Monday, July 9, 2007
Options in Natural Health: Acupuncture
As we’ve been saying, natural health is a lifestyle choice of many who believe that the best way of keeping the body safe from illness is to prevent experiencing illness in the first place. This is preferred over treating problems when they arise. In addition to the standard practices of maintaining a healthy diet and exercise routine, there are less conventional practices that proponents of natural health engage in as well. Acupuncture is one of these and is growing in popularity.
Acupuncture is one of the oldest forms of alternative medicine practiced in the world today. The practice dates back to as early as 200 A.D. in China, and it involves inserting stainless steel needles at various ‘acupuncture points’ across the body in order to allow an individual to heal from illness.
‘Qi,’ or chi, is the vital energy force believed to be present within the body. Qi flows through energy pathways, or meridians, throughout the body. According to acupuncture practitioners, when the flow of qi is disrupted along one of the meridians, illness can occur. The placement of the needles in the specific meridians is intended to release the blockage of energy and allow natural flow to resume.
Many people shy away from acupuncture for fear that the needles used in the process are going to be painful when inserted. In reality, acupuncture needles tend to hurt very little, if at all, and the overall experience is very relaxing.
Acupuncture has been reported as useful in treating a wide range of symptoms, from the pains associated with arthritis, bursitis, and other diseases, to more mental issues such as stress, anxiety, and drug detoxification. There is some skepticism present when it comes to the effectiveness of the acupuncture process, however, the number of clinical studies indicating its effectiveness is growing, and it is becoming increasingly accepted by the mainstream consumer.
Later on we’ll talk about Qi Gong as another alternative practice that falls within the realm of natural health and focuses on restoring unrestricted flow of chi throughout the body.
Monday, June 25, 2007
Natural Health Nuggets 1
Occasionally we'll include just a few nuggets regarding natural health and healing. Here are a couple for starters:
Tip 1
Natural healing is in no way connected to religion nor does it run counter to any religious beliefs. Instead it is concerned with promoting good health and wellness as well as healing.
Tip 2
Natural healing is all about self-healing and it is founded on the belief that a person has the ability to heal themselves from within.
Tip 3
Reiki is a form of natural healing that tap into universal or vital energy -- chi. The practitioner will channel the energies to you through the power of touch. They do not control where the energy goes in your body. It will simply gather where it is needed and that is where you will begin to feel a tingling, warming sensation.
Tip 4
Reflexology is based on the belief that our hands and feet are mirrors of all of the major organs and glands in the body and that by applying pressure to particular pressure points, the corresponding muscles can be loosened, tension can be let out and healing can begin because the internal will benefit from this fancy kind of pressure foot massage.
Thursday, June 21, 2007
The Basics of Natural Health
Natural health begins with prevention. It proposes that the body is naturally strong and resilient. It also proposes that if something does go wrong, the body has a tremendous capacity to heal itself. Sometimes the body may require a boost to the immune system or other body system to spur the healing process. Within the natural health realm, this “boost” always comes from a natural process or substance.
First and foremost, health is maintained through a balanced, nutritious diet. What we eat can have a great impact on our systems, our stamina, and our overall wellbeing. A balanced, nutritious diet consists of whole, natural foods, and only we can determine exactly which foods will supply our bodies with the optimum nutrition. Some people feel best when following a vegetarian diet, while others require animal protein. Again, we have to listen to the wisdom of our own bodies to determine what is best for us.
It can be pretty much guaranteed that junk food is not what will lead anyone to optimal health. It just does not provide the body with the proper nutrients for sustained health. We can expect to suffer substandard health if we eat primarily junk food, while increasing the likelihood we will develop chronic concerns like high blood pressure or heart disease.
Exercise is the next ingredient in prevention. With exercise, there are various regimens recommended by the “experts,” but again we have to know our own bodies to discern what the best exercise program is for us individually. For some it is walking, while others need to run. Weight training with some resistance can benefit most of us. Exercise assists in regulating body weight, toning muscles, and supporting the lymph, cardiovascular and other body systems.
Stress management is another focus within natural health. Recognizing that not all stress is bad, we want to monitor the source and levels of stress in our lives. Relaxation techniques can be helpful in this stress management process. Possibilities include yoga, tai chi, and meditation. Each of these enhances the body holistically – body, mind, and spirit.
That is the ultimate goal of pursuing natural health – optimal health of your whole being. We’ll continue to talk more about each of these as we go along.
Saturday, June 16, 2007
Natural Healing for Ultimate Wellness
Natural healing is all about self-healing and its foundation is the belief that a person has the ability to heal themselves from within. Natural healing works with an individual's inner vital energy and innate healing capacity.
Natural healing believes that a person can only truly be healed if the whole being is treated, as opposed to just individual body parts or symptoms in isolation. Natural healing is a subset of alternative medicine and it involves a variety of health practices, health approaches and products that support the body in the process of healing.
Natural healing takes form in the practice of a variety of alternative medicine practices. The possibilities include nutrition, acupuncture, acupressure, relaxation methods, yoga, Tai Chi, herbalism, homeopathy, massage therapy, naturopathy, natural hygiene, ayurvedic medicine, aromatherapy, and many others.
The word "natural," in natural healing, implies that any treatment methods involve only non-invasive therapies and substances found in nature. That eliminates the use of pharmaceuticals and or surgery as a treatment of choice. Although, natural healing is not intended to be a substitute for conventional medicine but actually as a complement to it.
It was not until the late 20th century that the term “natural health” took hold in the western world. However many of the basic beliefs of natural healing originated in Europe where it got its start. Natural, alternative therapies always were and continue to be, very common in many parts of Europe and in fact many of these therapies are encouraged by medical practitioners.
Natural healing is in no way connected to religion nor does it run counter to any religious beliefs. Instead it is focused on prevention -- promoting good health and wellness in addition to healing.
Thursday, June 14, 2007
Vitamins for the Brain
Enhancing the brain with proper nutrition and supplements for helping memory and alertness is something more and more people are researching. The brain is especially susceptible to damage from free radicals because of its high consumption of oxygen.
An ongoing study of 5,000 people in Utah has shown that taking supplements of both of the antioxidants vitamin C and vitamin E provided a greater protective effect against the occurrence of Alzheimer's disease than did taking only 1 on the supplements.
Dr. Dharma wrote an interesting book titled "Brain Longevity" which draws on Eastern traditions to help slow down brain aging. It helps to work on cortisol (an adrenal hormone) to reduce the higher levels that grow over time. People in their fifties and older may not be noticing the subtle changes that happen to the brain.
It also has been studied that exercising your memory each day by repeating a poem from memory can be helpful as one ages. This is something one can do while washing dishes or a household chore and not just be a good memory exercise but result in reflection and inspiration.
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
Omega 3 Vitamins
Omega 3 oils, also called essential fatty acids, have been popularized on public television by the information presented by Nicholas Perricone MD. He recommends these as an important component for antiaging and skin rejuvenation.
Fish oil supplements have been studied for helping people with second heart attack prevention. It's important to be aware of the possibility of increased bleeding if you take omega 3 supplements higher than 3 grams per day. The blood thinning result is weaker than that of aspirin, though, when taking the recommended amounts.
Omega 3s are also used in the treatment of depression and are being studied for treating bipolar disease as well. A study of pregnant women found that those who ate no seafood had double the depression rate as those who ate ten ounces of fish each day. This was a study of over 13,000 women by the National Institute of Health.
For more information on Omega 3 essential fatty acids, go here...
Monday, June 11, 2007
Supplements for Enhancing Nails
A number of nutrients are wonderful for skin, hair and nails. Let's study some nail supplement ingredients to understand this better.
Due to enviromental influences such as weather, chemicals, ways we treat our nails and even medications we can be subject to our nails becoming brittle, yellow or even infected. Remembering to wear gloves can be helpful for tasks like shoveling snow, scraping car windows and other tasks during the winter that can cause damage to the fingers and nails.
Silicon is a useful natural way to treat nail problems and it is a trace mineral. Because it helps form collagen it has been studied to help with brittleness on nails. Vitamin E is also recommended as part of any program to help with nail issues and yellowing. It can be used topically as well as orally.
Biotin is also recommended to help assist the healing of nail problems and it is part of the B comlex. It works well on brittleness, and decreasing splitting.
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