Ram Dass: Fierce Grace

If interested in sprituality and health - and if you're reading this, that'd surely be you - a film that you may wish to consider seeing at your earliest opportunity is "Ram Dass: Fierce Grace."

Here's the Wikipedia entry on Ram Dass.

A link from the same site to the film.

Though the film played theatrically in St. Louis only briefly, with a stint at Webster University's Film Series several years back, the good news is that the documentary is available via Netflix, as both a hard copy send to your house, or as an on-demand view.

The next time in the office, be sure to ask Dr. Duckworth about his own studies with Baba Ram Dass.

Fall and Allergies

(From NLTC) According to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, ragweed season officially begins August 15th. It is estimated that over 36 million Americans suffer from seasonal allergies.

Some ragweed facts: each ragweed plant produces about one billion pollen grains per season. Grains can travel up to four hundred miles due to their lightweight texture. Ragweed is most prevalent in the Northeast, the South and the Midwest and can grow almost anywhere. Americans with allergies miss 3.8 million days of work and or school each year.

What can you do if you suffer from allergies? Meridian Therapy Acupuncture is a wise place to start. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), allergies, through clinical trials, are successfully treated with acupuncture. Through years of clinical practice here at Natural Life Therapy Clinic we know this to be true.

Some homeopathic medicines and Vitamin C, which are virtually free of adverse side effects, can be helpful in reducing allergy symptoms, especially in conjunction with Meridian Therapy Acupuncture.

Vitamin C acts as a antihistamine, has anti-inflammatory effects and tends to enhance immune system functioning. Vitamin C is generally ascorbic acid so if you have a sensitive digestive system you may want to take Ester-C, which is derived from calcium carbonate and tends not to cause any digestive upset. Dosage varies for each person, but a relatively safe adult dosage taken for allergies for one to two weeks would be 1,000mg two to three times daily and sometimes higher if the patient is being guided by a health practitioner. If you are taking any medication you should always first consult with a properly trained licensed health care practitioner before taking supplements.

We recommend Sinusin or Luffeel Homeopathic nasal spray by BHI/Heel for allergies. Sinusin spray can be used for both allergies and other sinus problems, and, in addition, has anti-viral properties. Luffeel is generally used for typical hay fever conditions. We find both to be quite helpful with allergy symptoms and can be used three times daily, or more, with no adverse side effects. We also recommend Allergy tabs by BHI/HEEL in conjunction with the nasal spray.

These BHI products can be purchased at Neels Pharmacy (8 Crestwood Executive Center on Watson Road).

Your body is a natural miracle. It deserves your attention in helping to get stronger and healthier.

Happy Fall everyone!

Marijuana and Health Care Reform, Linked and Debated

While many will think of Montel Williams and immediately assume MW = mediocre daytime talk programming, his work with Air America has a decidedly different feel.

Recently, he spoke about the impact of marijuana legalization on the health care reform debate and was joined by Congressman Ron Paul, among others. Interesting conversation here.

Patient Spending on Alt. Medicine Examined

Some interesting news from the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine. Among the findings:

Approximately 38 percent of adults use some form of CAM (complementary or alternative medicine) for health and wellness or to treat a variety of diseases and conditions, according to data from the 2007 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS)³. The CAM component of the NHIS was developed by the National Institutes of Health's (NIH) National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) and the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The data provide estimates of the cost of CAM use, the frequency of visits made to CAM practitioners, and frequency of purchases of self-care CAM therapies.

"With so many Americans using and spending money on CAM therapies, it is extremely important to know whether the products and practices they use are safe and effective," said Josephine P. Briggs, M.D., director of NCCAM. "This underscores the importance of conducting rigorous research and providing evidence-based information on CAM so that health care providers and the public can make well-informed decisions.

Here's a link to the full report.

Ode Magazine: Laughter Issue

Dr. Duckworth recommends Ode Magazine as a part of your regular cultural intake.

The current issue is dedicated to Laughter and it's been getting some rave reviews.

Click here to read about all about it, while previewing the cover, which features President Obama's grandmother Sarah, in full smile.