Healthwise Clinic Natural Health Blog

The World Health organisation is telling people who are normally healthy to not take Tamiflu if they think they may have Swine Flu.

This is a refreshing approach to the virus hitting drug, and a contrast to the medication-friendly recommendations made by the British NHS.  Of course The World Health Organisation has world-wide responsibilities for health and there will be parts of the world where medication such as Tamiflu is simply not available or too expensive.  And the NHS deserves credit for responding to fears about swine flu and providing Tamiflu on such a large scale.

However the WHO recommendation is a useful reminder.   If you are a normally healthy person your approach should be to let your body naturally fight infection.  It is what bodies are designed to do!

Rather than panicking about Swine Flu, a healthy adult can expect viral infections, and expect to get through them.  Of course you need to look after yourself, and definitely take it easy in both body and mind, but there is no need to rush to the pharmaceutical giants for your health.

The WHO states that if Tamiflu is taken on a world-wide scale the Swine Flu virus is likely to become stronger and more resistant to the medication.  So drugs that are ideal for vulnerable people become ineffective.

The best way to fight any infection at all is to ensure that your general health and well-being is good.  This involves diet, exercise and your mind as well as your body.

Modern living can be stressful, and a general boost through acupuncture and herbs to correct any imbalances enables you to fight viruses wherever they come from.  A long-lasting solution rather than a quick hit with Tamiflu.

With all the current panic surrounding swine flu, what are we to do – Get on with our lives and hope for the best or hide away from the world wishing it would all go away?
Western and Eastern medicine have different perspectives on how best to deal with this issue. As a pharmacist and a practitioner of natural medicine we find that a combination of both approaches is the most effective way in fighting this pandemic before it gets out of control.
Both trains of thought would agree that prevention is better than cure. The campaign to CATCH IT, BIN IT, KILL IT aims to reduce the spread by encouraging good hand hygiene.
From a treatment point of view, western medicine suggests the best option is with the anti-viral tamiflu. This is currently available in England when you meet the symptom criteria. At this point you are given a reference number for a designated medical centre and your healthy friend collects it for you. Tamiflu doesn’t cure the virus but is believed to speed up the rate of recovery.
Chinese medicine, when dealing with an epidemic, takes the same initial precautions as western medicine but the treatment approach is where it differs. This is comprised of a combination of acupuncture and herbal medicine to help the body fight off the virus naturally. During the SARS outbreak many people were successfully treated using herbal medicine made up of very strong anti-viral plants. This approach helps the body fight off the virus more efficiently and completely without side effects. The best approach of course is prevention and again herbs are used for this. There is a simple 3 herb combination that has been proven in clinical trials to be very effective in increasing immune function. This helps to protect against contracting the virus in the first place.
A few tips to protect yourself from the pandemic
1. Ensure good hand hygiene by washing hands after sneezing, coughing and after being in public places.
2. Follow the campaign “CATCH IT, BIN IT, KILL IT” by having a supply of clean tissues with you at all times. Use each tissue only once.
3. Keeping your immune system strong is vital. Try to get plenty of sleep, eat lots of fresh fruit and vegetables and try to avoid sugar and alcohol as they quickly weaken immunity.

By Philip Crilly and Andrew Loosely

We are really pleased to welcome Philip Crilly on board at Healthwise. He is a Pharmacist working for a leading high street brand and writes a regular health column. He will be writing articles, books and blogs alongside Andrew and will be offering a western viewpoint on any health issues discussed. We are very excited about this partnership as it now allows us to discuss every health complaint from both the western and eastern perspectives. We hope you enjoy our joint venture and hope that this will give further insight into creating a healthy lifestyle.

The 69 year old single mother of twins born through IVF recently died.

Maria del Carmen Bousada de Lara became the world’s oldest mother.  Apparently she lied to doctors that she was 55 when she was in fact 66 at the time of her IVF treatment.  She contracted cancer and has died leaving them motherless at the age of two.

She had already reached the menopause.

Lorraine Kelly, the GMTV presenter has spoken out strongly against the treatment.

“ Implanting pensioners with donor eggs and pumping them full of hormones so they can give birth in their late sixties is morally bankrupt and plain wrong,” Lorraine is reported as saying.

“I believed at the time of their birth that she was being horribly selfish.  I still maintain she should never have been given the fertility treatment.  Having a baby is not a woman’s right it is a privilege.”

The mother developed cancer soon after having the boys which created debate about whether the IVF treatment had in fact contributed to the disease.

Lorraine Kelly herself experienced secondary infertility (SI) after having had her daughter.  Although she suffered a miscarriage when six years later she did become pregnant, she did not want to undergo IVF fertility treatment.  In her autobiography “Between You and Me” she explained

“ I never went down the road of IVF.  I didn’t feel so overwhelmed about it that I wanted fertility treatment.  We just tried the old-fashioned way and it didn’t happen.  We have accepted that.”

Many of the families we see at Healthwise Clinic feel, like Lorraine, that they want to have a baby the “old-fashioned” way.  Unfortunately fertility treatment with acupuncture is less well known than IVF or normal pregnancy so Lorraine may never have heard of it.  However it is a way of boosting the body’s natural fertility and there is nothing artificial about the process.

Acupuncture and herbs can help couples have their first or subsequent babies.   That a woman who has already reached the menopause can give birth at all highlights the artificial nature of IVF  treatment.

Do you agree with Lorraine or not?

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organic carrots taste better than non-organic

So the Food Standards Agency has decided that there is no additional nutritional benefit from eating organic food.  Nutritionists and organic experts have been surprised that at least a third of the research they had to look at was rejected, and are questioning the results.  When we read the reports we were surprised there was no mention of the effect that growth hormones, pesticides and strong fertiliser has on the food…and on the humans who eat it.

What is an “ordinary” shopper to think?  Someone who would like to eat real food but does not want to have to pay the earth for it?

Personally, it makes me rely on my own experience.  Experts have been proven to get things wrong time and again  (think about high finance and those who govern countries).

The carrots you see here were apparently organic.  Although I can see they are a bit skinny I can’t tell by looking at them that they are organic. Nor do I know if they were more nutritious for me than the carrots out of the supermarket plastic bought the week before.

All I do know is that they looked worse and tasted much better.  The plastic-wrapped carrots were bright orange, big and fat, were very clean, but  had almost no flavour at all.  The organic carrots are skinny and pale but had  real taste.  Therefore I enjoyed my meal more and relaxed longer over it.

We all know about the health dangers of stress,  but, just as important are the health benefits of happiness.  Food you can really taste and enjoy brings more happiness!  Simple.  You can even enjoy preparing this food because you know it will taste better.

The skinny little carrots would not win a beauty contest but they made me happier… and that has got to be good for my health.

So the members of the Food Standards Agency can continue to munch on their non-organic bright shiny  food which will win the good-looks prizes.  I will settle for the quieter quirkier organic food which I know tastes better, and makes me feel good.

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