Brenda Skidmore's Health Tips

According to a recent, 2006 New York Times survey, at least 48 percent of the U.S. adult population has tried some form of alternative health care treatment. I don't think this information should be considered big news, considering the fact that natural substances was the basic foundation from which our current 'drug', system was created. I also feel fairly positive, that this poll does not reflect the true nature of what is actually being used in alternative health care treatments to combat physical suffering. It does not take into account the population that is 18 yrs. and younger for starters, so I believe this percentage is probably a lot higher. If 48 percent of the U.S. adult population has used this form of health care on themselves, it is probably a safe bet that they have also used it on their offspring.

As time passes, I think more people are fast realizing that there are a lot more choices available, regarding health care, than what we have ever previously been led to believe. No longer is the current type of, 'status quo', health care system considered acceptable, in serving the best interests of the general public. It is becoming painfully obvious that it has become a scare them blind type of marketing system, and the normal American way of doing business-as-usual. More importance has been placed upon generating handsome industry profits than improving mankind's health and well being.

What is really unnerving, is the notion that the mainstream media portrays ( as a common theme ) in the continuance of downplaying complimentary medical treatments, as if this line of treatment is some sort of inferior type of 'voodoo medicine'. Reports of almost non-existent purity testing in the dietary and herbal supplement industry before marketing them ( as if there are almost no pure dietary and herbal supplements available to us at all ) and tainted food supplies are designed to scare you away from natural health approaches. BTW, I wonder how all those unwanted chemicals could have possibly ended up in our food and supplement sources? Let your imagination be your guide on that one.

In spite of all the watch-dog groups, rules and regulations created to police the prescription drug industry ( as pharmaceuticals are among some of the most dangerous substances on Earth ) they often perform no better than alternative methods, and at their worst they actually can do more harm than good. Common sense ought to tell most people that natural therapies have a much cleaner track record, of doing less harm in the long-run, than prescription alternatives. I have never understood why we do not try safer, simpler and more gentler approaches first before bringing out the big guns. What harm comes from thinking that expensive, complicated answers are always much better than simpler ones? For some reason that one seems to defy my sense of logic. Yours too?

The human mind is a natural thinking module driven by instinct to question and ponder what it has never understood before. This is the reason behind the expansion of everything we have ever experienced in our world thus far. This is how we have moved from beyond our very humble beginnings to occupy our present time space reality.

Many pharmaceutical trained physicians will tell their patients that they believe emotional stress plays an important role in the manifestation of their physical symptoms. Yet it is beyond their trained expertise to treat those symptoms with anything other than drugs, surgeries and radiation.

When you seek only one type of health care model (natural or conventional ) to help you through a physical health crisis the end result is, more than likely, going to be somewhat incomplete. Many conventionally trained physicians are now starting to integrate both approaches in treating their patients. This is a small and gradual step in the right direction. However, consumer demand has probably been the driving force in the acceptance of the idea that there is room for both. It's either listen to what your patients have been learning all about, or lose them to a physician who is willing to help guide them.

Now, back to unresolved emotional issues and health. What role do you think emotions actually play in our physical thriving, or lack thereof? This is, largely, an unexplored area of health care as most untrained humans have not been able to completely understand that connection. But, the human mind is not going to rest until it uncovers some answers to that big question. In fact, I believe it is becoming the 'new' health care frontier model of the future. If you are in doubt of my vision, take a sneak peek at how this is already unfolding as I am writing to tell you about it.

This may be an idealistic vision on my part, and the views of many others besides, but take a really good,long and hard look at what is happening in our world. As the way things stand, right now, there is a lot of dissatisfaction among the masses in staying where we are. Each and every day that passes by, more people are discovering how our current health care system has not been able to keep up with what most people are wanting, or expand much beyond that of what we already know. The limited protection of a certain group of people's self-interests will, eventually, not be able to hold up under the current flow of collective consciousness among what many more minds have a desire to create. Then 'Bingo', the change that so many have wanted and waited on for such a long time will begin to take place, as if by some sort of magic.

Today, more than any other time in the history of our existence, we now have the technology to help us expand our thinking minds in solving many of our current health care challenges. With the advent of computers, the internet, and in the compilation of all the timeless amounts of information, that is available at the touch of our fingertips, what are you going to use as your excuse in not being able to find a better solution to improving your state of well being?

Universal law, as I have come to understand it, dictates that it is the very essence of our nature to be selfish. We are designed by a benign force to protect our own self-interests in any type of situation. What may not be so obvious to most people, take my opinion for what it is worth to you, is that you must become very selfish at claiming your own right to survive. You have to take responsibility for your own health care needs. Health care reform starts with not expecting someone else to completely solve all of your health problems because, by nature, everyone else is simply being selfish in protecting their own self-interests!

So, my question to you is when are you going to get scrappy and fight for your right to thrive in your life? Now, not at this time, or never?