Prospective consumers tend to categorize alternative and complementary therapies on a subconscious level. The fact of the matter is that some holistic techniques seem more reasonable than others. This is often a consequence of the culture and medical care to which we’ve been exposed throughout our lives. Human nature generally dictates that we gravitate to that which is familiar. With that in mind, allow me to suggest that esoteric healing techniques afford something rather profound to us all: an opportunity to expand our horizons and experience the world in a broader context. Read more »

One of the most valuable tools we all have at our disposal is perspective. But this vision needs to fine tuned in order to support our efforts rather than sabotage them. We’ve all heard variations of the maxim - “Obtaining anything of value requires some effort”. That’s great as far as it goes. However, there’s more to the following equation: good values + hard work = a rewarding life. Read more »

The Internet is my medium of choice. It’s the primary tool I use to reach the very people I hope to affect in a positive way. However, this same platform is also being used by others in ways that can be hurtful. Sometimes the root of the damage stems from greed. I’m sure you’ve seen online advertisements for products that claim to effortlessly reverse Alzheimer’s disease, heart disease and even extend your lifespan. Fortunately, many people recognize that those sales pitches are hyperbolic at best and downright unbelievable at worst. But what happens when you receive an email from a family member or friend that contains health related information that claims a miraculous medical cure? The person who sent the information obviously cares about you and isn’t asking for any financial compensation. In short, the advice given in such emails is coming “from the heart”. What could possibly be wrong with that? Read more »

I’m going to end this week by engaging in some good ol’ fashioned mythbusting. Have you ever heard a doctor emphatically state that you should never combine nutritional supplements and conventional cancer treatment? How about all those so-called experts who tell you that eating lots of fat will put you on the fast track to chronic disease. Are they as right as they think they are? I’m sure many of you have been made to believe that skin care creams sold by dermatologists are more effective than those you can buy at your local supermarket or the cosmetics counter of your pharmacy. Let’s put that notion to the test. Finally, can we at least agree that chocolate is fattening? I mean come on! Everybody knows that! It’s time to reconsider what we’ve been taught and take a closer look at what the real scientists are actually trying to tell us. Read more »

When you travel there are many uncertainties that come with the territory. Cars break down at the most inopportune moments. Planes get delayed due to fog or security issues. Or perhaps the weather ends up deciding what attractions and sites you can or cannot visit. There’s a long list of unexpected complications that can rear their ugly heads while on the road. But there’s one thing I can always count on when we fly on an airplane or stay at a hotel: my eyes become dry and red. Most hotels and resorts are temperature controlled. The use of centralized air conditioning and heating ensures the comfort of guests and discourages the growth of bacteria and mold that can thrive in a more humid environment. In the grand scheme of things, vacation-related irritation of the eyes is a small price to pay for all of the pleasure that travel brings. However, for some people this sensation is chronic and unrelenting. Read more »

There’s a chain of high-end health foods stores in the United States called Whole Foods. It’s an amazing place to visit if you’re interested in gourmet foods, all-natural personal care items and the trendiest supplements known to mankind. But cheap it is not. Some people even joke that Whole Foods should be renamed Whole Paycheck because that’s often what you end up spending there. This can be rather disheartening for those who are interested in natural living, but can’t afford to shop in this manner. If you’ve ever felt that way, please be advised that the vast majority of holistic lifestyle choices aren’t cost prohibitive. The trick is finding creative ways to derive the same benefits that normally come with a hefty price tag. Read more »

The most cost effective way to reduce medical spending is to require less of it. This isn’t a commentary on what the government or private health insurance companies should or should not cover. What I am suggesting is that we can, in large part, control the number of medical interventions that we’ll need over a lifetime. This is primarily the domain of preventive medicine, but I think it extends beyond that. The lifestyle decisions you make affect more lives than just your own. Like it or not, we all set an example whether constructive or destructive for those around us. There is no escaping that reality. The good news is that we’re all capable of changing the way we live and becoming better role models. It is that very notion that can empower us all to participate in reshaping the current medical system. Read more »

A reader recently inquired about an holistic practice commonly referred to as “earthing” or “grounding”. The question was a like a portal to my past. I was first exposed to the concepts behind this therapy when I studied holistic medicine in Arizona many years ago. In essence, grounding is, supposedly, a therapeutic process by which you connect with the earth. A popular theory behind its reputed healing power is that electrons present in the earth’s surface can be passed on to physical bodies when a person walks barefoot or sleeps on the natural ground. An expert in the field of earthing, Dr. James L. Oschman, describes the exchange in this way, “The most reasonable hypothesis to explain the beneficial effects of earthing is that a direct earth connection enables both diurnal (daily) electrical rhythms and free electrons to flow from the earth to the body”. Hypothesis and proposed mechanisms are helpful as far as they go. But the real question in my mind is whether there’s any serious science that supports these assertions and the many claims made by purveyors of grounding products. Read more »

Just because something seems simple doesn’t necessarily make it so. This is a stumbling block that I often see conventional scientists run into when discussing alternative or complementary therapies. How can everyday food possibly be as effective as a medication that’s taken millions of dollars and countless MDs and PhDs to create? Laughter is an enjoyable activity, but it can’t possibly improve cardiovascular health or survival in cancer patients. The very notion that supposedly un-serious activities such as artistic expression, listening to music or practicing generosity and kindness can alter one’s physiology is a difficult pill to swallow for many allopathically minded researchers. Read more »

The world as viewed by each individual is comprised of partial information. We only know what we feel, hear, see, smell and touch. Our observations and senses provide critical information that informs our every decision and move. Now imagine what your reality would be like if you almost always felt distant and emotionally isolated. What if that feeling was so powerful that you couldn’t even make eye contact with others. Beyond that, how would your daily experience be different if your capacity to learn and communicate was severely compromised? These challenges and many others are dealt with on a daily basis by a growing population of children with autism. Read more »

When I was putting together today’s column I envisioned myself sporting an impeccably coiffed hairdo, a designer suit and a flamboyant tie. I’m standing in the middle of a bustling conference room filled with some of the top names in the field of cancer research. I have a microphone in hand and I’m speaking directly into the eye of a television camera. “This is JP, the ‘healthy fellow’, reporting live from The American Association for Cancer Research’s Frontiers in Cancer Prevention. Experts from around the world have converged in Houston, Texas to discuss the latest and greatest news about how we can all reduce our risk of cancer. More on that, at the top of the hour. Back to you in studio, Stacey and Charles”. The reality is that I’m sitting at my usual work desk, trying hard to tune out the sounds of a couple of loud neighbors while reviewing a bunch a studies presented at the previously mentioned AACR conference. It may not be glamorous, but I love it. Read more »

My wife and I had a rather interesting experience over this past holiday. We had the good fortune of being invited to the home of a famous restaurateur. While there we toured his personal and fully sustainable garden and farm. Two things struck me about this unique encounter. The first was the obvious joy that this gentleman exhibited while giving us a tour of his own private paradise. It reminded me, in the best possible way, of the enthusiasm that children display when they’re genuinely excited about something that’s important to them. The other thing that captured my attention was that his young children were keenly aware of the fate that would ultimately befall the chicken, pigs and other animals that live on their farm. They clearly understood that their food was not coming from a package in the refrigerated section of a supermarket, but rather from the land itself. I understand that some people may find the last few sentences objectionable. However I firmly believe that if we decide to eat an omnivorous diet, then we must come to terms with all that it encompasses. This family not only understands that point of view, they live it. Read more »

Today marks a rather momentous event in my life. It’s the one year anniversary of HealthyFellow.com. This site is my first real attempt at writing a professional blog. In the past I’ve kept a public menu blog as part of my weight loss journey and I’ve even dabbled in a smaller scale natural health site. But it wasn’t until late last year that I was contacted about being a part of something bigger. It was an uncertain time in my life. I was ending my long term employment with a major entertainment company and I wasn’t quite sure where I wanted to go from there. The one thing I did know is that I wasn’t entirely satisfied with the work I was doing. I’ve always loved film, but I didn’t feel as if I was contributing enough to the world around me. It was this confluence of events that lead to the development of this site. My goal, simply put, was to provide science-based, natural health information with a heart that was suitable for both patients and physicians. I think I’m succeeding in doing that, but I know I have a long way to go. Read more »

There are two primary forms of evidence that are generally accepted in modern medical research. One variety is known as anecdotal or empirical evidence which is basically first-hand accounts of medical failures and successes as interpreted by individuals and those treating them. These types of observations were the primary basis for selecting healing techniques in the “old world”. Simply put, healers experimented on their patients using their best educated guesses. They continued using what seemed to work and stopped using what didn’t. Therefore, most of the data collected was subjective in nature. The current state of medicine tends to strongly favor scientific evidence that can be applied to many people at once in a controlled manner. The results of scientific studies are considered more objective and reliable because the risk of influence by individual variables is largely excluded from the mix. Read more »

Alternative remedies are generally best suited for the management of chronic conditions. On the other hand, acute symptoms and medical emergencies frequently require conventional care. If you break a leg, going to the hospital obviously makes much better sense than treating it with guided imagery and an herbal poultice. But with non-life threatening conditions such as recurrent headaches, the side effects associated with long term medication often make natural remedies a more attractive option. Read more »

Bees are invaluable members of the ecosystem. The sustainability of many of the foods we eat is directly dependent upon the pollination provided by these incredibly productive insects. The prospect of being stung by a bumble bee or a European honey bee is quite another story. We avoid being in close proximity to bees and hives because of this very concern. Some people are understandably fearful of the pain associated with stings. A much smaller segment of the population has yet another reason to fret: allergic reactions to bee venom. There are however certain individuals who seek out bees for the express purpose of getting stung repeatedly. Read more »