While conventional medicine is the common academic course for some students, prospective alternative medicine practitioners like massage therapists, acupuncturists, and chiropractors are fast growing alternative health careers.

Chiropractic, for example, is part of the many fascinating disciplines of complementary and alternative health careers available today. The chiropractic field offers a new look into healthcare. Based on interesting concepts, alternative health careers like chiropractic include the belief that the human body has powerful self-healing capabilities that the spine and its function have a close relationship with the body’s health, and that making careful adjustments to the spine can help the body function more efficiently and healthfully.

Alternative health careers in chiropractic require a fair amount of education and training. Students interested in pursuing this natural healthcare field should note that most chiropractic colleges and schools require educational prerequisites, and are often comprised of over 4,000 academic and practical training hours.

If you’re not easily scared by needles, then alternative health careers in acupuncture and Oriental medicine might be ideal for you. This unique alternative healthcare occupation is based on the concepts of Traditional Chinese Medicine, and believes that the body must be in balance to achieve optimal health. In addition to using specific needling techniques along the body’s meridians (energy channels), acupuncture and Oriental medicine integrates additional natural health treatments like moxibustion, cupping, herbal medicine, Tai Chi, Qigong, and Tuina (Chinese medical massage) to restore health and to promote healing.

Like chiropractic, students interested in alternative health careers in acupuncture must sometimes meet certain educational prerequisites prior to applying to the school of choice. And as with most practitioner fields, acupuncturists must meet licensing requirements as mandated by the State or Province in which they reside. This often means that extensive academic and hands-on training must be met before candidates can begin to practice legally.

Don’t have time for a lengthy educational program? Massage therapy is one of the fastest-growing alternative health careers today. With an exceptional occupational forecast, students pursuing the field of massage therapy have an excellent career outlook.

There are over 80 variations of masotherapy from which to choose — including Swedish massage, deep tissue massage, and sports massage, among others. Alternative health careers in massage therapy offer practitioners and clients unique healing treatments that are focused on the body’s self-healing capabilities. Not only do certified massage therapists have the opportunity to work alongside family healthcare providers, chiropractic doctors, and acupuncturists — in some cases, professional massage practitioners work with animals in veterinarian clinics as well.

If you (or someone you know) are interested in achieving alternative health carriers, let professional training within fast-growing industries like massage therapy, cosmetology, acupuncture, oriental medicine, Reiki, and others get you started! Explore alternative health careers near you.

Alternative Health Occupations offer Innovative Perspective on Health and Healing

© Copyright 2007

The CollegeBound Network

All Rights Reserved

NOTICE: Article(s) may be republished free of charge to relevant websites, as long as Copyright and Author Resource Box are included; and ALL Hyperlinks REMAIN intact and active.

Women’s health insurance is a subject that is of major concern for a vast majority of working ladies. In fact, health insurance in general, is a hot topic for many of today’s consumers. With so many companies downsizing or completely eliminating their employee benefit packages the thought of not having adequate health insurance is scary. This is especially true for women because the facts clearly show that nearly 1 out of every 5 women are underinsured or have no women’s health insurance offered by their employer.

Like most other health insurance plans there are a variety of women’s health insurance providers, but they are a scattered patchwork of insurance offerings that leave many ladies confused and wondering how adequate their health insurance coverage is and can they find a better health plan elsewhere with another insurance company or provider. Take Medicaid for instance, this insurance coverage was designed for low-income women and pregnant women as well as a few other categories. In reality Medicaid only provides women’s health insurance coverage for between 8%-10% of all women.

Company sponsored health insurance plans provide benefits and coverage for about 66% of the women that are employed by a company that offers any form of health insurance coverage. Individual health insurance plans cover about 55 percent of the working women population. Sadly, this leaves a rather large and alarming number (about 20%) of ladies that have no type of women’s health insurance based on inability to afford a private health insurance plan, not qualifying for Medicaid or working for an employer that doesn’t offer health insurance as an employee benefit program.

It’s no big secret that women have different health concerns and risks then men so it’s vitally important that when choosing a provider of women’s health insurance the proper research is done in order to insure that these additional health needs are addressed properly and completely. Most women tend to live longer making the requirement for a health care plan even more important then your average health care insurance coverage.

Women’s health insurance continues to be studied and analyzed carefully by many companies in order to fully understand the unique requirements women face with their health related issues and concerns. With so many women still underinsured or receiving no health coverage at all, this promises to open up new avenues of opportunity for every woman to be offered adequate health insurance coverage.

There has been a dramatic breakthrough involving a new direction in health care far beyond anything we have ever seen to date. In fact its features are so encompassing and so promising that at this time its ultimate degree of success is impossible to comprehend.

This along, with the previous article, discusses the underlying strength of such a system–how could such an outstanding system be possible? How is it logically based?
The core of the proposed system is based on a special application of clinical laboratory science, with the use of a very large profile (100 tests). This application would be able to extract an enormous amount of health data from such a profile. Hopefully, the following will explain how and why.

First, whenever we have multiple tests within our current medical system, we evaluate the tests as a whole. Each one has to be taken into account, but also weighed in relation to the rest of the tests.

Let’s take a look at a situation that most of us are very familiar with. Among other considerations, common tests by our doctor during an office visit are body temperature and two blood pressure measurements. The number of test level graduations used here for each test would be ten.

As an example let’s say your body temperature was very high, at 106. Now that in itself would of course be very significant, but it would obviously not provide the doctor with enough information for an accurate diagnosis. Say we now bring the two blood pressure tests both into the picture. Now we have three test results involved and if the results of any one of the three would vary significantly it could obviously affect the diagnosis. Most of us realize how important each of these test results can be. So, the diagnosis is, in effect, limited to the relationship of the individual test results to each other. It is the relationship of the tests that are analyzed for the diagnostic results. For simplification purpose we will refer to this relationship as the combination of the test results. We can see that each combination of test level results could represent a certain health related condition–this would be especially true with the normal use of more tests.

Furthermore, to illustrate the rapid buildup of test result data, it’s difficult to believe that in this limited three test example that mathematically we actually have 1000 possible combinations involved. These are combinations that could be read by a computer for possible meaningful results. All 1000 combinations would not likely provide meaningful information and of course could be eliminated where it was shown that those particular combinations were of little or no value. However, one could expect a large percentage to be of significance, especially so if the computer was used to also correlate all of the possible results directly to human health conditions.

Now let’s apply this same consideration to the much larger 100 test profile. The 3 test had 10 possible graduations each, whereas the 100 profile will only have 5. If we apply the math to this 100 test profile we actually have ten trillion possible combinations. As with the 3 test example, where all 1000 would not likely be of significance, here again neither would all 10 trillion combinations. However, it is obvious that this provides an enormous amount of very relevant data, data that is directly tied to the inter workings of the human organism. Furthermore, the reliability and value of this data has been firmly established over the years as a vital branch of the current medical system.

Although this means of testing a person provides an enormous base of vital health data, obviously a very special electronic processing system is required.

An exciting new direction in health care far beyond anything we have ever seen to date. In fact its features are so encompassing and so promising that at this time its ultimate degree of success is impossible to comprehend.

Youngevity® introduces the latest Majestic supplement, antioxidant-boosting CocoGevity™, comprised of the powerful hybrid of Açaí, Mangosteen and Wolfberry, CocoGevity’s™ ingredients are bioavailable and highly sought after for their nutritious health-promoting benefits.

CocoGevity™ boasts an indulgent ingredient (“the food of the Gods”) that increases its naturally Cocolicious flavor…Chocolate! Cocagen Extract is a natural extract of the cocoa bean, which grows on the branches and truck of the Theobroma cocao tree. Chocolate has gained its reputation for having significant amounts of naturally occurring in flavornoids, with an antioxidant count twice as high as red wine and three times higher than green tea. Not surprisingly, for 90% of its history, Chocolate has been consumed in liquid form. Laboratory and human studies have indicated that cocoa flavornoids can support heart health!
Açaí, the fruit of a palm tree (“The Tree of Life”) that grows in the rainforests of the Amazon, is known to have ten times more antioxidants than red grapes and 10 to 30 times the anthocyanins (polyphenois that give fruits and vegetables their deep color and are high in antioxidant value) of red wine.

Promoting cardiovascular and digestive health, Açaí provides a healthful synergy of:

• monounsaturated (good) fats

• dietary fiber (one-third of the Açaí fruit’s mass)

• phytosterosis (β-sitosterol competes with dietary cholesterol for absorption which may reduce blood cholesterol levels, Lubrano 1994; Schnauss 2006a).

Possibly named after Queen Victoria’s infamous desire to have this exotic fruit imported as her personal staple, the Mangosteen, no relation of the Mango fruit, is the “Queen of Fruits”. The fruit of the Mangosteen is recognized for the incredibly potent antioxidant power of its phytonutrient Xanthones. Some of these Xanthones include mangostin, alpha- and beta-mangostins, mangostinone, mangostanol, and the flavonoid epicatechin.

Wolfberry, crowned the “Red Diamond” in ancient Chinese medical books, provides diverse phytochemicals, including:

• 8 Polysaccharides

• 4 Carotenoids (antioxidants)

• 6 Vitamins

• 18 Amino Acids

• 11 Essential Minerals

• 5 Omega Fatty Acids

In the Chinese work “Herbs and Nutrition” by Shi Liao Ben Cao, it is said that Wofberry “strengthens the muscles and tendons, prevents of colds and leads to longevity.”

With an ORAC score of 85,000 per liter, CocoGevity™ links decadent taste with antioxidants for optimal health. ORAC (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity) is a method of measuring antioxidant capacities of different foods. The ORAC analysis, which utilizes Fluorescein as the fluorescent probe, provides a measure of the scavenging capacity of antioxidants against the peroxyl radical.

“So noble a confection, more than nectar and ambrosia, the true food of the gods.”

Dr. Bachot, 1662

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Maybe you have a favorite health drink, but if you know people who still consume soft drinks then you will want to share this news with them. Just look around and you will see the many ways that these bubbly little beverages are destroying America’s health, but here are a few specifics.

1. Soft drinks work very much like a diuretic, robbing the body of essential hydration. A considerable amount of water is required just to process the high levels of sugar in sodas. To replace what is stolen, you need to drink 8-12 glasses of water for every soft drink that you consume! Health drinks made with all natural ingredients, on the other hand, help your body absorb water. This makes your water more effective in hydrating and energizing you.

2. The high sugar content in soft drinks can cause your pancreas to produce an over abundance of insulin, leading to a “sugar crash”. You have probably felt this after a meal high in simple carbs like bread, pasta and dessert. Chronic elevation and depletion of sugar and insulin can eventually lead to diabetes. This is particularly problematic for growing children.

• Kids will consume health drinks if they taste good. Fortunately, there are some excellent choices made with all natural ingredients. We’re not talking about those sugary enhanced vitamin waters loaded with isolated vitamins from a lab, but beverage mixes made with whole food ingredients from real plants and fruits.

3. Soft drinks interfere with digestion. Caffeine and high amounts of sugar virtually shut down the digestive process. Your body expends all its energy to process those things while other nutrients go to waste. That means you are essentially taking in NO nutrients from the food you may have just eaten, especially if you are chasing it with a soda.

4. Diet soft drinks contain Aspartame, which has been linked to depression, insomnia, neurological disease and a plethora of other illnesses. The FDA has received more than 10,000 consumer complaints about Aspartame. That’s 80% of all complaints about food additives. This is prompting many people to take a closer look at stevia sweetener. Stevia is an herbal product that is hundreds of times sweeter than sugar, and has been shown to help people maintain normal blood sugar levels. Stevia sweetener has zero calories, it is all natural and adds quite a bit of flavor to health drinks without causing problems for your pancreas.

5. Soft drinks are so acidic they can leach aluminum from the cans when sitting on the shelf too long. Alzheimer patients who have been autopsied have high levels of aluminum in their brains. Soft drinks can remove rust from a car bumper or other metal surfaces. Imagine what they do to your digestive tract as well as the rest of your body. The Acid forming properties cause your body to work extra hard in order to balance pH. The human body naturally exists at a pH of about 7.4. Many soft drinks have a pH of less than 4! Experts and books such as “The China Study” describe how diseases flourish in an acidic environment. For example, the blood pH of cancer patients and those with other illnesses is almost always low.

For those concerned about pH balance, take the Alkaline Food Test at BestHealthFoodStore.net to find out how the choices you make today influence your pH balance and your well being for life.

It is easy to see how the problems caused by soft drinks are part of the health care crisis in America. It is also quite apparent that this is an easy issue to solve. If everyone in America drank natural health drinks instead of soft drinks, the health of this nation would greatly improve. Obesity rates would go down, diabetes would be slashed and some arthritic problems would virtually vanish. It may sound too good to be true, but just take a look at the ingredients in soft drinks. You will see that the good life is not in one of those well advertised, colorful, bottles of bubbly.

Small business health insurance premium increases each year have cut deeply into Dr. Bradshaw’s practice income. Being a health-conscious chiropractor, she rarely used her personal health insurance for medical care. “My staff is healthy and they’re really interested in health benefits for medical emergencies. We all eat healthfully, work out, and do pro-active things to keep ourselves from getting sick.” Dr. Bradshaw heard that a Health Savings Account could provide a satisfactory solution that would offer lower cost health insurance covering catastrophic care and at the same time provide options for improving or sustaining health.

The premium costs of health plans have been overwhelming for employers and individuals

“None of my staff took expensive medications so I dropped prescription coverage a few years ago to save some money,” admits Dr. Bradshaw. “Even so, the premiums and copays continue to go up and all of us still pay a lot of out-of-pocket expenses for things like our dental and eye care.”

No one wants to get sick. But there is a real fear of not having adequate insurance coverage causing financial ruin from medical expenses. People stay in jobs just so they have health benefits. Businesses continually switch health plans or drop certain benefits so they can stay profitable.

Investing in our own health seems like a good idea

What are we willing to pay and to do not to get sick? Larger companies recognize the value of healthy employees and spend thousands in wellness initiatives in order to save on health expenditures. There are those individuals who delight in their health-diligent choices and spend their own money on fitness programs, stress reduction, healthy foods, and alternative medicine. For these people there is a health plan that invests in their health.

An HSA saves you money and your health

Back in 2003, our Federal Government made Health Savings Accounts (HSA) available. Tied to a much less expensive high deductible health care insurance plan, the tax-advantaged funds in the HSA could be used for medical expenses but also for health-promoting expenditures like dental care, chiropractic adjustments, and acupuncture treatments. Any funds that aren’t used roll over to the next year collecting tax-free interest. When you reach age 65, the funds left in the Health Savings Account act much like an IRA and can be used for non-medical expenses.

Sensible Personal and Small Business Health Plans

Dr. Bradshaw immediately saw the benefits of the Health Savings Account. It was the best solution for her personal health insurance and for her small business health insurance needs. Her employees, who enjoyed their good health, loved having the control of their health care dollars and choice of practitioners.

Now she thought, “This would also be a great personal health insurance plan for my patients who could use their HSA to pay for chiropractic services. What a sensible health-promoting plan.”

Copyright © 2008 Dr. Andrea Brockman T-Horizons, LLC All Rights Reserved

Purposeful Health and Well-being has been created as a means to further expand the awareness and share with all individuals ideas and methods regarding our God-given right to health. Within this purpose, it is my goal to share with the reader some of the many possibilities that I have found which will assist them in either getting healthy or staying healthy. I believe we can all have health if we are willing to be responsible for having it.

The body is a perfect mechanism that was designed to operate like a Swiss watch. It has the intelligence to support itself with each and every cell holding the information that guides it in supporting all the other cells. The body’s system of operation is coordinated through its computer, programmed to operate at
maximum efficiency. Looking at animal and plant life, all is very natural and operates precisely. Humans operate with the same system but in addition to having a nervous system, we have the ability to think. This creates some variables that allow us to make choices that will affect us. Lifestyle choices and ways of thinking can either support or hinder the body’s operation. Environmental conditions also play a major role.

The Hippocratic Oath, taken by doctors, in part states that they swear to utilize and be aware of the hard-won scientific gains of those physicians in whose steps they walk while gladly sharing the
knowledge; plus they swear to prevent disease whenever they can, for prevention is preferable to treatment. There is much more to this oath regarding care for the patient, but suffice it to say that the spirit of this oath has been somewhat lost along the way, as doctoring has become more of a business. I am not saying that doctors are intentionally profiteering from their profession or that doctors do not care, but the options available for supporting health and well being are often overlooked and keeping up with the times can be a full time job.

Both doctors and the drug companies are dependent on people being sick, and the drug companies do support the medical community toward their ends, which are really maximizing shareholders equity. How would either survive if people were healthy? It is my sense that, initially, the drug companies and doctors had the best of intentions but times have changed and much more is known that supports changing the paradigm.

By treating the cause of problems rather than symptoms, the population can shift toward health as a natural way of being. All of us can choose to be healthy if we take responsibility. There are many venues from
which we can learn (in the process of life itself) if we so choose. I have found that once I made a commitment to health, the support for being healthy placed many things in my pathway that were beneficial to having that health. My intention is to share knowledge from my experience that will hopefully assist and open up some new possibilities in having health be the new, prevalent paradigm rather than sickness.