Natural remedies vs. medical in daily lifestyle practices

The doctor I work with and I were recently looking at real pricing of pharmaceuticals vs. natural remedies. We did this because I myself needed treatment for a gastrointestinal problem resulting from a trip overseas. Having no pharmaceutical coverage on health insurance, I inquired about the cost of my prescription before putting in the order. How much do you think my prescription was going to cost me? $100? $200? $300? The answer: $780 at the local pharmacy, $680 at Walmart.

Yes $680! We quickly changed plans and chose some herbal remedies off the shelf and muscle tested them. 4 of them helped the weak/affected organ. Some scientific research on the herbs in these products revealed that in fact they have been proven to treat the disease responsible for my symptoms. Total retail price for the remedies: $100.

While dropping $100 at the naturopathic doctor's office for natural remedies sounds expensive, remember that the reason it sounds expensive is that we have become accustomed to having our healthcare needs paid for by insurance. We no longer realise the cost of healthcare (aside from our monthly pay-out to have insurance coverage, of course).

Another reason why natural remedies are preferable to pharmaceutical: side effects. A recent news article covered the effects of over the counter antibiotic ointment
http://thechart.blogs.cnn.com/2011/09/14/mrsa-in-u-s-becoming-resistant-to-over-the-counter-ointment/
It seems that due to the ubiquitous use of neomycin antibiotic ointment, MRSA (an antibiotic resistant strain of Staph bacteria) is on the rise. If you look on the internet, you can find multiple ways of treating MRSA infections and non-MRSA skin infections. Many essential oils and herbs can be used to kill harmful bacteria and heal skin wounds. If we used several types of these remedies throughout our life instead of relying on one single antibiotic, antibiotic resistance would likely not occur. Sometimes, it's not even a medication that is needed. Changing the pH of the skin (even treating MRSA infections with extreme pH changes) can yield total resolution of infection.

On that note, I'll give you a freebie. Your skin should be slightly acidic. Acidity of the skin fights bacteria. Although your skin cells have a pH of 7 which is neutral, the sweat and other secretions bring the pH down to about a 5-6. When you use soap, your skin becomes more alkaline. High alkalinity (pH 11) such as that found in chlorinated pools can kill bacteria as well. Bleach water is often suggested for MRSA infections. However when your skin's pH is slightly changed by soap or chlorine and you walk away with a pH of 7, 8, or 9, your skin is left without much defense against bacteria. Decreasing your use of soaps or even rinsing with a slightly acidic spray (diluted vinegar or acidified water) can help keep your skin remain slightly acidic.

In addition, diet can play a role in decreasing the need for pharmaceuticals. Did yo know that when you ingest refined sugar, the bacteria fighting ability of your white blood cells decrease? This is true for simple sugars like fructose, honey, and sucrose, but not carbohydrates. Learning to eat properly can help your body not only fight off various chronic diseases, but actually help fight bacteria on a daily basis.

Simple remedies and lifestyle practices should be all you need to fight of the bacteria we come in contact with on a daily basis. Decreasing our dependance on pharmaceuticals not only saves money in the long run, but can help our society avoid the pitfalls of medication resistant diseases in the future.

Anxiety, is meditation enough?

I love to peruse health and wellness magazines, see what's "hot" and what old information is declared a "new help for X disease". Sometimes I am reminded about an herb that is quite useful or I'll find a good recipe. An article about anxiety caught me eye recently. It listed a bunch of homeopathic remedies that could be taken to ease anxiety. They were good suggestions, however, sometimes there is an underlying cause of anxiety that needs to be treated. Here are two recent patient cases:



patient A: Anxiety and depression for no apparent reason. Anxiety is greater when in charge of a big undertaking--or little undertaking such as having overnight guests for a family gathering. Testing showed very high cortisol levels. Cortisol is a stimulating hormone often referred to in the "fight or flight" response. Our treatment plan included finding a cause of the high cortisol (pituitary tumor? inflammation in the body? Blood sugar dysregulation? Use of steroid creams or inhalers?) and treating it. Treatment plan started initially with a supplement that breaks down excess cortisol. This gave a good degree of relief to the patient.



Patient B: Anxiety long term that is worse when thinking about work. Heart palpitations at night and mild chest pain/discomfort when anxious or exercising. Laboratory tests revealed LOW cortisol. Also this person is a vegan, which means less of certain specific nutrients, in this case Taurine which has anxiolytic effects as well as strengthens the heart muscle. After one month on adrenal support (adrenals make cortisol), anxiety was mostly gone and palpitations were decreased. The addition of taurine capsules will likely take care of the heart issues and any small amount of anxiety that may be present. She was also referred to a cardiologist for a work up just in case.



Doing mediation, exercisiing, and taking the occasional homeopathic or herb can all help with anxiety. However, for long term problems, consider going to a naturopathic physician to get appropriate testing and an individual treatment plan tailored for you.

Washing in the Jordan

I have a friend who has been battling breast cancer for over 8 years. She has mainly used conventional medicine including surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy. Recently, we started using NAET treatments to change her body's response to the cancer and help with pain. Also, I chose a homeopathic medicine to bring the body back into balance.

She started to feel stronger and have less symptoms which were unrelated to the cancer such as stomachaches. Since the little sugar pills of homeopathy and simple accupressure of NAET seemed like magic on the one hand and nothing on the other hand, it made my friend wonder. Why would God have her do this type of simple treatment after years of severe and harsh therapies and prayers to cure the cancer. If God could cure something so easily, why would he not just heal her miraculously with prayer only?

The answer she got came from a story in the bible in II Kings chapter 5....

1 Now Naaman was commander of the army of the king of Aram. He was a great man in the sight of his master and highly regarded, because through him the LORD had given victory to Aram. He was a valiant soldier, but he had leprosy.[a]
2 Now bands of raiders from Aram had gone out and had taken captive a young girl from Israel, and she served Naaman’s wife. 3 She said to her mistress, “If only my master would see the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy.”

4 Naaman went to his master and told him what the girl from Israel had said. 5 “By all means, go,” the king of Aram replied. “I will send a letter to the king of Israel.” So Naaman left, taking with him ten talents[b] of silver, six thousand shekels[c] of gold and ten sets of clothing. 6 The letter that he took to the king of Israel read: “With this letter I am sending my servant Naaman to you so that you may cure him of his leprosy.”

7 As soon as the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his robes and said, “Am I God? Can I kill and bring back to life? Why does this fellow send someone to me to be cured of his leprosy? See how he is trying to pick a quarrel with me!”

8 When Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his robes, he sent him this message: “Why have you torn your robes? Have the man come to me and he will know that there is a prophet in Israel.” 9 So Naaman went with his horses and chariots and stopped at the door of Elisha’s house. 10 Elisha sent a messenger to say to him, “Go, wash yourself seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh will be restored and you will be cleansed.”

11 But Naaman went away angry and said, “I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call on the name of the LORD his God, wave his hand over the spot and cure me of my leprosy. 12 Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Couldn’t I wash in them and be cleansed?” So he turned and went off in a rage.

13 Naaman’s servants went to him and said, “My father, if the prophet had told you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? How much more, then, when he tells you, ‘Wash and be cleansed’!” 14 So he went down and dipped himself in the Jordan seven times, as the man of God had told him, and his flesh was restored and became clean like that of a young boy.


My friend doesn't know why after all these years of medicine she is still battling cancer and why God would now have her do some simple treatments to feel better and hopefully be cured. But she has decided that if this is what she is meant to do at this time, she will do it.

I myself would like to be able to just pray and have people be healed. It would certainly be easier--no continuing education units to fulfill, no reasearch to be done. But for whatever reason, it seems we are meant to understand health and disease and go through a process of regaining health. Sometimes that process includes simple treatments we think are too easy to be effective. Yet when we follow through, good results are acheived.

Other types of insurance

Insurance is a critical part of the risk management system for a business. It is a way to protect yourself against unforeseen losses. An insurance policy is a legally binding contract with an insurer to provide compensation for a specified damage, loss, or injury suffered by you business in return for a sum of money (premium) paid.

Just as you don't want to drive without automobile insurance, you do not want to run a business without business insurance. However, because there are so many kinds of businesses and subsequent risks they may face, there are a wide variety of insurance types, not all of them necessary for every business. Insurance needs differ for each business so look at your risks and choose what is appropriate for your situation.

Three types of insurance are mandated by law: unemployment insurance, social security, and workers' compensation. Unemployment insurance benefits are payable under the laws of individual states from the Federal-State Unemployment Compensation Program. Employer payments, based on total payroll, contribute to the program. You should be paying for unemployment insurance as part of your taxes.

The Social Security Act and related laws established a number of programs which have the basic objectives of providing for the material needs of individuals and families, protecting aged and disabled persons against the expense of illness that would otherwise exhaust their savings, keeping families together, and giving children the opportunity to grow up in health and security.

Funding for the Social Security program comes from payments by employers, employees and self-employed persons into an insurance fund that provides income during retirement years. Full retirement benefits normally become available at age 65. Other aspects of Social Security deal with survivor, dependent and disability benefits, Medicare, Supplemental Security Income and Medicaid.

Workers' Compensation Insurance protects your employees if they suffer job-related injuries. The policy pays the medical bills for the employee who is injured on the job. Each state mandates coverage and provides benefits. In most states, private insurance or an employer self-insurance arrangement provides the coverage. Some states mandate short-term disability benefits as well.

Other types of insurance may be necessary or unique to your particular business. For instance, a book author or consultant may want to carry a policy that will protect them from libel, plagiarism or negligence lawsuits. For professionals, like these, professional liability or malpractice insurance is important.

One thing that should be clear from this discussion is that you need to find a good insurance agent who you can trust. Spend some time in choosing your agent. You need someone you can be comfortable with on a longterm basis - someone who will advise you well so you can spend your time on your business, not worrying about the fine print of the coverage.

Travel Insurance For Pregnant Women

Travel Insurance For Pregnant Women

You are hoping for some rest and relaxation before baby arrives and have decided a holiday abroad would be perfect. Travel insurance is always an important factor of any holiday however if you are expecting it is more important than ever to find a policy tailored for travel insurance during pregnancy.

It is important to shop around for this type of cover. Some providers will cover travel insurance for pregnant women as part of their standard travel insurance policies however other insurers will offer this as an individual policy.

Policies vary greatly in what they will include and what they exclude and therefore it is important to read the policy wording.

Generally speaking most travel insurance policies for pregnant ladies will provide cover for travel up until the 28th week of pregnancy, provided you have a single, normal pregnancy. This is because travel after 30 weeks of pregnancy is considered higher risk, with the instances of pre-term birth increasing. Whilst some insurers will cover for slightly longer its is common for them to stipulate that the pregnant woman must return at least 8 weeks before their due date - which is roughly 32 weeks pregnant. Please note that this is always subject to the rules of the carrier too. If the airline would be unhappy for you to travel past a certain week of pregnancy then your travel insurance policy would not cover you.

Travel insurance for pregnant women would usually cover your basic travel requirements such as lost luggage and cancellation or delay as well as lots of extras such as enhanced medical cover and emergency repatriation which is great to have for peace of mind.

Holiday insurance during pregnancy is essential and the best policy for you will very much depend on your individual circumstances. Compare available policies and remember that cheap travel insurance for pregnant women does not always mean comprehensive.

Types of Insurance

Types of Insurance

Third Party Insurance

Based on Today’s life style the list of types of insurance is increasing day by day. You will find a lot many numbers of new insurance policies which you might have not heard before. One of the most important and compulsory insurance for vehichle owners is: Third Party Insurance. The main types of insurance policies available in the market are:

1) Life Insurance: In this policy, the insurance company pays in case of the demise of the policy holder or at the time of the maturity of the policy. Now a days a new policy has been launched by LIC in which you will be covered under the insurance policy even after the maturity of the policy

2) Property Insurance: This insurance helps you to prevent the losses against theft, fire, burglary or any natural calamity like Earthquake, Floods etc. based on the points mentioned in the policy.

3) Health Insurance: Health Insurance consists of a package of various types of insurance related to health. For example Medical Insurance is one the major part of health insurance however in most of the cases, dental issues are not covered in this policy so there is another Dental Insurance policy which covers dental problems and is also a part of health insurance. The subcategory of health insurance also involves the injuries or accident at workplace insurance benefits.

4) Auto Insurance: Any financial loss due to accident of a vehicle is covered under the auto insurance policy. Sometimes the expenses on the medicines for treating injuries and all other medical expenditure are also covered under this policy.

5) Travel Insurance: Loss of personal belongings while traveling, medical coverage, delays in the travel are all part of the travel insurance policy.

6) Insurance at Amusement Points: This is a one of the new kinds of insurance policy (not very popular in India) where in you are insured against the equipments that you are using at the amusement joints. For example: if you are using boats for an independent boat ride , then they will charge you with some extra money for an property loss(say $5) and in case of any property damage you will not be liable to pay any amount required to repair the damaged property.

7) Credit Insurance: This type of insurance pays the loans of the policy holder in case of any accident of the policy holder or job loss or death.

Third Party Insurance: This type of insurance covers damages caused by you (first party) to others (third party). For more details visit third party insurance.

Apart from these above mentioned insurance policies there are many other types of insurance policies in the market (and the list keeps on increasing) that are more or less related to these policies however providing benefits to the policy holders in a different and unique way.

Tags: insurance types, types of life insurance, types of auto insurance, different types of insurance policies, types of insurance

Travel Insurance Tips

Travel Insurance Tips

Savvy holidaymakers will shop around to make sizeable savings on flights, package holidays and accommodation. However, many of them overlook travel insurance (also known as 'holiday insurance') and simply accept it as an add-on. This is an expensive mistake because some travel agents in the UK can make more profit from selling travel insurance policies than they do from the holidays themselves.

This money saving article will examine how you can save cash on your travel insurance - whether you should choose an annual or single-trip policy, where to go for cheap travel insurance and more.

What do you need to cover?

Before you think about what you need to cover you might ask - 'do I need cover at all'?

Though travel insurance is not mandatory, it is advisable to take out a policy as complaints about lost baggage are a common occurrence and medical bills in foreign countries can be astronomical for non-citizens. Medical claims are frequent with a third of UK tourists suffering from 'Delhi belly' while abroad according to Halifax, with almost two out of five travellers sick for two or more days losing around £42.42 per person a day off the cost of their holiday. If you're going to a country with poor medical facilities, ensure your policy includes repatriation costs.

The levels of cover available vary greatly and there's no point paying for something you don't need. Consequently here is our recommendation for the level of cover you should take out on a typical travel insurance policy:

• Medical expenses (£2m)
• Personal liability (£1m)
• Cancellation (£3,000)
• Baggage (£1,500)
• Cash (£250)
• Also make sure the travel insurance company has a 24hr emergency line and cover for legal costs.

Bear in mind however, that the amount of cover you need depends on your circumstances. For example, if you are taking a low cost flight for less than £50 is there really any point in securing cancellation cover? By the time you have paid off the excess you might only be claiming back £10. Additionally, be wary of ridiculous amounts of medical expenses cover - some will offer as much as £20m, when £2m is nearly always adequate.

It's also important to take out travel insurance as soon as you book your trip - particularly with the cancellation stipulation in mind. If you book your holiday months in advance but plan to wait until the last minute to secure your insurance then you won't be covered if you are forced to make a cancellation - perhaps due to a family bereavement or illness. So book your travel insurance to start immediately after booking your holiday to give yourself peace of mind and make sure your cancellation cover at least matches the cost of your holiday.

Also pay close attention to baggage cover. Typically a policy will cover around £1,500-£2,000 for lost baggage, which is nearly always sufficient. However, many policies have single-item limits, usually ranging from £200-£300, and there may be an excess to pay in the region of £50-£70. According to Age Concern Insurance Services, around a third of Brits don't bother to check the terms and conditions of their policy - so ensure you read the small print thoroughly and look for any notable exclusions.