Markus Wahlgren asked:


Cancer is the name given to any illness resulting from one of our body’s own cells growing out of control. There are many processes that control a cell’s growth and division, each of which can go wrong. Several of these control mechanisms need to be damaged before a cell becomes cancerous. There are more than 200 different types of cancers, which are categorized in to carcinoma, sarcoma, lymphoma and leukemia based on the cells from which they arise.

The principles involved in treating cancer are either directly destroying the cancer tissues or indirectly destroying them by depriving them of blood supply and/or their nutrition. But the irony is that whatever conventional treatment is used to destroy cancer cells do affect to some extent the normal cells also. They may damage the skin, liver, intestine the bone marrow and other rapidly multiplying cells. Sometimes the effect of the treatment is more devastating than the disease itself.

Role of Alternative Medicine in treating cancer

A larger study of Alternative medicine use in patients with different types of cancer was published in the July 2000 issue of the Journal of Clinical Oncology. It was found that nearly 70% of the patients used at least one form alternative medicine along with the conventional treatment. The National Cancer Institute (NCI) and the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) are sponsoring a number of clinical trials at medical centers to evaluate alternative medical therapies for cancer.

Alternative medicine includes therapies like herbal remedies, vitamins, special diets, and acupuncture among others.

Acupuncture: effective in the management of chemotherapy associated nausea and vomiting and in controlling pain associated with surgery. Now used in a trial to reduce the symptoms of colorectal cancer

-Homeopathy

-Ayurveda

-Shark cartilage: Being tried in non-small cell lung cancer. it prevents new blood vessels growth

-Hyperbaric oxygen: In patients who had larynx removed for larynx cancer

-Massage therapy: for cancer related fatigue

-Pancreatic enzyme therapy along with specialized diet for the treatment of pancreatic cancer

-Mistletoe extract: for the treatment of solid tumors

-Wheatgrass therapy

-Macrobiotics: The macrobiotic diet is strictly vegetarian and requires you to consume about half of your daily calories from whole grains, about a quarter of your calories from vegetables, and the rest of your calories from beans, seaweed and soups

-Bioelectric therapies

-Moerman’s Anti-Cancer diet

-Hoxsey herbal therapy

-Essiac herbal therapy: Essiac is a herbal tea mixture that relieves pain and reduces the size of tumors. It contains four herbs- burdock, rhubarb, sheep sorrel and slippery elm

-Pau D’Arco herbal therapy

-Chaparral herbal therapy

-Laetrile (amygdalin): a chemical found in lima beans, raw nuts and the pits of many fruits. Amygdalin produces cyanide, which proponents claim kills cancer

-Alkaline diet: such as fruits and vegetables and restricting acidic foods

-Antioxidant found in fruits and vegetables

-Vitamins A, C and E: These are very good anti oxidants

-Detox therapies including Gonzales nutritional metabolic therapy, colon therapy, and Gerson therapy

The most successful practitioners integrate various components of the alternative cancer treatments for a better outcome.



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Evelyn Lim asked:


Those of us who claim that we do not practice any form of alternative medicine or therapies have missed out considering all the simple remedies that we apply at home.

Consider the following examples:- – Do you massage your neck at the back when you have a splitting headache? – Do you put an ice pack on a sprained ankle? – Have you not ever used some aromatherapy for your room? – Have you not ever take some honey when you are having a bad throat? – Have you not ever taken chamomile tea for cooling and for de-stress? – Do you drink your mum’s traditional herbal chicken soup home brewed for 10 hours meant for strengthening and warming your internal body?

In fact, these represent just a few out of the many simple remedies that we use in our everyday life. When we think of alternative medicine or therapies, we conjure images of some out-of-the-ordinary practices. Of course, alternative medicine and therapies can range to the more “unconventional” ones like hypnotherapy, past life regression, energy healing, etc. But mostly, they are not.

Here comes some surprising statistics. The World Health Organization estimates that between 65 and 80 percent of the world’s population (about 3 billion people) rely on traditional (read: “alternative”) medicine as their primary form of health care. It further states that when these traditional medical treatments are introduced into Western culture, they are seen as complementary or alternative.

Most of us tend to fail to factor in these alternative everyday remedies, but choose to think that we are believers of conventional medicine versus alternative medicine. After all, conventional medicine is very much backed by well documented research, statistics and proven theories; whereas alternative medicine is not. Still, having the benefit of practicing some of these home remedies, there is no denying that they do help in providing some form of relief and treatment. In addition, they don’t cost much in terms of money and time, and most importantly, have few or little side effects.

It is therefore, a good idea to spend some time to get to know more about these alternative therapies and remedies and apply them more diligently to our everyday life. We may choose to include massage therapy, aromatherapy, eating a healthy diet, practicing yoga and relaxing breathing techniques. In the end, our spending on drugs and doctor’s bills is likely to be less and at the same time, we will be adopting natural methods to heal ourselves.



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Cindy Browne asked:


There is quite a bit of information you can find about how to cure various illnesses with the use of alternative medicine. Many people believe this is the only right way for them to take care of such ailments that come their way. However, there are many that take this process even further. They are turning to alternative medicine in order to prevent those illnesses from every occurring.

This does make sense when you think about it. How many people take a daily vitamin supplement? It seems to go along those same lines as there aren’t any negative side effects from doing so. They also won’t interrupt what any prescription medicines are to do for them. One of the common ones is drinking green tea each day. This is said to help people lose weight. Therefore they are less prone to certain diseases such as heart disease and diabetes that can be onset due to excess weight.

Green tea is also a natural antioxidant so various types of toxins are removed from your body. Since they aren’t in place they can’t develop into any type of problem for you. Green tea tastes very good and is a healthy alternative to drinking sugary drinks all the time. If you don’t like the taste of green tea though you can take it in a tablet form.

One area that is strongly promoted is the concept of eating well balanced meals.

Sure, we hear that all the time. Yet there are said to be certain types of foods that contain ingredients to prevent illnesses including cancer. They include certain types of berries as well as other fresh fruits. People do pay a premium price to get them shipped from far away areas.

For those that have a family history of cancer and other illnesses, there is nothing they won’t try to reduce their risk. Alternative medicine certainly offers them some options that don’t involve prescription medications that can be expensive or have side effects associated with them. There is plenty of information about what types of alternative medicine to try for certain types of prevention.

Identify what your risk factors are so you can incorporate those concepts that can offer you the most protection. Pay close attention to how you feel before and after you start that method. Some experts believe that people can convince themselves something works there is a placebo effect going on and nothing else. Those that partake regularly in alternative medicine to prevent common illnesses though will have to disagree with them.

You will have to decide for yourself if you want to engage in forms of alternative medicine in order to prevent common illnesses. Some people don’t put much stock in it while others will tell you they haven’t been sick like they used to be since they started such a regiment. There haven’t been enough substantial tests done on such products to really know.

It is important to understand that people react differently to various types of alternative medicine. That is another reason why it is so hard to give it complete credibility. What may work well for one individual may not offer you the protection you seek. So their opinion would be that it does work while you would have to disagree.



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Jeffrey Wearstler asked:


We’ve all been tempted by quick fix diets, weight loss inventions and other quick, easy weight loss schemes. I know I have. The truth is, the foundation to successful weight watching is a healthy diet and lifestyle, combined with exercise.

This is easier said than done with today’s fast paced, constantly on the go lifestyle that most of us live. It sure seems easier to run through a fast food drive through for lunch or grab a mocha latte for a pick me up. I’m guilty of doing this myself. But in the long run, you’ll save time and energy by simply having a healthy diet and lifestyle plus exercising 30 minutes a day.

The pants tell the truth. How many of you are in the same size you were a year or two ago? Many of us aren’t. The statistics about obesity in America are staggering. Six out of 10 adults Americans are over weight and 17% of our children are overweight or obese.

We need to make real, long term lifestyle changes to win the battle against the bulging waistline.

So how do you make changes to your lifestyle that will result in healthy living? Here are 7 simple tips to watch your waistline:

1. Enjoy healthier foods – reach for fruits, veggies and balanced meals rather than the fast food value meal of a mocha latte. These are high in fat, sugar and calories, but low in nutritional value and can quickly add inches to your waistline.

2. Be patient – we all want instant results, but the reality is that watching your waistline takes work and time. Recognize the small achievements. They will add up over time.

3. Be consistent with eating and exercise choices – consistency is the key to getting the results you want. To keep your body at the weight you want, you’ll need to eat better and be more active for your whole life.

4. Get active, stay active – exercise is critical to maintaining a healthy weight. Strive for a balance between a healthy diet and lifestyle plus physical activity. Your waistline and your energy levels will both thank you.

5. Change your lifestyle – take it slow and smart. Make subtle changes rather than drastic ones. An all or nothing approach may work short term, but you’ll end up frustrating yourself and make it more difficult to stay with a healthy lifestyle.

6. Eat a good breakfast everyday – your body needs the fuel a good breakfast will deliver the first thing in the morning. Then eat small portions at regular intervals throughout the day.

Did you know – skipping breakfast is a recipe for overeating with late night snacks (I’m guilty on this one)

7. Eat more fruit – fruit is good for you, despite some of the rumors the fad diets have spread. In fact, you should eat fruit everyday, for every snack of with every meal you can.

There you are. Seven little tips to get you started leading a healthy diet and lifestyle.

Remember, the foundation to successful weight watching is a healthy diet and lifestyle, combined with exercise. If you can do that and stick to it, you will be well on your way to a healthier, happier life.



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Uchenna Ani-Okoye asked:


One of the most frequently cited reasons that diets and attempts at healthy eating fail is boredom. Many people simply do not know how to keep a healthy diet interesting day after day, and it can be quite a challenge.

Given the huge variety of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, meats and other healthy foods at the local grocery store, however, it is definitely possible to create exciting, nutritious meals that will keep boredom at bay.

You’re Key to Healthy Eating

The key to the success of any plan for healthy eating is to eat what you like, but to exercise moderation when it comes to the less healthy foods. Improving your level of health and fitness does not mean forgoing that piece of chocolate cake, for instance. It does mean, however, limiting you to one piece. A healthy diet contains all types of foods, including carbohydrates, proteins, and even fats. The key is choosing foods that provide the best combination of taste and nutrition. After all, if your diet consists of foods you hate, you will not stick with it.

The revised USDA food pyramid contains five major food groups – grains, vegetables, fruits, milk and dairy, and meat and beans. When choosing foods from these groups, it is important to eat a wide variety of foods from every food group. Doing so will not only give you a great deal of variety and keep boredom from setting in, but it will provide the best nutritional balance as well. In addition the widely known micronutrients, such as vitamin A, vitamin D, vitamin C, etc. all foods contain a variety of macronutrients, like fats, proteins, fibre and water. Though present in extremely tiny amounts, micronutrients are vitally important to good health. That is why a healthy, varied diet is so important.

In addition, when choosing foods from within the various food groups, some choices are naturally better and healthier than others. For instance, choosing skim or 2% milk instead of full fat whole milk is a good way to cut down on both fat and calories. And choosing poultry or lean meat is a great way to get the protein you need every day without extra fat, cholesterol and calories.

Likewise cereals and breads that carry the whole grain label are healthier than those who do not. Even in the world of fruits and vegetables some choices are better than others. For instance, peaches packed in heavy syrup add unnecessary sugar to the diet; while those packed in water or juice provide only good nutrition.

There has been a trend lately to add vitamin fortification to food, and this can sometimes be a good way to maximize nutrition. It is important to remember, however, that proper nutrition comes from a healthy diet, not from vitamin supplements. It is fine to buy calcium fortified cereal, but the bulk of your calcium intake should still come from milk, dairy products and green leafy veggies.

Choosing the Best Foods

Knowing the five major food groups and how much of each to eat every day is only part of the picture. The other part is choosing the best foods from within those food groups. That means things like choosing the leanest cuts of meat, using egg substitutes instead of whole eggs, choosing the freshest fruits and vegetables, etc.

Even with fruits and vegetables, some choices are better than others. Some fruits, such as avocados, for instance, are packed with fat and calories. It is important to check the nutritional qualities of the fruits and vegetables you buy, and not simply assume that all fruits and vegetables are equally healthy.

One way to maximize nutrition while minimizing cost is to buy fruits and vegetables that are in season. Fruits and vegetables that are in season are usually quite a bit cheaper than those that must be shipped hundreds or even thousands of miles, and they are generally much fresher too. Of course, depending on where you live, there may be varieties of fruits and vegetables that are not available locally, so the northerner in search of citrus fruits will just have to watch the sales and buy accordingly.



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