Posted by admin on August 8th, 2008 — Posted in Marketers Center
Everybody desires a soft and velvety complexion. Only a healthy skin gives these attributes to the human body. Varicose veins and spider veins damage the skin beauty radically. Enlarged, distended and twisted superficial veins, the varicose veins are both a medical and cosmetic problem. One suffering from the condition of varicose vein goes through the painful experience of ulceration, inflammation and hemorrhage. Also look of varicose vein area becomes distracting by the presence of these bluish and swelled veins.
There are many factors that cause varicose vein, like sex, age, obesity, genetics and the amount of strain on the legs. Aging is the most important of all those factors. With age the veins undergo many wear and tear, because women are subjected to frequent hormonal changes. Pregnancy, pre menstruation and menopause take the toll to develop varicose veins. Then beginning as a brownish discolouration (stasis pigmentation), the veins become twisted, turned, swelled and extended.
There are many reasons why veins become elephantine. Usually it is a much-sitting lifestyle or a hereditary reason. These extra large varicose veins are found often on the backs of the calves or on the inside of the leg. During pregnancy, hemorrhoids, a type of varicose veins form in the vagina or around the anus.
Thanks to modern medical breakthroughs, ultrasound guided sclerotherapy and surgical varicose vein removal have made the escape from the painful position easy and affordable.
The conventional vein removal involved much pain, bleeding and anesthesia. But modern practice has alleviates all those problems and employs various procedure for varicose vein removal. If the varicose veins are small and simple then an ultrasound sclerotherapy will serve the purpose best. In the much complicated conditions one has to undergo surgical removal procedure.
Varicose vein condition becomes complicated and carried over to surgical procedure after much negligence. If the veins are slimmer one can easily remove them by ultrasound sclerotherapy. If one feeling itching in the veins then it is the time for surgical procedure. Generally, the look conscious people finish the matter bit earlier as the presence of veins give an ugly look. Ultrasound guided sclerotherapy removes cluster of spider veins (slimmer and small varicose veins) in a painless method. It is also cost effective.
Normally, varicose veins can be removed with simple procedures such as laser vein treatment and sclerotherapy but in some cases. In grave conditions the procedure involves removal by two methods, i.e., ligation (stripping) and ambulatory phlebectomy.
Harry John is an expert author. He has authored books on ultrasound guided sclerotherapy and surgical varicose vein removal.
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Posted by admin on August 7th, 2008 — Posted in Marketers Center
About Journaling
grate.ful adj. 1 a : appreciative of
benefits received: syn. thankful
4.19.02 Today I am grateful
for ___________________ .
As I write the above line, I wonder,
“What is my answer?” My first thought is,
“I am grateful for today.” Then I realize
there are so many people, places and
things for which I am grateful.
Everyday the list grows.
Everyday there are things that happen
to us, and for us, that make us grateful.
Sometimes, we even find, that after
the passage of time, we become grateful.
Take time today, tomorrow, and the next
are grateful. Then write it down in your
journal. Or maybe send a letter or a card,
with dates and experiences to that person.
You can start keeping a journal where
you date and write in daily, weekly, or
monthly about what you are grateful for,
why and the circumstances that created
the gratitude. This becomes a story and
record of your feelings and warm
experiences of what you have given, and
also what you have received.
You can also create individual
gratitude journals for your spouse,
your children, parents, a friend, etc.,
that you journal in for a period of
time. You can write about them sharing
what you are grateful for about them.
et a new journal to use for this
purpose only. Pick a colored pen or
several colors. You can express your
feelings with certain colors, green
for a growth memory, blue for peaceful
times, you decide what each color
means and note that in the front of
the journal. Date each entry and
describe events, memories, or thoughts
that you have about that person.
Describe what they have given you,
what you have observed, what you wish
for them. Tell them about how grateful
you are for them in your life, and why.
This becomes a treasured keepsake and
a priceless gift.
Telling someone you are grateful for
them in your life, for what they have
done, for who they are is a very
powerful expression of caring and love.
Telling a stranger who has given you
something, directions, good service,
a smile, that you are grateful for
what they have done and given you
is another form of connection.
Spread the idea of gratitude.
You may see something on TV or read
about someone. Send them an email
or letter of appreciation for who
they are, what they stand for, or
for what they have done.
Today I am grateful for
___________________ fill-in this
blank with what your are grateful for.
For Example - My self, my children,
family, work, future, my recovery, etc.
As I was thinking about what I am
grateful for, I of course thought
of my many wonderful, dear friends.
So, I decided to email and ask what
they were grateful for. I asked them
if I could also share their responses
with you, and here they are…
“Today I am grateful that I get to
spend time with my children.”
“Today I am thankful for a generous
heart that loves to spill over to
others…and is constantly replenished
by my beautiful family.”
“Today I am Grateful for the joy of
friends. Today I am grateful for the
light in the eyes of my friends.
Today I am grateful for the roses in
my garden. I am so very grateful
I met you.”
“Today I am grateful that I can
continually forgive myself. I can
forgive myself for judging myself
harshly when things don’t turn out
just the way I was attached to them
turning out. I can forgive myself
when I am disappointed that I didn’t
speak up and say exactly how I felt
about a situation. I can forgive
myself because when I did speak up,
it didn’t come out of my mouth the
way my mind thought it would. All in
all, I am very grateful that I am me.
I wouldn’t want to be anyone else in
the whole world….and that’s gratitude!”
“Today I am grateful for a wife,
4 children and a daughter-in-law
who are all working hard to find
out what it is their Savior would
have them do in life and then do it.”
“Today I am grateful for another
experience of realizing that I am,
indeed, safe and provided for.”
“I am grateful for days, like today,
when my gratitude gallops gleefully
ahead of me and I have to skip to keep
up with it, instead of haul it behind
me like a wagon load of manure, hoping
it will carry its own weight -
by tomorrow.”
“I am very grateful for the healing
work that I do. I work long, hard hours,
but I really enjoy helping people feel
better. How many people can say that
they love their work or feel that they
are doing exactly what they are
supposed to be doing?”
“Today, I am grateful for a Loving
God who nutures me. I am grateful
for my 89 year old Mother who has
cared for me and is still vibrant,
helpful, and alive. I am grateful for
my Granddaughter Hayley who holds my
hand, trusts me, and I know loves me
somewhere in her very special heart.
I am grateful for good health which
sustains me. I am grateful for my
friends and acquaintances who care
about me and bring so much joy into
my life. And, finally, I am grateful
for libraries, and the internet, and
transportation which constantly open
new vistas in my horizon and let me
apreciate this vast world and its
infinite knowledge and power available
to all those who are curious enough
and ambitious enough to embrace them.”
“Today I am grateful for gentle friends,
and a loving Heavenly Father.”
“I am grateful for the Divine
Connections in my life - My family
and friends. We laugh and cry together.
With them I feel I belong and am loved.
They are my greatest teachers.
We validate each other.
When depleted I seek them out.
They renew my spirit I am blessed.
I am also grateful for the roadblocks
and failures in my life.
They turned out to be valuable lessons
that led me to new opportunities and
connections I wouldn’t have had otherwise.
They presented new Lifepaths.”
“Today I am grateful for all the
wonderful people in my life who
challenge me to think differently.”
“The scent of freshly cut grass
coming through my open windows.”
“Today I am grateful for opening
my eyes to see my husband on my
side and my pug at my feet. I am
grateful to look out my bedroom
windows to see another day full
of possibility as the sun slowly
warms up my sweet backyard alive
with quail, doves, hummingbirds,
rabbits and all kinds of natures
noises. I am grateful to feel my
breath as it wanders through my
body waking me up. I am grateful
that I have one more day to enjoy,
and be amazed, and be involved with
life. And I am very grateful that
I can go through another day full
of awe and gratitude.”
“Today, I am grateful for my life,
health, and for my mother still
being alive.”
“I’m grateful for the support of
many, many wonderful women in the
community.”
“I am grateful for being able to
carry the message that Light and
Love is always present and everlasting.
I get to do this on a moment to
moment daily basis. I am grateful
for all the loving people that I
am blessed with in my life. I am
grateful that the universe provides
completely and abundantly. I am
grateful to be alive and living
full out.”
Copyright 2002 Doreene Clement
All Rights Reserved Doreene Clement
is the creator of The 5 Year Journal.
Journal daily for the next 5 years,
in just minutes a day.
You can tour the book at
http://www.the5yearjournal.com
dkcomni@aol.com 480.423.8095
Feel free to pass this along to
your friends. If you want to see
my column, About Journaling,
every month, send an email to
dkcomni@aol.com that says,
yes, About Journaling in the
subject line.
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Posted by admin on August 6th, 2008 — Posted in Marketers Center
All over the world, night after night, millions of people are riveted to their TV sets - but not to watch the latest soap, or CSI. Not to watch Jay Leno or Sex in the City. Not to see who outwits, outlasts and outplays others in Survivor. No - they are spellbound by the efforts of a small band of obese people trying to overcome the effects of years of overeating.
It’s not surprising that for so many people this is compulsive viewing. Obesity is the new epidemic. Fat children lumber around school playgrounds while their overweight mothers fill shopping carts with wrong choices. Then… they sit down at night to watch The Biggest Loser. They see dramatic weight loss and startling new body shapes beginning to emerge. They want the same results - and they begin to think it might be possible.
But who has four or five hours a day to work out? Who can afford a personal trainer several times a week? And who has the luxury of their own personal adviser on calorie content and smart food choices? The answer is: not many people. But you have to remember that this is television: it’s a false situation. As the players keep reminding themselves and the viewers: “This is a GAME. You have to make the most of your time here - it’s going to be so much harder out in the real world.”
IS it harder in the real world? Probably. But you can take lessons away from watching this reality show. You can make it work for you, as well as for the contestants. Here are three practical and useful lessons you can put to use immediately.
1. Put Weight Loss First.
In the Biggest Loser household WEIGHT LOSS COMES FIRST. Make it come first in your household, too. Sounds simple, doesn’t it? It is. In fact, so simple that many people just overlook it. They try to fit exercise and meal planning around everything else in their lives, instead of making it a priority.
Think: what is most important: getting the weight off, and becoming fit enough to put years on your life - or watching another TV show? Sit down with a pen and paper and allot at least one hour a day to planning meals, recording what you eat, and doing some form of exercise. You’ve still got 23 hours left to do everything else!
2. E is for Exercise - and Enjoy!
What else do you notice in the Biggest Loser household? The more they exercise, the more they seem to enjoy it. Oh sure, they grunt and they groan; they sweat and they complain. But as the weeks go on, you’ll hear them say things like: “I never thought I’d say that I look forward to working out - but now don’t feel right if a day goes past without exercise!”
The secret to enjoying exercise is finding what’s right for YOU. If you don’t really enjoy the gym, look for other forms of exercise. You need a mix of cardio and resistance training - but it doesn’t have to be on machines. Walk, swim, dance, climb hills, push a wheelbarrow in the garden… there are endless choices that can be fun for you. Research what happens to various muscle groups - and to your heart - when you exercise, and pick activities that you will enjoy.
3. Identify the Triggers.
Emotions run high when the contestants have to face their demons. Weight gain is rarely from just a physical cause. If you keep a food diary, and faithfully record not only what you eat but when (and why) you eat it, you’ll soon see a pattern of emotional eating. What are YOUR triggers? Boredom? Tiredness? Family arguments?
Once you have identified these triggers, you can start working on strategies to defeat them. This can be as simple as challenging yourself every time you want food. (”Am I hungry - yes or no? If I’m not hungry, then why do I want to eat? Am I really just thirsty? If I’m running to the fridge because I’m upset, is there something else I can do to feel better? Is there a long-term solution that will fix this forever?” and so on.) If you’re not yet ready to deal with the root cause, then be prepared with food that won’t add to your problems with the resulting rolls of fat. Make sure that you have ‘good’ food at hand - but also food that you LIKE.
These are just three of the lessons that anyone can take away from watching The Biggest Loser. And you’ll have the satisfaction of knowing you did it all by yourself.
About the author, Brent is a health nutrition consultant that writes for http://www.2-goodhealth.com - for more free information that is health related be sure and visit our website.
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Posted by admin on August 5th, 2008 — Posted in Marketers Center
Currently there appears to be a trend in American Society to attack video game content, which is too sexually suggestive or violent. There is currently some national discussion on this issue as well as some political movement to do something about it; all of which is being over blown by the sensationalism of the mass television media outlets.
One thought is to use virtual and augmented reality to assist in the educational process of little humans so they do not play as many of these sexual and violent video games. In doing so these tools would provide properly censored content of a more positive nature.
Such concepts and solutions to get kids off of this negative content seem interesting and many believe these projects have merit. You see there is a growing number of folks who believe that video games lead to moral decay? And whereas this perhaps may be true in many regards, I must say I personally love the “Action Drama Genre” at the theatres. And you know life is not easy right?
So, if we make life appear to be honest, fair and loving when it is not really like that, are we in a way setting the kids up for failure in the future when they learn the truth about human character, Catholic Priests, dishonest politicians, disingenuous tenured teachers, poor work ethic bureaucrats and crooked cops?
Won’t these kids feel pretty mislead and lied too? As I study home schooling and the great benefits, I also believe watching little Johnny pull little Ann’s hair and fling sand in the eyes of little Bobby Hutchinson it seems to me that if these kids are all isolated from that and grow up, they will be used and abused as they go thru life. So perhaps video games prepare kids in a way as well.
If we all believe that Video Games lead to the Moral Decay of Society and promote violence, yet also believe that the world is full of violence and moral decay. Well shouldn’t we fix the world first and then simultaneously make the visual and virtual reality learning tools for the future to prepare our future leadership to deal with it? Think on this in 2006.
“Lance Winslow” - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; http://www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs/
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Posted by admin on August 1st, 2008 — Posted in Marketers Center
Thinking you could use an escape from the wintertime blahs, maybe even that
dream holiday you’ve been thinking about for years? A Caribbean cruise
vacation is the answer! What makes a cruise your dream holiday, you ask?
Well, put simply, a cruise combines all the elements of a dream vacation
into one blissful trip. There is ALWAYS something to do, no matter your age
or interests. Whether you’re on your honeymoon, vacationing with the
family, or spending quality time reuniting old friends, a cruise is
guaranteed to fulfill your dreams.
Picture yourself riding on a beautiful cruise ship, looking over the railing
to see brilliant blue waters, idyllic sunsets, and dolphins playing in the
white-capped waves. Do you feel dreamy already? This fantasy can be your
reality if you choose a cruise for your next vacation.
With multiple
poolside decks to lay out in the sunshine while enjoying the sights and
sounds of the ocean, along with reggae music and fruity island beverages,
daytime on the cruise ship can be very relaxing. If you prefer to be more
active, most ships are fully equipped with activities. Take a jog around
the boat-top track, or spend the day in aerobics and yoga classes followed
by a massage and facial at the spa. If shopping is your one true love,
you’ll be in heaven with all the shops on the ships, ranging from
inexpensive trinkets to fancy wine and fine clothing.
As if there isn’t enough to do aboard the boat, don’t forget about island
excursions! As the ship makes stops at various tropical paradises, you can
take in the local culture or fulfill your need for adventure. Locals await
you to take you to their favorite coral to swim with the dolphins or on a
waterfall climb. Also, there is unlimited shopping on the islands, so you
can really add to your art collection or your wardrobe. Try the native food
of the islands, and maybe learn a new word or two. By the time you climb
back aboard your ship you’ll truly feel like you’ve visited another world.
Now it’s time to hop in the shower to prepare for the evening. Every night
on a cruise ship is magical. Start out with a five-course meal in the fine
dining room (that’s already paid for!!). Enjoy drinks, piano music, cover
bands, dancing and more in one of the several bars, or try your luck at
black jack or poker in the casino. There are always cruise-wide games to
play on the decks if you want to meet new people or just be silly with your
friends and family. No matter what you are looking for in a holiday
vacation, a cruise is sure to fulfill your dreams!
Keith Kingston is a professional web publisher offering Royal Carribean cruises and cheap hotel reservations.
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Posted by admin on July 31st, 2008 — Posted in Marketers Center
All of us are working towards some goals. All of us have some plans for our life. We plan for our future, our children, our career and retirement. We are always planning and trying to implement our plans. While doing all this, we forget to count fate, and that can give us a shock if we are not ready for it. When one makes plans, one should always leave the results to fate. Otherwise the shocks can be disastrous for our equanimity. Let us see how.
Some people don’t believe in fate. How do these people justify few occurrences? For example, why some kids get cancer at a very early age? Why, a person who takes care of his/her health in all the possible ways, is suddenly diagnosed with impossible sounding diseases? Why does one person survive in an accident while the other person traveling with him/her dies on the spot? Why some people instinctively leave some place, a night before a natural calamity? We hear of so many such miraculous survivals and cruel deaths, that the role of fate becomes impossible to deny.
A journalist who goes out only to fulfil his/her duty gets kidnapped in a foreign country and is killed mercilessly. Why? Few others make all the plans to go to the same place, but change their plans on the way! Which power makes us act in ways that either help us survive in a disaster or pull us towards one? It is fate. Isn’t it?
What should we do if life is such? We surely cannot stop planning about our future? We surely cannot sit at one place and let fate play its own game. And after thinking about the games fate plays, one cannot plan and be absolutely certain that things will turn out precisely as planned. What is the best way to live life?
Let us plan. Let us apply all our might to bring the plans to fructification. Let us fight against all the obstacles and try to reach the goals. Let us do whatever we can to achieve what we desire. Let us leave the results to God. To dream of results and be sure that they will be fulfilled as per our plans may give us a bigger shock, if that does not happen.
Mohatta writes about different aspects of life like motivation and inspiration, love, humanity, truth, happy living etc. He is a content writer for ecards and greetings in Ecard Universe, Inspiration Ecards, Cupid Ecards etc.
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Posted by admin on July 30th, 2008 — Posted in Marketers Center
10 UNIVERSAL PRINCIPLES OF SUCCESS
Success is not something that only a chosen few can achieve. Everyone can be successful in every area of his or her life. You just need to know how to do things in such a way as to make sure you succeed every time. Success comes as a result of forming certain habits, and continuing in them. Consistency is key. To succeed, you need to be a certain type of person. Don’t be discouraged if you are not yet that type of person. With practice, anyone can become a successful person. The successful person thinks in a certain way, talks in a certain way, and acts in a certain way. The list below briefly outlines 10 of those ways (and a bonus tip!). Anyone who consistently applies these principles to any area of their life will experience success in that area.
1.Vision: Have a clear picture of what exactly it is you want to achieve or become. Keep this picture at the top of your mind at all times. Doing something you want to do, because you want to do it, will motivate you to succeed at it. Start with the end in mind.
2.Believe: Believe without a shadow of a doubt that you can do it. Believe that you will succeed. Believe in a Higher Power who is helping you get what you want. Stay away from negative influences (people, books/articles, anything negative), which make you doubt your ability to succeed. Surround yourself with things that remind you that you can, and will, succeed.
3.Responsibility: Realize that you alone are responsible for your future. You alone are responsible for the outcome of your efforts. Don’t look for anyone to blame. Feel free to ask for help as you need it, but remember the final decision is up to you. It’s your life, after all.
4.Affirm: Make a habit of saying out loud what you hope to achieve. Speak of it in the present tense, e.g., ‘I am fit and trim’, as opposed to ‘I will be fit and trim’. If you feel awkward speaking out loud to yourself, write down the affirmation. Then look at it (or better still, rewrite it) several times each day. This helps your mind stay focused on the goal. It also builds your self-belief and confidence.
5.Commitment: Make a firm commitment to action. Decide to take whatever steps you need to take to help you achieve your goals.
6.Set a SMART goal: Now that you know what you want to achieve or become, you need to define it by making it a goal. Your goal has to be Specific, Measurable (you need a standard to help you know when you’ve achieved it) and Motivational (it’s got to inspire you and keep you motivated), Attainable and Attractive, Realistic (no point setting an unrealistic goal such as “I want to be a millionaire this evening”) and Timed (State when you hope to achieve it).
7.Plan and Take Action: Work out a plan of action. Break down the plan into baby steps. Take a step or two each day, reminding yourself that each step is bringing you closer to your goal. Perform each act to the best of your ability, filled with faith, determination and purpose to reach your goal. Most importantly, be consistent.
8.Persistence: Do not give up until you have achieved what you desire. In the course of things, be willing to change any part of your plan which turns out not to work, and try something else. Thomas Edison did not give up in his quest to invent the light bulb, even though he’d ‘failed’ 10,000 times. Now that’s persistence! See every failure as a stepping-stone to success and as a temporary set back. Learn from it and push on towards your goal.
9.Gratitude: Maintain an attitude of gratitude, knowing that your dream is about to become a reality. Refuse to grumble when circumstances look contrary. Refuse to complain. Be grateful for where you are now, and for where you are headed. Look around for things to be grateful for. You’ll be surprised to find quite a few.
10.Become a giver. In your relationships, always think in terms of what you can do for the other person. What goes round comes round. After all, whatever dreams you have most likely involve interacting with other people. Be kind and generous to all; you never know where your breakthrough will come from.
11.Be in the know: Find out everything you can about your situation/goal. Read books, listen to tapes, and talk to experts, whatever it takes. This will help you make wise decisions and keep you confident as you go along.
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Posted by admin on July 28th, 2008 — Posted in Marketers Center
Focus on Others to Feel Better Yourself -
Many times we can be guilty of focusing mostly on our troubles and worries. It can become an effort to do the everyday things like washing dishes, mowing the lawn, feeding the kids a decent meal. Is there a way to overcome these feelings that keep us down and unwilling to do the things we need to do? Is there a way to get back on track emotionally and make a difference at the same time?
One surefire way to get your mind off your troubles and to make a difference is to stop focusing on yourself and focus instead on someone else and their needs. There are countless people who very seldom receive any kindness or thoughtful treatment; many who need to know they matter to someone; many who need to know someone cares. You can make a difference and lift your spirits all at one time!
Once you’ve decided to take this step, what do you do? Below are five kindness motivation tips from the e-book, “101 Ways to Change the World”.
1. Everyone needs friendship (even you).
Spend an afternoon with someone you know is lonely and don’t make it just a one-time visit.
Decide to drop by on a regular basis.
Send them notes.
Become a lifeline for just that one person.
2. Find a kid who needs to know they matter - unfortunately, there are way too many of them.
Determine to make that kid know someone believes they are special.
Send a card or note every week (at least).
If you know what they are interested in, send them articles about it.
Send stories that will build self-confidence and inspire them to be all they can be.
Most of all let them know you care. Imagine how much it means to feel special - especially to a child who seldom receives any kindness, small gifts or hugs.
3. Share flowers or vegetables from your garden
Take some to an elderly neighbor who can no longer garden.
Take some to a friend going through a hard time.
Drop them off at a neighbor’s house ‘just because’.
4. Become an email Pen Pal with someone - it is so easy to send daily e-mails in order to make a difference in someone’s life. You could email:
A kid in a detention enter
Someone in a Nursing Home
Someone with special needs who can’t leave home
A foster child
Kids in an orphanage
5. Put gift certificates in a special card or note. Go to your local:
Bowling alley
Skating rink
Amusement park, etc.
Ask them to give you free coupons you can share with kids who need to know that someone cares and who need a little kindness.
Many of the bad things happening in our world are done by people who never believed they mattered. No one took the time to show kindness or let them know they are special. Just one act - changing a person’s anger and sadness with your love - can have a far-reaching impact!
Use these five kindness motivation tips to start your own ideas flowing. For even more motivational tips, down load “101 Ways to Change the World” at http://www.101WaysSeries.com. You’ll certainly make a difference to someone each time you use these motivation tips - because showing kindness is contagious!
Author Ginny Dye shares practical acts of kindness that will make a difference in our world. Get 96 more tips on how you can make a difference. Go to www.101WaysSeries.com and request “101 Ways to Change the World”.
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Posted by admin on July 26th, 2008 — Posted in Marketers Center
There is no doubt that alternative medicine is becoming a popular option among patients in the U.S. and Canada. We love it! We are choosing it in greater and greater numbers, even though we have to pay for many of these services out-of-pocket. Americans spend over $27 billion on out-of-pocket expenses on holistic healthcare each year. Fully one-third of us use some form of holistic services, and total visits to holistic providers exceed the number of visits to medical doctors each year.
But Western medicine is still considered the “major healthcare system” in Canada and the U.S. What will change this?
I’ve learned that there are at least ten factors holding holistic healthcare back. In this article, I’ll outline each factor, in the hopes that this will spur you, my readers, on to action to fix each of these ten issues.
#1 - Get Organized
Holistic healthcare, for all its popularity among clients, is extremely disorganized. In my city of Columbus, Ohio, we have various cliques of practitioners who isolate themselves from others and seem to consciously limit communication and interaction with other practitioners. I know this is true in many communities. Holistic healthcare must become a “profession.” It must have univeral standards, professional associations across modalities, and lots of professional networking. This is what makes Western medicine so powerful. They have a very organized and powerful professional association, in the American Medical Association (AMA) and they have strong links in to all levels of government and community. Holistic healthcare must do the same, although we must do it in our own way. We are an industry. We are professionals. We must act this way. We must get organized, professionally and politically.
#2 - Change the Laws
The laws in many U.S. states and Canadian provinces discourage use of holistic services. Here in Ohio, everyone from naturopaths to reflexologists to nutritionists are illegal, according to the letter of the law. It’s antiquated, yes, but the licensure boards feel they must enforce these antiquated laws and they often do, shutting down legitimate practitioners who are helping their clients and not harming anyone, just because the law is wrong.
We’ve organized the Health Freedom Coalition of Ohio here in this state, and many other states have similar groups. Check the national Health Freedom Website for groups in your area. Join us in changing the laws to reflect the needs and wants of holistic healthcare patients and practitioners. As far as I know, no Health Freedom groups exist in Canada. However, international laws like those coming from Codex Alimentarius are threatening healthcare freedoms everywhere.
#3 - Reject the Gold Standard of Controlled Trials
Holistic healthcare is, by definition, holistic. Controlled trials, also called randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled controlled trials, are meant to measure patients’ reactions to drugs. In a vain attempt to “fit in,” many holistic healthcare advocates are submitting holistic practices to these controlled trials to provide “objective proof” to Western doctors that these practices work.
Using positive results from controlled trials is a reasonable short-term strategy to making holistic healthcare pallatable to Western doctors and their followers, but it will not work in the long term.
The reason it can’t work for holistic practices goes back to the nature of holism. A holistic practitioner treats a patient as a “whole person - body, mind, spirit, environment.” These aspects of the person are inseparable. You can’t reduce a person down to a single organ, a single disease, or a single symptom. And, unfortunately, reductionism is inherent in the nature of controlled trials. Each controlled trial attempts to eliminate all “outside causes” and reduce the study down to “the effect of one drug on one part of the person.” This is categorically impossible in a holistic perspective.
Holistically, energy fields exist. We must take a person’s energetic profile into account with their physical body. We must understand the person’s relationships in the family and society. We must know their history. We must understand their mental state.
No controlled study can eliminate all these factors. Controlled trials are not the way to test holistic healthcare modalities. We must come up with a better way of testing our modalities, which is every bit as scientific and rigorous as controlled trials, but does not have the downsides.
#4 - Patients Need Road Maps
Holistic practitioners must be able to provide each patient with a road map of treatment, given the patient’s problems and circumstances. This is a marketing issue. If the practitioner asks the patient just to “play along” with the practitioner tries this and that, patients will not likely stick with the program, because there really isn’t a “program” that they can see.
Practitioners need to give patients an understandable set of steps that practitioner and patient will take together that are likely (although not guaranteed) to solve the problem at hand. The roadmap will include the services the practitioner can provide, the services needed from other practitioners, and the activities the patient needs to accomplish.
#5 - We Need Truly Integrative Clinics
A true integrative clinic is not just a bunch of practitioners sharing the rent and referring patients.
True integration means that a patient sees themself as a patient of the clinic, not a patient of a particular practitioner. The patient expects that the clinic will provide him with the right services at the right time, and feels that he is supported and led through the maze of various modalities to the right ones for his situation, background, needs and beliefs.
This means that the clinic has what I call a “holistic patient manager,” who is independent of holistic modalities and who’s sole purpose is to guide the patient through the process of getting healthier. The patient manager works with the patient to create a road map (see Point #4) and answers their questions and concerns throughout the process.
It also means that the practitioners working in the clinic have faith in the overall processes, and are constantly giving their input to improve it. It means that practitioners compare notes on each patient and strive to give consistent advice to the patients (NOTE: HIPAA compliance on patient record confidentiality will be necessary.)
#6 - Practitioners Must Serve Their Clients’ Need Above All
I’ve noticed that many practitioners feel that the main reason they are practicing their particular modality is for the love of that modality. For instance, a massage therapist feels that the whole reason for her practice is that she can “do the work she loves.” While it is important to do what you love, the main reason for a holistic practitioner’s business is to serve clients. When times get tough, and the practitioner needs to do things that they don’t love (taking out the laundry, collecting money, etc.), this incorrect focus gets messy. A practitioner must remember, first and foremost, to focus on the needs of the clients, and then to focus on enjoyment of the work. If this is backwards in the mind of the practitioner, the business will not survive.
Here’s a test to see if your business is client-focused or modality-focused. Look at your list of services. If the list is simply a list of modalities (massage $50/hour, reflexology $60/hour, nutrition counselling $70/hour, etc.) then you are modality-focused. If your list of services is a list of client problems (fatigue revitalization $200, headache relief $250, etc.) then you are client-focused.
#7 - Health Insurance Must Change to Include Holistic Healthcare
The day that health insurance begins to include holistic practices will be a major step towards our becoming the major healthcare system in North America.
Health insurers are well-advised to include holistic practices like naturopathy, massage therapy and herbal remedies into their programs. Their insured clients will be healthier, will cost less, and happier.
However, there is a limit to what insurance should provide. Insurance, by definition, is meant for expenses that we (the insured) can’t pay for ourselves. That means that when a car accident occurs, and my legs are broken in five places, this is a time for insurance. When I am diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, insurance needs to be there for me. When I fall down the stairs and need an emergency room visit, insurance should help.
But insurance is NOT for day-to-day health needs. The yearly or twice-yearly trip to the doctor or naturopath should NOT be covered by insurance. Monthly massage therapy appointments should not be included in health insurance, unless they are a defined part of a recovery from injury or trauma.
Why? Because if we include regular medical needs in our insurance plans, the costs will be unaffordable. There is no reason to pay your insurance company extra money, only to have them pay it right back to your doctor, naturopath, massage therapist or nutritionist. It doesn’t make sense. The insurer will take their cut out of the money and you’ll be paying much more for that regular care than if you had paid the practitioner out-of-pocket. Insurance has no place in the world of day-to-day prevention, health maintenance and wellness.
I feel very strongly on this point, and I hope that insurance companies take heed as they begin to step into the world of holistic healthcare. I’ve written a book on this subject called “Health Insurance Off the Grid,” which you can reference at the bottom of this article.
#8 - Separate Holistic Healthcare From New Age Religion
To look at a person holistically, it means that you see the person’s body, mind and spirit. The last one, spirit, seems to say that religion must somehow be involved in healthcare.
That assumption can be a costly mistake. Many Americans and Canadians are frightened of holistic healthcare for exactly that reason. They think the holistic practitioner will try to “convert them” to some new and exotic religion , which they don’t want. They’re perfectly happy being Protestants, Catholics or Muslims. They don’t want religion encroaching on their healthcare, they just want a reiki session.
Practitioners must understand this. Religion of any type, but especially new age religions, must be kept away from the practices of holistic healthcare. Yes, spirit is involved in any type of healing, but that doesn’t mean the practitioner needs to feature it front-and-center and go on and on about their particular religious icons, symbols and beliefs.
Mixing religion and healthcare is bad for business. I urge holistic practitioners to separate the two. Holistic healthcare will never thrive in the U.S. or Canada unless it is decoupled from religion.
#9 - Practitioners and Clinics Must Focus on Quality Marketing
The majority of holistic practitioners and clinics I’ve been exposed to have poor marketing practices. There often is no marketing plan, and the practitioners and clinic owners often have a distaste for the overall idea of marketing and sales.
No business can survive without high-quality sales and marketing. There does not need to be anything distasteful about marketing or sales. In fact, it is easy to see that these activities are actually “acts of love” in many ways.
I urge all holistic practitioners and clinic owners to learn everything possible about marketing and sales. The best sales training I’ve found is at the Sandler Sales Institute. You will not find a more “holistic approach” to sales. I can also say that the Sandler approach is decidedly a low pressure approach and something that anyone can feel comfortable working with in a holistic practice. Locally, here in Ohio, I can say for certain that the best sales training affiliate of Sandler Sales is Growth Resources, serving Central Ohio.
For marketing planning, my company, the Simplicity Institute, offers a range of online training classes that may be helpful. See the bottom of this article for links.
#10 - We Need High-Quality, Long-Term Apprenticeship Programs
In China, when a person decides to become a practitioner of Traditional Chinese Medicine, they go to school to learn the basics and then they become an apprentice of an experienced practitioner for many years before striking out on their own. The same is true for ayurvedic practitioners in India.
Although North America has a variety of schools teaching various modalities from massage to acupuncture to polarity therapy to energy healing, we do not have any long-term apprenticeship programs. Holistic healthcare modalities that I’ve encountered are multifaceted, complex therapies that often require years to master. The best practitioners are those who have practiced for many years, and who have attended one training class after another, year after year. They also usually found a mentor who was willing to teach them the subtle details of the modality, the art of it.
If we are to produce high-quality practitioners, we need a strong apprenticeship program like China and India. This will take time to create and may be resisted by young practitioners who wish to jump into independent practice too quickly. But it’s a very necessary step to making holistic healthcare more popular in North America.
These are my thoughts about the ten major problems facing holistic healthcare today. What can you do? Can you join a Health Freedom group in your area? Can you help your holistic clinic become more client-focused? Can you help to change health insurance to include holistic alternatives?
Please consider what you can do to help holistic healthcare to become the major healthcare system in North America. This is something that will save many lives, people who are now dying because they aren’t being helped by drugs and surgery, and yet aren’t aware of the options.
Daryl Kulak is the President of the Simplicity Institute, an online business school for the holistic healthcare community. He is also author of “Health Insurance Off the Grid”, a book to help people buy health insurance that will maximize the out-of-pocket money available for holistic services and products.
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Posted by admin on July 25th, 2008 — Posted in Marketers Center
Organization can be a real challenge for the ADD individual. Here are some simple tips that can help:
1.Organize for reasons that matter to you. Don’t try to adopt someone else’s organizing values. If being “tidy” or “organized” has negative connotations for you (tedious, boring, uptight, perfectionist), motivate yourself by organizing according to your own values.
2.Determine the goal. First decide on the specific task you want to tackle. Then prioritize. When things get busy, the adult ADD person often loses perspective. PS: Transitions can be difficult, and mini-breaks can help ease the transition.
3.Notice how and where you work best. Let yourself work under whatever conditions are best for you. If necessary, eliminate distracting noise with headphones or a noise machine.
4.One bite at a time! When you have a big job looming break the chore down into manageable “bites.” List every part of the job, no matter how small, so you can get a feeling of accomplishment at crossing things off and seeing that you’re really getting somewhere! PS: Set a timer to go off in 15 minutes and stay with the task for those 15 minutes. Don’t drift off and do something else. And reward yourself after it is over.
5.Don’t rely on memory alone; you run the risk of letting tasks fall through the cracks. Use a notebook/planner to stay on track and keep it close by at all times. Write down any intrusive ideas or thoughts so you can get back to the task at hand. You won’t forget what you were thinking about and can act on it later. PS: Notebooks are more difficult to lose than scraps of paper!
6.Leave time between engagements to gather your thoughts. PS: Allow more time than you think you’ll need for a task. Keep a comfortable margin for the unexpected.
7.Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) like Palm Pilots are a big help. A program for PDAs called “Handyshop” lets you organize lists for different stores, items you need, coupons, quantity and aisle. It takes a little time to put items into the categories but once it’s there you can use just check off which items you need and use the program over and over. Another Palm Pilot tip is called “Bug Me!”. It lets you write notes to yourself and set alarms throughout the day or week at regular times. Great for medication reminders and appointments. PS: Some PDAs have the added benefit of a word processor, which is perfect for school, since many ADDers have difficulty listening and writing legibly at the same time. Taking notes on the optional keyboard can be a tremendous help: faster, easier to read and edit later than hand written notes.
8.An answering machine is a great reminder tool. Do you have something important you have to do later in the day, or when you get home? Call your phone number and leave a reminder message. When you get home and see the message light you’ll remember your chore.
9.Many people with ADD are visually oriented. Virtually anything can be made more memorable and attention-getting with color.
10.Don’t end the day without putting stuff away. Take time to put things back where they belong. Try to put things back immediately after you’re finished with them or set up time at the end of the day to do so. PS: It’s important to de-clutter your mind. Get plenty of rest; eat a healthy diet; exercise; relax; meditate. Learn to enjoy silence.
One more thing: check out the “WatchMinder”. It’s a training and reminder system invented by a licensed Child Psychologist. Because the WatchMinder is a vibrating, silent alarm and reminder system, it can be worn with minimal disruption to the user or those around him. Check it out at www.watchminder.com.
Rosemary Chieppo has been a professional organizer, writer and public speaker since 1999. The costs of not being organized are enormous: time, money and stress. Organizing is the greatest gift people can give themselves; it clears the path to life’s more important destinations! Visit Rosemary’s website at http://www.borntoorganize.com.
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