Conventional medicine has a certain predictability to it, in that you pretty much know what your Doctor will say. Not that conventional medicine isn’t effective, it is, but sometimes it’s not quite the cure for what ails us. There are other approaches that you may be unaware of, and they are referred to as complimentary and Alternative Medicine.

Complementary and Alternative medicine (also known by the abbreviation CAM) have been around for a long time. Many of their practices come from various parts of the world and may date back thousands of years, such as herbalism and massage. Complimentary and Alternative medicines each use the same basic types of treatments to bring you back to robust good health, but there are differences in how they are used.

Generally, alternative medicine has been practiced in lieu of conventional medicine, herbalism being a good example. Complementary medicine uses the many types of alternative medicine along with conventional medicine. Massage therapy is an example of this. You can be in charge of your own health decisions, yet still listen to the advice of your doctor (which is always a good idea) when you decide to go the complementary and alternative medicine route.

Health centers and traditional hospitals are now incorporating various alternative medicine therapies into their available services. it is not uncommon for a doctors visit to include some type of recommendation for alternative therapies, such as chiropractic treatments for back pain.

Meditation is another technique that is increasingly recommended, and may people find it to be a very useful technique in dealing with the stresses of modern life (not that earlier times were any less stressful.)

A recent survey by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control has found an increase in the use of holistic practices with complementary and alternative medicine being used by adults and the children who live in their households. What we are seeing is a trend towards alternative medicine even with adults that have medical insurance coverage.

Here is an example of complementary medicine that probably everyone has tried at least once. Taking a daily multi vitamin can be considered a form of complementary medicine, as you use it along with whatever regular treatments you receive from your doctor. This is a mild form of complementary medicine that would almost always meet with your doctor’s approval. Massage is another form of CAM, as is Aromatherapy.

It is a comforting thought to know that by using complementary and conventional medicine, you have chosen to do something to safeguard your health, all on your own.

Natural Supplements and Eating Well

Exercising and eating healthy foods are just some of the things a person can do to live a life that is healthy and free from disease. You may have herd the saying “an apple a day keeps the doctor away”. Avoiding nasty habits like drinking alcohol and smoking is another way to prolong life as well as to improve overall health.

Other than these, taking natural healing supplements can also make a person healthier because these supplements will clear away the many built up toxins that are present in your body.

There are holistic medicines that help promote the removal of toxins in the body, the renewal of skin cells and the flushing out of harmful substances like cholesterol and fat.

There are also supplements that improve your mental and emotional well-being through the relaxing properties that are used in the supplements.

Since stress is known to be one of the major factors that can cause a person to become sick, the use of stress relieving supplements is a important part of a natural health regimen that can keep a person healthy and fit.

End of syndicated article

A very modern treatment, which we have found to be very effective at reducing stress and increasing focus, is Brain Entrainment. This is a process that effectively trains our brains to reach a meditative state far more rapidly than traditional methods, which retaining all of the traditional benefits. You can learn more about entrainment here.

Use Herbal Remedies with Care

If you have ever shopped for herbal products in a health food store, you may have noticed that the labels almost never tell the potential medical benefits of the herb, much less, any directions or precautions for their use. Why is this?

Well, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) prohibits manufacturers from making any claims that any product will treat or prevent a disease until that product has been tested. Although, many herbs have age-old histories as safe healers, the manufacturer would have to get approved from the FDA, which is a lengthy and costly process.

Since natural substances, such as herbs, can not be patented, it would not be profitable to go through this approval process. This is also the reason why drug companies have little interest in exploring any promising herbal remedies.

As to sidestep the FDA regulation problem, herb suppliers have chose to sell their products as food supplements without therapeutic claims. However, this leaves the consumer clueless as to a products uses or risks and with no assurance of its potency or quality.

Given this confusion, here are a few helpful suggestions and ideas to consider in helping you to pick safely from natures garden of healing plants.

First and foremost is to educate yourself. The quality of commercially sold herbs varies widely. Dried herbs may lose their potency quickly if not stored properly. There is no government regulation for quality, potency, or authenticity. Purchase herbs from reputable companies with a name and reputation that they want to protect.

Do not play doctor. Never use alternative therapy instead of a proven medical treatment without consulting your physician first. In some cases, you can use herbs and other natural treatments as a substitute for conventional medicine, but there are also curative treatments you might miss if you don’t get a check up. Unless you are absolutely sure what is wrong, do not try to self medicate.

If you do decide to try herbal remedies, use them for conditions you know are not serious and will eventually clear up by themselves, like colds or minor arthritis pain.

Do not presume that natural means safe. People tend to think that just because an herb is a plant, its safe to use. That is not always true. Some of the most extremely poisonous toxins known come from plants. Although, herbs have been used by thousands of people for hundreds of years with virtually no ill effects and many benefits, there has been reports of herbal remedies causing sickness, even a rare death. Buy herbal products only from reputable growers and manufacturers.

Start low and go slow.  When trying a new herbal product start with the lowest dose. If you don’t experience any benefit after a week, gradually increase the dose. Do not take more than the recommended amount and don’t take high doses of any remedy for months or years unless the long term effects have been studied.

If you feel worse after taking an herbal remedy, stop taking it. If an herb disagrees with you or if you develop new symptoms after taking it, discontinue using it. Allergies or other adverse reactions to any plant substance is always a possibility.

Avoid herbal remedies if you are pregnant, nursing, or taking other medications. Little is known about the effects of herbs on an unborn child or a baby through breast milk. Do not mix herbal remedies with prescription or over the counter drugs. An herb may make the action of another medication stronger or weaker.

Check in with Age Old Herbs for continuous educational information on subjects such as; the health benefits of herbs, natural remedies for pets, and some great tips on growing herbs.

More about Herbs and Herbal Treatments:

• Gems4friends’ main page on healing with herbs.
• Herbal remedies blog

What is Natural Medicine?

There is a lot of confusion about exactly what natural medicine is. Is aromatherapy or acupuncture worthwhile? Is it a con? What does it actually involve? In this post I’d like to describe some background to natural medicine, and maybe dispell some of the confusion surrounding it.

Natural medicine is simply the use of traditional remedies, natural methods, and herbal medicines, to cure illness. Most societies in the world have a long history of using these natural medicines. Many types of healing treatments and alternative therapies fall under the term natural medicine.

A number of herbal medicines have been prevalent for many years in Chinese and Indian society. These natural medicines tend to be (though they aren’t always) inexpensive and risk free, in stark contrast to many modern manufactured drugs, and have few if any side effects other than allergic reactions.

Since the creation of the popular penicillin, traditional natural medicine treatments have fallen out of favour or been forgotten. However, alternative treatments like acupuncture are making a comback. More and more doctors are beginning to realise their benefits, and many scientific studies are being conducted to measure their effectiveness against modern drug therapy.

With more people becoming aware of the vast number of chemicals we put into our bodies – either from treatments or clothing – natural therapy is surely becoming a more viable treatment in our modern society.

Article syndicated courtesy of Syndicate Kahuna

Quartz crystals have been used by healers, spiritual teachers, and scientists of the sacred throughout history to receive, transmit, store, transform, and balance the various forms of energy found in our Universe.  Many may wonder why crystals were chosen as the medium to tap into these sources.

Essentially, it is because every quartz crystal point contains the attributes of the five elements, Earth, Air, Fire, Water, and Ether or Spirit. How are crystals similar to the five elements?

Element Air: Crystals grow deep in the earth and form much of the earth’s crust, yet like the element air, crystals allow light to pass through them and split light into spectrums.

Element Fire: Quartz is a good conductor of heat. Ancient civilizations were well aware of this property. Objects and spheres carved from quartz always feel cool when touched or held, even in the heat of the day, because the crystal conducts the heat.

Crystals are also fiery in that they have piezoelectric properties.  Piezoelectricity is the ability of crystals to generate an electric potential.  One of the most common piezoelectric uses of quartz today is a crystal oscillator. The quartz clock is also a familiar device using quartz crystal.

Element Water: Crystals are watery in their hexagonal molecular structure which resembles snowflakes, and in their ice-like appearance. Roman naturalist Pliny the Elder believed quartz to be water ice, permanently frozen after great lengths of time. (The word “crystal” comes from the Greek word for ice.) He supported this idea by saying that quartz is found near glaciers in the Alps, but not on volcanic mountains.

Element Spirit: Crystals are expressions of the element of Ether or Spirit, the fundamental energy that sustains all forms of energy in the known universe.

When looking at the healing attributes of crystal, think of the human body as a series of energy systems. Crystals are devices for adjusting and balancing these systems. When one uses natural quartz crystals to heal the body, energy transference occurs between the crystal point and the body. Thus, crystals function as transformers of energy to help rebalance bodies on a cellular level, as well as on emotional, mental, and spiritual levels.

When you think about it, your brain is the center of all of your bodily functions. Any ailments you experience usually start within your brain, and how your brain perceives the trauma. Therefore, if your brain experiences stress, imagine how uncoordinated your body will perform. If your heart beats at an abnormal speed, your blood will flow at an unhealthy rate. It then becomes a domino effect with your other organs as well. In Chinese medicine, the over activation of one organ in the body meant that another organ had to weaken.

Whenever the body becomes out of balance, in any aspect, quartz crystal points can place balance back into the body. With the aid of crystals, thoughts are focused on a particular area of the body that needs either activated or slowed down.  “The crystal is a neutral object whose inner structure exhibits a state of perfection and balance,” according to crystal researcher Marcel Vogel, a senior scientist with IBM for 27 years. “When its cut to the proper form and when the human mind enters into relationship with its structural perfection, the crystal emits a vibration which extends and amplifies the powers of the human mind. Like a laser, it radiates energy in a coherent, highly concentrated form, and this energy may be transmitted into objects or people at will.”

Why is it better to use crystal points rather than your hands for healing?  Dr. Marcel Vogel explained that “The psychic healer has to deal with the emanations of his hand or his bioenergy field, which do not have the same levels of coherence one can obtain by using a crystal. The crystal works much the same way that a laser does: it takes scattered rays of energy and makes the energy field so coherent and unidirectional that a tremendous force is generated — one that is much stronger than if the energies were allowed to be emitted without having come into coherence.”

Where is the best place to purchase healing crystal points?  Quartz crystals absorb energy from the sun, moon, and lightning discharges, so in reality, crystals found in uncultivated environments are fully charged from natural sources of energy and ready to be utilized.  Thus, crystal points, when purchased from sellers that mine their own crystals, have tremendous healing powers already invoked within them that can immediately be used to aid in healing endeavors.  Crystal points processed in large scale quartz mines lose all of the natural charged energy, so if you decide to purchase from such companies, you will need to cleanse the point very well before using it.

Are you in need of some positive energy? Do the stresses of everyday life seem to be getting you down? If so, then Check out Crystal Creek’s large selection of naturally charged Arkansas Crystal Points and bring positive vibes to your soul.

EFT is an emotional version of acupuncture except needles aren’t necessary. Instead, you stimulate well established energy meridian points on your body by tapping on them with your fingertips. Does tapping really work? As my Grandmother used to say, “the proof is in the pudding”. Try it. That’s what personal development (and life) is all about. Have fun. Enjoy it. Learn and grow. Pass it on. And don’t forget to smile – it makes people wonder.

Two EFT Videos on Tapping

It should make a good start to your day.

Health is one of those things most people normally start thinking about when it too late and then you will more than likely give anything to get it back.

Statistically you can live 23.5 years longer, simply by following these 5 steps – Exercise regularly 5.5 years, stop smoking 3 years, avoid diabetes 8 years, maintain a healthy body weight 2 years, avoid hypertension/high blood pressure 5 years.

If you know anything about health you will notice that the above list is all about us and our lifestyles, illness due to chance and genes makes up a very small percentage in comparison with illness due to blatant ignorance . With all the knowledge and natural cures available to us today it will mostly be your own fault if you suffer from so form of debilitating disease or other.

Join the blog carnival below and discover mind blowing truths about health and wellness, for your sake get informed!

Here’s the rest: Carnival Of Healing #142 – A Wealth Of Health!

Stress also comes with a lot of costs that aren’t obvious. If you break a leg you go to the emergency room and they put you back together.  The costs, if you’re paying for it, are quite visible. But with stress… consider the money for the headache pills, relaxation therapies, etc.

Here’s a clip:

We all know that a stress-filled existence is responsible for nail biting and dark circles under the eyes. But we may not realize the heavy toll it can extract from our bank account. Chronic stress, the kind you experience when the demands of life exceed your ability to cope, increases your risk of developing ailments ranging from the common cold and gum disease to obesity and heart diseases. This, in turn, will cause you to pay more for medical treatments, insurance and dental work. If you need more incentive to do something about your stressful lifestyle, consider these potential costs:

Here’s the rest – How Much Money Does Your Stress Cost You?

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On the natural path to physical and emotional wholeness, there are bound to be a few bumps and bruises along the way. With every treatment or remedy, there’s a time of waiting and learning to make adjustments to one’s behavior. Getting well without the use of conventional medicine also causes us to exercise our faith muscle in ways that might be foreign or uncomfortable.

Holistic practitioner Gerdi Altman understands this delicate process and has guided countless people to optimum health through a natural therapy called Energy Tuning. Altman, who lives and practices in Israel, said she takes great interest in the well-being of her clients, helping them tune in to positive, life-transforming energy.

She believes just about any physical or emotional issue can be corrected through Energy Tuning, a technique she developed in 2000. According to Altman, the technique has helped correct everything from migraine headaches to chronic fatigue to depression. It involves changing or rebalancing the energies within an individual’s energy system to bring them to the correct frequencies.

“Basically, I’m the cleaner and the alarm that tells people what’s going on inside their bodies,” said Altman, who holds a diploma in medical dowsing recognized by the Institute of Complementary Medicine in the United Kingdom and accredited by Thames Valley University.

“When I’m checking people, I loosen or get rid of the negative stuff and replace it with positive energy. It’s like taking an X-ray of your energy, but I think it’s a lot better because I can get a picture of everything that’s going on within a person.”

Read the rest: Energy Tuning

Personally, I think that other than excess sugar consumption and a lack of exercise (in some) there isn’t anything different with kids these days.  But the schools are different. Teaching methods have changed and teachers have their hands tied when discipline is required. So the kids are drugged.

Here’s a good article on the subject. The author goes into the problem and asks us to determine if there’s really a problem there, and then offers some good solutions.

Step one is to first identify if the child actually has a problem.  In my experience, some very normal children with very normal behavior may get labeled as having ADHD, when in fact what they have is a severe case of being a child.  Kids who are especially energetic and particularly those who are naturally inquisitive and intelligent can sometimes be behavioral challenges in classrooms and social settings.  It is important to distinguish between a child who has an inability to focus and behave “properly” and one who simply assimilates information rapidly, and wants to move on to the next thing and have fun.

Here’s the rest: ADHD – Five Natural Steps To Take The “Problem” Out Of A “Problem Child”