Hate Drugs? Try Natural Therapy

In alternative medicine, the term ?Natural Therapy? refers to an eclectic self-care system that is primarily concerned with building and restoring health through prevention techniques and healthy lifestyles. In natural therapy, diagnosis, treatment and prevention of disorders is undertaken by the therapeutic use of natural methods and materials.

The philosophy underlying natural therapy is that all living things have an innate ability to heal. This innate ability flows through us as energy or ?vital force? and it promotes self-cleansing, self-repair and self-healing. If the path of this vital force is blocked, external symptoms appear and a ?dis-ease? is diagnosed. Once the flow of this energy is restored, good health too will be restored.

Natural therapy stipulates that the immune system, nervous system, hormonal system and detoxification pathways all work as a unit. This ensures our survival. If given proper support, care and nurture the body will find its sense of balance automatically, WITHOUT the use of medicine.

Natural therapy places a great deal of emphasis on a hands-free, non invasive approach to curing maladies. There are no magic bullets and quick fixes. Each individual will have his own unique set of symptoms. Depending upon the symptoms, the therapist decides his course of treatment. And each individual takes his own time to recover.

The goal of natural therapy is to develop optimal good health for all patients and to teach patients the principles of good health. Natural therapy is used as a complementary system of healing that adequately speeds up the body?s natural ability to heal. Prevention is the ultimate goal, though therapy also includes management of symptoms.

Natural therapy usually includes a wide variety of treatment systems. Some of them are:

Clinical nutrition: Nutrition is the cornerstone of good health. Many diseases and conditions can be improved through changes in diet alone.

Herbal Medicine or Phytotherapy: Natural therapy relies very heavily on the use of medicinal herbs. Herbs are characterized by their minimal toxicity and maximum effect. Since herbs do not accumulate in the body, they also do not have any lasting ramifications. When selected properly, herbs offer safe, powerful and effective healing.

Traditional Chinese medicine: Pulse diagnosis, herbs, acupuncture, acutouch are all included in this system of medicine. Dating back to almost 3,000 years ago, this stream of medicine has recently caught a lot of attention in the West.

Body manipulation: Used in conjunction with other therapies, this treatment uses a variety of systematic movements that help heal musculoskeletal and neurological problems.

Lifestyle modification: Natural therapy places full responsibility of one?s health on one?s own shoulders. Treatments are based on assessing risk factors connected to the lifestyle, diet and environment of each individual. Each of these factors is considered while developing a treatment plan.

Natural therapy can assist in curing a wide variety of clinical conditions.

- Acute conditions like headaches, sore throat, asthma and allergies

- Chronic illnesses like migraine, arthritis, heart diseases and gastrointestinal diseases.

- Stress related mental and emotional problems.

- Physical injury and trauma including post-operative pain.

Different kinds of natural therapies suffered a setback because results are slow in coming. What most people do not realize is that though results may take long, the effects last a lifetime. There is usually a complete recovery from symptoms because the physician tries to boost the body?s natural resistance to dis-ease and discomfort.

Alternative Holistic Medicine

Mineral Makeup: A Natural Sunscreen

Mineral makeup is the thing to wear this summer if you're looking for an all natural makeup with safe and effective sunscreen. The fact is that two of the main ingredients in mineral makeup are natural sunscreens that not only reflect light but protect your skin from harmful and cancer causing UV rays.

The ingredients, Titanium dioxide and Zinc oxide, both natural and very safe minerals are found in almost every sunscreen on the market. Titanium dioxide is so effective because of it's ability to reflect light. It has one of the highest refractive indexes in the world at (n=2.4). In fact this refractive index is surpassed by only one other mineral in the world-diamond.

Titanium dioxide is also inorganic so it keeps the skin from gathering moisture that could feed bacteria and cause or worsen acne. This is great news for acne sufferers looking for an effective makeup and sunscreen product that won't worsen their condition.

The second natural sunscreen mineral in mineral makeup is zinc oxide. Zinc oxide was not chosen as an ingredient because of it's sunscreen qualities however, it was chosen for it's vast array of colors and indeed is elimental in providing a large array of colors for makeup artists to work with when formulating different foundaitons, blushes, and eyeshadows.

Zinc oxide is a natural UV blocker just as titanium dioxide is. It also has the same very water resistant quality of titanium dioxide and wards of bacteria. Zinc oxide is as widely used in sunscreen lotions as titanium dioxide. These two elements together give most brands of mineral makeup an spf of 15.

Sure, almost any sunscreen touting makeup you buy has these minerals in it, so what's the big deal? For acne and rosescea sufferers, believe me it's a big deal. Mineral makeup is known world wide as the skin care makeup because no matter what skin care conditions you may suffer from it is a makeup that is totally safe for your skin. Recommended around the world by dermatologists and plastic surgeons it is actually so pure that you can sleep in it without worrying about acne flair ups or any adverse reaction.

Talc based makeups, although they may contain these two natural sunscreen minerals also have other additives such as dies, chemicals and oils. Talc itself is organic and can help feed bacteria which worsens acne and rosascea. Almost all makeup on the market is talc based. Another drastic difference is the way mineral makeup is processed and worn.

Minerals used in the makeup are finely milled until they are too fine to clog pores. Talc is not milled this fine and it can clog pores worsening or causing skin problems. If you're looking for a sunscreen makeup that is natural and safe mineral makeup is definately the way to go.

Find more Mineral Makeup information at http://www.bare-mineral-makeup.info Get the facts, ingredients, and benefits as well as advice about which brands are the best.

LCarnitine in the Treatment of Metabolic Disorder

Newborn screening, as it is commonly known, refers to a series of blood tests performed within five days of an infant?s birth. All fifty states offer, and in most cases require, that all newborns be screened for various metabolic and genetically transmitted disorders. The total number of screenings may vary from state to state.

Earlier versions of newborn screening tested only for hypothyroidism, sickle-cell disease, PKU, and galactosemia. The new expanded screening includes tests for enzymatic and metabolic disorders. If untreated, these disorders can cause serious health problems including death. Once detected, however, they are easy to treat.

One such disorder detected by this screening is MCADD (Medium-chain Acyl-COA deyhdrogenase deficiency). MCAD is one of the enzymes that helps convert fat to energy. The body normally uses carbohydrates from our diet for energy. When those carbohydrates are used up, the body breaks down body fat for energy. The absence of MCAD can result in high levels of partially broken down fat, which is toxic to the brain and nervous system. MCADD is a hereditary disorder transmitted from parents to children through an autosomal recessive gene. When both parents carry the genetic trait for this defect, their child has a 25% chance of having this disorder. About one in 20,000 children in the United States is born with it, and, of those, 30 percent die from it. As a result, up to 50% of sudden infant deaths may be attributed to MCADD.

Once detected, MCADD is easy to treat and treated individuals go on to lead normal lives. Treatment usually consists of avoiding fasting and administering glucose orally or intravenously. Intake of medium and long-chain fatty acids should be avoided. Supplemental carnitine is recommended for some affected children.

L-carnitine is also beneficial in preventing age-related declines in metabolism and memory. Adding L-carnitine to standard medical treatments for heart failure has shown to improve exercise tolerance. Meat, poultry, fish, and dairy products are the richest sources of L-carnitine.

Copyright ? 2006 DHAN Medical Inc. All rights reserved.

Darshana Vaishnav, M. D. is a board certified medical doctor with a medical degree from Penn State University. With over 20 years of medical practice in California behind her, she set up her website DrugNatural.com to promote dietary supplements. Her site offers natural vitamins, herbal and dietary supplements with reliable purity and consistency available only from physicians, naturopaths, pharmacies or healthcare providers.

Darshana Vaishnav, M. D.
http://www.drugnatural.com