New Products To Follow Vitamin Report
Consumers can expect to see more nutrition products promoting higher levels of Vitamin C and Vitamin E, food industry representatives say. Nutrition experts at the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences in Washington on Monday released new vitamin recommendations, raising suggested levels of daily Vitamin C consumption by 25 percent to 50 percent, and Vitamin E by 30 percent to 80 percent.

Ginseng May Fight Diabetes
Researchers have found ginseng reduces blood sugar levels, suggesting the herb could help treat or prevent diabetes. A study in the April 10 Archives of Internal Medicine reports diabetics who took ginseng before a meal had a significant reduction in their blood sugar after the meal. Study participants took three grams of American ginseng or a placebo. Ginseng taken 40 minutes before a meal lowered blood glucose levels by 20 percent in patients with Type 2 adult onset diabetes, the most common form of the diabetes, University of Toronto researchers said.

Farmers Rethink Genetically Modified Crops
After four years of lightning fast growth, the food biotechnology revolution may be about to crest on American farms. Caught between questions about the quality of the new seeds and the public's skittish reaction to them, farmers are expected to cut back on their planting of genetically modified crops this year. The Worldwatch Institute, a think tank critical of the new seeds, predicts farmers will plant 25 percent fewer genetically altered seeds this spring.

Dr. Galland's Integrated Medicine
In this column "Essential Fatty Acids--The Key To Health, Part II" Dr. Leo Galland discusses the importance of balancing anti-oxidants and essential fatty acids and problems around trans fatty acids and hydrogenated oils. Because EFAs are polyunsaturated, containing two or more double chemical bonds, they are prone to rancidity, not merely in foods but also in the human body. Rancidity occurs when the double bond is broken by oxygen, producing an oxidized fatty acid. Oxidized fatty acids not only taste badly, they behave badly, disrupting the normal functioning of the cell membranes of which they are a part. Oxidized fatty acids are rapidly generated from the process called free radical-induced cell damage.

The Healer Within
The technique described in Dr. Roger Jahnke's column, "Alternate Nostril Breathing," has been employed by practitioners of Yoga in India for thousands of years. They were aware of the significance of balancing the breath in both nostrils, and employed this knowledge to enhance health and consciousness. Dr. Jahnke explains how to do this technique that is often done in preparation for deep relaxation or meditation. If you breath on a small hand mirror, you will notice that the patch of mist from one nostril will be larger than from the other. Western science did not notice this phenomena until the 1800's. It has been found recently, through the application of current neuro-science, that the practice of alternate nostril breathing helps to balance the right and left hemispheres of the brain.

Mind Over Matter
Laughter is a powerful healing elixir, or better yet ... natural Prozac. It enables us to reframe our worries and it has extraordinary capacity to help us reestablish a positive and healthy perspective when we're down. So why don't we laugh more? The answer is simple: because we want to be seen as "perfect!" And when we "mess up," we don't want anyone to notice those ridiculous things we do, or the silly situations we somehow create for ourselves. In the column "Laugh at Yourself: turn that frown upside down" Barry Bittman, M.D. gives us seven simple steps for doing exactly that.

Natural Medicine Research
An increase in fluid intake is routinely recommended for patients who have had a kidney stone in order to decrease the likelihood of recurrence. But, does the type of fluid make a difference or are all fluids alike in their ability to reduce stone formation? In this column, "The best beverages to flush out the stone," Dr. Ray Sahelian discusses a study with eight years of follow up. There were definite differences related to fluid intake, but varying responses related to use of coffee, tea, wine and grapefruit juice.

Understanding Homeopathy
In the column "First Aid with Homeopathic Medicines" Dana Ullman, M.P.H. shows how homeopathic remedies for first aid and sports injuries are very easy to prescribe and are usually very effective in reducing pain of the injury and speeding the healing process. It is thus no wonder that many superstar athletes have heard about homeopathy and have begun to benefit from its use. Former tennis great Boris Becker, New York Knick coach Pat Riley, ex-Yankee pitcher Jim Bouton, and pro golfer Sally Little are but some of the athletes who spell relief with H-O-M-E-O-P-A-T-H-Y.

"What We Can Learn From The Dying" With Stephen and Ondrea Levine
In working with thousands of dying people, Stephen and Ondrea Levine have found that what people do is to begin looking into their own hearts and into the eyes of those with whom they share their lives. Tom Ferguson, M.D. brings us the thoughts and acquired wisdom of the Levines gained from those dealing with death and dying and those that love them.

Healthy Recipes
A traditional sorbet contains very little but sugar and water. The "Coconut-Apple Sorbet" from Danish chef Oscar Umahro Cadogan contains a fair amount of vitamins, minerals, trace elements, and enzymes because all the ingredients used are fresh. Why don't people make sorbets this way all the time?

Healthy Travel
You are invited to a lush tropical paradise to stay in a luxurious, waterfront home on the shore of a warm, sparkling bay and to swim with hundreds of playful Spinner dolphins in their infinite dance of life. This Awakening In Paradise tour is June 11 - 18 , 2000 on the Island of Hawaii at a retreat filled with adventure, introspection, creative play and opportunities to heal and expand on many levels.

Children's Health Update
With all the successes of modern medicine, why have doctors failed so miserably in the treatment of otitis media? In this column "Otitis Media (Middle Ear Infections)" Noel Peterson, N.D. laments that until doctors pay attention to the causes of otitis media, millions of children will will be given antibiotics and surgery that, for most of them, will not help. Dr. Peterson alerts parents to other options, including attention to food sensitivities and sugar consumption.

Women's Health Update
No longer is birth control simply a matter of planning or preventing a pregnancy. Protection from AIDS and sexually transmitted diseases should also be considered. Using more than one method may be needed to prevent both pregnancy and diseases that are transmitted sexually. The column "Birth Control Options" prepared by the American Institute of Preventive Medicine includes an extensive table with data on 12 different options, including advantages, disadvantages, and failure rates.

Professional Referral Network
The Professional Referral Network contains searchable directories from 20 leading professional associations in complementary and integrative health care, with over 10,000 professionals. Looking for a healthcare professional offering visualization techniques? The Guided Imagery section includes the Academy for Guided Imagery member database.

Medical Cybrarian Research Service
Medical librarians were formerly only available through a hospital or university medical library. Now referred to on HealthWorld Online as a "Cybrarian," this librarian in cyberspace can help you locate the really hard-to-find material on diseases and their treatments.

The Cybrarian offers you personalized research service, searching the Internet, books, MEDLINE and other databases, to find EXACTLY the information you require. The Cybrarian can custom design research for individual patients or healthcare professionals, as well as healthcare industry business people, including information on diseases, treatments, products, market research or statistics for alternative, complementary and conventional medicine. For reasonable fees, the Cybrarian carefully gathers and selects the information or points you to useful web sites and other sources, with the speed and searching techniques acquired from many years of professional research.

Association Network -- Hot Pick
The Feldenkrais Method® of somatic education uses movement and attention to bring about increased awareness and improved functioning through learning. Guild Certified Feldenkrais Practitioners(cm) (graduates of FGNA accredited training programs - minimum of 800 hours) help their students to become aware of existing patterns of action and guide the discovery of additional possibilities for action and self-organization. The Method is not medically or therapeutically oriented, nor does the Feldenkrais¬ practitioner make any medical claims.

Visit Feldenkrais Guild of North America

Global Health Calendar -- Hot Picks

The Bach Flower Essences® International Education Program
Boston, MA USA
May 6-7, 2000
Contact: Nelson Bach USA, Ltd. - 800-334-0843

Supply Side East 2000
Seasaucus, NJ USA
May 8-10, 2000
Contact: Virgo Publishing - 602-990-1101

American Holistic Medical Association 23rd Annual Conference
Integration and Holistic Medicine: Healthcare in the Third Millennium
Tucson, AZ USA
May 31-June 3, 2000
Contact: American Holistic Medical Association - 703-556-9245

Comprehensive Cancer Care
Integrating Complementary & Alternative Therapies
Arlington, VA USA
June 8-12, 2000
Contact: Center for Mind Body Medicine - 202-966-7338

Journey to Machu Picchu, Apukuna, Andes & Amazon
Incan Odyssey
Machu Picchu, Cusco PERU
July 12-26, 2000
Contact: HealthyTravel.net - 888-888-0717

25th Anniversary National Wellness Conference
Pathways To Wellness: Experience the Journey!
Stevens Point, WI USA
July 15-21, 2000
Contact: National Wellness institute, Inc. - 715-342-2969

Marketplace 2000
imagine...
Las Vegas, NV USA
July 26-29, 2000
Contact: National Nutritional Foods Association - 949-622-6272