Conflicting Studies Confuse Doctors
The specifics change, but the pattern is the same: Over and over, the conventional medical wisdom collapses under the weight of new evidence. How does this happen? Why do health rules fall apart after they are chiseled in stone? And how do they get to be rules in the first place? Many health professionals say it comes down to the willingness of all involved - the scientists, the news media and the public - to draw firm conclusions from a stew of often poorly conducted, contradictory and incomplete observations.

Herbs Grow On Consumers
There's a promising trend among consumers: They're turning to herbal supplements as a means of preventive health care. Why is that promising? Because it means that more people today are taking an active role in their health and nutrition. When visiting the local drug, food or discount store, consumers find a large array of products for sale. This article includes a list of this year's hottest herbs to take the mystery out of knowing which ones to buy.

Study Looks At Women's Diet Patterns
Women who eat a wide variety of healthy foods may significantly lower their risk of dying from such things as cancer, heart disease and stroke, a study suggests. The findings might sound familiar, but this is the first time that the health effects of overall eating patterns have been studied, researchers say. Concentrating on simply eating a variety of healthy food "takes the magic bullet approach of particular foods away." Food is not medicine. The whole diet counts.

Meditation Can Help Students During Stressful Times
As the end of the semester approaches, students often find themselves overwhelmed with work. Meditation is one way of relaxing and developing clear thinking, and can be helpful for students for doing their best. However, students who are not involved in meditation in their everyday life don't tend to start meditating under pressure.

Dr. Galland's Integrated Medicine
Asthma, allergic rhinitis, chronic otitis media and sinusitis are increasing at frightening rates among children in the United States. There are several measures that parents can take to effectively reverse this trend, according to Leo Galland, M.D. in his latest column, "Immune Power for Kids." These measures are supported by scientific research and have been very effective in his own clinical practice, including a nutritious diet, provision of a hygienic home environment, and regularity of rest and exercise.

The Healer Within
Every original culture on the planet earth has a system of "hands on" healing. In western cultures this is generally called massage. As the movement toward alternatives to drugs and surgery progresses massage will emerge as one of our primary new, while actually ancient, therapeutic modalities. Hospitals, and even corporations, are hiring massage therapists to help with healing and to prevent the negative impacts of stress. In this column, "Self-Applied Massage of the Feet" Dr. Roger Jahnke explains how to do self-applied massage to the feet.

Mind Body Health Newsletter
Findings from a Stanford University Medical School study may come as no surprise: older and middle-age people reported sleeping better when they added regular exercise to their routine, reports Dr. David Sobel in his latest column, "Exercise Improves Sleep." After 16 weeks in a moderate intensity exercise program, subjects were able to fall asleep about 15 minutes earlier and sleep about 45 minutes longer at night.

Keeping Fit with Dr. Wayne Westcott
Competitive distance runners and triathletes obtain excellent results from relatively brief strength training sessions, according to Wayne Westcott, Ph.D. in his column, "Strength Training For Distance Runners." Dr. Westcott outlines a comprehensive five point strength-training program for distance runners in order to increase strength and endurance.

Ask Annie: Solutions for Less Toxic Living
As the ozone thins, we are more vulnerable to ultraviolet (UV) rays that can cause skin cancer. In this "Ask Annie" column Annie Berthold-Bond offers her recipe for sunblock, plus her environmentally sensitive mosquito and tick repellent. She shares how she stumbled upon "washing soda," the foundation for non-toxic cleaning.

"Healing Words&Quot; Wth Larry Dossey, M.D.
In this interview with Dr. Daniel Redwood, Dr. Larry Dossey discusses fascinating medical research which demonstrates the healing effects of prayer. He also points out the differences between directed and non-directed prayer, and his belief that introverted people may need different strategies for prayer and affirmations than do extroverted people.

Healthy Recipes
Danish chef Oscar Umahro Cadogan offers us a "Sesame-Flaxseed Shake with Banana" that beats a regular milkshake, both in terms of taste and nutritive value. The sesame seeds contain lots of calcium and other minerals and the flaxseed is rich in alpha-linolenic acid, which is anti-inflammatory.

Healthy Travel
Join Dr. Doug Graham November 8-17, 2000 for a "Cultural and Raw Foods Adventure to Thailand." This unique tour combines the surprising diversity of Thailand with Dr. Graham's focus on the relationship of living foods to mind/body health.

Healthy Child Update
In the column, "She Can't Sit Still for Even a Minute" Judyth Reichenberg-Ullman, N.D., M.S.W., and Robert Ullman, N.D. share numerous case histories of children with excessive restlessness and impulsivity. The parents of each child reported significant improvement with use of homeopathic remedies.

Healthy Man Update
Adult males, like all other segments of our population, have their own special needs. Men in this modern age, however, have departed from the basic aspects of supportive living. Active, productive men need a good supplement program to protect them from illness and deficiency symptoms and increase their longevity by reducing chronic degenerative disease patterns. In the column "Nutritional Program for Adult Men" Elson M. Haas, M.D. presents a Nutrient Program to meet the needs for men "on the go" between the ages of 19 and 65.

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 progressive dentistry? The Dentistry section includes the member database for the Holistic Dental Association.

Medical Cybrarian Research Service
Frustrated as you wade through all of the data you bring up with your Internet searches? You can hire a professional who can do this fast and efficiently, save you all of the hassle, and most likely find important information you overlooked. The HealthWorld Online Medical Cybrarian has thousands of the best web sites already bookmarked.

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.

Participate in our Online Community--Join our Discussion Forums
The "Issues in Integrated Health Care" Forum is your opportunity to share your ideas and post your questions related to combining the best of conventional and alternative medicine.

Join in the ongoing discussion in our "Health Freedom," "The Vaccination Question," "Genetically Modified Foods," "Issues in Integrated Health Care," "Mind-Body-Spirit Health," and "Qigong and Taiji" forums.

Association Network -- Hot Pick
The American Herbalists Guild (AGI) is a peer-review organization for professional herbalists specializing in the medicinal use of plants. AHG promotes excellence in herbalism, serves as an information referral center for the herbal community, and serves as a liaison that interfaces with professional associations and regulatory agencies.

Visit American Herbalists Guild

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 and Alternative Therapies
Arlington, VA USA
June 8-12, 2000
Contact: Center for Mind Body Medicine - 202-966-7338

Aromatherapy Tour and Retreat
Heartland of France - St. Remy, Avignon, Fontveille, Orange
Drome Valley, Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur FRANCE
June 18-26, 2000
Contact: HealthyTravel.net - 888-888-0717

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