Category: Health/Natural

Q. I know that I shouldn't let it bother me, but the events surrounding the World Trade Center and the Pentagon are making me a nervous wreck. I'm having trouble sleeping, I wake-up often, and my days are filled with anxiety. Do you have any suggestions that will help me get through this period?

Q. There's been a lot of talk in the news recently about the Blue Nile virus that's carried by mosquitos. All of the TV newspeople are suggesting that people use chemical repellants when outdoors during the times of days when mosquitos are present, but I've always avoided using any kind of chemical on my body. Do you know of any natural, organic ways to repel biting insects like mosquitos?

Deepak Chopra, the current pop-culture natural health guru, takes great pains to explain that most diseases don’t begin in the body, but in the mind and spirit. Usually, by the time a disease process manifests as a physical ailment, the person has actually been suffering emotionally, mentally or spiritually for quite a long time. In other words, the best time to cure a disease is before it has a chance to become a sickness of the body.

Q. My eight year old son has suffered from chronic ear infections since he was an infant. These infections occur three or four times a year. When our doctor treats them with antibiotics, they always go away, but return within four or five weeks after the prescription runs out. In every other way he seems to be a perfectly healthy boy. We've paid for extensive medical tests to try and determine what's causing them, but there doesn't seem to be anything out of the ordinary. Our doctor says that some kids just seem to be prone to these kinds of things and that he'll probably grow out of them. I wish there was something we could do to stop them, because our doctor suggests that we not let him go swimming, as a precaution, and he loves to play in the pool so much. Any suggestions?

Q. About six months ago, I began experiencing chest pains. Since I am a forty-four year old woman, just entering the years when I'm prone to develop heart trouble, I was concerned. I was also concerned because I've been on medication for panic disorder for about ten years, a condition that can also manifests as a chest pain that resembles a heart attack.

Q. Over the last several years, I've developed arthritis in my shoulders and hands. The pain in my hands can sometimes be so bad that I'm unable to perform even simple tasks around the house, and my doctors have been able to do little to ease the situation. However, I have several friends who are into alternative medicine, and they all tell me that I might be able to find relief by using non-traditional treatments. The trouble is, none of them agree as to what would be best for me. Acupuncture, massage therapy, Reiki and homeopathy have all been recommended to me, but I'm confused as to which would be best. My HMO won't cover alternative treatments and I can't afford to try them all. Please help!

Are you too busy for sleep? Is much of your bedtime spent tossing and turning because you worry about what you did or did not accomplish that day? Do you awake each morning refreshed, full of vim and vigor - ready to take on a new day, or does it take several cups of coffee for you to regain consciousness in the morning?

Lack of sleep can severely compromise our immune systems, affect our alertness during the day, interfere with our sex lives, our moods, and our effectiveness; generally making us useless in our waking hours. Our bodies require rest. Our minds require both rest and dream time. Researchers have discovered that if we do not dream, we may become disoriented, distracted, and emotionally and mentally unstable. Dreaming appears to be essential to a healthy mind.

I know that we are all busy with life’s challenges, but we must take measures to get the rest our bodies and minds require. One thing you can do is schedule your sleeping routine. Also, moderate, regular exercise during the day can relieve pent up nervous energy, allowing you to relax and avoid the willies of nervous energy that may interfere with your ability to fall asleep.

The living body radiates a warmth and energy called the vital life force, and has within and surrounding it an intricate electrical network comprised of:

1. The aura, which possesses four distinct and specific layers: spiritual, mental, emotional, and etheric.
2. The chakra system, composed of seven main energy centers.
3. And the meridians, which dispatch and feed us energy.