We have to combine the appropriate use of supplements
with a healthy lifestyle one that includes such things as
regular exercise, weight control and stress reduction.
Interest in self-health care has sky rocketed, grabbed center stage, attracting more and more adherents and supporters. This is a new trend that can relieve the crisis in cost and quality of health care. Only one thing is needed - your active participation. The dramatic increase in the use of vitamins, minerals, herbs and other nutritional supplements is a major part of the equation in the massive shift towards self-care. But it takes more than pills to get results. We have to combine the appropriate use of supplements with a healthy lifestyle - one that includes such things as regular exercise, weight control and stress reduction.
Self-health care emphasizes empowerment of people as partners in their own health care. A watershed example is the impressive heart study that was published by Dean Ornish, M.D. in 1990 in The Lancet. In a group of highly motivated patients, Dr. Ornish was able to demonstrate a significant reversal of coronary artery blockage as measured by arteriography studies. For three years, the patients had taken self care to the extreme, using only a nutritious vegetarian heart-friendly diet (no catered hospital meals here!!), exercise, yoga and group support.
As more and more successful clinical trials (like Dr. Ornish’s) of natural self-health care methods are reported in the scientific literature, these interventions are gaining general acceptance and acknowledgment by the medical mainstream. More and more medical schools across North America are incorporating aspects of self-health care into their curricula.
Self-health care can be a real answer to the health care crisis. Traditionally, we have seen the health care crisis and a crisis of cost. “If” only we had more money to do more of what we’re doing already!” But the answer is that we have to change what we’re spending. We need to adopt the philosophy that every person has to accept more responsibility for their own health and learn to develop their ability to care for themselves.
And we are, I believe, evolving to a system of self-health care in which people will know enough about their bodies and what they need to do for themselves to stay well and get well when they’re sick. A system in which people will know what works for them and what doesn’t - and will know when they need to seek professional health care, and what kind of care that should be. The future does look healthy indeed!
Copyright (c) 2002-2010 by Rand Smith.