Alternative Medicine: The Use of Supplements, Organic Food and Your Health

Alternative Medicine has been a friend of mine for a number of years. The more I learn about the relationships between the pharmaceutical companies and the health insurance companies the more I believe that often times medicine is prescribed not because it treats the underlying illness but because it treats the presenting symptom and once the presenting symptom is remedied another system appears.

For me alternative medicine gives me the ability to work with my natural practitioner to discover the reason that my body is having a negative reaction. As more and more studies are done what has learned is that stress is one of the major causes of chronic illness and that vitamin deficiencies can lead to cancer, heart disease and organ failure. Alternative medicine practitioners have been studying the effects of chronic stress and vitamin deficiencies and it is my opinion that often times they are more aware of the current research then traditional medical doctors.

My personal experience has also been that traditional doctors go to school, start practicing and then spend the minimal amount of time necessary to maintain their license while those in the field of alternative medicine are always studying and learning. While many doctors are passionate about what they are doing the reality is that today medicine is business however for the individual engaged in alternative and/or natural medicine it tends to be a passion and a belief system. One that not only includes their patients but also the planet and a belief that if we are kind to our bodies our minds and our soul that our bodies, minds and souls will respond in kind.

Furthermore alternative medicine is much more likely to focus on prevention and the reality is with the soaring costs of health care, the obesity epidemic and what I feel is a rise of cancers of the breast and prostate to the point where these are also becoming epidemics in order to survive we MUST focus on prevention.

My alternative medicine experience has included the following changes in lifestyle and behavior

• A daily dose of a probiotic - over 50% of your immune system is in your gut. A healthy gut helps to maintain a healthy body. Probiotics help to ensure that good bacteria stays in your system which allows for faster waste elimination and the faster the bad stuff gets out the less likely it is to wreck havoc.
• Supplements - a daily does of fish oil - for brain health and healthy organ function - Turmeric - there are promising studies showing that turmeric can help prevent inflammation ( which has been linked to chronic illness) and may even help protect against Alzheimer's. CO-Q - a part of every cell.
• Eating only antibiotic and hormone free meats and dairy products. Many scientists believe that infections have developed resistance to antibiotics due to the fact that antibiotics are so commonly used - it is NORMAL for our livestock to be injected with antibiotics as a preventative measure - even when the animal is not ill. Hormones in our food - it does not take a rocket scientist to figure out injecting hormones into our livestock and thereby ourselves is NOT a good idea. Look at the studies that show the potential increase in cancers relating to hormone replacement therapy. Why would this be any different and what is really insane - WHY ARE WE GIVING THESE TO OUR CHILDREN
• Eating as close to a 100% organic diet as possible. Pesticides KILL THINGS - why would I want to put pesticides into my body - they are TOXIC
• Green cleaning products -for the same reasons I try to avoid antibiotics, pesticides, hormones and other toxins. Your skin is your largest organ and I also believe that when you make a commitment to your health you must also make a commitment to the health of others.

I am aware that not everyone is capable of spending the money for an organic diet and green cleaning supplies. With that said those you can should. It is simple decision. You owe it to yourself, you owe it to your family, you owe it to your fellow humans and other beings that share the planet and you also owe it to mother earth.

Since I have focused on prevention and alternative healing my life has improved. I no longer have any IBS symptoms nor have I had a gallbladder attack since I began taking probiotics. My complexion which has been a challenge since I was eight has cleared up - both acne and an over abundance of facial hair. I believe the improvement in my complexion and the decrease in hair growth is due to a decrease in synthetic hormones in my body. The third biggest change is that I finally had a regular menstrual cycle something that I did not have from age 13 until 39.

I encourage everyone to think about alternative options. I also encourage you to do your own research a big part of alternative medicine is claiming your own health. Realizing that it is really your health and therefore your responsibility no one else can nor should they make these decisions for you. Incorporating alternative treatments into your daily life can truly be life changing.