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, September Issue Of Natural Alternatives
September 01, 2006
Natural Alternatives for Your Total Health


September 2006

Hello, and welcome to this edition of my Natural Alternatives Newsletter!


I hope you will enjoy reading this issue.

If you like this e-zine, please do a friend and me a favour and pay it forward!

If a friend did forward this to you and if you like what you read, please subscribe by visiting my web site.


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Nature is the Physician of all Disease ~ Hippocrates
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IN THIS ISSUE:

1) ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE GOES MAINSTREAM

2) THE JOY OF ORGANIC TEA

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1) ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE GOES MAINSTREAM

(WebMD) More than one in four U.S. hospitals now offer alternative and complementary therapies, such as acupuncture, homeopathy, and massage therapy, a new survey of nearly 1,400 U.S. hospitals shows.

"More and more, patients are requesting care beyond what most consider to be traditional health services," say researchers Sita Ananth of Health Forum, an affiliate of the American Hospital Association, and William Martin, PsyD, of the College of Commerce at DePaul University in Chicago, in a news release. "And hospitals are responding to the needs of the communities they serve by offering these therapies."

Complementary and alternative medicine, or CAM, includes therapies not based on traditional Western medical teachings. They may include acupuncture, chiropractic, homeopathy, diet and lifestyle changes, herbal medicine and massage therapy, among others.

A 2002 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention survey showed that more than half of Americans thought combining CAM with conventional medicine would be helpful.

The survey, conducted and published by the American Hospital Association every two years, shows the percentage of hospitals offering one or more CAM services increased from 8 percent in 1998 to 27 percent in 2005.

Contrary to popular belief, researchers found that complimentary and alternative medicine offerings were most common in the Midwest (Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, and Wisconsin) and less common on the West Coast. The least common areas to offer CAM services were in the South (Alabama, Kentucky, Mississippi, and Tennessee).

The top six complementary and alternative medicine services offered on an outpatient basis among hospitals offering CAM were massage therapy (71 percent); tai chi, yoga, or chi gong (47 percent); relaxation training (43 percent); acupuncture (39 percent); guided imagery (32 percent), and therapeutic touch (30 percent).

Top inpatient services were massage therapy (37 percent), music/art therapy (26 percent), therapeutic touch (25 percent), guided imagery (22 percent), relaxation training (20 percent), and acupuncture (11 percent).

Other findings of the survey include:

Most hospitals that offered CAM were in urban areas and were large or medium-sized (more than 100 beds).

Teaching hospitals accounted for 36 percent of hospitals responding to the survey and offering CAM services, perhaps reflecting the finding in a 2004 study that more than three-quarters of medical schools require a course in CAM.

Most hospitals offered their CAM services at other locations while 37 percent provided them in a hospital wellness or fitness center.

Most CAM services are paid for by patients as an out-of-pocket medical expense.

SOURCES: Ananth, S. “Health Forum 2005 Complementary and Alternative Medicine Survey of Hospitals,” July 19, 2006. News release, American Hospital Association.

By Jennifer Warner. Reviewed by Louise Chang, M.D. © 2006, WebMD Inc. All rights reserved.


2) THE JOY OF ORGANIC TEA


By Dr. Edward F. Group III

Slowly but surely, the world is coming to realize the harmful effects of pesticides and fertilizers. As a result, organic products are increasing in popularity – and for good reasons.

Grown without the intervention of dangerous chemicals, consumers can enjoy improved health and a clear conscious when using organic products, which aren’t only better for their health but are also better for the planet. Plus, products such as organic tea provide a richer flavour that isn’t hindered by trace amounts of chemical flavours.

How Organic Tea is Grown

Organic tea is made from plants grown without chemical pesticides or fertilizers. Instead, only natural fertilizers, such as compost, are used. Other well-established organic agricultural practices, such as crop rotation, are also followed. Crop rotation, naturally replenishes nutrients in the soil, which means farmers don’t have to depend on chemical amendments to produce bountiful crops.

Why Organic Tea is Good for You

Tea, in general, has long been known for its healing properties and for its ability to calm and soothe nerves. Drinking non-organic tea, however, includes also ingesting the harmful chemicals used to grow the plants. As a result, the benefits of the tea are wasted. Why ruin such an amazing natural product by throwing harmful chemicals into the mix?

Why Organic Tea is Good for the Planet

Organic tea is beneficial to the planet for a number of reasons. First of all, the practices utilized with organic farming ensure the soil remains fertile for years to come. Non-organic farming practices have a tendency to strip away the nutrients, making it necessary to either move to a new plot of land (which may involve cutting down more trees) or using artificial measures to improve the soil.

Organic farming is also beneficial to the planet because it doesn’t involve chemicals. Just as ingesting these chemicals is harmful to your body; the soil, water, and air pollution that they cause is harmful to the planet.

The Cost Factor

Because organic farming is more time consuming and because the crop yields are typically less than when using non-organic farming techniques, the cost of organic tea is generally higher than non-organic tea.

But with the improved flavour and potency of the organic tea, not to mention the health benefits, many consider the extra cost to be well worth it. In addition, the extra cost goes toward compensating the farmers rather than paying a corporation to create more harmful pesticides and fertilizers.

Studies on Organic Tea

Organic green tea, specifically, has long been respected for its many health benefits. A report published in Japan stated that drinking ten cups of this organic tea per day has been shown to provide men with three more cancer-free years than those who drank less than three cups. Another Japanese study indicated that drinking five or more cups of green tea per day reduces the chances of developing breast cancer and also helps slow down the spread of the disease.

Yet another study conducted by Western Reserve University in Cleveland showed that drinking four or more cups of the tea every day helps prevent the development of rheumatoid arthritis. It also helps reduce the symptoms of the disorder in those who are already suffering from it.

Preparing Organic Tea

Regardless of the type of organic tea you decide to brew, there are a few steps you should take to ensure it maintains the greatest flavour when brewed.

First, take care to never over brew the tea, as it will destroy the taste and many of its benefits.

To prepare your organic tea, you will need to fill a kettle with cold water. Place it on the stove and heat it until it boils. Then, remove the kettle from the heat and allow the water to stand for about three minutes. Next, place your organic tea bag, (or 2-4 grams of loose tea), into your cup and pour the heated water on top. Allow the organic tea to sit in the water another three minutes and then remove it. Finally, allow the brewed organic tea to cool for a few minutes, and enjoy!


PREVENTION IS BETTER THAN CURE!


Thank you for reading.


Livia P.
www.natural-health-and-healing.com
Brampton, Ontario, Canada


P.S. If you have a comment or suggestion, just reply to this e-mail. Your feedback is important to me.


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This newsletter is for educational purposes only. It is your right to educate yourself in health and medical knowledge, to seek helpful information and make use of it for your own benefit, and for that of your family. You are the one responsible for your health. You must educate yourself in order to make decisions in all health matters. My views and advices are not intended to be a substitute for conventional medicine, but simply a help you to make educated changes in order to help your body heal itself. If you have a medical condition or concern you should consult your physician.

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