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Health Info.Com
As a practitioner of Traditional Chinese Medicine I am trained to view the world through the lens of Oriental medical thinking—to see things in terms of Yin and Yang and to work to bring balance to the body and in doing so help to restore health. When I was studying for my license I had training in western science, anatomy, biology, physiology, etc. as well. While the two systems, eastern and western medicine, can often seem very different in their approach to health, the bottom line is that they both treat the same human body. In this article I hope to make you more aware of some of the issues that affect us all no matter how you view how our bodies work.
Did anyone happen to read the June 19th issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA)? In it there are a number of articles that confirm what many of us have know for some time, which is that most Americans don't get adequate levels of vitamins and minerals from our diets and would benefit from taking a nutritional supplement daily. I do this myself and recommend that all my patients do the same. Given the high cost of health insurance this is a very inexpensive way to really insure our health in a proactive way.
Another healthy option is to eat organic fruits and vegetables whenever possible to reduce our intake of toxic pesticides while getting produce that not only in more nutritious but is more delicious as well. The simplest way I know to do this is by using a service such as "Planet Organics" which will deliver farm fresh produce in season to your door for the same price you'd pay if you went out and bought it yourself. A box starts at $25 a week and is enough for two people to get their recommended daily servings. Yum Yum! They can be reached at www.PlanetOrganics.com. Tell 'em Larry sent you.
On a more cautionary note I feel obliged to pass along a warning about "sugar free" products, the vast majority of which contain the artificial sweetener aspartame. While still officially listed as safe by the FDA, a growing body of evidence indicates that a significant portion of the population may suffer negative health effects from even moderate consumption of these products. Ninety–two symptoms have been listed by the FDA as possible side effects including migraines, fatigue, nausea as well as symptoms that can mimic chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, even Alzheimer's disease. For more information I encourage you to check out www.AspartameTruth.com to get both sides of the debate. However, if you are someone who regularly consumes diet sodas or sugar free products and have health issues I suggest going "sugar free" free for a week or two and see how your body responds.
Finally, to end on an up note, there's curcumin, the active ingredient in the spice tumeric. This herb, which is a staple in Chinese herbology, has been getting rave reviews recently for it's many health benefits. Several studies over the past few years have shown that curcumin is a powerful, natural and safe anti–inflammatory, antioxidant, anti–tumoral, anti–microbial. It has also been demonstrated to protect the liver, reduces cholesterol and improve blood circulation. And the best part is that it tastes good as well! Tumeric is the spice that gives curry it's distinctive yellow color. So by all means enjoy more curry dishes and do yourself a "flavor".
© 2004 Larry Forsberg. All rights reserved.
Articles posted on this Web site are for personal use only and remain the property of Larry Forsberg, L.Ac.
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