This article is an informational and educational guide only.  The approaches, techniques, remedies and/or methods described are not a substitute for professional medical care or treatment.  An individual with any concerns and/or serious ailments should contact their personal health care practitioner.  This is not a medical advice column and should not be considered diagnostic and prescriptive.

ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE FOR SPIRIT, SOUL, MIND & BODY

Some of us remember the old-time remedies our grandmother, grandfather or great  aunt used to conjure up to rid us of an ailment  or two-- a hot cup of this or a teaspoon of that.  Others of us remember mama’s “touch” and how our pain and discomfort seem to melt away like magic with a touch and rub of her hands.
Still, some recall the power of prayer and the laying on of hands in church; witnessing healing miracles and listening to testimonies of those who received them.  Our ancestors had to rely on their inner wisdom about the healing power prayer and God’s medicine naturally found in herbs and foods-- a gift most have forsaken or forgotten.
Today, many of us are seeking to be healed from what we cannot get cured from.  Thousands are revisiting grandma’s forsaken antidotes and rituals for today’s dis-ease, many of which become unnecessarily fatal.
The health care industry currently spends more money in caustic care, that is, treating symptoms with drugs than they spend in preventive care.  Many drugs produce serious side effects and create more health concerns.  Billions of dollars are  spent in surgery, an effort to cut away or cut off the dis-ease or dis-order.  Surgery can separate a person from the natural healing abilities already inherent in their body and mind.
Top pharmaceutical companies are researching and repackaging mother nature’s phytonutrients and developing herbal supplements in response to a better way to maintain health.
But is that enough?  And can we depend solely on a multi-billion dollar industry to service our health needs, relinquishing our personal responsibility for our own well-being and the well-being of our families.
Here’s what we also need to ask ourselves to consider  --since 1971, the United States has spent more than $30,000.000,000.00 on the war against cancer. In 1997, Chemotherapy sales in the United States were said to be $12,000,000,000.00. And according to Ralph Moss, author of Questioning Chemotherapy, patients may pay as much as $100,000.00 for chemo drugs.  Although Chemo and Radiation is widely used in the treatment of cancer and other dis-eases, they place extremes amounts of toxins into the body in an effort to destroy cancerous cell.  Chemo and radiation treatment kills both good and bad cells.  Many chemo treatment patients’ bodies do not handle the weight of such poisons being poured into their systems and cancer victims sometimes die from the effects of treatment before the dis-ease of cancer itself.
It is estimated that dental and medical X-rays cause 78,000 incidents of cancer per year and that doctors frequently fail to detect or diagnose cancer, which results in understating the amounts of cancer deaths by 44%.  In the richest country in the world, cancer and heart disease are two of the leading causes of death.  This is due to several reasons, but the lack of wisdom and use of preventive medicine certainly plays a big role.
There are numerous natural alternative approaches to health that have taken a back seat.
With the escalating cost of healthcare and billions of dollars going into the mere treatment of physical and mental dis-eases and their symptoms, we need to demand of ourselves a more reasonable and responsible approach to healthcare.  This nation is currently experiencing an historical high occurrence of dis-ease and chronic illnesses.
Why is it that by the age of five, American children receive half a lifetime's limit of known carcinogens?  No wonder their immune systems can’t ward off a simple cold.  And why are their bones more brittle and subject to fracture and breakage?
Type !I diabetes, asthma and chronic allergies is ravaging the lives of our youth by the thousands? Why?  Just recently, a seven year old child suffered a heart attack. Why? And what measures could help prevent so many illness and disease? And why are simple preventive measures not discussed as frequently as symptomatic treatments?
Is it easier to pop a pill than walk a mile? Is it easier to endure the scalpel for a triple by­pass than eat nutritional meals? Is it more economical to pay for your funeral than to practice preventive healthcare?  Health is not a convenience, rather a conscious decision of lifestyle.
Healing is an experience of wholeness requiring a balanced, healthy integration of our spirit, soul, mind and body.  Our physical, mental and emotional conditions reflect our imbalances, our self-perceptions and how we perceive our relationship to the world around us.
Our belief system and lack of knowledge about our own bodies and how magnificently the Creator formed us, oftentimes determine whether we live or die.
We have programmed within our DNA/RNA a healing force divinely designed for our own upkeep.  We have Biblical instruction on what  to eat and drink.  We are even instructed on how and when.
 Within each and every cell, lies a microscopic universe that has the ability to constantly reproduce its own perfected structure.  But without the proper nutrition, our cells weaken and fail us.  Weak cells produce weak results.
Cells can only derive benefit from good nutrition and if the foods in our diet are broken down tiny enough into building blocks to be absorbed by the cell, metabolized, with crucial nutrients and waste products eliminated.
There are many wholistic, natural, unconventional ways to help the body move through its cycle of life and to help maintain optimum health.  These approaches complement how we are created and provide our systems with the necessary tools to continuously heal themselves.  These approaches have their orgins in Ancient Afrika, Tibet, Japan, China, Greece, Tahiti and numerous other cultures, including the Native American culture.
Of course, conventional medicine is very important in the treatment of emergencies and many traumas.  There is also Complementary Medicine, wherein, unconventional therapies are used as a supplement to conventional medicine.  It is important to look at the offerings of both fields of medicine and  seek a balance.
Some of these natural healing techniques include: Energy Medicine; Guided Meditation; Kinesiology; Visualization & Guided Imagery; Massage; Reiki; Acupuncture; Therapeutic Touch Therapy; Aromatherapy; Iridology; Radonics; Chi-kung; Color Therapy; Music Therapy; Fasting & Detox; Colonics; Chelation Therapy; Chiropractic Medicine; Homeopathic Medicine; Hydrotherapy and Enviornmental Medicine.
However, the first basic steps to good health are in found the drinking of  fresh water, the intake of fresh air, (including proper breathing), movement, (exercise), rest, life-giving nutrition, laughter and of course a healthy attitude.

OUR BODY MUST BE ABLE TO DO OTHER MAJOR FUNCTIONS
AS WELL TO FACILITATE HEALTH:

• Assimilate.  The body must assimilate nutrients from foods, supplements and nutritional liquids.  Absorption into the circulation via the lymphatic system.
• Digestion. The body must be able to digest (breakdown) food;
• Circulation. – The body must be able to properly transport the absorbed nutrients to each cell within the system.  Without proper circulation, nutrients may not reach their destination.
• Eliminate waste--   The body must have proper elimination which begins at the cellular level and also utilizes the skin, lungs, kidneys and colon as major tools to complete the elimination process.

Since the lungs and kidneys are very important organs in the elimination process, it is essential that we do not abuse them by consistently dumping toxins such as alcohol, drugs, tar and nicotine into our systems.  It can also be helpful to assist the lungs and kidneys with the proper use of natural supplements, herbs and exercise.  (Consult your health care practitioner before taking natural herbs and supplements.
Note: The acid and akaline balances in the body and digestive system play an important role in the process of preventive health.