Real Alternative Heath

Taking responsibility for your health – is alternative medicine at it’s best!

You hear lots and lots of discussion about what is alternative health care and what isn’t. You can talk about nutrition, stress relief, botanicals, whatever. All of that can become just another sidebar to the real issue.

From my point of view, real alternative health care is the exact opposite of conventional (allopathic) health care. That is to say, there are some major and profound differences between the two.

First, the focus of each. Conventional (allopathic) health care is disease-oriented. They don’t really kick into gear until after the fact, when you have shown some symptoms (like an allergic response, a heart attack, etc.). Very often, the same can be said for the alternative side of the coin, because we are conditioned to do something after the fact. While alternative practitioners are often forced into post-symptom treatment, they will work with you to get you well and keep you well because alternative health care is health-oriented.

Second, given those diametrically opposed points of view, conventional medicine only gives you two choices – drugs or surgery – and both are invasive. In matters of life and death, both are probably necessary. Beyond life and death issues however, both are overused and not nearly as effective as claimed. Now, on the flip side of the wellness coin, alternative choices support the body’s natural healing system. While not getting rid of the symptoms of illness nearly as quickly, this natural and complete approach can go way beyond hiding symptoms to really affecting a cure.

Last but not least, conventional medicine puts you in a subservient position. Where else are you called a ‘patient?’ You are not to question but simply follow directions and choices given you by those in white coats who know what is best for you! Based on many case histories I am aware of, the conventional approach is to scare you, berate you and then ignore you – if you don’t play the health game by their rules. The alternative health model works just the opposite. You and your practitioner are a team. You should work together as such. You must ask questions, you must get involved and you must stay flexible to the many options open to you. Basically, conventional medicine is autocratic while alternative health is democratic.

Again for the record, I am not saying that there is no need for the allopathic approach. In cases of life and death they are your best bet! But for all else, find a practitioner that is understanding, flexible and instructive to all options. Make sure their number one priority is YOUR physical health, not THEIR fiscal (financial) health.

Now…this month’s news making health/wellness news.

TUESDAY, Dec. 26 (HealthDay News) -- People taking powerful antacid drugs called proton pump inhibitors face an increased risk of hip fracture, University of Pennsylvania researchers report.
Common proton pump inhibitors include Aciphex, Nexium, Prevacid, Prilosec and Protonix; they are often prescribed for stomach conditions such as gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). The report is published in the Dec. 27 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
"If you take acid-suppression medications on a chronic basis and you are 50 or older, your hip fracture risk is even higher than usual," said study author Dr.Yu-Xiao Yang, an assistant professor of medicine and epidemiology.
"In addition, if you are one of the few patients who requires high doses, then your risk is even higher," Yang added.
In the study, Yang's team collected data on 13,556 people with hip fractures and 135,386 healthy people, all aged 50 or older. These people were listed in the General Practice Research Database from 1987 to 2003. This database contains information on patients in the United Kingdom.
The researchers found that taking a proton pump inhibitor for more than one year increased the risk of hip fracture by 44 percent, compared with people not taking these medications.
In addition, the risk was 2.6 times higher among people who took high doses over a long period. The risk of hip fracture increased with both the dosage and the duration of proton pump inhibitor therapy, Yang's group found.
Yang speculated that these drugs hinder calcium absorption in some people. Stomach acid is needed to help the body absorb calcium, and proton pump inhibitors work by slowing the production of stomach acid.

And remember, if a lack of good acid (HCl) affects calcium absorption, think how it might affect the absorption of other vitamins, minerals, fats, proteins and carbohydrates necessary for good nutrition – all essential for good health??? You mess with your stomach and you mess with your health – count on it!

If you get acid reflux, gas, bloating, belching, constipation, etc., go to the health food store and get digestive enzymes and take 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar with water one half hour before meals. Your stomach problems will disappear.

If you want to know why it works, give me a call.