Alternative Medicine and Therapies - What, Why and How of it

Alternative Therapies and alternative medicine has been gaining ground along with conventional treatments. Alternative therapies have been practiced for thousand of years especially in the east commonly known as Ayurveda and Traditional Chinese Medicine.

Modern medicine has replaced such therapies due to its ability to quickly suppress the symptoms and treat the specific physical condition with pharmacological and surgical methods evolved after much research.

However the modern medicine too has severe side effects due to its toxicity and chemical interference in cellular functioning. This has resulted in alternative therapies and alternative medicines gaining ground. The inability of the medical science to quickly tackle the outbreak of immunity related disorders and disease like Aids and SARS have rekindled the interest in alternative therapies.

Alternative therapy and medicine has also gained respectability as more and more clinical trials and research is establishing the efficacy of its treatments.

Alternative therapies have very simple principles.

The body can heal itself. You only need to facilitate the self-healing process.

Prevention is the key to healthy living. The alternative medicinal system stresses on prevention of disease through a change in diet, use of proven herbs and lifestyle changes which while preventing the disease also helps in dealing with the basic cause of any disease.

Each system of alternative medicine has their own complex method of diagnoses and treatment; broadly they focus on balancing the energies in the body as well as the emotional aspects of disease. Ayurveda and Traditional Chinese Medicine as well as homeopathy works on the principle of assisting the body to heal itself.

All treatments in alternative therapy use medicines which are directly derived from botanical sources - ingredients in plants. They are generally safe in moderate doses if they are prepared with pure essence of such botanicals and unadulterated with any form of chemicals.

Selecting the right herbal products

There are plenty of spurious products in the market with tall claims. Buy only from the best source after verifying the background and credibility of the company.

Dont go by claims of miraculous cures. You need to understand how each product works and go by the research available on the herbs along with the traditional history of healing.

Buy the herbal or food supplements only after verifying whether company is meeting with the quality standards and test certifications. Check whether the ingredients on the label are as per the claims on the advertisements.

Plenty of information is available from the website of U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or NCCAM website for complementary and Alternative medicine.

A final word of caution while using alternative medicines and therapies, whatever the claims made or facts about the medicinal and curative properties do not stop your regular treatment recommended by a doctor.

It is best to use these products as a preventive and for good health. Do not use the products for symptomatic relief but for therapeutic use.

Use the alternative medicine as complementary or as an adjuvant therapy to your regular medicine. Use of herbal remedies as a preventive or as food and health supplements is the best way to go as you do not run the risk of interference with your regular treatment of any disease or disorder.

R.G. Srinivasan is a Certified Trainer, Writer and Author.He is passionate about alternate therapies and holistic herbal medicine. Check out blog at http://alternative-healthnews.blogspot.com

Colon Cancer Awareness
Colon Cancer Research
Colon Cancer Screening

6 Tips to Overcome Colon Cleansing Side Effects

Colon cleansing using natural herbs and ingredients is one of the best gifts of health that you can give to your body. However, you might feel quite bad while the process of cleansing is actually taking place. This is much like a withdrawal syndrome which is caused when your body tries to adjust to your strict colon cleansing diet and regime, which is an absolutely new phenomenon for it.

Remember that most alternative medicine treatments generally make you feel worse before making you feel better, and colon cleansing also follows this rule. So you might experience some minor side effects like fatigue, weakness, diarrhea, body aches, headaches, bloating, bad breath, nausea and even spurts of acne. These side effects vary from person to person, so you might experience something that other people do not. However, there is no need to worry in case you have any bearable side effects. The tips given below will further help you to overcome colon cleansing side effects.

1. Try to increase your intake of water when you are cleaning your colon. Colon cleansing requires a lot of water and might be dehydrating if you do not keep on drinking as much water as possible. Try to take electrolyte balancing solutions because they will help you in combating nausea and headaches. Take broths, stews and soups since they will also help in maintaining your electrolyte balance.

2. Take supplements, especially probiotics. This is because while colon cleansing flushes out harmful bacteria and toxins from the body, a large number of good bacteria are also flushed out. Therefore taking a probiotic which has human strains will help your body in functioning normally. Taking vitamin C supplements is also helpful.

3. If you can manage it, then try to exercise. Exercise causes sweat which helps in flushing out toxins from your body faster. However, if you are feeling weak, then you can definitely give this a skip. You can also try detoxifying baths using apple cider vinegar or bentonite clay, which will fasten up the internal cleansing process.

4. Try to indulge in activities that will take your mind off the side effects that you are experiencing. Read a good book, watch movies and listen to music. Try to relax as much as possible. Meditate and practice deep breathing exercises. Try not to get into stressful activities.

5. Many people swear by yeast flakes when it comes to easing colon cleansing symptoms. Yeast flakes are a nutritious source of minerals and vitamin B. you can add a spoonful of yeast flakes to your soups, shakes or juices and see the beneficial effect on your body.

6. Try to eat only as much as is absolutely necessary. In case you keep on overeating while taking colon cleansing herbs, then the herbs will keep on eliminating the waste from all the food that you have eaten instead of concentrating on the waste matter that is stuck to the walls of your colon.

Again as I mentioned above, you might experience some minor side effects. These side effects vary from person to person, so you might experience something that other people do not. However, there is no need to worry as these are natural reaction from our body.

Author is the webmaster of Colon Cleanse. You may be interested in 3 Benefits of Colon Cleansing and 4 Tips for Cleaning your Colon Naturally.

Metastatic Colon Cancer
Colon Cancer Stage
Stage 3 Colon Cancer