nyes pa” in Tibetan, which means “ills.”
The humours are the three basic systems involved in the functioning of the body. In a healthy person, these three humours work together in harmony. When there is too little or too much of one humour, balance is upset. This is thought to cause illness. The humours may become unbalanced by diet, behavior, season, or spiritual problems.
Treatment is intended to restore balance, and involves four types of antagonists, or opposing therapies. Listed in order of their applications and increasing strength, these four types of treatment are: conduct or behavior, diet, medicines (mostly herbs) and external therapies.
Traditional medicine
According to the World Health Organization, traditional medicine is a broad term used to refer to both traditional medicine (TM) systems such as traditional Chinese medicine, Indian Ayurveda, Arabic Unani Tib, and various forms of native medicine. TM therapies include those that use medicines – such as herbal medicines, animal parts and/or minerals, as well as therapies that do not use medicines — such as acupuncture, manual therapies (using the hands), and spiritual therapies. In countries where the dominant health care system based on conventional, or allopathic medicine, or where TM is not a part of the national health care system, TM is often referred to as “complementary,” “alternative” or “unconventional medicine.”
Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM)
The theories and diagnostic techniques of TCM are quite different from those of conventional medicine. The proper balance and flow of vital energy or qi is the main focus of this 5,000 year old healing system. Ideally, TCM is a preventive practice. The role of the practitioner is to help the patient maintain optimal health.
In TCM, diagnoses are based on the patient’s pulse, an examination of their tongue, and other physical, mental and spiritual characteristics. The diagnoses are described in terms of disturbances, blockages, or imbalances in the energy flow and the organ systems that are affected. Several therapeutic modalities and healing practices are used to help restore and maintain the balanced flow of energy. In addition to the primary approaches of herbal medicine and acupuncture, practitioners may also use massage (tui na), changes in the diet, exercise, qi gong and meditation.
V
Visualization
Visualization is a mind-body technique that is used mainly to promote relaxation and healing. As with guided imagery and hypnosis, the power of the mind is tapped to produce a positive physical effect. The patient mentally pictures a particular scene or image reflective of the change they would like to have take place. For example, a cancer patient might focus on the image of their immune cells as policemen capturing and neutralizing the cancerous cells.
Vital force (Vital energy)
The term vital force or vital energy is used to express the concept of the essence, spiritual force or energy that animates and sustains living organisms. When this energy is unbalanced, disrupted or blocked, illness can occur. When an organism dies, this vital energy dissolves, or disperses.
Vitamins
Vitamins are organic substances that are needed for many body functions including growth, reproduction and immune function. Most vitamins are used by the body as components of co-enzymes or co-factors, which are substances that play an essential helper role in chemical reactions. Vitamins are needed in many of the reactions involved in generating energy for the body and for building, maintaining, and repairing tissues and organs. Most vitamins must be taken as part of the diet although a few, such as Vitamin D, can be produced in the body.
W
Wellness
The term wellness means more than simply not being sick. Wellness is the state in which people can be at their best, or reach their fullest potential, in the physical sense and also in terms of their emotional and spiritual well-being. Wellness is the state of optimal health that allows a person to experience life to its fullest, to be happy and to lead a satisfying and fulfilling life.
Western herbalism (Phytomedicine or Phytotherapy)
The term western herbalism is used to describe the European tradition of herbal medicine. The written record of the use of herbs extends back over 2,000 years to the time of the ancient Greek healers Dioscorides and Hippocrates. Although most of the herbs used are plants native to Europe, many North American plants have also been adopted into the collection of healing herbs used by western herbalists — the western herbal pharmacopoeia.
The herbs used are described in terms of the effect they have in on an illness. For example, herbs may be to reduce inflammation or pain, or to stimulate the immune system. Over the past two decades, European researchers have confirmed the folk uses of many of these herbs using modern scientific techniques. The terms phytomedicine (plant medicine) and phytotherapy (plant therapy) were coined to describe the rational use of herbal medicines based on this scientific evidence.
Wise Woman
The Wise Woman approach to herbs and healing has been popularized by Susun S. Weed, author of New Menopausal Years the Wise Women Way: Alternative Approaches for Women 30-90. Some describe it as a form of shamanistic herbalism because intuition, ritual, meditation and spiritualism are emphasized. The moon is thought to play an important role in governing a woman’s body. The herbalist’s use of plants to heal body and spirit is described as “spirit work with plants.”
Y
Yin and yang
In Daoist philosophy, any change can be explained in terms of the interaction between two opposite forces, yin and yang, that make up the whole individual or object. Yin and yang are neutral terms that are used to describe any pair of opposites, such as hot and cold, hard and soft, male and female.
The vital energy, qi, is thought to be generated through the interaction between yin and yang. Changes in the proportion of yin and yang, and the attraction between these forces is said to create motion and energy.
Yin and yang are not absolutes. No thing remains completely yin or yang forever. The correct balance between yin and yang is necessary to maintain health. Illness is thought to occur when these two forces are out of balance.
Conditions caused by excessive yang and deficient yin (for example, too much heat and not enough cooling) are treated with yin or cooling herbs and other therapies such as acupuncture to restore the balance of yin and yang.
Yin is associated with qualities such as cold, wet, rest, responsiveness, passivity, negative, darkness, inwardness, downwardness, and decrease. In Chinese herbal medicines, Yin herbs are said to have cooling, damping and calming properties.
Yang is associated with qualities such as heat, dry, stimulation, movement, activity, positive, excitement, vigor, light, the exterior, upwardness, outwardness, and increase. In Chinese herbal medicine, Yang herbs are said to have warming, drying and stimulating properties.
Yoga
Yoga is an ancient system of meditative exercises developed over the past 2,000 years in India. Most people connect the word yoga with stretching postures and exercises. The practice of yoga also includes breathing techniques, visualization, diet and cleansing regimens. Research has shown yoga increases flexibility, improves blood circulation and reduces stress.
There are many different types of yoga that vary slightly in their approach. Some people practice yoga simply as a form of physical exercise or as a relaxation technique. Others may practice it therapeutically, with the goal of enhancing the flow of vital energy or prana. Yoga is also practiced to increase self-awareness and achieve enlightenment.
America’s Deadliest Sweetener Betrays Millions
Tuesday, March 2nd, 2010Aspartame, nutrasweet, aminosweet, sugarAspartame producer Ajinomoto is launching a new initiative that will rebrand the sweetener as “AminoSweet”.
Aspartame is used in many foods and beverages marketed as low calorie or sugar-free. However, its reputation has been clouded somewhat by studies that have investigated reports of ill effects.
Just to remind you, the side effects of aspartame can include:
* Headache
* Change in vision
* Convulsions and seizures
* Hallucination
* Nausea and vomiting
* Joint pain
It can cause many, many other problems as well.
Aspartame is the most controversial food additive in history, and its approval for use in food was the most contested in FDA history. In the end, the artificial sweetener was approved, not on scientific grounds, but rather because of strong political and financial pressure. After all, aspartame was previously listed by the Pentagon as a biochemical warfare agent!
It’s hard to believe such a chemical would be allowed into the food supply, but it was, and it has been wreaking silent havoc with people’s health for the past 30 years.
The truth is, it should never have been released onto the market, and allowing it to remain in the food chain is seriously hurting people – no matter how many times you rebrand it under fancy new names.
The Deceptive Marketing of Aspartame
Sold commercially under names like NutraSweet, Canderel, and now AminoSweet, aspartame can be found in more than 6,000 foods, including soft drinks, chewing gum, table-top sweeteners, diet and diabetic foods, breakfast cereals, jams, sweets, vitamins, prescription and over-the-counter drugs.
Aspartame producer Ajinomoto chose to rebrand it under the name AminoSweet, to “remind the industry that aspartame tastes just like sugar, and that it’s made from amino acids – the building blocks of protein that are abundant in our diet.”
This is deception at its finest: Begin with a shred of truth, and then spin it to fit your own agenda.
In this case, the agenda is to make you believe that aspartame is somehow a harmless, natural sweetener made with two amino acids that are essential for health and present in your diet already.
They want you to believe aspartame delivers all the benefits of sugar and none of its drawbacks. But nothing could be further from the truth.
How Aspartame Wreaks Havoc on Your Health
Did you know there have been more reports to the FDA for aspartame reactions than for all other food additives combined?
In fact, there are over 10,000 official complaints, but by the FDA’s own admission, less than 1 percent of those who experience a reaction to a product ever report it. So in all likelihood, the toxic effects of aspartame may have affected roughly a million people already.
While a variety of symptoms have been reported, almost two-thirds of them fall into the neurological and behavioral category consisting mostly of headaches, mood alterations, and hallucinations. The remaining third is mostly gastrointestinal symptoms.
Unfortunately, aspartame toxicity is not well-known by doctors, despite its frequency. Diagnosis is also hampered by the fact that it mimics several other common health conditions, such as:
Multiple sclerosis Parkinson’s disease
Alzheimer’s disease Fibromyalgia
Arthritis Multiple chemical sensitivity
Chronic fatigue syndrome Attention deficit disorder
Panic disorder Depression and other psychological disorders
Lupus Diabetes and diabetic complications
Birth defects Lymphoma
Lyme disease Hypothyroidism
How Diet Foods and Drinks CAUSE Weight Problems
In recent years, food manufacturers have increasingly focused on developing low-calorie foods and drinks to help you maintain a healthy weight and avoid obesity. Unfortunately, the science behind these products is so flawed, most of these products can actually lead to increased weight gain!
For example, researchers have discovered that drinking diet soda increases your risk of metabolic syndrome, and may double your risk of obesity – the complete opposite of the stated intention behind these “zero calorie” drinks.
The sad truth is that diet foods and drinks ruin your body’s ability to count calories, and in fact stimulate your appetite, thus boosting your inclination to overindulge.
Unfortunately, most public health agencies and nutritionists in the United States recommend these toxic artificial sweeteners as an acceptable alternative to sugar, which is at best confusing and at worst harming the health of those who take their misguided advice.
Even More Toxic Dangers of Aspartame
Truly, there is enough evidence showing the dangers of consuming artificial sweeteners to fill an entire book — which is exactly why I wrote Sweet Deception. If you or your loved ones drink diet beverages or eat diet foods, this book will explain how you’ve been deceived about the truth behind artificial sweeteners like aspartame and sucralose — for greed, for profits, and at the expense of your health.
As mentioned earlier, almost two-thirds of all documented side effects of aspartame consumption are neurological.
One of the reasons for this side effect, researchers have discovered, is because the phenylalanine in aspartame dissociates from the ester bond. While these amino acids are indeed completely natural and safe, they were never designed to be ingested as isolated amino acids in massive quantities, which in and of itself will cause complications.
Additionally this will also increase dopamine levels in your brain. This can lead to symptoms of depression because it distorts your serotonin/dopamine balance. It can also lead to migraine headaches and brain tumors through a similar mechanism.
The aspartic acid in aspartame is a well-documented excitotoxin. Excitotoxins are usually amino acids, such as glutamate and aspartate. These special amino acids cause particular brain cells to become excessively excited, to the point that they die.
Excitotoxins can also cause a loss of brain synapses and connecting fibers. A review conducted in 2008 by scientists from the University of Pretoria and the University of Limpopo found that consuming a lot of aspartame may inhibit the ability of enzymes in your brain to function normally, and may lead to neurodegeneration.
According to the researchers, consuming a lot of aspartame can disturb:
The metabolism of amino acids
Protein structure and metabolism
The integrity of nucleic acids
Neuronal function
Endocrine balances
Furthermore, the ester bond in aspartame breaks down to formaldehyde and methanol, which are also toxic in their own right. So it is not surprising that this popular artificial sweetener has also been found to cause cancer.
One truly compelling case study that shows this all too well was done by a private citizen named
Daily, she fed some of the rats the equivalent (for their body weight) of two-thirds the aspartame contained in 8-oz of diet soda. Thirty-seven percent of the females fed aspartame developed tumors, some of massive size.
How to Ditch Artificial Sweeteners, and Satiate Your Sweet Tooth
If you suffer from sweet cravings, it’s easy to convince yourself you’re doing the right thing by opting for a zero-calorie sweetener like aspartame. Please understand that you will do more harm than good to your body this way.
First, it’s important to realize that your body craves sweets when you’re not giving it the proper fuel it needs.
Finding out your nutritional type will tell you exactly which foods you need to eat to feel full and satisfied. It may sound hard to believe right now, but once you start eating right for your nutritional type, your sweet cravings will significantly lessen and may even disappear.
Meanwhile, be sure you address the emotional component to your food cravings using a tool such as the Meridian Tapping Technique (MTT). More than any traditional or alternative method I have used or researched, MTT works to overcome food cravings and helps you reach dietary success.
And, if diet soda is the culprit for you, be sure to check out Turbo Tapping, which is an extremely effective and simple tool to get rid of your soda addiction in a short period of time.
Non-Acceptable Alternative Sweeteners
And I’m not only talking about high fructose corn syrup, which is virtually identical to table sugar. The only major difference between the two is HFCS is much cheaper so it has contributed to massive increase in fructose ingestion, far beyond safe or healthy.
Please understand you need to keep your fructose levels BELOW 25 grams per day. The best way to do that is to avoid these “natural” sweeteners as they are loaded with a much higher percentage of fructose than HFCS.
Please note that avoiding these beyond 25 grams per day is crucial, even if the source is fresh, raw, and organic. It just doesn’t matter, fructose is fructose is fructose…
Acceptable Alternative Sweeteners
For those times when you just want a taste of something sweet, your healthiest alternative is Stevia. It’s a natural plant and, unlike aspartame and other artificial sweeteners that have been cited for dangerous toxicities, it is a safe, natural alternative that’s ideal if you’re watching your weight, or if you’re maintaining your health by avoiding sugar.
It is hundreds of times sweeter than sugar and truly has virtually no calories.
I must tell you that I am biased; I prefer Stevia as my sweetener of choice, and I frequently use it. However, like most choices, especially sweeteners, I recommend using Stevia in moderation, just like sugar. In excess it is still far less likely to cause metabolic problems t