U.S. Government Funds Research on Prayer And Health
U.S. scientists launched a five-year study to determine if prayer intervention can improve the health of cancer patients. The project was centered on black women in the early stages of breast cancer. One task of the research project was to learn if a statement from the Epistle of James can be "scientifically validated." The text reads, "Is any among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him" (James 5:14).

Doctor-Patient Privacy Faces Test on the Web
Every day sales reps from pharmaceutical companies visit doctors' offices asking to see the boss and dropping off drug samples, pens and other freebies - all meant to entice physicians to prescribe one remedy over another. Before long, the sales reps will have another freebie to offer: the Internet. Drug makers are increasingly offering to build web sites for physicians to streamline the nagging details of health care and allow patients to consult with their doctors online. Some privacy advocates and physicians say such sites represent an unprecedented foray into the doctor-patient relationship and raise troubling questions about the privacy of sensitive medical information and the intrusiveness of advertising in the digital age.

Meeting a Cancer Patient's Nutritional Needs: a Major Caregiving Challenge
Ensuring proper nutrition for a cancer patient can be one of the most vexing challenges for his or her caregiver--yet it is one of their most important responsibilities. Various treatments for cancer can temporarily suppress the appetite. Or the disease itself can make eating difficult. Even anxiety and depression can result in a loss of appetite or desire to eat. And yet good nutrition is absolutely essential to recovering strength during treatment and sustaining a quicker and longer-lasting recovery.

Battle Over Gene-Altered Foods Set To Escalate
The biotechnology industry is bracing for a renewed campaign by consumer activists next year to restrict the movement toward genetically modified foods. The issue in Congress will be whether to require labeling of bioengineered foods, while the FDA will be asked to give greater scrutiny to gene-altered food. Congress is also expected to debate legislation that would prohibit state and local governments from passing food safety laws, mandating the labeling of genetically modified foods, that are tougher than federal laws. The goal of such legislation is to have a single federal law rather than separate state laws.

Dr. Galland's Integrated Medicine
Although the body readily makes most of the fat that it needs from dietary starch or sugar, humans lack the ability to make essential fatty acids (EFAs) and must get them in food. EFAs are found in all foods but are most abundant in certain oils, according to Dr. Leo Galland, in his column, "Essential Fatty Acids--The Key To Health." They come in two distinct families, based upon their chemical structure. The two EFA families are not interchangeable and, in fact, tend to compete with one another in the body's metabolic pathways. The larger family, called "omega-six" EFAs, are abundant in many vegetable seed oils, including corn, sunflower and safflower. Deficiency of omega-six EFAs causes impairment of growth and fertility, hormonal disturbances and immunologic abnormalities. An excess of omega-six EFAs may promote the development of cancer.

The Healer Within
The presence of special breathing practices in the ancient cultures has always been a mystery to people in the Western world. In this column "Breathing Practices" Dr. Roger Jahnke explains the numerous beneficial physiological mechanisms that are triggered when we turn our attention to the breath and then increase it's volume. When volume, rate and attention level are all altered, dramatic physiological, and even emotional, changes can occur. As it turns out, unknown to science until very recently, the action of the lungs, diaphragm and thorax are a primary pump for the lymph fluid, a lymph heart. This mechanism may be more important to the lymph heart than body movements. In addition, the breath is the source for oxygen which is the key element in the body's ability to produce energy. And the act of relaxed, full breathing moves the function of the autonomic nervous system towards balance or homeostasis.

Dr. Weil Self-Healing
In the column "Is Hormone Replacement for You?" Andrew Weil, M.D. states that he is not categorically opposed to hormone replacement therapy (HRT). While he generally recommends trying natural measures first to relieve menopausal symptoms-such as eating soy foods, getting regular exercise, and practicing relaxation techniques-he also realizes that some women do not get the relief they want solely from these methods. He also recognizes that natural measures alone may not offer adequate protection for women at high risk for heart disease and osteoporosis. This column offers choices.

Mind Over Matter
If what awaits you tomorrow is nothing more than a boring and frustrating day spent marking your time 'til clocking out, you're in good company. In the column "Transforming Work into satisfaction and personal empowerment" Barry Bittman, M.D. comments "Job burnout seems contagious." Though not a disease, it has the potential to substantially impact our health especially in consideration of the fact that a significant portion of our awake existence is spent on the job. Dr. Bittman challenges us "How can we as individuals adopt a healthier perspective of work?" He encourages us to learn to trust our inner voice, discover the work that makes us happy and develop a strategy for satisfaction and personal empowerment. Our success is bound to be contagious.

Mind Boosters
The combination ginkgo biloba and ginseng extracts can promote fast, accurate thinking, improve short and long-term memory retention, and reduce mental fatigue. While previous research has documented the effects of ginkgo biloba on memory in older people, in the column "Herbal Combination Enhance Memory and Speed Thinking" Ray Sahelian, M.D. presents new research that clearly shows that this specific formulation enhanced mental performance in a younger healthy population.

Understanding Homeopathy
Homeopathic medicine is a natural pharmaceutical science that uses various plants, minerals or animals in very small dose to stimulate the sick person's natural defenses. The medicines are individually chosen for their ability to cause in overdose the similar symptoms the person is experiencing. "Homoios" in Greek means similar and "pathos" means disease or suffering. Since one's symptoms are actually efforts of the organism to reestablish homeostasis or balance, it is logical to seek a substance that would, in overdose, cause the similar symptoms the person is experiencing. The medicines, thus, go with, rather than against, the person's natural defenses. In this column, "Ten Most Frequently Asked Questions on Homeopathic Medicine," Dana Ullman answers common questions about homeopathy.

"Exploring the Human Energy System" With Barbara Brennan Ph.D.
What do you think energy is? Barbara Brennan, a former NASA scientist who has written ground-breaking books on the human energy field, is interviewed by Russell DiCarlo. This interview "Exploring the Human Energy System" covers the topic from scientific, mind/body and spiritual perspectives. See if your questions are answered here.

Healthy Recipes
Chef Oscar Umahro Cadogan of Denmark offers us another Fabulous Functional Foods recipe. "Aromatic Carrots and Beets" is a whole new approach to vegetables. The spicy oil enhances the natural sweetness that has been teased out of the carrots and the beets by gentle roasting in the oven. This dish goes very well with gently braised lamb or goat or seared fresh tunafish.

Healthy Bookstore
You're in the prime of life. As far as you know, menopause could be years away. So why is your body sending you such weird messages? You could be in perimenopause--the change that precedes the change by as many as ten years. Has your doctor mentioned it? Shockingly, many still don't. But Laura Corio, M.D. has "the talk" with every one of her patients when they reach age 35. And now, in this lively and solution-packed book, "The Change Before The Change: Everything You Need to Know to Stay Healthy in the Decade Before Menopause," she shares her experience helping thousands of women navigate these years in peak physical and emotional health.

Healthy Travel
"Bali: A Way Of The Traveler Journey" March 21-30, 2001 - An exciting transformative experience in one of the world's most fascinating locations - Bali, "the Island of the Gods." An inner adventure to match the incomparable beauty of this special place. A life-changing ten-day tour conducted by Joseph Dispenza and Beverly Nelson, Ph.D.

Healthy Child Update
Colic has been defined as a long period of vigorous crying that persists despite all efforts at consolation. Most babies go through periods when they seem to be abnormally fussy or to cry for no apparent reason. The thing that differentiates colic from other problems is that no matter what you do, the crying doesn't stop. In the column "Colic" Janet Zand, OMD, L.Ac. offers parents an extensive array of conventional and alternative approaches for treatment and prevention, plus some interesting considerations about causes.

Healthy Woman Update
Veins are superbly designed tubes with a series of one-way valves which are structured to prevent the contents, blood, from flowing any other way than forwards towards the heart when they are in good health. When, for any of a number of reasons, a valve becomes incompetent, and allows a back-flow of blood, the vein becomes distended, its walls stretch and, like tired elastic, sag, allowing the vein to swell in that region into a miniature balloon. When this happens in the legs, the commonest site, it is called a varicosity, and when this occurs in the rectum it is known as haemorrhoids, or piles. In the column "Varicose Veins and Hemorrhoids: Prevention and Treatment" Leon Chaitow N.D., D.O. explains conventional surgery, complementary and self-help approaches for dealing with these conditions.

Professional Referral Network
The Professional Referral Network contains searchable directories for 20 leading professional associations in complementary and integrative health care, with over 16,000 professionals. Looking for a healthcare professional specializing in visualization? The Guided Imagery section includes the Academy for Guided Imagery member database.

Medical Cybrarian Research Service
Need information right NOW? The HealthWorld Online Medical Cybrarian provides just the information you need, and there is no extra charge for speedy turnaround from request to report!

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 includes a request from a doctor looking for alternative treatment options for eurofibromatosis. Can you help him?

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 Cancer Prevention Coalition, Inc. (CPC), is a unique nationwide coalition of leading independent experts in cancer prevention and public health, together with citizen activists and representatives of organized labor, public interest, environmental and women's health groups. Their goal is to reduce cancer rates through a comprehensive strategy of outreach, public education, advocacy and public policy initiatives to establish prevention as the nation's foremost cancer policy.

Visit Cancer Prevention Coalition, Inc.

Global Health Calendar -- Hot Picks

21st Annual Nurse Healers-Professional Associates Intl Conference
Nurturing the Spirit of the Healer
Rye, NY USA
November 16-19, 2000
Contact: Nurse Healers-Professional Associates International - 801-273-3399

Whole Life Exposition and Conference
Los Angeles, CA USA
November 17-19, 2000
Contact: Whole Life - 800-551-3976

Treating Mental-Emotional Conditions with Chinese Medicine
with Bob Flaws
New York, NY USA
November 18-19, 2000
Contact: Blue Poppy Press - 800-448-8372

Canadian National Health Shows - Vancouver Health Show
Vancouver, British Columbia CANADA
November 18-19, 2000
Contact: Canadian National Health Shows - 604-885-0960

East Meets tsaE -
for the first-ever international Yoga & Buddhism Conference
Lenox, MA USA
November 28-December 3, 2000
Contact: Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health - 800-741-7353

Pilgrimage to Israel: Unforgettable transformative retreat
with Dr. Beverly Nelson
Jerusalem, Jerusalem ISRAEL
November 30-December 9, 2000
Contact: Outward Journeys for Inward Development
- 972-733-4827

The Psychology of Health, Immunity and Disease Conference
Hilton Head Island, SC USA
December 4-10, 2000
Contact: National Institute for the Clinical Application
of Behavioral Medicine - 800-743-2226

7th Annual Symposium on Complementary Health Care
Exeter, Devon, England UNITED KINGDOM
December 7-9, 2000
Contact: Department of Complementary Medicine, University
of Exeter, UK - 0044-1392-424872

Transformational Retreat-Swim with the Dolphins
with Sheoli Makara, Erik Berglund and the dolphins
Kona, HI USA
December 8-15, 2000
Contact: HealthyTravel.net - 888-888-0717