Find A Fact

Benefits of Alternative Medicine
by: Ruby Boyd

With the growing number of people being affected by newly discovered chronic degenerative diseases such as AIDS and chronic fatigue syndrome, Are you worried or wondering....

Is it possible to maintain good health?

What your body needs to function properly?

Why conventional medicine is becoming more complicated and costly and in some cases simply ineffective?

A growing number of people are turning to alternative medicine and natural healing--simple, traditional low-tech methods of preventing illnesses and solving everyday health problems.

Do you have unanswered questions on....

Why are people flocking to health food stores, with their lotions and potions, and what keeps them going back for more?

What to do if you or someone in your family falls ill?

Are these therapies really old wives tales or can they really work?

Even mainstream doctors have begun to recommend natural drugless therapies' to treat both everyday complaints and serious illnesses.
Dietary modifications, for instance, has become the weapons of choice against a number of diseases that would have been treated mainly with prescription drugs a generation ago.

It is now known that many conditions are caused by the wrong diet and can be reversed by the right diet.

Heart disease, cancer, weight problems, arthritis, diabetes, high blood pressure--they can all be treated to some degree with foods.

Natural therapies found in alternative medicine are actually much older than Western treatments such as surgeries and antibiotics. Experts estimate that herbal remedies and Ayurveda, the traditional medicine of India, has been around for 5,000 years.

Many alternative medicine remedies began with scientific research or clinical impressions reported by physicians working with safe,natural substances.

But we live in a generation now that has been cut off from this age-old tradition of self-reliance. Healing and health care have become almost--the exclusive province of duly licensed physicians. While doctors and other professionals-are indeed great to have around, what is not so great is when you cannot do anything without them.

Shouldn't we be able to do something to save our health--maybe even our lives--without a doctor?

What happens when medical help is not so readily available?

What happens when doctoring simply does not work?

Some of us go to doctor after doctor, and still no help. Is that the end of the line?

While antibiotics have saved millions of lives, they have not really solved some resurgence of germs that are turning up in new forms that do not respond to conventional therapies.

There has been a real shift in the way people think about their health. Rising health care cost is a factor in the recent surge of interest in alternative medicine.

Many people are attracted to the alternative physicians emphasis on treating the whole person--body, mind and spirit. Most importantly some physicians use intensive counseling to help patients find out whether aspects of their daily lives, such as job stress, marital problems diet or sleeping habits might be behind their symptoms.

In this age of managed care and impersonal group practices patients find this individualized approach of alternative medicine particularly appealing.

One of the principal goals of natural healing is to break the cycle of dependency and allow people to be more in control of their own lives.

Alternative Medicine

www.a1-natural-health-and-beauty.com

About the Author
Ruby Boyd is the owner of www.a1-natural-health- and-beauty.com, a website that offers information on how to achieve health and beauty fitness goals

Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine
by: C. Bailey-Lloyd/LadyCamelot

There are over 50 Acupuncture Schools in the United States. Acupuncture laws differ from state to state, therefore, each acupuncture school entails its own philosophy and instruction outline. Acupuncture School education and training is approximately 3,000 credit hours. Because there are varying therories of Acupuncture, some schools teach the 5-Element style of acupuncture as opposed to the more familiar TCM style. While some acupuncture schools have mandatory herbal curriculum, other acupuncture schools list this course-study as an option.

The main purpose of attending an acupuncture school is to be educated and trained to be healers in the art, to learn the science and philosophy of acupuncture, and to be instructed in herbal and Oriental medicine. Attaining a professional license as an acupuncturist is rewarding in many ways. One not only learns to heal others but also learns to heal himself - spiritually, mentally and physically.

Fundamentally, all aspects of traditional Oriental medicine are introduced in the first year of academic instruction. This includes acupuncture, herbal medicine, anatomy, body therapy, biosciences and Tai Chi. This prepares the aspiring acupuncturist for clinical apprenticehsip. During the second year at an acupuncture school, classroom experience teaches in-depth philosophy of acupuncture practice, Oriental medicine and advance needling techniques.

Apprenticeship begins with licensed acupuncturists in a clinical setting.During the third year of acupuncture school training, students begin practicing on their own patients as interns. Acupuncture school classroom instruction is mainly comprised of clinical case discussions; thus, deepening acupuncture therapy understanding. If you'd like to learn more about acupuncture schools, please visit the link below or click on the directory
button at the top of the Holistic Junction homepage for more targeted search by category and state.

©Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine
by C. Bailey-Lloyd/LadyCamelot in conjunction with Holistic Junction

Alternative medicine in food- Shallots
by: Anita Cherry

Shallots belong to the lily family (Liliacae) where onion, garlic and leeks are present. It is classified as Allium cepa var. aggregatum .Shallots are smaller and sweeter than onion and like garlic its bulb divides into multiple sections .It digests better than onion when eaten raw. The bulbs are pulled of the ground and leaves are allowed to dry. The greens above the ground which are known as scallions are used as salads and also for cooking. Shallots are an excellent source of vitamin C, potassium, dietary fiber and folic acid.It also contain calcium, iron and have a high protein quality.

There has been lot of research and studies regarding the use of shallots for health conditions. Different analysis and studies have found that shallots contains two sets of compounds -sulfur compounds, such as allyl propyl disulphide (APDS) and flavonoids, such as quercetin. Flavonoid consumption has been associated with a reduced risk of cancer, heart disease and diabetes since they are anti-cancer, antibacterial, antiviral, anti-allergenic and anti-inflammatory.

Recent studies have shown the potential health benefits of common onions and established that shallots are particularly effective against liver cancer cells. Shallots have six times the phenolic content than onions. Shallots help the liver eliminate toxins from the body and have saponins to inhibit and kill cancer cells.

Shallots are specifically linked to inhibiting human stomach cancer. Shallots produce an anti-coagulant that thins the blood and exhibit strong anti-platelet activity and are very good for patients who have symptomatic atherosclerotic disease, cardiovascular disease, heart attack and stroke. It aids brain
function and thus protects against Alzheimer’s disease. Shallots can lower blood sugar levels in people with diabetes by preventing the degradation of insulin and increasing metabolism of glucose. Eating shallots daily helps in the growth of bone tissue and reduces the risk of developing osteoporosis by 20%. It contains Prostaglandin A-1, a powerful agent which can lower blood pressure. Sulfur content in shallots makes skin look younger. Daily intake of a little shallot will benefit in the long run. Shallots can be eaten raw or cooked till they are tender.

Anita cherry is a health enthusiast who offers informative tips on health. For more information on health visit http://www.healthinfoforyou.com/an/shallots%20as%20alternative%20medicine.htm

Ayurvedic medicine for diabetes
by: goldie

For Salacia Oblonga herb Capsules and Extract Write to Botanika herbalpowders[at]operamail[dot]com treeseeds[at]operamail[dot]com treeseeds[at]rediffmail[dot]com : : : :
WWW.SALACIAOBLONGACAPSULES.COM
Traditional Indian medicine, herb Salacia oblonga may help treat diabetes Posted By: News-Medical in Medical Study News Published: Tuesday, 8-Feb-2005 Printer Friendly Email to a Friend : : : : Herbs used in traditional Indian medicine to treat diabetes seems to lower blood sugar and insulin levels in a manner similar to prescription drugs, a new study reports. Researchers gave extracts of the herb Salacia oblonga to 39 healthy adults, and the results were promising. The largest dose of the herb extract - 1,000 milligrams - decreased insulin and blood glucose levels by 29 and 23 percent, respectively. : : "These kinds of reductions are similar to what we might see with prescription oral medications for people with diabetes," said Steve Hertzler, a study co-author and an assistant professor of nutrition at Ohio State University. : : Salacia oblonga, which is native to regions of India and Sri Lanka, binds to intestinal enzymes that break down carbohydrates in the body. These enzymes, called alpha-glucosidases, turn carbohydrates into glucose, the sugar that circulates throughout the body. If the enzyme binds to the herbal extract rather than to a carbohydrate, then less glucose gets into the blood stream, resulting in lowered blood glucose and insulin levels. : : "Lowering blood glucose levels lowers the risk of disease-related complications in people with diabetes," Hertzler said. "Also, poor compliance with diabetes medications often hinders the effectiveness of these drugs. It may be easier to get someone to take an herb with food or in a beverage, as opposed to a pill." : : The study appears in a recent issue of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association. : : Thirty-nine healthy adults participated in four separate meal tolerance tests. These meals, which were given in beverage form, were spaced three to 14 days apart. Each participant fasted for at least 10 hours before consuming the test beverage. : : Participants were asked to drink about two cups' worth of the chilled beverage, which contained zero, 500, 700 or 1,000 milligrams of Salacia oblonga extract. Afterward, the researchers used the finger-prick method to draw blood samples from each person every 15 to 30 minutes for three hours. These blood samples were used to determine insulin and blood glucose concentrations. The biggest changes in blood glucose and insulin levels usually happen within the first two hours after eating. : : The beverage that contained the highest concentration of the herbal extract - 1,000 milligrams - provided the most dramatic reduction in insulin and blood glucose levels. Insulin levels were 29 percent lower, while blood glucose levels were 23 percent lower as compared to the control drink, which contained no herbal extract. : : As Salacia oblonga can cause intestinal gas, the researchers had the study participants collect breath hydrogen samples hourly for eight hours after drinking the test beverage. The participants collected their breath in small plastic tubes. The researchers then analyzed these breath samples for hydrogen and methane content - the level of either substance in the breath corresponds to the level contained in the colon. : : The subjects also rated the frequency and intensity of nausea, abdominal cramping and distention and gas for two days after consuming each test meal. : : While the test beverages containing Salacia oblonga caused an increase in breath hydrogen excretion, reports of gastrointestinal discomfort were minimal, Hertzler said. : : Right now he and his colleagues are trying to figure out what dose of the herb is most effective, and when it should be taken relative to a meal. : : "We want to know how long it takes for the herb to bind to the enzymes that break down carbohydrates," Hertzler said. "The participants in this study took the herb with their meal, but maybe taking it before eating would be even more effective." : : The researchers also want to study the effects of Salacia oblonga in people with diabetes. : : "A lot of studies show that lowering blood sugar levels reduces the risk for all kinds of diabetes-related complications, such as kidney disease and nerve and eye damage," Hertzler said. "We want to see if this herb has this kind of effect." : : Salacia oblonga is still relatively difficult to find in the United States, Hertzler said, although there are manufacturers that sell the herb through the Internet. : : This study was supported by the Ross Products Division of Abbott Laboratories in Columbus. : : Hertzler is continuing to conduct Salacia oblonga studies with the Ross Products Division of Abbott Laboratories. He has no links to the company beyond this affiliation. : : Hertzler conducted the work with former Ohio State colleague Patricia Heacock, who is now at Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey; Jennifer Williams, a clinical scientist with Ross Products Division, Abbott Laboratories; and Bryan Wolf, a former research scientists with Ross Products Division

naturally.
You may contact me at:
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Chinese Medicine
by: C. Bailey-Lloyd/LadyCamelot

Chinese Medicine, over 2000 years old, is an ancient form of medicine. Consisting of acupuncture, moxibustion (moxibustion - using material made up of "moxa-wool," in a form of a cone or stick; moxibustion is used to treat and prevent disease by applying heat to pints or certain locations of the human body), herbal medicine, acupressure, cupping, therapeutic exercise and nutrition, traditional Chinese medicine is notated by its principle of internal balance and harmony, or "chi," (life force) regulation through energy channels.

In essence, Chinese medicine is widely known for its acupunture techniques and herbology. Founded on the Yin and Yang principle, the five elements and Zang Fu, Chinese medicine is an evolutional treatment in modern Western civilization. Chinese medicine also uses Qi Gong and Tai Qi Chuan in its methodology. Incorporating supplemental elements in a nutritious diet such as vitamins, minerals, herbs and other supplements are fundamental treatments in Chinese medicine as well.

Overall, Chinese medicine can be utilized to treat allergies, arthritis pain, weight control, quitting smoking, back injury pain, musculosceletal pain, fatique, stress, TMJ and PMS. Other illnesses and conditions that can be helped with Chinese medicine are digestive problems, menstrual problems, and urinary problems. If you are interested in obtaining more information about Chinese medicine and its benefits, feel free to peruse our business member directory for accredited, Chinese medicine practitioners or schools today!

About the Author
C. Bailey-Lloyd/LadyCamelot is the Public Relations' Director &
Writer for Holistic Junction -- Your source of information for Chinese Medicine Schools

Give a Gift That Saves Lives
by: ARA Content
(ARA) – Heavy snow and rainstorms, fog and dark roadways, crowded construction zones -- law enforcement personnel regularly work under very dangerous conditions. It’s not surprising that almost every day of the year, somewhere in the United States, an officer is struck by a vehicle.

“Few law enforcement officers are ever shot at in the course of their careers; the most hazardous part of their job is being out in traffic on a daily basis, especially at night or during inclement weather” says John Golle, CEO of Safe Lites, a Minnesota-based safety equipment company.

Often motorists can’t see the officers at all, or not until it’s too late. The “old” style safety vests are only visible at night from a short distance and need a light source to be visible. Now , thanks to an innovative new product called electroluminescent (EL) lighting, there is a better way to make officers more visible and save lives.

Made by coating a layer of plastic with special inks containing phosphors, the EL lights emit a soft, even glow that is visible at great distances. Unlike conventional incandescent lights, they do not impair night vision, can be seen through smoke, fog, dust or other particles in the air, require very little power and contain no hazardous materials.

Enhanced with EL light strips, new BeaconWearSafety Vests can be seen from more than 500 feet away in all weather conditions and are not obscured by motorists’ headlights. The life-saving technology is slowly replacing the traditional “old” style reflective vests currently worn by law enforcement officers all over the country.

“It’s the same technology that is used to illuminate your cell phone, PDA or dashboard,” explains Golle. “Because EL lights do not emit rays, they do not interfere with night vision. Instrument panels on Blackhawk helicopters use this technology so that pilots wearing night vision goggles can read the controls and see the horizon at the same time.”

Unfortunately, law enforcement budgets have been slashed all over the country, preventing agencies from buying this vital piece of equipment. But in eight towns in Minnesota, the manufacturer has teamed up with a community bank to bring this innovation to their local police and fire departments. MainstreetBank of Minnesota has entered into agreements with the eight communities they serve to donate the new vests as a gift to the officers in their communities.

“It is a win-win for all of us,” says Bruce Soma, CEO of MainstreetBank. We get to better protect those that protect us everyday. Plus, having our name on the vests reminds the community we care about our officers and are willing to spend money to demonstrate our commitment.”

For more information on the BeaconWear Safety Vests, and how your company can donate them to your community, visit www.safelites.com.