Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Another GREAT Anthroposopphical Medicine Resource

For those interested in the world of Anthroposophical Medicine, I have just learned of an invaluable resource from Dr. Steven Johnson, D.O., a gifted doctor integrating Anthroposophical medicine and other wholistic modalities into his practice for over fifteen years. He helped develop and co-found the AnthroMed Library, a web-based repository for articles about Anthroposophical Medicine --- http://anthromedlibrary.com.

The AnthroMed Library provides a wealth of information and links on Anthroposophical medicine including medical references about Iscador Mistletoe, used in Europe as an immune stimulant and for cancer therapy.

Mistletoe 101: While the raw plant and berries of mistletoe are poisonous, when made into specially prepared extracts they are safe and offer health benefits. In Europe mistletoe extracts are used as immune stimulants and for cancer therapy. Mistletoe is a semi-parasitic plant that grows on a variety of trees including oak, pine and apple. Currently Mistletoe is not legal in the United States except for clinical trials which the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) is working on: http://nccam.nih.gov/health/eurmistletoe . In Europe, a common mistletoe remedy is manufactured by the Weleda company under the name of Iscador and has been used for over eighty years. See the website for more information: http://www.iscador.com

Saturday, October 18, 2008

Mercury-free Computers

See the Traveling Naturally Blog post Green Laptops!! for information about mercury and arsenic-FREE computers - http://travelingnaturally.blogspot.com

Anthroposophical Medicine

Anthroposophy comes from the Greek Anthropos, meaning Human Being, plus the Greek Sophia, meaning Wisdom, combining them into Anthroposophy for Human Wisdom.
Dr. Rudolf Steiner (1861-1925), a scientist & artist, developed Anthroposophical Medicine around 1913 based on his studies of natural, social & spiritual realms and his conclusions that plants, animals, humans, earth & the cosmos are all living things with vital forces. Greatly influenced by the German philosopher, Goethe (1749-1832), Steiner developed not just theories and systems around health, but also education (Waldorf schools), agriculture (Biodynamic Farming), astronomy, color, movement (Eurythmy) and other sciences.

Dr. Rudolf Hauschka (1891-1969), an Austrian chemist, worked with Rudolph Steiner to develop remedies using Anthroposophical theories and understanding of plants, minerals & metals and their interactions and effects on human health and vitality. Based on in depth studies of rhythm, and a combination of homeopathic potentiation and rhythmic exposure to elemental polarities, Dr. Hauschka, along with Dr. Ita Wegman, another Steiner associate, developed what were to become the WALA (Warmth/Ash, Light/Ash) remedies. The plant-based remedies are made from wild or biodynamically grown plants. Dr. Hauschka collaborated with Elisabeth Sigmund (1924), a cosmetologist, and they co-founded Dr. Hauschka Skin Care Products.

Long a traditional form of medicine in Europe, with worldwide headquarters in Switzerland, anthroposophical medicine is not so well known in the United States. In recent years the cosmetic and body care products of the Dr. Hauschka and Weleda companies have become fairly prevalent in the United States, but anthroposophical medicinal remedies are still harder to come by (see below for remedy resources), as are physicians schooled in this specialty, which shares many principles of homeopathic medicine, and is often incorporated into European Biological Medicine.

Anthroposophical medicine can be very effective on its own or in conjunction with other modalities, and offers a touch of beauty and grace to the world of medicine. Listed below are informational resources and doctors in Vermont, New Hampshire, & Massachusetts.

Book Resources:
Spiritual Science and the Art of Healing, by Victor Bott, Healing Arts Press, Rochester, VT 1996; 0-89281-636-8
The Fourfold Path to Healing, by Thomas S. Cowan, MD w/ Sally Fallon & Jaimen McMillan, New Trends Publishing 2004. Combines anthroposophical medicine with the Dr. Weston Price diet.

Web Resources::
Association for Anthroposophical Health Professionals - www.artemisia.net

Physicians Association for Anthroposophical Medicine - www.paam.net

Anthroposophical Society of America – www.anthroposophy.org

Lilipoh Magazine – www.lilipoh.com

Remedies:
Uriel Pharmacy, East Troy, Wisconsin, www.urielpharmacy.com. Natural, herbal remedies made from biodynamically grown plants on the Uriel farm and prepared according to anthroposophical standards like the WALA remedies

Weleda, Spring Valley, NY, www.weleda.com

Dr. Hauschka, www.drhauschka.com

Ceres, http://www.niskos.com/CERES/

Doctors in the Area:
Vermont:
Dr. Bill Warnock, ND, Champlain Center for Natural Health, Shelburne, VT, www.vtnaturalmed.com
New Hampshire:
Dr. Pamela Herring, ND, Naturopathic Clinic of Concord, Concord, NH, www.pamelaherring.com
Massachusetts:
Dr. Kent Hesse, MD, Michael Community Therapeutics, 138 Russell St., Hadley, MA 01035, 413-587-4680

Thursday, October 16, 2008

Films for Thought

Any of the films listed below will provide you with a thought provoking evening and are all very much worth the viewing time:

Sicko, a film by Michael Moore, explores health care systems in Britain, France, Canada, Cuba, and the United States. Needless to say the U.S. does not come out looking so great in comparison to these other countries. Caution: it might make you want to flee the country ☺

King Corn is a somewhat goofy but accurate documentary film about two college-age kids who set out to learn about corn by “adopting” a one acre plot in corn-country and seeing the cycle through harvest and commodity. The revelations about high-fructose corn syrup, cattle feed, food, and health are devastating, but they manage to do it so you keep laughing.

Who Killed the Electric Car? is a blood-pressure raising film about a fully electric car that Detroit experimented with and then destroyed – literally. Since this was all pre- the current oil situation, it makes it that much more infuriating.

These are all available through Netflix, or ask at your local video store. Happy (as it were) viewing - you may want to learn the acupuncture points for lowering blood pressure before watching :)