Natural Health: Tips for Preventing and Curing Disease
by David Meacham
"An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure." You probably have heard this familiar saying, but do you really follow it? Have you ever asked yourself why you got sick and what you could have done to prevent it?
Looking for something else?
Modern medicine is good at fixing up problems and even
transplanting new organs when old ones break down after years of
abuse. But modern medicine is not as effective when it comes to
showing us how to live in a way that will ensure a long, healthy
and happy life. Complementary and alternative systems of
medicine on the other hand offer a lot of advice on prevention.
Here are a few natural health tips for prevention and cure of
diseases:
Pay close attention to your diet (what you eat and how you
eat): You are what you eat. Low quality food has a detrimental
effect on body and mind. The ancient discipline of yoga advise a
diet based on fruits, vegetables, cereal and dairy products.
Naturopathy and natural health experts agree and add that it is
important to eat foods (such as fruits and vegetables) which
produce an alkaline reaction in the body. Even modern medicine is
coming around to this viewpoint and doctors now urge people to
cut down on red meat and animal fats in order to prevent the
onset of cancer and heart disease.
How and when you eat is just as important as what you eat: eat
when you are hungry and avoid eating when you are not hungry.
(check out our resources on nutrition and diet, vegetarianism,
organic foods, and fasting).
Keep fit with regular exercise: Regular physical labor is one
of the secrets of long life but modern lifestyles do not
normally provide physical labor. We have to make up for this with
walking, bicycling, sports, exercise machines, running, jogging,
swimming and other means. Choose the method that is best for
you, but whatever you do, don't just sit there and worry about
your health problems.
Learn how to rest your organs with fasting: Just as it is
important to eat the right food at the right times, one of the
secrets of long life is fasting at regular intervals. Our
digestive organs need a rest and can't be expected to work 24/7
for 365 days every year just as we ourselves need vacations and
rests from our work! Take a look at our fasting resources to
learn how to fast in order to maintain health and for curing
yourself when something goes wrong.
If you do get sick choose the system of medicine that is right
for you. Consider alternative and complementary therapies. Here
is a brief guide to some of the available alternative and
complementary health systems:
Naturopathy
- Naturopathy relies heavily on diet, and believes
that most diseases can be cured through proper eating and
fasting. Naturopathists or natural healers also employ the use of
water, clay and other natural materials in their therapy.
Homeopathy
- Modern homeopathy was pioneered by a German, Samuel
Hahnemanm (1755-1843) but its main principle "like cures like"
has been known since ancient times. Homeopathy believes that
microscopic doses of substances which in their full strength
would actually cause disease symptoms can be used to overcome
these same symptoms. Homeopathy uses inexpensive medicines that
do not have harmful side effects.
Acupuncture
- This system of Chinese medicine uses needles or
pressure (acupressure) to adjust energy flows in the body and
cure disease.
Ayurveda
- This is a system of medicine that originated in India.
According to Ayurvedic traditional health is the balance of
elements air, earth, fire, and water-and illness is as excess or
deficiency of any particular element. Its therapy uses therapies
through herbs, diet, exercise, yoga, massage, aromas, mantras,
and meditation.
Yogic Treatment
- Yogic treatment incorporates some features of
naturopathy and Ayurveda but also uses yoga postures to maintain
health and effect cures.
You only get one body in this lifetime so learn how to take care
of it with natural health methods and therapies. If you have any
questions, let us know and we will do our best to answer them.
David Meacham is a social worker, teacher and web developer. His
website Self Improvement Online, www.selfimprovementonline.org,
offers articles, courses and books in the fields of self-help and
self-improvement
