Holistic Health Library

I have found that among its other benefits, giving liberates the soul of the giver. - Maya Angelou Most people have heard that giving and volunteering are “good for the soul” but they have little, if any, actual proof. In his book, “More Give to Live”, Douglas Lawson cites research that shows how helping others can lead to improved health and emotional well-being. What are those benefits of giving?
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Meditation has been defined as: “self regulation of attention, in the service of self-inquiry, in the here and now.” The various techniques of meditation can be classified according to their focus. Some focus on the field or background perception and experience, also called “mindfulness”; others focus on a pre-selected specific object, and are called “concentrative” meditation. There are also techniques that shift between the field and the object.
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Fertility Awareness Method, or FAM, has been used for over 30 years as a natural method of birth control by thousands of couples around the world and is based on the charting and analysis of certain simple body signs that change with changes in a woman’s menstrual cycle. On the other hand, it is also a method that can be used for those trying to conceive by looking at the same information.
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The terms “integrative” or “integrated medicine” indicate combinations of conventional mainstream and alternative medical treatments which have some scientific proof of effectiveness. Dr. Andrew Weil, well-known American author and physician, is best known for establishing and popularizing the field of integrative medicine. He claims that the meaning and the mission of integrative medicine calls for restoration of the focus of medicine on health and healing and emphasizes the centrality of the patient-physician relationship. The combination of orthodox and complementary medicine with an emphasis on prevention and lifestyle changes is known as Integrated Health.
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Alternative medicine is any form of practice that is outside the area of conventional modern medicine. It covers a broad range of healing philosophies, approaches, and therapies. Most of these treatments and health care practices are not taught widely in medical schools. Examples are naturopathy, chiropractic, Ayurveda, homeopathy, herbalism, nutrition therapy, osteopathy, Traditional Chinese Medicine, folk medicine and acupuncture.
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The Atkins Diet involves the restriction of carbohydrates in order to switch the body’s metabolism from burning glucose (a simple sugar) to burning stored body fat. The process: when the body has no excess carbohydrates (its preferred fuel) to burn, it will burn protein for a few days instead. Since burning protein for very long is counter-productive to survival as it provides strength to our muscles, the body will switch to burning fat and weight loss happens.
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Nutrition researcher, community activist, journalist, chef, and homemaker, Sally Fallon is the author of Nourishing Traditions: The Cookbook that Challenges Politically Correct Nutrition and the Diet Dictocrats. This well-researched, thought-provoking guide to traditional foods contains a startling message: Animal fats and cholesterol are not villains but vital factors in the diet, necessary for normal growth, proper function of the brain and nervous system, protection from disease and optimum energy levels.
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Our ancestors pretty much had a universal eating schedule. Everyone ate breakfast, lunch and dinner at about the same time everyday. And, there wasn’t all the snacking between meals that we have nowadays. Families sat down together to share a relaxed home-cooked meal usually at breakfast and dinner. It was quality family time when they discussed the news of the day and interacted while eating the same kind of food. Because the nature of our bodies is to “rest and digest”, the body likes to be relaxed, inactive and in a peaceful environment when assimilating food. Proper assimilation of the nutrients in food is essential to health, and if we want this assimilation to take place, we need to be calmer when we sit down to meals.
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In just a few generations, we have completely transformed what, when and how we eat. We get most of our food from supermarkets and those foods contain chemicals, additives and sweeteners. We eat that stuff along with fried and fast foods. We eat in our cars, at our desks and in front of the TV. We’re usually in such a hurry, we don’t chew our food properly, nor do we take the time to enjoy, smell or taste it. This is why a lot of people nowadays spend time at doctors’ offices complaining of upset stomachs, constipation and many other digestive disorders. It’s time we made this connection and start to remedy it. Better food, eaten in a relaxed atmosphere, equals better health.
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Ayurveda, which translates as “the science of life”, is an ancient healing system from India that emphasizes eating in accordance with your individual body type and the seasons. There are three mind/body types (or doshas) called Vata, Pitta and Kapha. Each mind/body type has certain qualities and it is recommended that each eat certain foods and restrict others to come into balance and health. The Ayurvedic system is more complex than just knowing which mind/body type you are and so consulting an Ayurvedic practitioner can be helpful in understanding this system.
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