Naturopathy
Mainstream medicine has its drugs and surgery; Chinese medicine, its herbs and acupuncture; Ayurveda, its nutrition and meditation. Each of these healing systems is a collection of individual therapies united by a well-defined philosophy of healing.
But naturopathy is different. "It’s more than just a healing system," explains Joseph Pizzorno Jr., N.D., one of America’s preeminent naturopaths. "It’s a way of life."
Naturopathy espouses a wide-ranging combination of nutrition and supplementation, exercise, stress management, herbal medicine, acupuncture, homeopathy, manipulative therapies, and hot and cold baths. Since so many nondrug therapies fit under the naturopathy umbrella, you’re getting a good taste of blended medicine when you visit a naturopath and follow his advice. But the naturopathic approach to healing is so broad and all-encompassing that some critics consider it an alternative smorgasbord with no individual identity.
In fact, naturopathy has a very distinct identity. Its use of multiple alternative therapies serves a single noble goal: to stimulate what the Greek physician Hippocrates, the father of medicine, called Vis Medicatrix Naturae-the healing power of nature.
Uncommon Therapies, One Common Goal
The term naturopathy was first coined by John Scheel, a New York City physician, in 1895. He later sold the term to Benedict Lust, who applied it to his own unique blend of nondrug therapies. Lust would go on to become the seminal figure in naturopathy.
Around 1895, Lust opened the Health Food Store in New York City, where he sold vegetables, herbs, and homeopathic medicines. (The store’s name is the first documented use of the phrase "health food.") The following year, he enrolled in New York’s Universal Osteopathic Medical College, and in 1898, he became a licensed osteopath. Lust went on to earn degrees in chiropractic and homeopathy as well as in a discipline then known as eclectic medicine (which was essentially a form of scientifically applied herbalism). In 1919, he founded the American Naturopathic Association to promote his vision of a unified, drug-free approach to healing. Naturopathy espoused the following principles.
- Nature is the one and only true healing force. It endows the human body with an inherent restorative power to selfheal.
- The physician’s job is to teach people that they are their own best healers and to prescribe therapies that strengthen their self-healing powers.
- The physician should support people in the elimination of bad habits such as overeating; drinking alcohol, coffee, and tea; staying up late; and "sexual excesses."
- The physician should help people develop good habits, which Lust defined as a whole-foods vegetarian diet, regular exercise, adequate rest, a positive mental attitude, and moderation in pursuit of health and wealth.
- The physician should encourage his patients to use natural therapies-herbal medicine, homeopathy, osteopathy, chiropractic, massage, and hydrotherapyto treat and cure illness.
Hydrotherapy: Support for the Water Cure
Many of the alternative disciplines that make up naturopathy have been discussed in previous chapters. While drawing on all of these therapies for healing, a naturopathic doctor may recommend one other as well: hydrotherapy, the water cure advocated a century ago by Benedict Lust.
Anyone who has ever enjoyed an extended soak in the tub knows that a hot bath can be quite relaxing. In fact, hot baths-as well as alternating hot and cold baths-are therapeutic fixtures at hundreds of health spas, where people have retreated for centuries to "take the waters." But hydrotherapy can do more than help you relax.
For centuries, Finnish physicians have prescribed saunas to treat infectious diseases. Native Americans used sweat lodges for the same purpose. And as research shows, such a practice makes sense. Raising the body’s temperature in a hot bath or sauna stimulates the immune system and helps discourage disease-causing microorganisms from reproducing. Naturopaths often prescribe hot baths to treat certain types of infections.
In addition, several studies have shown that sweating increases the secretion of certain addictive drugs as well as some toxic metals and chemicals.
Music
Melodies to Mend By
Opinions vary as to why music has such a profound effect on humans. At least some of its therapeutic power comes from its ability to trigger the release of endorphins, the powerful opiate-like chemicals produced in the brain that induce euphoria and relieve pain. In fact, researchers have discovered that if they administer drugs that block the production of endorphins, they significantly blunt a person’s enjoyment of music, according to David S. Sobel, M.D., director of patient education and health promotion for Kaiser Permanente Northern California, a health maintenance organization.
Music triggers other positive changes, too. It reduces levels of stress hormones such as adrenaline. It has a calming effect on the limbic system, a group of structures within the brain that regulates emotions. And it boosts levels of immunoglobulin A (IgA), the body’s first line of defense against colds and other infections.
Of course, music is no cure-all. But it can do some very remarkable things for the body and mind. It has been shown to help heart attack and surgical recovery, chronic-pain management, stroke rehabilitation, Alzheimer’s care, and alleviation of depression.
In one study of people who had suffered heart attacks, eighty people-all newly admitted to hospital coronary care unitswere divided into three groups. One group listened to a 20-minute audiotape of calming music; another practiced breathing and meditation to invoke a sense of calm, called the relaxation response; and the third received only standard care. The patients in the music and relaxation response groups showed significant reductions in heart rate and levels of stress hormones, compared with the patients in the standard care group. But the folks who listened to music were the least stressed, suggesting that music is even more relaxing than meditation.
Another study showed the effectiveness of using music for management of chronic pain. At the University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Nursing in Omaha, Lani Zimmerman, R.N., Ph.D., associate professor of nursing, gave 40 people with chronic pain a collection of ten music audiotapes. She asked each patient to select one tape that was most relaxing. The patients reported significantly less pain while listening to their tapes. Other studies have shown that music can reduce a hospital patient’s need for pain medication by as much as 30 percent.
Music has also been proven beneficial in management of depression. In one study, people with serious depression were separated into three groups. One group received weekly visits from music therapists, who played music and offered instruction in stress management techniques. Another group received weekly phone calls from music therapists and taped music to play independently. The third group received no treatment. All of the patients who listened to music-whether with a therapist or alone-showed significant improvement in mood, compared with the patients who didn’t listen to music.
Music to your Ears
Studies of music therapy have shown that, in general, soothing, slow-tempo tunes work best for relaxation, stress management, and recovery from illness. But if you’re looking to boost your energy level and productivity, or if you want a soundtrack for your workout, choose music that has an upbeat tempo but isn’t bombastic.
Most people get the greatest benefit from music that they’ve selected on their ownno matter what it is, notes music therapist Clare O’Callaghan of the University of Melbourne in Australia. That’s because people choose what they like, which helps motivate them and gives them a sense of personal empowerment. If you’d like to give a family member or friend a calming audiotape or CD but you don’t know the person’s tastes, stick with songs that were popular when he was young. This is the time of life when a person’s musical preferences are formed.
Cabbage Soup Diet
With increase in craze for crash diets, new diet plans are emerging all over the world. One such plan is the Lettuce Soup diet. The origin of this diet is still unknown, however one just wants to know whether it is effective and not who formulated it. Some of them found this to be effective and few others found it to be a mere waste.
Overview of the Lettuce Diet
The lettuce diet is a low calorie and low carb diet. As this falls in the category of crash diets, this has to be followed continuously for a week. However, this provides a temporary solution only, by reducing the intake of calories. As the name infers, this diet involves lot of lettuce in your meal. It was framed with an assumption that lettuce has the power to burn fat. This, till date, has remained as an assumption alone and never was proved. Thus no wonder some people don’t get fruitful results out of this.
Who Should Follow This Diet?
Only those who want to drastically come down in weight and above all those who love lettuce can opt for this diet plan. Also this diet plan has to be followed strictly to get the results which means feeding on lettuce for about a week or so. There is no pre-defined recipe for this soup so any lettuce soup would suffice. Other than this, other food items can be taken but in a moderate level and you can drink any amount of water and juices but preferably unsweetened juice.
According to this, the first day plays a vital role and only lettuce has to be taken that day and you should not take banana for sure. No proper explanation has been given for this. On the second day, some more lettuce soup can be taken along with some vegetables. When it comes to potato, only one is permitted. On the third day, the lettuce soup quantity is increased comparatively. Added to this are fruits and vegetables except bananas and potatoes. Again for this no explanation has been given. There is a slight improvement in your diet on the fourth day. Bananas are allowed along with the lettuce soup and also you can take skimmed milk. On the fifth and sixth days, along with soup you can take beef and vegetables but no potatoes. And on the final day, soup with vegetables and brown rice is permitted. At last, you come to an end of the diet process.
Net Result of This Diet
You can find a severe change in your weight but this loss will be gained once you tune back to your regular diet. The faster you shed pound, the faster you gain them. Thus this is exclusively for temporary basis and is advantageous if you want to shed pounds for a special event. If you prefer this diet, see that you make your soup tastier so that the seven days aren’t hard for you.
Hellerwork
Hellerwork is based on the bodywork methods of Ida Rolf, adding the elements of manipulation and movement coaching using video feedback. It also specifically involves dialogue between client and practitioner to explore the mind-body connection.
Designed to realign and balance the body systematically, therapy thus normally consists of a series of 11 sessions of deep-tissue bodywork and movement “education.” Each session lasts for 90 minutes. Hellerwork practitioners claim that the method can relieve aches and pains, improve posture, dissipate tension, increase relaxation, extend overall flexibility and sporting ability, and enhance body awareness.
Eastern Traditions
Drawing on ancient traditions said to go back at least 3,000 years, Oriental movement and balance therapies aim to affect the flow of life energy, or chi. They encourage sensitivity and flexibility in the body while at the same time utilizing breath control and an inner focus to free up energy blockages and increase energy levels. T’ ai chi and chi kung, for example, are practiced on a daily basis by hundreds of millions of people in China, where they also form part of normal hospital therapy.