Valentine's Day -- a time to think about your heart and the heart of someone you love. Where do you find more love than in the heart of your pet? Yes, we have husbands, wives, family and friends, but there's no substitute for that happy thump-thump-thump of a wagging tail.
Holistic health has become inevitable. A piecemeal approach to wellness doesn't fit how your body works. It is no longer "alternative" medicine that concerns itself with broad issues of holistic wellness.
You know trans fats are bad for you. High consumption of trans-fatty acids raises cholesterol levels and increases the risk of heart attacks.
A bit of integrative medicine history was made last month when the U.S. Indian Health Service (IHS) quietly announced that licensed naturopathic doctors, acupuncturists and chiropractors would be included in 2012 in the IHS' student loan repayment programs.
As any patient (and their loved ones as well) knows only too well, treatment for cancer is a long and winding road. It is also an emotional roller coaster. From the moment of initial diagnosis it injects a strong element of anxiety into patient and family alike.
If you believe that empowering health-focused, integrative approaches and practitioners can make a difference in transforming U.S. health care, the convening of this event was a beautiful thing to behold.
But when it comes to secular mindfulness there is one teacher who has influenced absolutely everyone: Jon Kabat-Zinn. Now Jon is bringing his considerable experience to bear on the role of mindfulness in education.
More doctors and veterinarians now recognize that many illnesses begin as people and pets accumulate toxic materials. As toxins build up they block normal regulatory systems and can lead to the body's loss of ability to regulate and function.
The purpose of meditation is not to stop our thinking but to create conditions for rest and peace and understanding by cultivating our attention.
Hormesis is a little-known term with huge implications. It refers to a fascinating phenomenon: a favorable biological reaction to low doses of chemical toxins, radiation or some other form of stress that is damaging, even fatal, in higher doses.
Even as recent as just a few decades ago, the laying of hands and massage therapy or manual therapy was considered a normal natural part of medicine. In more recent times, massage and manual therapy is seen as more of a luxury rather than a necessary part of healing and wellness.
Before you give up the pharmaceutical solution in favor of an herbal remedy, let me strongly urge you to keep your doctor and other caregivers (don't forget your pharmacist!) in the treatment loop.
Our personal health has much to do with freedom and how we use our freedom in living our lives. To have life, liberty and pursue happiness we need to use our freedom to act effectively and so help us to create health and free us from disease.
A good friend has warned me that my annual exploration of the year's highlights for integrative medicine in the form of a Top 10 is "too much inside baseball." I thought I'd let you decide. The year was a good one for integrative medicine.
When you see that "fatty liver" diagnosis on your ultrasound report, see it as an indication that you need to make sure your cholesterol and sugar levels are okay and that you keep your weight and lifestyle as healthy as possible.
Without saying the "p" word -- psychology -- the Veterans Health Administration has turned to integrative health approaches to address health challenges that run the gamut from post-traumatic stress disorder and physical disabilities to divorce, brain injury and suicide.
