BodyBalance Hormone Tests Now Offered on HealthWorld Online
HealthWorld is proud to announce a strategic relationship with BodyBalance to offer our users easy access to leading edge consumer laboratory screenings to be performed in the comfort of your own home. The following tests are offered: Osteocheck, FemaleCheck, MaleCheck, StressCheck, MineralCheck, SleepCheck, PerformanceCheck and AntioxidantCheck. BodyBalance is a separate division of Great Smokies Diagnostic Laboratory, a specialized clinical laboratory offering a unique and dynamic blend of educational and laboratory services to people around the world. Great Smokies' tests reveal how well the body is doing its job in six important areas: Digestion, nutrition, detoxification/ oxidative stress, immunology, allergy, hormone and metabolic function. The laboratory meets national and certain state certification standards including CLIA (Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments) and is certified by the College of American Pathologists, recognition that its standards are the highest in the industry.

Acupuncture May Lower Osteoarthritis Pain
Acupuncture may be a promising alternative to conventional therapy in the management of osteoarthritis, researchers suggested at the 17th annual meeting of the American Academy of Pain Medicine. Researchers examined the impact of acupuncture on pain levels in osteoarthritis of the knees in the elderly. The three-month follow-up revealed that acupuncture did lower the patients' pain; they also experienced less stiffness and were able to function better.

Blue Cross And Blue Shield Waging War On Health Care Fraud
Health care fraud costs American consumers $30 billion annually, according to the National Health Care Anti-Fraud Association. Blue Cross, Blue Shield and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) note challenges and successes in fighting health care fraud and the ultimate toll it takes on the health care consumer.

Seminal Book On CFS Now Available Free On Line
William Collinge, Ph.D., who pioneered the first mind/body medicine program for CFS, has made his book "Recovering from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: A Guide to Self-Empowerment" now available free online. "Since it was first published a great deal of progress has been made in understanding the realities of the illness," he says. "However, CFS remains a complex chronic illness with no medical cure. Self-empowerment remains the most viable pathway for coping and promoting the recovery process." The on-line edition includes an appendix describing Collinge's study published in "Subtle Energies and Energy Medicine" which found that patient's using mind/body medicine tripled their odds of improvement over 12 months.

Lawmakers Propose Office Of Men's Health
Dying at astonishing rates from many preventable and treatable diseases, many men don't care about their health enough to go to a doctor, experts say. A bill has been submitted to Congress that proposes an Office of Men's Health through the Department of Health and Human Services, which supporters say will help save the lives of thousands of men across the country. If approved, the Office of Men's Health would seek to raise awareness about men's health issues as well as emphasize the need for screening and early detection.

Healthy People Warned Off Aspirin To Prevent Heart Disease
Some have hailed aspirin as the "wonder drug" of the 20th century because of its proven effectiveness at reducing the risk of heart attacks or strokes in people who have already suffered such problems. Researchers found that the risk of having a first heart attack was reduced by a third if people took a daily dose of aspirin. However, taking aspirin also increased the risk of gastrointestinal bleeding complications by 70 per cent. For those who have not had a first heart attack or strode, if a person's risk of a coronary event is low, then they do not need to take aspirin. They are advised not to self-medicate, but to go and have their risk quantitatively assessed by their GP, in order to avoid doing more harm than good.

Dr. Galland's Integrated Medicine
We all age, but the deterioration associated with aging (called, senescence) is partly under our control. Senescence is speeded up by toxicity and our bodies' response to it. The human body has many natural defenses against environmental toxicity. These include the constant shedding of the skin and the lining of the gastrointestinal tract, which slowly dispels environmental and intestinal toxins from the body; the activity of protective immune responses which limit the attachment of toxins to the surfaces of the lungs or the gastrointestinal tract; enzyme systems in the liver which destroy toxins and prepare them for excretion in the bile or the urine; enzymes which repair damaged cells and promote healing. In "Detoxification: The Key to Longevity" Dr. Galland discusses strategies for limiting free-radical induced damage through dietary antioxidants which help to bolster the body's defense system, including vitamins, minerals, bioflavonoids and carotenoids.

The Healer Within
In the Chinese tradition where energy pathways and points are accepted aspects of the body, attention is drawn to specific energy areas as the rhythm of the breath continues. In "Progressive Relaxation, Option II" Dr. Roger Jahnke presents a procedure that includes 16 stations or points of awareness and is very simple and brief. It can be done with many more awareness points and may include focusing on each finger and toe, segments of the arms and legs, joints, individual organs, etc.

Mind Body Health Newsletter
There is an accumulation of evidence that chronic hostility and chronic depression are major risk factors in heart disease. For many patients, it may be as important to learn and practice skills for managing these emotional states as it is to quit smoking, manage cholesterol, and exercise. In "Hostility, Depression and Heart Disease" David S. Sobel, M.D. outlines the statistics and suggested solutions.

Keeping Fit with Dr. Wayne Westcott
Since Dr. Kenneth Cooper published his first Aerobics book in 1968, there has been a major emphasis on physical fitness in the United States. We have experienced the running revolution of the 1970s, the aerobic dance movement of the 1980s, and the strength training interest of the 1990s. Today, most people are aware that exercise is good for their health, and is in fact an effective means of preventive medicine. It is therefore hard to understand why so few people regularly participate in an exercise program. According to the United States Public Health Service Centers For Disease Control, less than 10 percent of all Americans perform enough physical activity to attain any measurable fitness benefits, and less than five percent of the general public who do strength training, says Dr. Wayne Westcott in "Strength Training For Time-Pressured People."

Care2 Ask Annie
In her latest column for environmentally conscious consumers Annie Berthold-Bond offers tips for having lovely, healthy nails without using toxic products and offers a formula for a natural detox bath. She also alerts us to the indoor air pollution dangers of smoking cooking oils and lists which oils are safe for various cooking methods.

"A Field Guide to Birthing" With Michael Witte, M.D. and Heidi Bednar, R.N.
Parents are becoming increasingly involved with the birthing experience. They are concerned with the environment in which the birth will take place and how the mother and baby are treated. In "A Field Guide to Birthing" Tom Ferguson, M.D. interviews Michael Witte, M.D., and Heidi Bednar, R.N. about their insights into how parents can research the birthing options available and discover that there is more flexibility than they expected.

Featured Center
The Healthy Man Center provides a strong natural health care perspective on men's health. Features include daily Men's Health News from the leading newswires, daily Men's Health Expert from a leading authority in men's health, self-care and alternative therapies such as herbal medicine, homeopathy and nutrition for various men's health concerns, a men's health bookstore, as well as men's health products from leading eco-friendly companies.

Healthy Recipes
According to Ayurvedic and Chinese herbal lore, ginger strengthens the nervous system, restores sexual energy, strengthens the immune system, helps with bronchial problems, prevents and relieves menstrual cramps, clears the uterus after childbirth, and promotes health recovery. The March "There's a Yogi in the Kitchen" column "Ginger, The Wonder Spice" by Siri-Ved Kaur Khalsa includes general tips for preparing ginger and delicious ginger beverages.

Healthy Bookstore
Most of us believe that in order to achieve anything worthwhile in our careers, family life, health or even on the sports field, we have to work hard and apply a lot of effort. In fact, just the opposite is true. In "The Art of Effortless Living: Simple Techniques for Healing Mind, Body and Spirit" by Ingrid Bacci, Ph.D. offers compelling evidence that the most productive, creative and healthiest individuals are those who practice effortless living. By doing less, paradoxical as it may seem, they achieve more. This book shows you how to dissolve conscious and unconscious stress through simple techniques that replace effort with effortless. The result is a more rewarding lifestyle that leads to physical vitality, increased productivity, creative relationships and the freedom to express your best self.

Yoga at the Leading Edge
Celebrate the grace of movement and all that is yoga today
Lenox, MA USA
May 17-20, 2001
Contact: Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health - 800-741-7353