11 Mind Body Spirit Connection To Healing Food

11-MIND-BODY-SPIRIT CONNECTION TO HEALING

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• In conventional medicine, the mind-body connection is not the focus of the treatment. We rely instead on things outside of us, such as medications and surgery, to cure ailments. This is typical of cancer treatment practices today. Complementary, or alternative, medicine or therapies place more emphasis on using the inside, our thoughts and emotions, as an integral part of healing and overall wellness.COMPLEMENTARY THERAPIESListed below are treatment options that could be tried in addition to your current treatment options. In the United States, 10 percent of all cancer patients will try at least one alternative therapy during the course of their treatment. Some claims of complementary therapies are poorly documented or unproven, but others are supported by years of scientific research. The Office of Alternative Medicine, established almost fifteen years ago, has collected volumes of research data on complementary practices and is helping to establish guidelines for scientific testing for safety and effectiveness of these therapies.Connecting the brain, the physical body and good health as tools for wellness is easier in many complementary therapies. Many of the therapies listed here began thousands of years ago, in cultures spanning the globe, from Europe to China and India to Egypt. The treatments use herbs, needles or body manipulation as a means to heal ailments. Before you venture out to try them, read on for details about what they are and how they work. If you have questions about blending these therapies with your current medications or cancer treatment plan, be sure to check with your doctor.ACUPUNCTUREPart of traditional Chinese medicine, acupuncture is an ancient art and science of healing. The word acupuncture comes from two Latin words: acus, meaning "needles," and punctura, meaning "pricking." Like its definition, Chinese acupuncture involves the insertion of needles into specific points on your body.Based on the belief that energy flows between body organs along channels, or meridians, healing occurs when the flow of energy in the entire body is balanced. The energy is called chi, or qi (pronounced CHEE). Chi changes with your mental, physical and spiritual well-being and is made up of two opposing forces called yin (the shady side of the mountain) and yang (the sunny side).Worldwide scientific evidence exists to support that acupuncture is a successful treatment for headaches, lower back pain, angina, dementia and arthritis and for relief of other ailments or imbalances.AROMATHERAPYAromatherapy, or scent therapy, was developed by ancient Egyptians and is the use of "essential oils" to increase relaxation, improve mood and enhance circulation. Essential oils are the concentrated forms of natural oils extracted from petals, leaves, roots, resin, bark, rinds, stalks, stems and seeds of various plants.After they're extracted, essential oils are applied externally, inhaled or used in compresses or lotions. They are also used in soaps, candles, perfumes, potpourri, bath salts, massage oils, antiseptic solutions, sprays and shampoos.AYURVEDAOne of the oldest forms of medical practice, Ayurveda (pronounced I-YUR-VAYDA) originated in ancient India. It is based on the concept that energy, called prana, keeps the mind and body alive. Each of us is made up of five elements: air, water, earth, fire and space. These five elements are organized into three constitutional states called doshas, which govern our physical, mental and emotional processes. These doshas are vata, representing space and air pitta, for fire and water and kapha, encompassing water and earth. Each of us is a combination of all three doshas, but usually one of them dominates.Ayurvedic practitioners observe, ask questions about your lifestyle, spirituality and physical health, touch you, and take pulses at different places to determine the diagnosis and assess the status of your doshas, depending upon which elements are out of balance. You are then further categorized based on the dietary changes needed to rebalance your doshas.Most Ayurvedic remedies are diet-based, using foods, herbs and spices to regain balance by strengthening or weakening the doshas. In addition, other remedies and behavioral changes, such as minerals, gems, yoga postures and breathing, meditation, detoxification processes or hydrotherapy and massages, may be advised to reestablish the elements.BODYWORKBodywork is a catchall term for many different techniques that treat ailments and promote relaxation through proper movement, posture, exercise, massage and other body manipulations. Shiatsu and massage are two types of bodywork practiced more commonly in the United States. Shiatsu, a traditional healing method from Japan, uses a form of acupressure, or finger pressure, on specific body sites to increase circulation and improve energy flow. The technique involves locating acupoints, sites on your body specific to certain tissues. Pressure is applied to these points for two to ten minutes until a pulse is felt. Then the pressure is released slowly. Acupressure techniques can be used in physical therapy and in various types of bodywork and massage.Massage is the manipulation of soft tissues to relieve sore muscles and promote relaxation. It is used to reduce tension, improve circulation, aid in healing injured soft tissues, control pain and promote overall well-being. Massage can stretch tissue, increase your range of motion and reduce certain kinds of swelling.CHEMOTHERAPY CONSIDERATIONSChemotherapy, the most common type of cancer treatment, affects no two people the same way. Much of what happens depends on how you respond to the treatment, the particular drug or drugs you are taking, the dosage and the type and stage of the cancer.Consider these suggestions to help make your experience with chemotherapy one that works in the best way for you:1. Ask your doctor what kind of drugs you are receiving. Ask about potential side effects and interactions that may occur with other medications or foods you eat. Then you'll know what changes you need to make.2. Raise questions about how the drug is administered and what potential side effects are associated with it. You'll be prepared for how you may feel and the changes your body may experience during and after treatment.3. Whenever you have nausea, be sure to take the nausea medication provided to you because it generally will help you feel well enough to eat. If the medication isn't helpful, call your doctor right away and discuss alternate medication.4. Your body is already tired just from having cancer, and chemotherapy adds to that feeling of fatigue. To help ease the tiredness, rest often and try to do some activity every day. 5. Expect the common side effects of chemotherapy. You will probably experience at least some of the following typical side effects: decreased appetite, mouth sores, dry mouth, changes in the taste of foods and constipation. 6. Vitamin and mineral stores in the body become depleted while you undergo chemotherapy. Ask your doctor if you need to take any nutrient supplements (especially iron, which can help reduce fatigue) or switch from the supplements you regularly take.Neutropenia occurs when the white blood cell count drops to a dangerously low level. This usually happens about seven to fourteen days after receiving chemotherapy. During this time, you are at higher risk for infections, and you should avoid certain foods. HERBAL MEDICINEHerbs come from plants, mainly the leaves, stems, flowers, twigs, roots, seeds, bark, fruit and saps of a variety of different plants. We typically think of herbs as substances that impart flavor to our foods, but some of these herbs also have medicine-like qualities.In fact, many modern medicines are derived from plants discovered long ago to have medicinal properties. Though herbs can be predecessors to modern medicines, they are not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), so use caution when obtaining them. You can buy herbal remedies in the form of capsules, tablets, powders and concentrated liquids (called tinctures or extracts), and they can be prepared using fresh or dried ingredients and can be steeped or infused, as in making a tea.For your own safety, experts suggest you purchase prepared herbal medicines from reliable sources, because those grown or concocted yourself may be inconsistent or contain natural variations that can be toxic. Trained professionals in the fields of botany, Ayurvedic medicine, naturopathy and traditional Chinese medicine can be helpful in selecting the herbs, form and potency that are appropriate for you.Herbal medicines are usually milder and may act more slowly than conventional medicines. Certain herbs, such as borage, chaparral, coltsfoot, comfrey, Ma Huang (ephedra), germanium and yohimbe should not be used because they are potentially harmful, causing liver disease, rises in blood pressure and kidney damage. Check with your doctor to be sure that the herbs you take don't interact with your medications or treatment regimens.MEDITATIONQuiet forms of contemplation, mindfulness or meditation have been recognized worldwide for their effectiveness at establishing a sense of peacefulness, inner calm and relaxation. Developed in Eastern cultures, most techniques require closing your eyes and focusing on a single thought, word, image or sound and allowing other thoughts to float away. Traditionally used as a spiritual exercise, meditation has been helpful for people with chronic pain, panic attacks, high blood pressure and respiratory problems such as asthma and emphysema because meditation slows the heart rate and regulates breathing.NATUROPATHYNaturopathy originates from the traditions of early European health spas. Emphasizing preventive care, naturopathy takes advantage of your body's own natural healing powers. It avoids many of the traditions of conventional medicine and teaches healthful lifestyle habits. Naturopathic treatments vary by practitioner and encompass many elements, such as massage, physical activity, herbal remedies, natural foods, acupuncture and hydrotherapy (water treatments).YOGAYoga is an ancient practice and philosophy first developed and practiced in India. The word yoga is derived from the ancient Sanskrit word yuj, meaning "union." Yoga is based on balancing the mind, body and spirit by using exercises, ethical beliefs and dietary restrictions.Many different types of yoga are practiced worldwide. Western versions of yoga typically practiced in the United States include both body positions and movements, called postures, and breathing exercises, in addition to dietary practices. The postures, called asanas, are used to stretch and strengthen muscles the breathing exercises, called pranayama, help with relaxation and stress relief. Yoga experts advise that you start slowly with basic breathing techniques and simple postures before moving on to the more advanced exercises.SUMMING IT UPAs you can see, the wide variety of complementary medicines and therapies from different parts of the world focus on different principles. All are available to you as you make the connection between your mind and body and wellness. Be sure to check with your doctor if you have any questions about your conventional medication or treatment plan or about one of these complementary therapies.From "Betty Crocker's Living with Cancer Cookbook." Text Copyright 2005 General Mills, Inc. Used with permission of the publisher, Wiley Publishing, Inc. All Rights Reserved.