Health Alternative

plus 3 more “Alternative health fair is Saturday in Silverthorne - Summit Daily News”

2010-04-10T13:35:00.001-07:00

plus 3 more “Alternative health fair is Saturday in Silverthorne - Summit Daily News”

Alternative health fair is Saturday in Silverthorne - Summit Daily News
Nicola Roxon replies to John Brumby's alternative ... - Australian Broadcasting Corp.
Alternative health care 101 - canada.com
How has health care reform changed Medicare Advantage ... - Plain Dealer

Alternative health fair is Saturday in Silverthorne - Summit Daily News

Posted: 08 Apr 2010 11:15 PM PDT

SILVERTHORNE — To compliment the 9Health Fair, Alpine Earth Center is planning its own free gathering to teach locals about alternative medicine and healing practices — it's set for Saturday, April 10 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The long-running local 9Health Fair, which took place last Saturday, provides mainstream health information, including inexpensive blood tests and wellness screenings.

"(The alternative health fair) will generate exposure and interest in holistic and alternative medicine, which is not generally done by the mainstream," said Dr. Justin Pollack, a locally practicing naturopathic doctor.

Professional homeopath Caroline Falkenburg agreed — Such an event is a great opportunity for locals to visit with a collection of wellness providers all in one place, she said. People will have the opportunity to speak one-on-one about various healing practices and how they can be used.

Information stations on yoga, Qi Gong, pilates, homeopathy, naturopathy, nutrition, acupuncture and massage therapy will be available to health-fair visitors. Yoga, Qi Gong and pilates sample sessions will run in the upstairs fitness room.

"People can actually walk into a session and participate," said Alpine Earth Center co-owner and event host Sherie Sobke. She also noted that Alpine Earth Center already puts on regular yoga sessions, and various clinics and talks.

Wellness topics being presented "aren't as mainstream," Sobke added. Even so, something as simple as a yoga class could help someone with a lot of issues and make them feel better.

"There are a lot of different health modalities out there that could help just with general health," she said. "You could come to something like this to address health concerns and learn about something that may be less expensive and less invasive."

Depending on local enthusiasm and attendance levels, the alternative health fair may become an annual event.

"Check it out," Pollack said. "There's an awesome tea shop, the river's right there. It's a neat place to visit."

For more information, call (970) 468-8189 or e-mail kbreunig@alpinesolardesign.com. To learn more about Alpine Earth Center, visit www.alpineearthcenter.com.

Caitlin Row can be reached at (970) 668-4633 or at crow@summitdaily.com.

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Nicola Roxon replies to John Brumby's alternative ... - Australian Broadcasting Corp.

Posted: 08 Apr 2010 03:15 PM PDT

Health Minister Nicola Roxon

The Victorian premier, John Brumby, has announced his own alternative health plan just days before Kevin Rudd sits down with state and territory leaders at the Council of Australian Governments (COAG). The alternative scheme threatens to derail the meeting, which was originally desigend to deliver a deal on the PM's health reforms.

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Alternative health care 101 - canada.com

Posted: 08 Apr 2010 04:19 PM PDT

When the economy is down, there's always one safe investment: your health.

If you've struggled to manage your diet or a chronic condition, you may want to enlist some help beyond our overstressed health-care system.

But who, exactly, does what?

Here's a breakdown of a few of the alternative health-care practitioners available, explaining the basics of what they offer and tips about their trade.

To find one, ask your friends and family for names of practitioners they like.

And always ask the practitioner for references, says holistic nutritionist Barb Thomas.

"You don't want to just see their licence or ask where they've studied; you want to know if they've actually helped people," says Thomas, owner of Love2Eat Nutritional Consulting in Calgary.

Discuss your plans with your regular doctor to ensure there'll be no conflicts with current treatments or medications. Some alternative treatments may be covered by third-party insurance, so check with your provider.

Dietitians

What they do

Assess the foods you eat, develop better nutrition strategies, help you implement them and evaluate your success. The goal is to improve health and, in some cases, to treat illness through nutrition. Must have a bachelor's degree specializing in foods and nutrition, as well as a period of practical training in a hospital or community setting. In Alberta, a Registered Dietitian (RD) and Registered Nutritionist (RN) have the same education and training. However, use of the term "nutritionist" is not protected by law in Alberta, so anyone can use it.

Qualifications

Look for these titles or initials: Registered Dietitian, Registered Nutritionist, Dietitian or RD.

To find one

Visit Dietitians of Canada at dietitians.ca and click on Find a Nutrition Professional.

Source: dietitians.ca and collegeofdietitians.ab.ca

Naturopathic doctors (or naturopaths)

What they do

Primary care using natural medicine to help the body heal itself. Practitioners are trained in herbal medicine, homeopathy, nutrition and supplementation, among other things.

Qualifications

Must have graduated from an accredited naturopathic college or university and passed the Naturopathic Licensing Exams, which are standardized in North America.

To find one

Visit the Canadian Association of Naturopathic Doctors at cand.ca.

Source: naturopathic-alberta.com and Bruce Lofting, ND

Holistic nutritionists

What they do

Assess your lifestyle, emotional well-being, activity level, supplementation and nutrition. Practitioners use food -- especially locally grown, whole foods -- to correct imbalances in the body. They do not diagnose or treat disease.

Qualifications

Most holistic nutritionists are graduates of the Canadian School of Natural Nutrition, but there are other accredited schools in Canada. Many choose to register with the International Organization of Nutritional Consultants (IONC).

Tips

Find out where the practitioner studied and ask if he or she is registered with the IONC.

To find one

Visit the IONC site at ionc.org and click on Member Directory.

Source: Barb Thomas, RHN, owner of Love2Eat Nutritional Consulting

Chinese medicine practitioners

What they do

Beyond examining your background, including previous conditions and family history, practitioners examine your tongue and take your pulse on both arms to get an overall reflection of how the body is doing internally.

To treat, they use a mix of herbology, acupuncture and other techniques, such as massage and energy work.

Qualifications

Most study at Canadian colleges that offer programs in acupuncture and traditional Chinese medicine, such as the acupuncture program at Grant MacEwan College in Edmonton or the Alberta College of Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine in Calgary.

Tips

Make sure the practitioner is registered for acupuncture by asking to see his or her licence.

To find one

Visit the Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture Association of Canada at cmaac.ca.

Source: Dennis Lee, dean of students at ACATCM

Homeopathic doctors (or homeopaths)

What they do

Treat medical conditions using substances from plants, minerals and animals that are highly diluted in water and alcohol.

Qualifications

There are no regulations, so buyer beware. Homeopaths should have completed a three- to four-year homeopathy program from a recognized school that you can verify on the Internet.

Ask practitioners where they studied, confirm that they graduated, and check the program online. Another good benchmark is to ask if they have at least 1,200 to 1,800 hours of homeopathic training.

To find one

Above all, seek referrals from other people.

Conduct an Internet search for or check the Yellow Pages.

Source: Helen Hardinge Field, president of the National United Professional Association of Trained Homepaths

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How has health care reform changed Medicare Advantage ... - Plain Dealer

Posted: 09 Apr 2010 03:21 PM PDT

By Brie Zeltner, The Plain Dealer

April 09, 2010, 6:09PM

How has the health care reform bill changed Medicare Advantage plans?

It hasn't. At least, not yet. The changes to Medicare Advantage, an alternative to traditional Medicare that allows the government to pay insurers to manage benefits to seniors, won't kick in until 2011.

And then, the changes will be phased in gradually and depend largely on where you live, says Tricia Neuman, director of the Medicare Policy Project at the Kaiser Family Foundation.

Advantage plans, used by about 23 percent of seniors nationwide and 25 percent of seniors in Ohio, were designed to save money for the government by acting like HMO's. They get subsidies -- 14 percent more than paid to providers through traditional Medicare -- because Congress in 2003 believed that the subsidies would encourage providers to expand the plans into rural and less profitable markets.

"Medicare's current payment system has resulted in excess payments to Medicare Advantage," Neuman says. A George Washington University analysis quantified that excess at $1,138 per Advantage enrollee nationwide, or $1,166 for those in Ohio.

The provisions in the healthcare reform bill are designed to bring payments to these plans more in alignment with payments to traditional Medicare, Neuman says.

The changes will be phased in over three years -- payment rates will be frozen in 2011 and then gradually reduced. Because Medicare payments are calculated on a county-by-county basis, this will vary by area.

The phase-in will make the transition a little easier for Medicare Advantage customers and insurance providers.

"People should not be anxious that the sky is going to fall within the next few months or the next year," says Marc Steinberg, deputy director of health policy at Families USA, a consumer advocacy group.

But, there will likely be changes, he says. Premiums may rise and some plans may reduce the extra benefits they provide as they adjust to lower payments from the government.

And some insurance companies may stop offering Medicare Advantage altogether.

Aetna, which serves about 101,000 Medicare Advantage customers in Ohio, said in a prepared statement that the company was "committed to continuing the successful growth of our Medicare Advantage business. We will continue to invest in this business, and our value proposition for Medicare Advantage (including our Medicare Prescription Drug plans) continues to be strong."

The important thing to remember is that no one currently using Medicare Advantage is going to be suddenly without coverage, Steinberg says.

"You always have options in Medicare," he says. "You can always switch to another plan if you want to stay in private plans or you always have the option of going to traditional Medicare."

The bill also includes changes that will reward Medicare Advantage plans that are functioning well.

Starting in 2012 plans that receive four or more stars -- out of a pre-existing, five-star rating system administered by the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services that measures quality of care -- will receive a lower payment reduction.

In 2014 Medicare Advantage plans that are paying less than 85 percent of their premium dollars towards their customers' medical care (as opposed to CEO salaries, advertising, or administrative costs) will have to remit some of those payments to the government.

Nora Super, Director of Federal Government Relations for AARP, a nonpartisan, nonprofit interest group for the elderly, says the organization believes the quality incentives will be a net gain for seniors in Medicare Advantage plans.

"We believe that beneficiaries should have choices available to them, but we want them to have high quality choices, and we think the changes that are in the law move the market in that direction," she says.

-- Brie Zeltner

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plus 2 more “Brumby unveils alternative health plan - Australian Broadcasting Corp.”

2010-04-08T13:30:00.001-07:00

plus 2 more “Brumby unveils alternative health plan - Australian Broadcasting Corp.”

Brumby unveils alternative health plan - Australian Broadcasting Corp.
Victoria pitches health plan alternative - ninemsn
BioVeda Health and Wellness Center of Milford, OH ... - PRWeb

Brumby unveils alternative health plan - Australian Broadcasting Corp.

Posted: 07 Apr 2010 06:08 PM PDT

By Ryan Sheales

Updated April 8, 2010 19:38:00

Victorian Premier John Brumby's plan will be presented to the next COAG meeting. (AAP: Julian Smith)

The Victorian Government has released an alternative to the Commonwealth's planned health changes.

The Putting Patients First plan proposes an increase in Commonwealth health funding to be distributed by the states.

Hospitals would then give performance reports to both the federal and relevant state governments.

Victorian Premier John Brumby says this model would clearly position the states as the level of government responsible for health.

The Commonwealth wants to take control of health funding by withholding some GST revenue.

State Health minister, Daniel Andrews, says Victoria's plan is a better option than having the Commonwealth redirect GST revenue into hospitals.

"The model we have put forward today is practical, it's simple, it will work," he said.

He says Victoria has increased bottom-line funding to hospitals and health services by 130 per cent in the past decade, treating more than an extra 700,000 patients this year than a decade ago.

Mr Brumby says a true 50/50 partnership would mean a funding increase of $1.2 billion for patients next year.

"Another key feature of this blueprint is a national health fighting fund to combat our five big killers and the underlying risk factors, such as obesity and smoking."

Mr Brumby expects the "principles" of his model to enjoy support at this month's Council of Australian Governments (COAG) meeting.

Mr Brumby says his staff rang the Prime Minister's office this morning to alert them to the plan.

The Victorian Premier has opposed Kevin Rudd's plan saying it does not provide any new money for health care.

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has strongly urged Mr Brumby to sign up to the Federal Government's health plan.

Mr Rudd is hoping to reach an agreement with state and territory leaders at a COAG meeting in a fortnight on his proposal for the Commonwealth to become the dominant funder.

He says he was elected with a mandate to deliver better health and hospitals.

"I would just urge John [Brumby] to work with the Australian Government because state governments cannot afford to fund the system for the future," he said.

"The Australian Government must be the dominant funder for the future.

Mr Rudd has previously threatened to take the issue to a referendum if the states and territories cannot agree.

Tags: government-and-politics, federal-state-issues, health, healthcare-facilities, health-policy, vic, melbourne-3000

First posted April 8, 2010 11:03:00

MORE stories from Victoria

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Victoria pitches health plan alternative - ninemsn

Posted: 08 Apr 2010 02:00 AM PDT

Victorian Premier John Brumby says he's "fundamentally" opposed to the commonwealth seizing any of the states' GST revenues - regardless of where the money was to be spent.

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd wants to use 30 per cent of GST receipts to fund his proposed overhaul of the nation's public hospitals.

But Mr Brumby has told ABC TV the GST is an important source of revenue for the states and territories.

They abolished and cut their own taxes when the GST was introduced, he said.

"(So) I would fundamentally object to starting to hand that over because it's the thin edge of the wedge and where will it end?"

Earlier on Thursday, Mr Brumby unveiled an alternative health plan which he believes the states and territories will support ahead of the prime minister's agenda.

It reinforces Victoria's preference for a 50/50 funding split as opposed to Mr Rudd's proposal - which would see the commonwealth become the dominant funder of public hospitals by taking on 60 per cent of funding responsibility.

Mr Brumby argues the commonwealth's plan is a sham because it takes GST funds and "recycles" it as new federal money.

"What our analysis shows absolutely conclusively is that there is no new money in this for Victoria," he said.

Over the next decade "the total real shift in commonwealth funding is from 40 per cent to 41 per cent" under Mr Rudd's plan.

But if the commonwealth increased its contribution to 50 per cent Victoria would be $1.2 billion better off each year, Mr Brumby said.

A genuine 60 per cent contribution could seal the deal.

"If (the commonwealth) were to lift their real funding share to 60 per cent I'd be quite comfortable with that," he said.

"If this was real new money that the federal government was talking about, of course, we'd have a conversation."

If the states don't sign up to federal Labor's health plan at a Council of Australian Governments (COAG) meeting on April 19 Mr Rudd says he will hold a referendum on the issue.

Mr Brumby said on Thursday night said he would oppose any such move.

"I would, yes," he said.

The commonwealth argues Victoria is already $5.1 billion better off under the current five-year healthcare agreement negotiated by federal Labor.

It's proposed reforms would see the state receive an additional $3.8 billion in the five years from 2014.

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BioVeda Health and Wellness Center of Milford, OH ... - PRWeb

Posted: 08 Apr 2010 08:48 AM PDT

Substance Specific Neurological Stress Reduction Therapy or NSRTSM is found very effective in the alleviation of symptoms associated with many chronic conditions such as allergies, asthma, migraines, chronic fatigue and a wide array of skin conditions. Currently over 300 practices throughout the country are using this holistic therapy including over 50 branded BioVeda Health and Wellness Centers.

Milford, OH (Vocus/PRWEB ) April 8, 2010 -- BioVeda Health and Wellness Centers, LLC is pleased to announce the opening of a new BioVeda Health and Wellness Center in Milford, OH. The practitioners at this center, headed by Dr. Luke Reineck, are successfully providing therapy for those suffering from autonomic nervous system related conditions, such as allergies, IBS, chronic fatigue, migraines and a myriad of skin conditions including eczema, rosacea, shingles and psoriasis.

The BAX 3000 system which is used in this clinic consists of new state-of-the-art technology. The BAX 3000 first measures the patient's neurological reactions to specific environmental substances presented in the form of sound via the FDA cleared DCM or Digital Conductance Meter. The substances that trigger a physiological stress spike, which is measured by the body's impedance to each substance, are recorded and then presented back to the patient during light therapy. Light therapy conditions the autonomic nervous system to react normally to the otherwise harmless substances. This form of alternative therapy can stop the process that leads to a host of chronic and acute conditions faced by over 60% of the US population.

Thousands of patients nationwide have undergone therapy, and doctors report better than 80% of patients experienced drastically reduced or eliminated symptoms. The technology has been used successfully to address a variety of conditions caused by the nervous system's inappropriate response to typically harmless environmental substances such as peanuts, grass and common house pets. While not an FDA approved therapy for Autism, doctors and patients have reported significant positive changes in areas such as speech, vocabulary size, normalized effect and the ability to communicate with others in a short period of time. BioVeda Technologies, the manufacturer of the BAX 3000, is planning clinical studies to further document the affects of this therapy and the relationship to childhood neurological disorders.

Neurological stress reduction therapy (NSRT), the groundbreaking technique that is offered at BioVeda Health and Wellness Centers™, is unique in that it combines environmental substance exposure and substance specific stress reduction therapy to reduce or eliminate inappropriate autonomic nervous system mediated responses which can trigger conditions such as allergies and symptoms such as rashes, indigestion and headaches which is how the body attempts to expel toxins. This is faster than traditional methodologies, highly accurate in substance specific assessment, non-invasive, painless and effective. It requires no drugs, no needles and no dietary restrictions. Some foods might have to be eliminated for 24 hours depending on the diagnostic results.

The system is designed to focus on physiological stress, not to be confused with anxiety, which not only weakens the immune system, but is also the trigger for food allergies, seasonal allergies, pet allergies, asthma, eczema, migraines, shingles, celiac and numerous other auto-immune related conditions. How these specific substances affect the stress levels placed on our immune system has a direct impact on the quality of our daily lives. Nearly everyone can benefit from this type of therapy.

"I became a BAX provider because I saw the need for this technology in healthcare," states Dr. Reineck. "I live in a neighborhood filled with people suffering from chronic conditions: kids who have allergies beyond the seasonal runny nose and patients that suffer from migraines, fibromyalgia or some other unresolved condition that has not totally improved with traditional chiropractic care. As a chiropractor I understand the affect stress has on the body and the function of a chiropractic adjustment is essentially to take the stress off the nervous system by restoring proper joint mechanics. The BAX 3000 now provides additional ammunition to address those stresses in combination with customized chiropractic care. I look forward to being the exclusive chiropractor on the east side of Cincinnati with the technology to help people restore a way of life that they thought was long gone and to assist people in pro-active strategies to maintain their current state of wellness."

BioVeda Health and Wellness Centers are being established across the country through BioVeda Health and Wellness Centers, LLC., based in Boca Raton, FL. Each clinic is independently owned and operated by a licensed physician. The company was established in 2009 and is committed to utilizing the technology provided by its parent company, BioVeda Technologies, to provide effective and noninvasive therapeutic alternatives rooted in NSRTSM. BioVeda, which means "knowledge and wisdom of the body," reflects the vision and commitment of the Bethlehem center to alternative health care methods that can help thousands of patients reduce their level of suffering from common and debilitating symptoms. The BAX 3000 system has been shown to be effective with all types of substances, including seasonal reactions to hay fever, pollen, grasses and trees; environmental substances such as pollutants, chemicals, dust and dust mites; foods such as fruit, dairy, and nuts; and pets including cats and dogs, among others. More recently, the system has also been shown to be effective in the treatment of symptoms related to hot flashes, colitis, low energy and fatigue, migraines, shingles, celiac disease, eczema, autism and asthma.

"An allergy is simply an inappropriate response developed by your body as a result of a genetic predisposition or a learned negative interaction with a specific substance," said Dr. Guy Annunziata, Chief Clinical Officer at BioVeda Technologies. "This programmed response triggers a reaction within your body. Common reactions may include the release of histamine leading to sneezing, runny nose, itching, watery eyes, headaches and difficulty breathing. However, other symptomatic diagnoses such as IBS, acid reflux, fibromyalgia and autism have also been very closely linked to underlying reactions to various substances. Once the physiological stress related to a particular substance is identified, our system works to eliminate the stress response or stop the cascade of events that lead to symptoms by training the nervous system to maintain stasis during real world exposure. Dr. Annunziata, along with the other medical practitioners at BioVeda Technologies, works closely with the wellness centers to ensure the highest level of standardization, clinical results and success rates.

Patients receive a customized treatment plan which best fit their individual symptoms and conditions; however, many patients notice significant results after receiving just a single NSRT therapeutic session. The cost for therapy is very affordable and results are long-lasting.

BioVeda Health and Wellness Centers are located throughout the U.S. There is expected to be over 100 centers by the Spring of 2010. BioVeda Health and Wellness Center of Milford, OH is now open and located at 1007 C State Route 28, Milford, OH 45150 75701 877-313-4914 www.biovedaofmilford.com

Phone and onsite interviews and photo opportunities with Dr. Luke Reineck and his associates can be booked through Joshua Kayne by email at JoshuaK(at)BioVedaTechnologies(dot)com or by phone at (561) 322-3977. For more information, to make an appointment, or for the BioVeda Health and Wellness Center™ closest to you, call 1-877-647-7566 or visit www.biovedawellness.com.

BioVeda Health and Wellness Centers are committed to the advancement of therapies that are affordable and effective in the management of chronic conditions and common symptoms without the use of pharmaceutical agents.

Media Alert: Please consider BioVeda Health and Wellness Centers for stories related to the technology and advancement of drug-free therapies and neurological stress reduction therapy (NSRT). BioVeda Health and Wellness Centers are also available for stories and media contact in local areas throughout the country. For more information or to set up an appointment, please contact Joshua Kayne, Executive Vice President, 1-800-519-7640.

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plus 1 more “Cal Thomas: GOP needs health reform alternative - Wichita Eagle”

2010-04-07T13:13:00.001-07:00

plus 1 more “Cal Thomas: GOP needs health reform alternative - Wichita Eagle”

Cal Thomas: GOP needs health reform alternative - Wichita Eagle

Posted: 07 Apr 2010 04:18 AM PDT

Should Republicans succeed in their attempt to get the new health care legislation overturned on constitutional grounds, what then? No one wants to see the current chaos of selective health insurance and rising treatment costs continue.

The best course for opponents of the law is not only to fight for its repeal, but also have a plan ready to take its place.

Few in the medical profession thought more about this subject, or brought more experience and passion to it, than the late cardiovascular surgeon Michael DeBakey.

In a speech delivered at Rice University in Houston on April 15, 2005, DeBakey laid the moral, medical and political groundwork necessary to transform American health care. He called for a road map toward achieving a universal health care system that is "culturally acceptable, affordable, and of optimal quality, while avoiding its administration and total control by an ultimately rigid and unwieldy governmental or insurance-industry bureaucracy."

DeBakey realized something had to be done to cure its ills and that the federal government, which is very much involved in research grants to medical institutions, has a role to play. In his Rice speech, he said, "Blind opposition, indignant repudiation, bitter denunciation of these laws is worse than useless; it leads nowhere and it leaves the profession in a position of helplessness if the rising tide of social development seeps over them."

Which is what has happened with Obamacare.

DeBakey quoted Robert M. Ball, President Kennedy's commissioner of Social Security, who said that the architects of Medicare saw it and subsequent insurance for children as incremental steps toward national health care. He said he was "astonished" to learn this. He shouldn't have been, because "progressives" always think government and academia are smarter and more capable than any individual or profession.

Seeing clearly the arguments that would be made in favor of Obamacare, DeBakey said, "I have traveled the globe to developed and undeveloped countries with both democratic and communistic governments... and I can state unequivocally that I have not observed any 'universal health system' or other state-operated medical system that functions in a highly satisfactory manner or provides high-quality care to all the people all the time. In all such countries, there are long delays for any form of high-technology care — sometimes with fatal consequences. In fact, rationing of care is a prominent feature of all these systems."

DeBakey was a humanitarian who believed "health care is too critical for the welfare of the people to be held hostage by the politically motivated or the profit-minded. Herein lies the societal challenge: the need for accepting the desirability of some form of national health care, along with the willingness to pay for it, but avoiding its administration and total control by an ultimately rigid and unwieldy governmental or insurance industry bureaucracy."

This is the Republican challenge. If Obamacare is struck down, Republicans should have a substitute proposal ready that embodies their principles and gets passed by a Republican Congress and signed by a Republican president in 2013.

Cal Thomas is a columnist with Tribune Media Services.

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Improving Everyones Quality of Life - Associated Content

Posted: 07 Apr 2010 10:37 AM PDT

The Surgeon General has determined that cigarette smoking is hazardous to the health of everyone in the vicinity of the smoker. Not only is the person that lights up subject the horrors of cancer and possible death, but those that inhale second hand tobacco are also at risk of being stricken with a debilitating disease.

As a result of the public health concerns surrounding nicotine use and the tars and chemicals that are released by tobacco products many cities and states have banned the use of cigarettes in public buildings, offices, bars, and restaurants. Understanding that it is the flavor of the nicotine that is addictive and difficult for some people to live without the developers of electronic cigarettes have found a health alternative to smoking that everyone can live with.

Using a flameless flavor cartridge that releases a vaporized mist, which resembling smoke as the person exhales the device, which looks similar to an actual filtered cigarette, but is harmless to both the user and anyone that is in their immediate surroundings. Available in a selection of cartridges that can be refilled and reused over and over the electronic cigarette is almost completely odorless. The moist vapor that resembles smoke is releases into the air with a slightly scented aroma of whatever flavor cartridge is being inhaled by the user. Choosing from coffee, chocolate, vanilla, menthol, or tobacco the amount of nicotine can be adjusted to the specific requirements of the person that craves the drug, but is unable to smoke in public.

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plus 1 more “Roy Blunt promotes alternative health care reform plan ... - Southeast Missourian”

2010-04-06T13:08:00.001-07:00

plus 1 more “Roy Blunt promotes alternative health care reform plan ... - Southeast Missourian”

Roy Blunt promotes alternative health care reform plan ... - Southeast Missourian

Posted: 06 Apr 2010 09:48 AM PDT

U.S. Rep. Roy Blunt used a Tuesday visit to Cape Girardeau to promote his call to repeal the recently enacted federal health care overhaul bill and replace it with "real health care solutions."

Blunt, a Springfield Republican, said a 12-point program he is promoting would lower costs, improve care and fix problems with the health care system. He called for liability reform to reduce malpractice awards, the creation of health plans for small businesses, allowing insurance to be purchased across state lines and eliminating the use of pre-existing conditions as a reason for denying coverage.

The "Real Health Care Solutions Coalition" will seek to enlist doctors, nurses, patients and other health care professionals to support the plan, Blunt said. The health care bill passed last month is a government takeover of health care that "does not solve the problems with health care, but does create yet another obstacle to job creation by imposing $570 billion in new job-killing taxes."

Blunt made his pitch during a visit to Silver Springs Surgery Center, 319 S. Silver Springs Rd. Blunt is seeking to replace U.S. Sen. Kit Bond, a Republican who is retiring. He faces 10 opponents in the Aug. 3 primary, but most except for state Sen. Chuck Purgason, R-Caulfield, have little name recognition. The Democratic nominee is widely expected to be Missouri Secretary of State Robin Carnahan, who has only token opposition in the Democratic primary.

Pertinent addresses:

319 S. Silver Springs Rd., Cape Girardeau, Mo.

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New “Whole Food” Canine Nutrition Program is ... - PR Inside

Posted: 06 Apr 2010 10:02 AM PDT

2010-04-06 19:03:04 -

A new canine nutrition brand, backed by a four-time Inc., 500/5000 animal health corporation, has launched a new diet category for dogs designed to forever change the way people feed their dogs.

The Proportions whole food nutrition program : , the latest entry into the multi-billion dollar dog food market, is the first canine meal program created specifically for

dog owners who understand the value and health benefits of real, whole food and the health risks associated with feeding processed, manufactured food products.

This new whole food nutrition program is a healthier alternative to traditional feeding programs and allows dog owners to create a customized meal specifically for their dog -- delivered to their home each month.

Like human whole food diets, the Proportions whole food nutrition program is a three-part healthy alternative to a highly-processed conventional diet and works by.

- Reducing carbohydrates and starches by feeding a reduced portion of high quality dry food,
- Increasing healthy, natural proteins and vegetables with a stew portion, and
- Increasing the amount of fruits and vegetables in a dog's diet with a harvest mix portion.

Commenting on the Proportions launch, Paal Gisholt, Proportions CEO, said "We have launched Proportions in response to consumers who have started paying greater attention to the quality of the ingredients that go into the kibble they feed -- increasing the use of holistic foods in kibble is an important step forward that many have taken in this regard. But no matter how high the quality of the ingredients, kibble is still a highly-processed food that consists of an unhealthy level of carbohydrates when served as the only component of a dog's diet."

A Healthier Diet for Your Dog

Proportions takes canine nutrition to a new level by reducing the amount of kibble that is fed, replacing the calories in kibble with a better-quality protein-rich stew, and further enriching a dog's diet with real fruits and vegetables. This gives the lucky dogs on Proportions fewer carbohydrates, more protein and more fruits and vegetables while eliminating a significant amount of processed food from the dogs diet.

Many consumers are striving to feed their families a better quality food these days, and now we've made it easier to do the same for their whole family – including their dog.

The Proportions Whole food nutrition program is personalized to an individual dog's specific daily caloric requirement. Each Proportions meal is custom-balanced for the individual dog based on seven different variables beyond the dog's weight, including breed, gender, age, and activity level. Proportions uses the information from these variables to create a three part "whole meal" for each dog using the appropriate balance of protein and reduced carbohydrates.

Each Proportions whole meal includes three different types of food that combine for the perfect meal.

- A portion of a reduced amount of high-grade kibble,
- A portion of human grade chicken breast in pumpkin soup and
- A portion of dehydrated fruits and vegetables.

"Proportions is the best solution to my advice to feed your dog only half per meal of a quality kibble - along with high quality protein and real vegetables," says pet nutrition expert Tracie Hotchner, the author of THE DOG BIBLE and award-winning host of the radio shows DOG TALK® on NPR and DOG TALK & CAT CHAT® on New York's WOR 710. "Proportions is the ideal meal and ideal foundation for a lifetime of health and wellness."

Getting your dog into the Proportions program requires only a few minutes on the computer to let the company know some pertinent information about your dog.

How It Works:

- Visit the Proportions : web site at www.proportions.com :
- Input specific information about your dog: breed, weight, activity level, age, allergies.

- Proportions generates a personalized, custom-balanced meal plan.

- Upload a photo of your dog to be featured on each meal package.

- Meals arrive via UPS every 28 days for the ultimate in convenience.

Proportions is backed by SmartPak™ Canine, a web and catalog destination for food, nutritional supplements and a variety of top-quality dog products which provides thoughtful, custom nutrition to enhance and extend the lives of animals. To learn more about SmartPak™ Canine please visit: www.smartpakcanine.com :

True North Brand Group, Inc.Susan Lloyd, 781-740-4050 susan@truenorthpr.com : mailto:susan@truenorthpr.com

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The “Alternative health care 101 - Vancouver Sun”

2010-04-05T13:35:00.001-07:00

The “Alternative health care 101 - Vancouver Sun”

Alternative health care 101 - Vancouver Sun

Posted: 05 Apr 2010 06:43 AM PDT

When the economy is down, there's always one safe investment: your health.

If you've struggled to manage your diet or a chronic condition, you may want to enlist some help beyond our overstressed health-care system.

But who, exactly, does what?

Here's a breakdown of a few of the alternative health-care practitioners available, explaining the basics of what they offer and tips about their trade.

To find one, ask your friends and family for names of practitioners they like.

And always ask the practitioner for references, says holistic nutritionist Barb Thomas.

"You don't want to just see their licence or ask where they've studied; you want to know if they've actually helped people," says Thomas, owner of Love2Eat Nutritional Consulting in Calgary.

Dietitians

What they do

Qualifications

Look for these titles or initials: Registered Dietitian, Registered Nutritionist, Dietitian or RD.

To find one

Visit Dietitians of Canada at dietitians.ca and click on Find a Nutrition Professional.

Source: dietitians.ca and collegeofdietitians.ab.ca

Naturopathic doctors (or naturopaths)

What they do

Primary care using natural medicine to help the body heal itself. Practitioners are trained in herbal medicine, homeopathy, nutrition and supplementation, among other things.

Qualifications

Must have graduated from an accredited naturopathic college or university and passed the Naturopathic Licensing Exams, which are standardized in North America.

To find one

Visit the Canadian Association of Naturopathic Doctors at cand.ca.

Source: naturopathic-alberta.com and Bruce Lofting, ND

Holistic nutritionists

What they do

Qualifications

Tips

Find out where the practitioner studied and ask if he or she is registered with the IONC.

To find one

Visit the IONC site at ionc.org and click on Member Directory.

Source: Barb Thomas, RHN, owner of Love2Eat Nutritional Consulting

Chinese medicine practitioners

What they do

To treat, they use a mix of herbology, acupuncture and other techniques, such as massage and energy work.

Qualifications

Tips

Make sure the practitioner is registered for acupuncture by asking to see his or her licence.

To find one

Visit the Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture Association of Canada at cmaac.ca.

Source: Dennis Lee, dean of students at ACATCM

Homeopathic doctors (or homeopaths)

What they do

Treat medical conditions using substances from plants, minerals and animals that are highly diluted in water and alcohol.

Qualifications

There are no regulations, so buyer beware. Homeopaths should have completed a three- to four-year homeopathy program from a recognized school that you can verify on the Internet.

Ask practitioners where they studied, confirm that they graduated, and check the program online. Another good benchmark is to ask if they have at least 1,200 to 1,800 hours of homeopathic training.

To find one

Above all, seek referrals from other people.

Conduct an Internet search for or check the Yellow Pages.

Source: Helen Hardinge Field, president of the National United Professional Association of Trained Homepaths

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plus 1 more “Alternative cancer treatments: 11 alternative ... - MayoClinic.com”

2010-04-04T13:36:00.001-07:00

plus 1 more “Alternative cancer treatments: 11 alternative ... - MayoClinic.com”

Alternative cancer treatments: 11 alternative ... - MayoClinic.com

Posted: 01 Apr 2010 12:24 PM PDT

Alternative cancer treatments can't cure your cancer, but they may provide some relief from signs and symptoms.

By Mayo Clinic staff

Many people with cancer are interested in trying anything that may help them, including complementary and alternative cancer treatments. If cancer makes you feel as though you have little control over your health, alternative cancer treatments may offer some feeling of control. But many alternative cancer treatments are unproved and many are even dangerous.

To help you sort out the good from the bad, here are 11 alternative cancer treatments that are generally safe. Plus, there is some evidence that these 11 alternative cancer treatments may provide some benefit.

How can alternative medicine help people with cancer?

Alternative cancer treatments won't play any role in curing your cancer, but they may help you cope with signs and symptoms caused by cancer and cancer treatments. Common signs and symptoms such as anxiety, fatigue, nausea and vomiting, pain, difficulty sleeping, and stress may be lessened by alternative treatments.

Use alternative cancer treatments as a supplement to treatments you receive from your doctor — not as a substitute for medical care. While alternative cancer treatments, such as acupuncture, may reduce nausea or pain, they generally aren't powerful enough to replace medications from your doctor. Work closely with your doctor to determine the right balance between traditional medicines and alternative cancer treatments.

Next page
(1 of 2)

References

Complementary and alternative methods for cancer management. American Cancer Society. http://www.cancer.org/docroot/ETO/content/ETO_5_1_Introduction.asp. Accessed Nov. 9, 2009.
Cassileth BR, et al. Complementary therapies and integrative oncology in lung cancer: ACCP evidence-based clinical practice guidelines (2nd edition). Chest. 2007;132(suppl):340S.
Aromatherapy. American Cancer Society. http://www.cancer.org/docroot/ETO/content/ETO_5_3X_Aromatherapy.asp?sitearea=ETO. Accessed Nov. 10, 2009.
Biofeedback. American Cancer Society. http://www.cancer.org/docroot/ETO/content/ETO_5_3x_Biofeedback.asp?sitearea=ETO. Accessed Nov. 10, 2009.
Adult cancer pain. Fort Washington, Pa.: National Comprehensive Cancer Network. http://www.nccn.org/professionals/physician_gls/PDF/pain.pdf. Accessed Nov. 10, 2009.
Tai chi. American Cancer Society. March 26, 2007. http://www.cancer.org/docroot/ETO/content/ETO_5_3X_Tai_Chi.asp?sitearea=ETO. Accessed Nov. 10, 2009.
Antiemesis. Fort Washington, Pa.: National Comprehensive Cancer Network. http://www.nccn.org/professionals/physician_gls/PDF/antiemesis.pdf. Accessed Nov. 10, 2009.
Cancer-related fatigue. Fort Washington, Pa.: National Comprehensive Cancer Network. http://www.nccn.org/professionals/physician_gls/PDF/fatigue.pdf. Accessed Nov. 10, 2009.
Frequently asked questions about music therapy. American Music Therapy Association. http://www.musictherapy.org/faqs.html. Accessed Nov. 10, 2009.
Complementary medicine: Information for patients. Cancer.Net. http://www.plwc.org/portal/site/PLWC/menuitem.169f5d85214941ccfd748f68ee37a01d/?vgnextoid=2ed541eca8daa010VgnVCM100000ed730ad1RCRD. Accessed Nov. 10, 2009.
Courneya KS. Exercise in cancer survivors: An overview of research. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. 2003;35:1846.
Mitchell SA, et al. Putting evidence into practice: Evidence-based interventions for fatigue during and following cancer and its treatment. Clinical Journal of Oncology Nursing. 2007;11:99.
Page MS, et al. Putting evidence into practice: Evidence-based interventions for sleep-wake disturbances. Clinical Journal of Oncology Nursing. 2006;10:753.

CM00002

Dec. 15, 2009

© 1998-2010 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research (MFMER). All rights reserved. A single copy of these materials may be reprinted for noncommercial personal use only. "Mayo," "Mayo Clinic," "MayoClinic.com," "EmbodyHealth," "Enhance your life," and the triple-shield Mayo Clinic logo are trademarks of Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research.

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Brumby alternative puts Rudd in jam - The Age

Posted: 30 Mar 2010 06:07 AM PDT

Kevin Rudd took a stroll in Melbourne yeaterday. Photo: Craig Abraham

THE states should retain their power to control and direct hospital funding, under a provocative alternative health plan being promoted by Premier John Brumby.

In a clear sign that Victoria is fundamentally opposed to the federal government's proposed hospital takeover, the Brumby model rejects the notion of the Commonwealth directly funding the local networks that run hospitals.

The Premier is likely to discuss the idea of state control of hospital funding with Prime Minister Kevin Rudd this morning in their second face-to-face meeting in as many days.

''The model that I would prefer would be the Commonwealth and the state paying into a single state pool and that pool would then fund the health networks,'' Mr Brumby told ABC's Lateline last night.

The Age believes that the Brumby model would involve a 50-50 funding split between state and Commonwealth, with the states and territories discussing several ''pool'' funding options.

Federal funding would increase to 60 per cent under the proposed overhaul, partly from an increase in the Commonwealth's take of GST, which would go directly to local hospital networks.

The Premier said he had made it clear to Mr Rudd that Victorian hospitals need more funding now, rather than in four years under the federal plan.

Mr Brumby also said there were dozens of hours of talks to come over the national health plan, warning that ''to get a resolution will be quite difficult''.

Mr Brumby said he and Mr Rudd were yet to discuss the ''very substantial'' issue of funding at yesterday's breakfast meeting.

''We've still got a lot of work to do and a lot of water to flow under the bridge,'' the Premier said following the talks.

Yesterday's meeting worked through a list of questions, sent to Mr Rudd by the Premier last week.

Mr Brumby said there was progress made on the areas of activity-based funding and local control of hospitals but the funding issue remained ''very large''.

''You wouldn't expect us to just click our fingers and get a solution,'' he said.

The Premier also said a list of 40 questions from the states about the health overhaul had now grown.

''There are a lot of unanswered questions,'' he said.

Victoria has been a leading critic of the health plan, demanding the federal government immediately boost health funding by $1.2 billion.

Yesterday, Mr Rudd emerged from the breakfast meeting saying he and the Premier had positive and substantive discussions, but conceded areas of disagreement remain.

''I believe that we are making some progress,'' the Prime Minister said.

''I don't underestimate the problems that we've still got to work our way through.''

Mr Rudd said the Victorian Premier, like other state leaders, was speaking out for local interests.

''You've got this gap between demand on health and hospital services on the one hand and what state and territory governments are capable of funding on the other,'' he said.

The meeting started with the Prime Minister being given a jar of homemade blood-plum jam, a gift from Mr Brumby's wife Rosemary.

Last week, the Premier delivered a scathing analysis of the hospital plan, saying it would not end the blame game between Canberra and the states.

''How will people know who is managing the system and where the buck stops?'' Mr Brumby asked of the Prime Minister.

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The “Hope Health - VillageSoup Belfast”

2010-04-03T13:13:00.001-07:00

The “Hope Health - VillageSoup Belfast”

Hope Health - VillageSoup Belfast

Posted: 03 Apr 2010 11:10 AM PDT

Hope Health is a Family Health Care practice dedicated to providing comprehensive primary health care for people of all ages. We integrate traditional medical practice with complementary and alternative medicines utilizing our own expertise as well as the expertise of other local providers.

Family Nurse Practitioners (FNP) are registered nurses with Master's Degrees and clinical training in family practice. They are recognized throughout the country as integral members of the primary care provider group. FNPs are licensed to assess and treat acute and chronic health care problems, prescribe medications, and order and interpret diagnostic studies. In Maine and twelve other states, Nurse Practitioners may practice independently after two years supervision with an MD or an experienced Nurse Practitioner.

Family Nurse Practitioners can be your designated Primary Care Provider (PCP) and listed on your insurance card as your PCP. Please call or email for more information.

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The “Letter To The Editor: GOP hasn’t offered health ... - Twin Falls Times-News”

2010-04-02T13:27:00.001-07:00

The “Letter To The Editor: GOP hasn’t offered health ... - Twin Falls Times-News”

Letter To The Editor: GOP hasn’t offered health ... - Twin Falls Times-News

Posted: 27 Mar 2010 04:55 PM PDT

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Posted: Sunday, March 28, 2010 1:00 am | (3) Comments

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Kudos to the U.S. Congress for passing the health care reform act. Despite how politically unpopular the issue is, it passed, and hopefully this will provide more opportunities for more access to more affordable health care.

In my opinion, the troubling issue that remains is the political rhetoric from the conservative side of the aisle that is determined to continue fighting the issue without having any "counter offer" for those that passed the bill.

Conservatives have taken the position "chuck the bill and start over." Start over with what? I haven't heard any good ideas from their side of the aisle. The Democrats' ideas are better than no ideas at all. So my thoughts to Rep. Simpson and Sens. Crapo and Risch — cut the political rhetoric and don't tell us to scrap the bill and start over until you have a half decent proposal to bring to the table.

ANDY HALL

Twin Falls

Posted in Mailbag on Sunday, March 28, 2010 1:00 am Updated: 11:47 pm.

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plus 1 more “Healing Body and Heart, Cuban Style: Alternative Health ... - DAILY KOS”

2010-04-01T13:25:00.001-07:00

plus 1 more “Healing Body and Heart, Cuban Style: Alternative Health ... - DAILY KOS”

Healing Body and Heart, Cuban Style: Alternative Health ... - DAILY KOS

Posted: 01 Apr 2010 07:02 AM PDT

Since 1999, a several-hundred-strong team of Cuban-trained and Cuban-sponsored doctors (with individual members rotating in and out) have staffed city hospitals and rural clinics throughout Haiti. Without charge to patient or government, they have focused their attention primarily in remote areas, offering general medical care to many who have never before received it and who otherwise may have died. The doctors also provide eye surgery, and have served as first responders after hurricanes.

The team that arrived since the January 12 earthquake is part of the Henry Reeve Cuban Medical Brigade, a post-disaster operation formed to offer assistance to survivors of Hurricane Katrina. The U.S. government refused their help, but the team has since gone to Pakistan after a major earthquake, Indonesia after the tsunami, and a half-dozen or so other places that have suffered major catastrophes. In February, part of the brigade was dispatched to Chile after an earthquake hit there.

The doctors are committed to health care that is free and accessible to everyone, and that is rooted in dignity and respect. One of them, Dr. Wilsos Canton, said that they "don't consider health care a business, but a right."

The doctors come from 25 countries in Africa, the Middle East and Asia, and the Americas, including Haiti. They were all trained at the Cuban-run Latin American Medical School (ELAM), which has a branch in Venezuela. Their travel to Haiti and all their expenses are covered by the Cuban government. They receive a small stipend for such daily expenses as a soda or snack, but otherwise are 100% volunteer. Regardless of country of origin, they are known throughout Haiti as the 'Cuban doctors.'

ELAM has also trained, at no charge, 556 Haitian doctors in past years. As a condition for the education, the new doctors must return to work in Haiti.

The young physicians of the Henry Reeve Brigade are working in three hospital sites around the capitol, four community health posts, and hospitals in other towns and rural areas. In Carrefour and Croix-des-Bouquets, they have created field hospitals, where they provide 24-hour services with specialty care in pediatrics, surgery, intensive care, internal medicine, and gynecology. Teams of doctors also travel with backpacks full of supplies into displaced people's camps to treat those that cannot or do not come to them. Moreover, five teams, working six days a week, have vaccinated more than 70,000 people against dyptheria, tetanus, whooping cough, mumps, and measles.

At 9:00 on a recent morning, after a bus ride through the city's traffic-clogged streets, five of the 'Cuban doctors' hiked up the rocky street with large backpacks full of supplies and medicines. Arriving at their post in the Carrefour Feuilles neighborhood, they opened the sides of the tent that is permanently stationed there and hung a Cuban flag from it. They unpacked the medicines and arranged a couple of small wooden tables and some metal folding chairs, creating three care stations and a pharmacy.

Dr. David Alderete, an Argentine, sweated in the morning heat. His first patient was a 16-day-old baby, the daughter of a 19-year-old woman. After four days of diarrhea, the baby was malnourished and appeared lifeless. When Alderete lightly pinched the baby's arm, her skin held the shape of his pinch. He determined she needed to go to the hospital for re-hydration, explained to the mother where to go and who to talk with, and handed her a note for his Cuban colleagues on call at the hospital. She listened, agreed, and wrapped the baby back up in her little blankets. A few steps outside the tent, tears begin flowing down the woman's face.

Dr. Isaac Cañas from El Salvador said of the team's work, "I feel proud but a little sad, because what we can do is small compared to the need. It's our little grain of sand."

Later that evening, Alderete, Cañas, and other doctors compared notes about patients back at theirheadquarters, which is downtown in a former annex of a military hospital. Living conditions at the camp are primitive; doctors sleep in small tents and stand in line for showers. The camp is highly organized, complete with rotating chores, late-night guard duties, and early morning meetings. The space also provides community and festivity to sustain the workload. That night the men held a belated International Women's Day celebration. They decorated the dining hall with paper flowers, and kissed and congratulated the women. The players of a pick-up soccer game ceded the small courtyard as others turned up speakers for the Women's Day dance party.

A second group of Cuban healers has been at work in Haiti, as well. The Cuban government is sponsoring the Martha Machado Artists' Brigade, a troupe of musicians, dancers, jugglers, stilt-walkers, magicians, puppeteers, clowns, and painters. In response to the widespread trauma in Haiti, they offer mental health care through art, music, laughter and playfulness.

A collection of artists who first came together after a series of hurricanes in 2008 to perform for struggling communities throughout Cuba, the brigade currently has 50 volunteer members in Haiti. They will remain for a year. They are traveling throughout the country, performing daily outside hospitals, at displaced people's camps, and in the streets.

On another recent morning, the Martha Machado Artists' Brigade was outside the Hospital de Renaissance, while inside, members of the Henry Reeve Brigade were treating patients. In the streets, clowns and magicians had the audience laughing, a rare sight in Port-au-Prince these days. Next up was a group of Cubans of Haitian descent who sang in Creole. They pulled children up from the audience and in minutes all were dancing.

One young girl watched from her wheelchair on the sidelines, her face expressionless. One of her legs was amputated and the other was heavily bandaged. Spotting her, a woman in the troupe danced over to roll her into the middle of the group. A small circle formed around her, dancing and singing.

In the grand finale of the performance, stilt-walkers waved Cuban and Haitian flags chanting "Cuba! Haiti! Cuba! Haiti!" while the trumpets and drums moved the crowd in rhythm. Children snaked through the crowd in the Conga line.

At the ceremony to inaugurate the new trilateral accord, Cuban Health Minister Dr José Ramón Balaguer said, "What would the world look like if all men and women lent their skills and solidarity like those of Henry Reeve? It would be a world full of peace, of love – a different world."

Many thanks to Conner Gorry of MEDICC for her help with research.

Beverly Bell has worked with Haitian social movements for over 30 years. She is also author of the book Walking on Fire: Haitian Women's Stories of Survival and Resistance. She coordinates Other Worlds, www.otherworldsarepossible.org, which promotes social and economic alternatives. She is also associate fellow of the Institute for Policy Studies.

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Alternative cancer treatments: 11 alternative ... - MayoClinic.com

Posted: 01 Apr 2010 12:24 PM PDT

Alternative cancer treatments can't cure your cancer, but they may provide some relief from signs and symptoms.

By Mayo Clinic staff

Many people with cancer are interested in trying anything that may help them, including complementary and alternative cancer treatments. If cancer makes you feel as though you have little control over your health, alternative cancer treatments may offer some feeling of control. But many alternative cancer treatments are unproved and many are even dangerous.

To help you sort out the good from the bad, here are 11 alternative cancer treatments that are generally safe. Plus, there is some evidence that these 11 alternative cancer treatments may provide some benefit.

How can alternative medicine help people with cancer?

Next page
(1 of 2)

References

Complementary and alternative methods for cancer management. American Cancer Society. http://www.cancer.org/docroot/ETO/content/ETO_5_1_Introduction.asp. Accessed Nov. 9, 2009.
Cassileth BR, et al. Complementary therapies and integrative oncology in lung cancer: ACCP evidence-based clinical practice guidelines (2nd edition). Chest. 2007;132(suppl):340S.
Aromatherapy. American Cancer Society. http://www.cancer.org/docroot/ETO/content/ETO_5_3X_Aromatherapy.asp?sitearea=ETO. Accessed Nov. 10, 2009.
Biofeedback. American Cancer Society. http://www.cancer.org/docroot/ETO/content/ETO_5_3x_Biofeedback.asp?sitearea=ETO. Accessed Nov. 10, 2009.
Adult cancer pain. Fort Washington, Pa.: National Comprehensive Cancer Network. http://www.nccn.org/professionals/physician_gls/PDF/pain.pdf. Accessed Nov. 10, 2009.
Tai chi. American Cancer Society. March 26, 2007. http://www.cancer.org/docroot/ETO/content/ETO_5_3X_Tai_Chi.asp?sitearea=ETO. Accessed Nov. 10, 2009.
Antiemesis. Fort Washington, Pa.: National Comprehensive Cancer Network. http://www.nccn.org/professionals/physician_gls/PDF/antiemesis.pdf. Accessed Nov. 10, 2009.
Cancer-related fatigue. Fort Washington, Pa.: National Comprehensive Cancer Network. http://www.nccn.org/professionals/physician_gls/PDF/fatigue.pdf. Accessed Nov. 10, 2009.
Frequently asked questions about music therapy. American Music Therapy Association. http://www.musictherapy.org/faqs.html. Accessed Nov. 10, 2009.
Complementary medicine: Information for patients. Cancer.Net. http://www.plwc.org/portal/site/PLWC/menuitem.169f5d85214941ccfd748f68ee37a01d/?vgnextoid=2ed541eca8daa010VgnVCM100000ed730ad1RCRD. Accessed Nov. 10, 2009.
Courneya KS. Exercise in cancer survivors: An overview of research. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. 2003;35:1846.
Mitchell SA, et al. Putting evidence into practice: Evidence-based interventions for fatigue during and following cancer and its treatment. Clinical Journal of Oncology Nursing. 2007;11:99.
Page MS, et al. Putting evidence into practice: Evidence-based interventions for sleep-wake disturbances. Clinical Journal of Oncology Nursing. 2006;10:753.

CM00002

Dec. 15, 2009

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plus 3 more “Dr. Kenneth R. Pelletier – One of World’s Leading ... - PRWeb”

2010-03-31T13:17:00.001-07:00

plus 3 more “Dr. Kenneth R. Pelletier – One of World’s Leading ... - PRWeb”

Dr. Kenneth R. Pelletier – One of World’s Leading ... - PRWeb
FDA Bans Another Alternative Health Option While ... - Natural News.com
Health expo offers alternative health-care options - San Gabriel Valley Tribune
South Jersey Healthcare to host annual Women's Health ... - Courier-Post

Dr. Kenneth R. Pelletier – One of World’s Leading ... - PRWeb

Posted: 31 Mar 2010 12:08 AM PDT

Will Address How a New, Evidence-Based Focus for Spa Industry Can Open Powerful Opportunities in Corporate Health Market

New York, NY (PRWEB) March 31, 2010 -- The Global Spa Summit (GSS), the premier annual event for the spa and wellness industries, today announced that Dr. Kenneth R. Pelletier, renowned doctor, professor of medicine, author, and integrative health expert, has been named a keynote speaker.

Dr. Pelletier's presentation, "Healthy People, Healthy Places: Bridging the Spa World and Integrative Medicine," will address the critical need for "evidence-based" health and medicine approaches for the spa industry, and how an intensified focus will hold the key to future growth opportunities. Dr. Pelletier's keynote dovetails squarely with the Summit's 2010 theme of "Bridges Worth Building" in exploring ways that the evidence-based approach can bridge the spa industry's services with the powerful new health/wellness initiatives of major global businesses – opening doors to potential, very profitable new corporate clients.

"Clearly, the mounting archive of evidence that many of the core spa and wellness offerings have real, proven medical benefits is the spa industry's most potent, if under-utilized, asset," noted Dr. Pelletier. "It's an exciting challenge to help assembled industry leaders understand how marshalling, focusing on, and standardizing this global archive will guarantee new partners, clients, and markets - in particular, the too untapped corporate health sector." He further noted, "Increasingly individual corporations and nations are focused on health and not disease. In the future, the spa sector has an opportunity to be the prototype for optimal health and longevity."

Dr. Pelletier is Clinical Professor of Medicine and Professor of Public Health at the University of Arizona School of Medicine and the University of California School of Medicine, San Francisco (UCSF). He's the author of twelve major books (from the international bestseller Mind as Healer, Mind as Slayer to his latest The New Medicine: How to Integrate Conventional and Alternative Medicine for the Safest and Most Effective Treatment). He's authored over 300 professional journal articles, and his research has been the subject of numerous television programs including frequent appearances on ABC World News, CBS Evening News, 48 Hours, PBS, CNN, and the BBC.

He serves as a medical and business consultant to dozens of major global organizations and corporations, from the World Health Organization to the Singapore Ministry of Health. For over 25 years he has conducted pioneering research with such corporations as American Airlines, Ford, Apple, Merck, Pepsi, Dow, Pfizer, Disney, IBM, Mercer, Prudential, Walgreens, Microsoft, and NASA. He serves as Chairman of the American Health Association (AHA) and is a Vice President with American Specialty Health (ASH). Having worked with some of the world's top destination spas, Dr. Pelletier is also a leading expert on integrating spa and medicine, and serves on the Board of Directors of Rancho la Puerta and on the Medical Board of the Canyon Ranch Resorts.

"For decades Dr. Pelletier has been one of the most respected forces in expanding the 'health and medicine' discussion to include alternative wellness and spa offerings," noted Susie Ellis, board member and executive director of the Global Spa Summit. "He will offer our industry a critical roadmap to continued expansion by focusing on further closing any 'credibility gaps' that remain for consumers, the media, and the medical establishment."

The GSS will take place at the historic Ç1ragan Palace Kempinski Hotel in Istanbul, May 17–19. Across its four-year history the Summit has hosted an impressive range of speakers, including Adolf Ogi, former president of Switzerland; Steve Case, CEO, Revolution Health; Dr. Richard Carmona, 17th U.S. surgeon general; Ian Schrager, famed American hotelier and real estate developer; and Reto Wittwer, CEO of Kempinski. Dr. Pelletier joins famed futurist, Edie Weiner, and Philippe Bourguignon, vice chairman of Revolution Places, as a 2010 keynote. Additional presenters will be announced in upcoming weeks.

The preliminary Summit agenda can be accessed here: http://www.globalspasummit.org/images/stories/pdf/agenda_gss2010_preliminary.pdf

For media information contact: Beth McGroaty, +1 213 300 0107 or +44 (0) 870 121 6066.

For registration/sponsorship information contact: visit: www.globalspasummit.org

About Global Spa Summit: The award-winning Global Spa Summit is an annual event that attracts top-level executives and leaders from around the world with interest in the spa and wellness industries. Delegates from diverse sectors including hospitality, investment, finance, real estate, medicine, manufacturing, technology, consulting, product, tourism and other related industries attend this intimate, high-level gathering focused on advancing the spa and wellness sectors. With increasing attendance by more countries each year, the Global Spa Summit delegation represented 32 different countries from all continents in 2009.

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FDA Bans Another Alternative Health Option While ... - Natural News.com

Posted: 30 Mar 2010 10:42 PM PDT

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(NaturalNews) The FDA boosts Big Pharma sales and eliminates natural remedy competition. A current example is the FDA`s ban on ear candle production while allowing osteoporosis drugs with dangerous side effects to continue in the market place leading to - more easily broken bones! A recent ABC expose` showed how a leading osteoporosis drug caused more bone problems for a decade. Ear candle therapy has been around longer with far fewer complaints.

What Ear Candling Is

Its efficacy for minor ailments varies from user to user. There are those who swear by them, and those who ask "is that all there is to that?"

An ear candle is an inexpensive, hollow tube made of paper and wax, usually bees` wax. The tube is held upright in another person`s ear who`s lying on his or her side. The top of the tube is lit with a flame and held there for a few minutes. It`s safe with a second person administering. But if one tries to go it alone, it could be risky!

Ear candle advocates claim relief from ear noise and pain, nasal congestion, headaches, stress, and even colds and flus. Whether this folk remedy is or isn`t efficacious should be a matter of personal choice, which shouldn`t take long to ascertain for someone who`s shelled out 10 bucks for five ear candles.

But the FDA`s function is to eliminate alternative remedies and shepherd Big Pharma. After all, they must not let natural cures "discourage us from getting those `real cures`". The Medical Mafia uses this talking point often against all alternative methods, even though they often do cure without side effects.

Examples of the Medical Monopoly`s Real Cures

The tablets prescribed to cure or prevent osteoporosis cost much more than ear candles. The generic brands will cost around $100 every couple of months of prescribed steady use, while the brand label costs $150. Besides doing the opposite of what it claims, there are some dangerous side effects from this drug that stays in one`s body for 10 years!

At first, it does create stronger bones. But this drug, comprised of phosphonates that are used to clean soap scum from soap dishes, creates an imbalance of two important bone structure mechanisms osteoblasts and osteoclasts. Osteoblasts form new bone, while osteoclasts remove decayed or damaged bone through resorption, which transforms bone into minerals.

These biophosphonate drugs intentionally inhibit osteoclasts, which results in better bone density at first. But after the first year or so, osteoclast inhibition leads to stronger bone forming over weaker bone not removed through resorption. The result has been many users reporting bones snapping on their own without impact or trauma.

Honest health experts have known about the osteoblast/osteoclast imbalance potential for spontaneous bone breakage even before the popular drug first came out over a decade ago. Side effects include the possibility of blindness or atrial fibrillation, which can lead to heart failure and strokes.

Only now that ABC has publicized this does the FDA promise to "look into the matter". That`s pretty much what they said about a well known diabetes II drug that has caused at least 83,000 heart attacks from 1999 to 2007. In this case, the FDA claims they`ve received some new numbers and will discuss the the diabetes II drug in this July`s meeting.

So both drugs remain on the market, promoted, prescribed, and purchased. Gotta make enough money to cover those lawsuits and still profit! But not to worry, the FDA has protected us from ear candles.

Sources for more information include:

Health Freedom Petition to Stop the Ban on Ear Candles
http://www.healthfreedomusa.org/?p=4790

Byron Richards - ABC Shines Light On Spontaneously Breaking Bones
http://www.wellnessresources.com/fr...

Bone Drug and Atrial Fibrillation Confirmed
http://www.wellnessresources.com/st...

Video: Bone Drug Hazard Explanation and Majarishi Approach to Osteoporosis
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pgea...

Paul Fassa has managed to survive the Standard American Diet (SAD) and his youthful folly by deprogramming gradually from mainstream health ideology and studying holistic health matters informally with his wife while incorporating them into his lifestyle as a vegetarian.
He also practices Chi-Lel Chi Gong, and he is trained as a polarity therapy practitioner. He is dedicated to warning others of the corruption of food and medicine in our time, and guiding others toward a better direction for health. You can visit his blog at http://healthmaven.blogspot.com

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Health expo offers alternative health-care options - San Gabriel Valley Tribune

Posted: 24 Mar 2010 09:31 PM PDT

By the end of Vaishali's presentation this weekend at the Long Beach Convention Center, audience members will be able to touch their spines by going through their bellies - or they'll at least know why they can't.

Vaishali, author and host of the syndicated radio show "You Are What You Love" (airing from 11 a.m. to noon Sundays on KTLK 1150 AM), will be one of about 90 speakers at the Health Freedom Expo on Friday through Sunday.

HEALTH FREEDOM EXPO

Sixth annual expo featuring speakers and exhibits on natural and alternative health-care options.

11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday.

Long Beach Convention Center

300 E. Ocean Blvd.

Long Beach

$15 per day or $35 for all three days.

888-658-3976; www.healthfreedomexpo.com.

Other guest speakers will include actor Ed Begley Jr.; consumer advocate Kevin Trudeau; actress Mariel Hemingway; Carolyn Dean, author of "Death by Modern Medicine: Seeking Safe Solutions"; and Mike Adams, founder of NaturalNews.com.

Vaishali will discuss "How To Make Your Mind Your Friend By Detoxifying Your Mind, Body and Emotions" from 11 to 11:45 a.m. Saturday as part of the sixth annual alternative and natural health event.

"I'm going to be giving people the tools for understanding the relationship between their physical

body, their emotional body and what I call their psychological - or perceptual - body," Vaishali said.

"In Eastern systems of self-healing, they have a very different take on food and digestion than we do in the West," she said.

"One of the things that I found very valuable is they say our thoughts, our emotions, our perceptions and our experiences are a form of food. They travel through our GI (gastrointestinal) tract. That means the first thing we need to be able to do in our life as we experience it, think about it, emotionally relate to it, is to be able to swallow it, stomach it and pull from it what enhances us - and let go of whatever is not useful for the waste that it is."

That's where touching the spine by way of the navel comes in.

Vaishali will walk guests through the Chinese internal organ self-massage technique known as Chi Nei Tsang.

As they lay flat on their backs, toes pointed slightly inward and head flat on the ground, attendees will be instructed to put their hands around the rim of their navels and start massaging in spiraling circle motions toward the spine.

"You should be able to touch your spine from your front," Vaishali said. "I would imagine if there are 250 people in the room, somewhere around 3 percent of them can do it."

The point of the exercise is to see if there is blockage. There should be nothing impeding the path to the spine, Vaishali said.

"Soft tissue should move out of the way," she said. "If you come to something hard, something constrictive, what is this? It's not the epidermis. It's not something you've eaten - it's liquid at this point. Lymphatic tissue is like oily water. So what is it that's hard and constrictive in there? It's the myofascial (soft) tissue in your body responding to emotions and perceptual stimulus."

These kinds of blockages, Vaishali said, are the result of a cultural "addiction" to worry.

"We have a very poor habit of using worry as a type of management and control," she said. "We think if we worry about things we'll be on top of it, we won't be ambushed by it. The truth of the matter is the constant state of worry puts the body in a nonreleasing fight or flight (mode). It's constantly poised - and it's not designed to do that."

What it is designed to do, she said, is relax and release from that high-alert state to allow energy to flow into the digestive and immune systems.

"What we need to do is get people to understand that digestion is a metaphor for life," Vaishali said. "What's going on in your GI tract is letting you know how you're digesting your life as a whole."

leo.smith@dailybreeze.com

310-543-6617

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South Jersey Healthcare to host annual Women's Health ... - Courier-Post

Posted: 31 Mar 2010 06:06 AM PDT

From new moms to grandmoms, women are the caretakers of our families.

South Jersey Healthcare to host annual Women's Health Conference
From staff reports • March 31, 2010

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South Jersey Healthcare will celebrate women's role as caretakers at its third annual Women's Health Conference from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 14, at the Centerton Country Club in Pittsgrove.

South Jersey Healthcare organizes this annual event to educate women in the community about their health. All women are invited to attend and bring along all of the important ladies in their lives for a fun and educational day of healthy activities.

CN8 anchor Lynn Doyle will be the keynote speaker and will discuss "Fabulous at 50!"

A group of health experts will be on hand to discuss a variety of women's health issues including heart health, alternative and traditional wellness, as well as primary care.

Guests will also enjoy a variety of activities including a Chinese auction and an introduction to relaxation techniques.

Tickets, which must be purchased in advance, are $40 and include continental breakfast, lunch and all activities.

For tickets or more information, call (856) 691-6551 or visit www.sjhfdn.org.

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The “Obama health insurance requirement taken from GOP - The Guardian”

2010-03-30T13:11:00.001-07:00

The “Obama health insurance requirement taken from GOP - The Guardian”

Obama health insurance requirement taken from GOP - The Guardian

Posted: 29 Mar 2010 03:13 PM PDT

RICARDO ALONSO-ZALDIVAR

Associated Press Writer= WASHINGTON (AP) — Republicans were for President Barack Obama's requirement that Americans get health insurance before they were against it.

The obligation in the new health care law is a Republican idea that's been around at least two decades. It was once trumpeted as an alternative to Bill and Hillary Clinton's failed health care overhaul in the 1990s. These days, Republicans call it government overreach.

Mitt Romney, weighing another run for the GOP presidential nomination, signed such a requirement into law at the state level as Massachusetts governor in 2006. At the time, Romney defended it as "a personal responsibility principle" and Massachusetts' newest GOP senator, Scott Brown, backed it. Romney now says Obama's plan is a federal takeover that bears little resemblance to what he did as governor and should be repealed.

Republicans say Obama and the Democrats co-opted their original concept, minus a mechanism they proposed for controlling costs. More than a dozen GOP attorneys general are determined to challenge the requirement in federal court as unconstitutional.

Starting in 2014, the new law will require nearly all Americans to have health insurance through an employer, a government program or by buying it directly. That year, new insurance markets will open for business, health plans will be required to accept all applicants and tax credits will start flowing to millions of people, helping them pay the premiums.

Those who continue to go without coverage will have to pay a penalty to the IRS, except in cases of financial hardship. Fines vary by income and family size. For example, a single person making $45,000 would pay an extra $1,125 in taxes when the penalty is fully phased in, in 2016.

Conservatives today say that's unacceptable. Not long ago, many of them saw a national mandate as a free-market route to guarantee coverage for all Americans — the answer to liberal ambitions for a government-run entitlement like Medicare. Most experts agree some kind of requirement is needed in a reformed system because health insurance doesn't work if people can put off joining the risk pool until they get sick.

In the early 1970s, President Richard Nixon favored a mandate that employers provide insurance. In the 1990s, the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank, embraced an individual requirement. Not anymore.

"The idea of an individual mandate as an alternative to single-payer was a Republican idea," said health economist Mark Pauly of the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School. In 1991, he published a paper that explained how a mandate could be combined with tax credits — two ideas that are now part of Obama's law. Pauly's paper was well-received — by the George H.W. Bush administration.

"It could have been the basis for a bipartisan compromise, but it wasn't," said Pauly. "Because the Democrats were in favor, the Republicans more or less had to be against it."

Obama rejected a key part of Pauly's proposal: doing away with the tax-free status of employer-sponsored health care and replacing it with a standard tax credit for all Americans. Labor strongly opposes that approach because union members usually have better-than-average coverage and suddenly would have to pay taxes on it. But many economists believe it's a rational solution to America's health care dilemma since it would raise enough money to cover the uninsured and nudge people with coverage into cost-conscious plans.

Romney's success in Massachusetts with a bipartisan health plan that featured a mandate put the idea on the table for the 2008 presidential candidates.

Democrat Hillary Rodham Clinton, who failed in the 1990s to require employers to offer coverage, embraced the individual requirement, an idea advocated by her Republican opponents in the earlier health care debate.

"Hillary Clinton believed strongly in universal coverage," said Neera Tanden, her top health care adviser in the 2008 Democratic campaign. "I said to her, 'You are not going to be able to say it's universal coverage unless you have a mandate.' She said, 'I don't want to run unless it's universal coverage.'"

Obama was not prepared to go that far. His health care proposal in the campaign required coverage for children, not adults. Clinton hammered him because his plan didn't guarantee coverage for all. He shot back that health insurance is too expensive to force people to buy it.

Obama remained cool to an individual requirement even once in office. But Tanden, who went on to serve in the Obama administration, said the first sign of a shift came in a letter to congressional leaders last summer in which Obama said he'd be open to the idea if it included a hardship waiver. Obama openly endorsed a mandate in his speech to a joint session of Congress in September.

It remains one of the most unpopular parts of his plan. Even the insurance industry is unhappy. Although the federal government will be requiring Americans to buy their products — and providing subsidies worth billions — insurers don't think the penalties are high enough.

Tanden, now at the Center for American Progress, a liberal think tank, says she's confident the mandate will work. In Massachusetts, coverage has gone up and only a tiny fraction of residents have been hit with fines.

Brown, whose election to replace the late Democratic Sen. Edward M. Kennedy almost led to the collapse of Obama's plan, said his opposition to the new law is over tax increases, Medicare cuts and federal overreach on a matter that should be left up to states. Not so much the requirement, which he voted for as a state lawmaker.

"In Massachusetts, it helped us deal with the very real problem of uncompensated care," Brown said.

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plus 1 more “PerkinElmer ready to test Chinese herbal medicines - Boston Globe”

2010-03-29T13:02:00.001-07:00

plus 1 more “PerkinElmer ready to test Chinese herbal medicines - Boston Globe”

PerkinElmer ready to test Chinese herbal medicines - Boston Globe

Posted: 29 Mar 2010 05:33 AM PDT

Globe Staff

PerkinElmer Inc., the Waltham life sciences company, said today that its broad portfolio of analytical solutions are well suited for testing the quality and safety of traditional Chinese herbal medicines.

"A popular choice of alternative therapy or health care, traditional Chinese herbal medicines are generally perceived by consumers as being natural and having few side-effects," the company said in a press release. "Due to the complexity of the medicinal plants, their inherent biological variation, and environmental influences, including water sources, soil conditions, fertilizers, and manufacturing processes, it is essential to evaluate the safety, efficacy, and quality of these herbal ingredients to ensure consumer safety."

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Health insurance requirement a Republican idea - LJWORLD

Posted: 28 Mar 2010 10:35 AM PDT

Washington Republicans were for President Barack Obama's requirement that Americans get health insurance before they were against it.

"It could have been the basis for a bipartisan compromise, but it wasn't," said Pauly. "Because the Democrats were in favor, the Republicans more or less had to be against it."

Obama rejected a key part of Pauly's proposal: doing away with the tax-free status of employer-sponsored health care and replacing it with a standard tax credit for all Americans. Labor unions oppose that approach because members usually have better-than-average coverage and suddenly would have to pay taxes on it. But many economists believe it's a rational solution to America's health care dilemma since it would raise enough money to cover the uninsured and nudge people with coverage into cost-conscious plans.

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The “Alternative health care 101 - Vancouver Sun”

2010-03-28T13:08:00.001-07:00

The “Alternative health care 101 - Vancouver Sun”

Alternative health care 101 - Vancouver Sun

Posted: 23 Mar 2010 07:42 AM PDT

When the economy is down, there's always one safe investment: your health.

If you've struggled to manage your diet or a chronic condition, you may want to enlist some help beyond our overstressed health-care system.

But who, exactly, does what?

Here's a breakdown of a few of the alternative health-care practitioners available, explaining the basics of what they offer and tips about their trade.

To find one, ask your friends and family for names of practitioners they like.

And always ask the practitioner for references, says holistic nutritionist Barb Thomas.

"You don't want to just see their licence or ask where they've studied; you want to know if they've actually helped people," says Thomas, owner of Love2Eat Nutritional Consulting in Calgary.

Dietitians

What they do

Qualifications

Look for these titles or initials: Registered Dietitian, Registered Nutritionist, Dietitian or RD.

To find one

Visit Dietitians of Canada at dietitians.ca and click on Find a Nutrition Professional.

Source: dietitians.ca and collegeofdietitians.ab.ca

Naturopathic doctors (or naturopaths)

What they do

Primary care using natural medicine to help the body heal itself. Practitioners are trained in herbal medicine, homeopathy, nutrition and supplementation, among other things.

Qualifications

Must have graduated from an accredited naturopathic college or university and passed the Naturopathic Licensing Exams, which are standardized in North America.

To find one

Visit the Canadian Association of Naturopathic Doctors at cand.ca.

Source: naturopathic-alberta.com and Bruce Lofting, ND

Holistic nutritionists

What they do

Qualifications

Tips

Find out where the practitioner studied and ask if he or she is registered with the IONC.

To find one

Visit the IONC site at ionc.org and click on Member Directory.

Source: Barb Thomas, RHN, owner of Love2Eat Nutritional Consulting

Chinese medicine practitioners

What they do

To treat, they use a mix of herbology, acupuncture and other techniques, such as massage and energy work.

Qualifications

Tips

Make sure the practitioner is registered for acupuncture by asking to see his or her licence.

To find one

Visit the Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture Association of Canada at cmaac.ca.

Source: Dennis Lee, dean of students at ACATCM

Homeopathic doctors (or homeopaths)

What they do

Treat medical conditions using substances from plants, minerals and animals that are highly diluted in water and alcohol.

Qualifications

There are no regulations, so buyer beware. Homeopaths should have completed a three- to four-year homeopathy program from a recognized school that you can verify on the Internet.

Ask practitioners where they studied, confirm that they graduated, and check the program online. Another good benchmark is to ask if they have at least 1,200 to 1,800 hours of homeopathic training.

To find one

Above all, seek referrals from other people.

Conduct an Internet search for or check the Yellow Pages.

Source: Helen Hardinge Field, president of the National United Professional Association of Trained Homepaths

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plus 1 more “Obama’s health insurance rule — it was a GOP idea - Joplin Globe”

2010-03-27T13:08:00.001-07:00

plus 1 more “Obama’s health insurance rule — it was a GOP idea - Joplin Globe”

Obama’s health insurance rule — it was a GOP idea - Joplin Globe

Posted: 27 Mar 2010 05:35 AM PDT

Published March 27, 2010 08:41 am - Republicans were for President Barack Obama's requirement that Americans get health insurance before they were against it.

Obama's health insurance rule — it was a GOP idea

WASHINGTON (AP) — Republicans were for President Barack Obama's requirement that Americans get health insurance before they were against it.

"It could have been the basis for a bipartisan compromise, but it wasn't," said Pauly. "Because the Democrats were in favor, the Republicans more or less had to be against it."

Romney's success in Massachusetts with a bipartisan health plan that featured a mandate put the idea on the table for the 2008 presidential candidates.

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An Alternative to the Health Care Bill - Victoria Advocate

Posted: 27 Mar 2010 01:10 AM PDT

As a Democrat, I wrote a blog last summer about my ideas for the Heath Care Bill. I expressed that the bill, now law, is not the best way to go. On that blog, I expressed on what should be in the bill.

1) No mandates/ No mandatory insurance.

2) Expand Medicare to those of 45 and over.

3) Expand S-chip to every child or Destroy S-chip and create a baby bond saving account of $ 1,000 for each baby born. The child, when adult at 18 (or 23 if in college), would get the money.

4) Ban Pre-existing conditions and caps on insurance.

5) Cut 15-20% out of every governmental budget and use that money as a cushion for those between 18 and 45. Perhaps, create a mini-health care system for those in that age range.

6) No coverage on abortions with exceptions of rape or incest.

7) No coverage on cosmetic surgery, but coverage on

I am a big supporter of the President, but I am against this law. The Law has a mandates and the spending of it is too quick and fast. It doesn't benefit the economy right now. Second, I detest the back room deals to get it passed.

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15 Comments
Follow Writein

"I actually understand how the the free market works." Really? I guess that is why you like socialized medicine so much, LOL. What other business would stand for this intrusion by the government - I feel sorry for doctors and hospitals. They are in for a hell of a time. But then someone who understands how markets work as well as you do I'm sure couldn't care less about such trivial matters.

Next in line for "treatment" is Wall Street, but not Fannie and Freddie, because they are still required to make bad loans - I know how well you understand this. However the rest of us are just a little too stupid to comprehend anything like this.

Yeah Mike, I guess you're right unfettered government is a good thing, just ask Washington, Madison, Jefferson, Franklin....oh that's right they're dead - what a shame.

March 27, 2010 at 1:40 p.m.
You didn't get that chuckle from me;I didn't say unfettered free market. I actually understand how the the free market works...As long as we have the Fed we will never have an unfettered free market.we have the FDA,EPA,FDIC, and other agencies assured us that we will not go to corporatism,Platonism or back to the Glenn Beck gold standard. on a

I used unfettered (in previous posts) To mean that we can not let the market run amok...Alan Greenspan just made a statement last week re-emphasizing that. You live in a "either or" world so I know I never will penetrate your free-market fundamentalist mind but I'm pretty sure Americans want some financial reforms, so we don't have to go through what we did from 2005- 2007....I actually put my money where my free-market capitalist mouth is... I just don't have a disdain for government but I don't expect you to make any sense of that.
March 27, 2010 at 1:05 p.m.
So am I. You know Mike, I get a chuckle everytime you mention unfettered free markets, you know why? Because now we have completely unfettered government - it's a hell only someone like you could enjoy.
March 27, 2010 at 12:46 p.m.
Touche,glad not to be one of your loyal followers.
March 27, 2010 at 12:31 p.m.
No, it doesn't include name callers otherwise you would have been included.
March 27, 2010 at 12:22 p.m.
Please code, I can hardly keep the vomit in my mouth. Move to Cuba, GD it.
March 27, 2010 at noon
How many posters does "we" represent?I think just those that resort to name calling, a daily doom and gloom prognostication,weak attempts at humor,and have a fundamentalist view of the free market/world....Not many.

IMO

Mike
March 27, 2010 at 11:54 a.m.
Well you prove my point exactly, of course you can be a greedy fool and toast the excesses of success if you are the lucky few but for the rest of the nation there is a need for regulation in all free market economies.

The Health Care law is quite simply an effort to bring equilibrium to an unfettered market that has been out of control for decades.

Time will tell if it is successful but your alternative (which seems to be to let these systems run untouched by Government)can be just as damaging as any blanket smothering by a Government (which I don't believe this law is going to do anyway).

I'll match your coo coo and raise you a doo doo because that's what you're dropping on the heads of those who will never get a slice of the apple pie in your segregated view of utopia
March 27, 2010 at 11:43 a.m.
Mike "We" was referring to people who hate socialism, I obviously was not including you.
March 27, 2010 at 11:34 a.m.
Code, you would fit in just fine in cuckoo clock land, I mean isn't that where we are headed?

The rest of our economy by and large is based on free markets. Code, do you own a computer, or are you borrowing your mothers? Please make note, code, of how the price of computers and cell phones have been going down in "real dollars" and the quality and enhancements have been going up.

If corporate greed did this then let's raise our cups to greed and let loose a lusty cheer - on three OK.

Healthcare use to be cheap, everyone could afford it, now after the government got involved no one can - is that what you call progress, code? If so, coo coo!
March 27, 2010 at 11:18 a.m.
@rollinstone

You are forgetting to mention the one, biggest fault with an unfettered system like that - corporate greed. You will never get equality in a system like this and the withouts will remain without.

It's nice to live in cuckoo cloud land and think you can wind that free market system clock up, let it go and it will tick over just nicely but that's just not reality.
March 27, 2010 at 10:35 a.m.
Writen

With all due respect this health care bill is law and evidently it passed the only way it could have been passed.

Again you don't have the basic knowledge of what it took to pass this monstrosity...I don't mean to offend there have been several hundred hours of debate; thousands of ideas; and the final bill with fixes is what it took to pass this legislation.

1. It had to be feasible for the insurance companies to offer coverage for those 32 million new customers. Taking in those with pre-existing conditions without concessions would not have been possible.
2. It had to be revenue and deficit neutral.
3. The Hyde amendment was in from the very start
4. To expand as chip to every child would put an extra burden on the overburdened states.
5. Your ideas would have never made it out of committee; much less onto the floor in the Senate for a 60 super majority vote.
6. I would bet your idea would have not even made it to the Congressional Budget Office for calculation.
This was never an economic package because it takes several years of improvements to see the final results.

March 27, 2010 at 10:28 a.m.
We?
March 27, 2010 at 10:07 a.m.
We don't hate Obama, we hate socialism, with your permission of course. But whatever? BigJ, if I could make a suggestion. Why not try the free market system and let the law of supply and demand do its job, it is so simple - it does not require thousands of pages of incomprehensible, double talking gibberish.

Healthcare costs are escalating out of control now because the government is involved with the distribution of healthcare. In markets without this interference, we see prices going down and the quality going up - that should be a clue.

But sadly, I think we are too far down this socialist path to implement your ideas or mine.

March 27, 2010 at 8:26 a.m.
Where are the Obama haters on this one?
March 27, 2010 at 3:21 a.m.

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The “A sober assessment of the health care bill - Tucson Citizen”

2010-03-26T13:22:00.001-07:00

The “A sober assessment of the health care bill - Tucson Citizen”

A sober assessment of the health care bill - Tucson Citizen

Posted: 22 Mar 2010 12:05 AM PDT

Medicare built on Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal notion of government as insurer, with citizens making payments to government, and government paying out benefits. That was the central idea of Social Security, and Medicare piggybacked on Social Security.

Obama's legislation comes from an alternative idea, begun under the Eisenhower administration and developed under Nixon, of a market for health care based on private insurers and employers. Eisenhower locked in the tax break for employee health benefits; Nixon pushed prepaid, competing health plans, and urged a requirement that employers cover their employees. Obama applies Nixon's idea and takes it a step further by requiring all Americans to carry health insurance, and giving subsidies to those who need it.

So don't believe anyone who says Obama's health care legislation marks a swing of the pendulum back toward the Great Society and the New Deal. Obama's health bill is a very conservative piece of legislation, building on a Republican rather than a New Deal foundation. The New Deal foundation would have offered Medicare to all Americans or, at the very least, featured a public insurance option.

. . .

Most Americans continue to be suspicious of government. That distrust is deeply etched in our culture and traditions. Our system of government was devised by people who distrusted government and intentionally created checks and balances, three separate branches, and almost insuperable odds against getting big things done. The period extending from 1933 to 1965 — the New Deal and the Great Society — was an historical aberration from that long tradition, animated by the unique crises of the Great Depression and World War II, and the social cohesion that flowed from them for another generation. Ronald Reagan merely picked up where Calvin Coolidge and Herbert Hoover left off.

But Reagan's view of government as the problem is increasingly at odds with a nation whose system of health care relies on large for-profit entities designed to make money rather than improve health; whose economy is dependent on global capital and on global corporations and financial institutions with no particular loyalty to America; and much of whose fuel comes from unstable and dangerous areas of the world. Under these conditions, government is the only entity that can look out for our interests.

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plus 1 more “Health expo offers alternative health-care options - San Gabriel Valley Tribune”

2010-03-25T13:24:00.001-07:00