Friday, July 30, 2004

HealthScout-Heart-It's Official: Leeches Are Medical ApplicationsBloodsuckers win FDA nod for treating skin grafts
Naturopathy experts concerned over untrained professionals
 Naturopathy experts in Tamil Nadu and Kerala, particularly in Coimbatore, are expressing concern over the mushrooming of a number of unprofessionally managed herbal massage centres.
Most of them have sprung up around tourist spots with tall claims of providing Ayurvedic treatment for all kinds of physical ailments.
"There are some crude methods of practice done in some picnic spots like Kutralam and Okanakkal. Actually when it is done without any physician's supervision or when it is done by an untrained messeur, it increases the invertebral disprolapse, pain or it also proves very harmful for cervical spondylitis patients," said Dr. Uma, an Ayurvedic specialist based in Coimbatore.
Haunted by the toxic side effects of modern drugs, people from across the world flock to India looking for succour from alternative medicinal therapies. Experts, however, caution that there are only a few selective people who understand Ayurveda and the impact of its treatment.

Sunday, July 04, 2004

Overweight and Obesity Rates Still at Alarming Levels 7/3/04
Makers of Medimix soap plan chain of wellness centres

CHOLAYIL Pharmaceuticals Pvt Ltd, manufacturer of Ayurvedic soap Medimix, is set to inaugurate a holistic wellness centre, Sanjeevanam, in Chennai, part of a chain of such centres.

Cholayil aimed to open 10 such centres in the next three years. Talks are on to set up franchises in London, Visakhapatnam and Delhi. A smaller centre in Thiruvananthapuram has been operational for a while now and its success spurred the group to expand.

Sanjeevanam will comprise a therapeutic centre combining various treatments from Ayurveda, naturopathy and Yoga, Maya, a yoga academy, Kadalivanam, a health restaurant serving natural food, a conference hall and a natural products store. This is the first time all these facilities are being offered under one roof.

Monday, April 26, 2004

Chicago Public Schools to Ban Soda, Candy

CHICAGO (Reuters) - The Chicago Public Schools will ban soft drinks, candy and fat-laden snacks from school vending machines, replacing them with healthier offerings, district officials said on Tuesday.

Chicago, the nation's third-largest public school district, joins other major school systems that have already expelled food or drinks seen contributing to a childhood obesity epidemic from their facilities.

"Students spend a large portion of their time at school, and we need to do more to promote healthy eating habits," said Arne Duncan, the school system's chief executive officer, in a statement. "This is an important step toward getting junk food out of our schools."

The Chicago district said it is seeking proposals to replace its exclusive and expiring beverage contract with Coca-Cola with offerings restricted to 100 percent fruit juices in elementary schools and at least 50 percent fruit juice in high schools. Other acceptable beverages will be water and noncarbonated sports drinks.

Representatives for Atlanta-based Coke could not immediately be reached for comment. Under the existing contract, the school system made about $4 million a year or 52 percent of the sales, while Coke got the remaining 48 percent, according to Mike Vaughn, a school district spokesman. On the snack front, products in school vending machines must have not more than 30 percent of their calories from fat and no more than 40 percent sugar by weight. Candy and chewing gum would be banned outright.

Vaughn said the new policy on snacks would taken up by the board of education in May with the aim of having the policy in place by next fall. The district's move comes as public awareness over the obesity crisis heightens. Food and drink makers have also tuned into the problem, in part to defend against litigation blaming their products for making people fat. And some nutritionists have cautioned against many of the juice alternatives to soft drinks, which can be deceptively high in sugars.

McDonald's Corp., last year the target of a well-publicized obesity lawsuit, late last week launched an anti-obesity push that includes the launch of a new healthier version of its kid-oriented Happy Meals for adults.

The largest U.S. school system in New York City has already ousted soft drinks, replacing them with juice and other products from Snapple, a unit of Cadbury Schweppes Plc. Schools in Los Angeles banned soft drinks as of January and will ban the sale of so-called junk food starting in July.

Thursday, April 08, 2004

NATURAL THERAPISTS WELCOME IN CYPRUS!
Are you a qualified, professional Natural Therapist looking for a change? Want to join a group of professionals in a cutting-edge, dynamic Complementary and Alternative Medicine Centre in Larnaca, Cyprus, catering to the needs of local and international clients?

Now that Cyprus is due for EEC accession on May 1st 2004, if your country is a member of Europe then you will not require a work permit, which makes things a lot easier for those wishing to emigrate. Unfortunately it is a lot more difficult for Americans and other countries not part of the EEC.

This is the first such CAM Centre in Cyprus and also covers the Middle East and surrounding countries.

The Centre is presently seeking the following specialties:

Holistic Dentist
Holistic Medical Director
Chiropractor
Colon Hydrotherapist
Acupuncturist
Other specialists can also be considered, but all must be professionals in their own right with adequate training at recognised schools in Europe.

The Complementary and Alternative Medicine Centre is a large complex comprising of Natural Medicine specialists such as Naturopaths, Herbalists, Chiropractors, Acupuncturists, Holistic Dentists, Nutritionists, Homeopaths, Colon Hydrotherapists, Psychotherapists, Sexologists, Aromatherapists, Reflexologists, Vodder Lymphatic Drainage Therapists, Physiotherapists, etc.

The Centre is equipped with the latest technology including Digital Infrared Thermal Imaging (DITI), otherwise known as Thermography, VEGA Allergy testing, BICOM Bioresonance Therapy, Hyperbaric Oxygen chamber, Infrared sauna, ozone steam cabinet, Iridology, Live Blood Analysis, Biological Terrain Analysis, Heart Rate Variability Testing, Metabolic Typing, Autonomic Response Testing and a lot more.

Therapists work autonomously by simply renting a serviced office on the premises which includes secretarial, appointment booking service for clients, and all other office services such as telephone, ADSL connection, fax, VISA, conference/workshop facilities, etc.

The Centre is in a perfect location in the Larnaca countryside just metres away from the Archangelos River surrounded by calm and tranquility. It is only 10 minutes drive from Larnaca town centre, and about 20 minute drive from the sea.

The Centre is active in serious research and has its own in-house laboratory - main areas of research are in heavy metals and cancer and chronic diseases.

Attached to the Centre is a School of Natural Medicine that will be issuing Bachelors, Masters and Doctorate Degrees in Natural Medicine, with the appropriate clinical experience given by our team of practitioners. All practitioners are welcome to participate in teaching and research if they desire.

If any therapists are interested in further details please contact Dr. Georgiou on +357 99 682083 or email drgeorge@avacom.net

You may get a glimpse of some of the treatment modalities on Dr. Georgiou's web site at www.naturaltherapycenter.com - more treatment modalities and therapists are presently being added.

Wednesday, February 25, 2004

WHO To Standardize
Traditional/ Ayurvedic Medicines


Indian Ayurvedic pharmaceuticals will be set on an upward spike on the international sales graph when World Health Organisation's plan to establish the format for standardisation of traditional medicine in health care systems takes shape.

When that happens, the Ayurvedic medicines will also brought under the format of standardisation and validation, which will help Ayurvedic companies sell the medicines in developed markets.

Currently, only Ayurvedic products in food supplements and cosmetics segments are sold in developed markets, while Ayurvedic medicines are yet to enter these highly lucrative markets. Even after getting the validation and standardisation, a prior approval from the US FDA (Food and Drugs Administration) is mandatory for entering these markets.

Already, traditional Chinese medicines have a foothold in the US markets and it is estimated that last year alone Chinese traditional medicines worth over $ 3 billion were sold in the US.

The objective of WHO Strategy for Traditional Medicine for 2002 to 2005 is to discuss the role of traditional medicine in health care systems, current challenges and opportunities and WHO’s role and strategy for traditional medicine.

Though Ayurvedic medicines are widely used in India, there is no valid third party validation here on the properties of these medicines. The WHO format of standardisation will prepare the platform for the initiative.

Sunday, February 22, 2004

Ayurveda gaining acceptance abroad

"The countries which have shown interest in ayurveda curriculum and research included Russia, US, Japan, Australia, Netherlands, South Africa, Argentina, UK, France, Italy etc, Ms Malti S. Sinha, Secretary, Department of Indian Systems of Medicine and Homeopathy said.

According to Ms Sinha, medical schools in the US wanted to introduce an ayurvedic module and various teaching institutions in India such as Banaras Hindu University and Gujarat Ayurved University had entered into MoU's for collaboration in the field of education and research with institutions in Japan, Australia, Italy and Argentina.....

According to Ms Sinha, medical schools in the US wanted to introduce an ayurvedic module and various teaching institutions in India such as Banaras Hindu University and Gujarat Ayurved University had entered into MoU's for collaboration in the field of education and research with institutions in Japan, Australia, Italy and Argentina. " -- The Hindu:Businessline

Wednesday, January 28, 2004

Music Helps to Ease Arthritis Pain
Scientists in Florida have found that just 20 minutes a day of music was enough for patients to report more than a 50% reduction in pain levels. Over the 14-day listening period, the amount of natural pain relief continued to increase.

The research was published in the Journal for Advanced Nursing. It was based on tests on 66 older people with chronic osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis is the most common degenerative disease in humans. Previous studies have shown that music can improve motivation, elevate mood, and increase feelings of control. It is thought to release endorphins, which reduce pain, decrease blood pressure, the heart rate, respiratory rate and oxygen consumption.

Read more about Music therapy on our website at - http://ayurveda-foryou.com/music/music.html

Thursday, January 22, 2004

Ayurveda Secrets-“We have failed in exploiting our own strength. Ayurveda can diminish stress and depression but we lack faith in it. There is something subtle about Ayurveda which has continually drawn many Westerners to it. It’s time we wake up and grab the chance to create a positive attitude towards our heritage.” --Ashwin Barot, who has been practising Ayurveda in the UK for over two decades.

Sunday, January 18, 2004

'India will be a superpower in 20 years'

Jeffrey Armstrong's prediction - "In the US alone, over half a dozen universities have been approached to recognise ayurveda as a complimentary therapy and I am hopeful that within a couple of years, this branch of medicine will be as popular as other Indian therapies like yoga and transcendental meditation,’’ he says, adding that the National Ayurvedic Medicine Association (NAMA) has already been set up in Canada and the US to promote the cause.

Tuesday, January 13, 2004

Ayurvedicl rival for the pill


The first scientifically approved herbal contraceptive pill - based on a 2500-year-old Indian recipe - could be available within three years, according to researchers.

They say the drug, which is about to undergo clinical trials, will provide women with an effective, safe and cheap alternative to existing contraceptive options.

Roy Chaudhury, president of Delhi Medical Council and head of India's herbal contraceptive development taskforce, described early development of the pill as "very promising".

"This would be a great gift from India to the world."

The main ingredients of the herbal contraceptive are two shrubs that grow in the Himalayan foothills - false pepper (Embelia ribes) and long pepper (Piper longum).


- Telegraph

Ayurveda Now In Digitised Format


NEW DELHI: In a bid to protect traditional knowledge in Ayurveda, scientists have prepared a traditional knowledge digital library (TKDL) that documents information from existing literature in the area.


In the first phase, information has been documented in a digitalised format in five international languages — English, German, French, Spanish and Japanese — according to Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) director general, RA Mashelkar.

About 36,000 Ayurvedic formulations have been transcribed in a patent application format for the benefit of those eager for existing information before applying for a patent, he said. The project involved collaboration between the National Institute of Science Communication and Inform-ation Resources (Niscair), office of controller general of patent designs and trade marks, department of industrial policy and promotion, and the department of Indian systems of medicine and homoeopathy. In the next phase, policies would be worked out depending on the access of the data, Dr Mashelkar said.

Initially, data on around 500 formulations will be made available to those applying for patents as a showcase of the project. The rest is likely to be released in January.

— PTI