Everyone wants to feel happy and healthy and if something is proven to be safe and it works, then they are willing to try it. Consider plants and foods as medicinal.
Why or how we?ve rediscovered our natural, ancient methods of achieving those goals is a longer story.
Think of it this way, you and your doctor should really only have the first true goal in mind ? prevention, aimed at keeping you well and healthy so you can live a long life.
We are living at the beginning of a very necessary revolution in personal wellness. Although in a way, it really is more of a common sense revolution. Realistically, I see it as more of a reawakening. We are now rediscovering, or relearning, many of the things we?ve either forgotten or dismissed for generations.
Today we are approaching wellness in a new way but with an age-old wisdom.
Chances are, your great grandmother may have dispensed daily doses of cod liver oil to her children to prevent everything from the common cold to heart disease. The numbers of various omega fish oils researchers and product developers are growing by leaps and bounds. We?re going back to our ancient, natural roots for health and disease prevention rather than waiting for a disease to strike.
Prevention, as we all know, should be a way of life.
Who could argue that it?s better to prevent a disease or a health issue, than to wait until you get sick to try and cure the problem? It simply made more sense to live a life of wellness in those days when doctors were even scarcer than healthcare plans.
A growing number of doctors and healthcare professionals worldwide, from among the most the prestigious medical communities have announced promising breakthroughs, acknowledging the health benefits and the natural healing values of nutritional foods as medicine. In fact, many people now recognize that these amazing natural discoveries, when combined with traditional medicine, are already drastically improving ? essentially revolutionizing ? the traditional family approach to good health.
There is still much to learn and relearn just as there are old attitudes and notions the medical community at large needs to unlearn.
What we already know to date is beyond fantastic.
For many years traditional folkloric remedies using herbal plants and other foods have been keys to living healthier. Did you know that ginger works for migraines and turmeric is for arthritis, and that there is natural help out there so you can reduce the symptoms of inflammatory bowel problems and dispel mosquitoes with basil?
You asked me why people have an increased awareness of the healing powers of herbs. I hope I?m not being facetious by answering with a question of my own:
Based on what I?ve just told you here, how could anyone possibly dismiss the healing powers of herbs?
These plants are rich in aromatic terpene essential oils, which the plant produce to defend itself from predators (bacteria and mold) and to attract pollinating insects. Laboratory research has shown that plants? essential oils are toxic for microbes, but safe for people.
Cooks have been able to take advantage of their best properties, using the herbs to enhance food flavors with health benefits. Markets have used essential oils in packaging to help naturally preserve fresh foods. One example of that is preventing mold from growing on berries. I should point out that when you?re cooking with essential oils for flavoring, usually one drop is equal to one teaspoon. Additionally, basil’s aroma is destroyed during cooking but the fresh herb?s properties remain unchanged.
Three of the most common compounds found in basil ? eugenol, rosmarinic acid, and ursolic acid ? have powerful anti-inflammatory properties. The essential oil of basil can be diffused into air you breathe, absorbed through the skin using a few drops diluted in your favorite massage oil.
Plants such as herbs like basil can be considered an integral part of a wellness program.
An anesthesiologist friend of mine ?caught? MRSA in the hospital and nearly died. For those who don?t know the term, it is better known as a deadly flesh-eating disease. While he was in the intensive care unit (ICU), I gave him essential oils to use in massage therapy and mangosteen juice with vitamins and minerals, plus some relevant medical reference papers.
This is not the first time I?ve had to make a choice about suggesting integrating natural remedies to physicians. I did the same thing for my father ? a retired heart surgeon ? when he had significant complications of heart surgery requiring extended rehabilitation.
Skepticism is a tough thing for anybody to overcome, most especially doctors. The only cure for that sort of disbelief is real, documented evidence.
Basil like other herbal plants and natural foods have healing properties that have not been determined to be unsafe for integration with medical prescriptions drugs. Although, under some circumstances it is recommended that herbs and supplements be stopped a week to ten days prior to surgery and anesthesia; also, antioxidants should be avoided when undergoing certain types of chemotherapy. Perhaps natural remedies should not be judged with the same scientific methodology used for the clinical analysis of prescription medications. As far as efficacy is concerned, employing the logic that herbs are ?at least as likely as not to help? is probably enough analysis to suggest health benefits.
Here is a brief review, for example, of the current evidence on the influence of essential oils and juice therapy on the process of wound healing for cases such as my doctor friend?s MRSA:
This excellent paper in the Journal of Wound Care reports on a literature review of evidence on the influence of essential oils on wound healing and their potential application in clinical practice. The paper focuses mainly on tea tree, lavender, chamomile, thyme, and ocimum (basil) oils (Woollard 2007).
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a major nosocomial pathogen which causes severe morbidity and mortality worldwide. Garcinia mangostana was identified as the most potent Thai medicinal plant investigated for its activity against MRSA. The antibacterial activity was traced to the prenylated xanthone, a-mangostin (Chomnawang 2009).
Here are two quality papers which, instead of making excuses for the lack of human studies in the current state of wellness research, reveal two preliminary studies suggesting it could be possible to provide solid evidence of efficacy ? the capacity to produce an effect ? and safety in order to justify their integrative approach for wound care and many other areas in need of improved health.
1: The influence of essential oils on the process of wound healing: a review of the current evidence. Woollard AC, Tatham KC, Barker S.
J Wound Care. 2007 Jun;16(6):255-7.
2. Antibacterial activity of Thai medicinal plants against methicillin-resistant,Staphylococcus aureus. Chomnawang MT, Surassmo S, Wongsariya K, Bunyapraphatsara N. Fitoterapia. 2009 Mar;80(2):102-4.
Those seeking viable “remedies” to age well by altering consumption of specific foods to increase their antioxidant free radical scavenging capacity (ORAC), are off to a good start. But that is basic old school of antiageing news, especially to those who have been experimenting with the scientific fountain of youthful ageing. The latest meaningful antiageing news addresses the dietary effect of nutrition on your genes. Nutriogenomics.
1) Genomics: The growing field of nutriogenomics entails selectively picking what you eat to turn on the genes expressing the antiageing capabilities of your genetic makeup. Foods grown organically are different. They are natural. Genetically modified organisms (GMO) foods are altered and have not been tested on humans but causes sterility in hamsters. Consider that food labels do not require GMO facts. When you go shopping for food, if it does not say organic or non-gmo on the label, that food may very well be genetically modified.
The latest genetic antiageing product I have located is TA-65, a telemerase activase. The product is a specific concentrated extract of the astralgus plant. Consider the science of TA-65, to protect and slow the ageing process by selectively decreasing the rate of degradation of the human telomere, the antiageing gene.
2) Ginger: In Ayurveda, ginger is portrayed as vishwabhesaj, or ?universal medicine.? The essential oil of ginger, for example, is a wonderful remedy for headaches and migraines. The Chinese have used it traditionally for male balding and as an aphrodisiac. A recent study describes using the essential oil of ginger as a method for tapering off antidepressant medications. The mechanism of action may be due in part to the serotonin neurotransmitterreceptor strengths of the sesquiterpenes found in oil of ginger.
Carbon dioxide distilled oil of ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe, Zingiberaceae) contains potent phytomolecules, as [6]-gingerol and [6]-paradol, which also have antitumor promotional and antiproliferative effects of abnormally dividing cells. Specifically, the transdermal application and nasal inhalation of vapors of 10% CO2 extracted essential oil of ginger Zingiber officinale can be a safe and effective addition to the medical management for the prevention and treatment of complications of nausea and vomiting associated with general anesthesia.
3) Green Tea: The wellness properties provided by the major antioxidative polyphenols and epigallocatechin-gallate (EGCG). The epigallocatechin gallate, a major antioxidative green tea polyphenol, exerts striking inhibitory effects on diverse cellular events associated with multistage carcinogenesis. In addition, these phytomolecules have the ability to suppress proliferation.
4) Ginseng: This all healing panacea, Panax, ginseng is an awesome adaptogen, raising the quality of life by increasing bodily ability to cope with stress. Source of supply of this adaptogen matters because American ginseng is Yin keynoting circulation. Eastern ginseng keynotes Yang effects. Take your Ginseng in the morning to create a less stressful and energized day.
5) Ginkgo: An is herbal supplement with mixed efficacy findings. Recently, the United States Institute of Medicine has determined a link between Agent Orange and hypertension, and has recommended that the VA cover hypertension as well as the current list of diseases caused by the toxin. The Federal Govt. determines disability through the VA system, using a ?means test? for exposure to Agent Orange in Vietnam which has to meet the standard of ?at least as likely as not? in order to be considered the cause of physical disability.
This means testing phrase appeals to me but not the FDA, as a means of evaluating experimental studies of supplements. Rather than casting aside many supplements for not providing big pharma designed statistically significant results, perhaps a more reasonable method of analysis could be that supplements, like Ginkgo, are “at least as likely as not” the reason for improved health and ageing benefits.
Your ageing decision tree: you study this Input, you work the Process, you make your Decisions and hopefully your Result in this experiment will be that, over time, you will look and feel younger than your actual age.
Wellness wins over the long haul. AKEA
James Geiger MD
Chief Wellness Officer of oilMD.com
Promoting Wellness through nature since 2004
I got this special alert describing the congressional approach to paying doctors for their work. Basically, decrease pay by more than 21% and hold those payment for several weeks to discuss it some more. Maybe the bill will be repealed. Maybe not.
Special Alert on Obamacare
Official CMS announcement regarding April claims processing CMS continues to work with Congress towards possible legislative action to extend the zero percent update for the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule. The zero percent update expired on March 31, 2010. We are hopeful that Congress will take action in the next few days. Until now, CMS has been holding April 2010 date-of-service claims, anticipating congressional action. But that has not occurred. Therefore, under current law, Medicare contractors will begin processing claims with dates of service April 1 and later at the negative update rates. This will begin as soon as systems are fully tested to ensure proper claims payment. And, Medicare contractors will pay these claims on a first in – first out basis. If subsequent congressional action extends the zero percent update retroactive to April 1, 2010, Medicare will reprocess those claims at the higher rates. Claims with submitted charges at or above the higher rates will be able to be automatically reprocessed without further action. Providers have the option of holding their affected claims until the legislative landscape becomes clearer. Claims with dates of service prior to April 1, 2010, are not affected and will continue to be processed under normal procedures at the rates in effect on the date of service.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) just released the official announcement (above) regarding the processing of claims in light of Congress? failure to extend the freeze on Medicare physician payments. The Senate continues to debate an amended version of H.R. 4851, the Continuing Extension Act of 2010, legislation which would continue the payment freeze at its current level through May 31. Once the Senate completes action on this bill, it will return it to the House for their consideration. Since this version of the extension legislation is different than the version passed by the House on March 17, the House must approve this Senate-passed version before sending it to the president for his signature. Yesterday, the House Rules Committee approved a rule allowing for swift consideration of this amended version of H.R. 4851. The House is expected to act on this legislation this week.
As you know, last week, the Senate failed to pass a series of extensions that included a temporary halt to the 21.2 percent cut in Medicare physician payments. As a result, the cut went into effect on March 1st. It does appear that Congress will extend current rates — hopefully this week — but we expect the extension to only provide temporary relief. This pattern of short-term patches has created a crisis that will have negative and far-reaching impact on providers, patients and the health care delivery system and violates one of the College’s core principles — access to care, enabled by an adequate surgical workforce. We share your concerns about the long-term viability of your practices and your ability to continue providing quality surgical care to patients.
The American College of Surgeons has always maintained that access to medical care is essential. We also recognize that the instability and uncertainty of the Medicare payment system will make it impossible for some of our fellows to provide the quality of care that our patients deserve. With that in mind, we feel it is important we inform Fellows with factual information on your available options as a practicing surgeon.
We hope the information below serves as a useful tool for you and your practice. We urge you to carefully digest and consider the information about the available options and proceed thoughtfully when selecting your Medicare participation status. In the coming days and weeks, the College is committed to providing all Fellows with the most up-to-date information on Medicare physician payments so that you can make an informed decision about your participation with the Medicare program.
Sincerely,
Brent Eastman MD, FACS, Chair of the ACS Board of Regents
LaMar McGinnis, MD, FACS, President of the American College of Surgeons
Andrew Warshaw, MD, FACS, Chair of the ACS Health Policy and Advocacy Group
Michael Zinner, MD, FACS, Chair of the ACS Board of Governors
David Hoyt, MD, FACS, ACS Executive Director
Christian Shalgian, Director, Division of Advocacy and Health Policy
Medicare Participation Status Information
Physicians have until March 17 to change their Medicare participation or nonparticipation status for this year. Fellows wishing to change their participation status can do so by supplying written notification to their Medicare contractor. The decision will be retroactive to January 1, 2010 and is binding through the calendar year, unless CMS reopens the enrollment period or the physician qualifies for an exception such as relocation to a different geographic area or to a different group practice.
Below is a brief overview of Medicare contractual options available for physicians. The College is not recommending or offering legal advice on any of the three options discussed below and we recommend that Fellows consult with an attorney to ensure full compliance prior to making a status change decision.
There are three Medicare contractual options for physicians: participating (PAR), non-participating (non-PAR) and private contracting. Physicians considering a change in status should review any current contractual agreements with hospitals, health plans or other entities that require them to be PAR physicians. In addition, some states have laws prohibiting physicians from balance billing patients. Please click here for an example of how the Medicare fee schedule breaks down under each option.
Medicare Participating (PAR) Physician
PAR physicians agree to accept assignment on all Medicare claims, which means that they must accept Medicare’s approved amount (80 percent paid by Medicare plus the 20 percent patient copayment), as payment in full for all covered services for the duration of the calendar year. The patient or the patient’s secondary insurer is still responsible for the 20 percent copayment, but the physician cannot bill the patient for amounts in excess of the Medicare allowance. While participating physicians must accept assignment on all Medicare claims, Medicare participation agreements do not require physicians to accept every Medicare patient who seeks treatment from them or their practice.
Medicare Non-Participating (non-PAR) Physician
Physicians may elect to be a non-participating (Non-PAR) physician, which permits them to make assignment decisions on a case-by-case basis and to bill patients for more than the Medicare allowance for unassigned claims. Non-participating physicians agree to accept 95 percent of the Medicare approved amounts for services provided. Non-participating physicians may charge more than the Medicare approved amount, but are limited to 115 percent of the Medicare approved amount for non-participating physicians. Since approved amounts for non-participating physicians are 95 percent of the rates for participating physicians, the 15 percent limiting charge is effectively 9.25 percent above the participating approved amount for services provided
Private Contracting
Physicians may privately contract for health care services, agreeing to bill patients directly and forego any payments from Medicare to their patients or themselves. However, private contracting decisions may not be made on a patient-by-patient basis. To become a “private contracting physician,” a physician must first opt-out of the Medicare program. Once a physician has opted out of Medicare, they cannot submit claims to Medicare for services provided to any Medicare patients for a two-year period. To privately contract with a Medicare beneficiary, a physician must enter into a private contract that meets specific requirements and file an affidavit that also meet certain requirements. There is a 90-day period after the effective date of the first opt-out affidavit during which physicians may revoke the opt-out and return to Medicare as if they had never opted out of the Medicare program.
Even if a physician has opted out of Medicare, as long as the physician has not been excluded from participation in Medicare by the Office of Counsel to the Inspector General (OIG) based on convictions for program-related fraud and abuse, licensing board actions, or defaults on Health Education Assistance Loans he/she may order, certify the need for, or refer a beneficiary for Medicare-covered items and services, provided the physician is not paid, directly or indirectly, for such services (except for emergency and urgent care services). For example, if a physician who has opted out of Medicare refers a beneficiary for medically necessary services, such as laboratory, DMEPOS or inpatient hospitalization, those services would be covered by Medicare. For more information about exclusions: http://oig.hhs.gov/fraud/exclusions/authorities.asp.
Emergency Services Furnished by a Privately Contracting Physician
Physicians who have opted-out of Medicare under the Medicare private contract provisions may furnish emergency care services or urgent care services to a Medicare beneficiary with whom the physician has previously entered into a private contract so long as the physician and beneficiary entered into the private contract before the onset of the emergency medical condition or urgent medical condition. These services would be furnished under the terms of the private contract.
Physicians who have opted-out of Medicare under the Medicare private contract provisions may continue to furnish emergency or urgent care services to a Medicare beneficiary with whom the physician has not previously entered into a private contract, provided the physician submits a claim to Medicare in accordance with both 42 C.F.R. part 424 (relating to conditions for Medicare payment) and Medicare instructions (including but not limited to complying with proper coding of emergency or urgent care services furnished by physicians and practitioners who have opted-out of Medicare) and collects no more than the Medicare limiting charge, in the case of a physician (or the deductible and coinsurance, in the case of a practitioner). A physician who has been excluded from Medicare must comply with Medicare regulations relating to scope and effect of the exclusion (42 C.F.R. § 1001.1901) when the physician furnishes emergency services to beneficiaries, and the physician may not bill and be paid for urgent care services.
01/02/2010,
Can aging be slowed down or even reversed? »»
Prescription for Successful Aging in the New Year
Can aging be slowed down or even reversed? The first decade of the 21st Century has provided insight into the age old search for the fountain of youth. The various schools of thought and practice exploited by longevity experts remain unproven.
Decrease Oxidative Stress to Age Well
Is that all there is to staying young? Chemical stresses due to dietary and environmental factors have negative effects, notably, acceleration of aging (Bonnefoy, 2002). As we age, body tissue, including fat, is oxidized by free radicals, which basically are chemicals with unpaired electrons exerting oxidizing, rustlike damage at the cellular level (Barja, 2004). The aging reaction of the body as a result of these combined negative energies is called ?oxidative stress.? Antioxidants protect the over eighty trillion body cells from oxidative stress by scavenging free radicals and binding them to render them harmless.
Supplementing with antioxidants,essential oils,vitamins, specific dietary foods, juice therapy,hormones or extremes of surgical procedures and genetic engineering have all been suggested as the possible tools of aging meaningfully.
The aged population of the notable blue zones of planet earth have been consulted and studied. The centenarians (>100 years of age) prescription for successful aging is based on certain key principles.
What really works? The centenarians reveal the secret significant adaptations which have contributed to their process of growing old gracefully. Their secrets are found in these four powerful and yet simple topics.
What to do
What to think
How to eat
How to build social relationships
The details of this prescription for successful aging will be one of the foundational topics of this blog throughout 2010.
Although plenty of studies describe the ideal workout, little data defines the ideal workout for the brain. Exercise for many people often stops permanently when it is no longer required as part of physical education class in school, contributing to the obesity epidemic of Americans. Certainly most people realize that the better quality foods you eat and the more you exercise throughout all the decades of life, the more benefits you will gain from those endeavors. Not just in building muscles but in preventing medical and emotional heart failure and brain failure.
In the previous century, a basic concept of human physiology stated that the brain (i.e., the central nervous system, or CNS), did not regenerate when damaged, destroyed, or lost due to the aging process. Current research has shown that CNS cells can regenerate. Stem cell research using various tissues, like skin cells and umbilical cord blood is accelerating worldwide. A little known area of research has shown that the smell cells of the nerve sheath of the first cranial nerve for olfaction have totipotent stem cell ability when surgically implanted into the spine.
New research on brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) shows why physical exercise is important to the brain. Scientists have made powerful observations that new nerve cells can be grown in the human brain simply by putting subjects on a three-month aerobic workout regimen. Exercise treats depression effectively as well. A pill could be developed that simulates the effects of exercise.
Physically and mentally challenging activities are currently approved prescriptions for health and wellness.
Psych yourself up to exercise with scientifically blended essential oils. Aromatherapy is more than just the nose. Topical application of oils is a time honored athletic practice.
This conflict if interest is true in part because the billing codes for ALL medical billings are controlled by the AMA which does not include billing codes for the vast majority of complementary/alternative medicine practices. The codes for C.A.M. services should be incorporated into the US health care system in order to implement the integration of preventative health care practices. Doctors Weil, Oz, Ornish and Hyman testified before the U. S Senate committee on Health and agreed that the US system of health care would be much more effective if preventative measures were implemented as Health Care reform.
Books on wellness have been written from many points of view.The Sweet Smell of Successtakes a very unique approach to both of these topics. As an acute care anesthesiologist, I believe clinical aromatherapy should be integrated with conventional allopathic Western medicine in the Wellness Revolution of the twenty-first century. Aromatherapy with essential oils is one entity of the vast array of holistic specialties comprising nutritional medicine and complementary alternative medicine. Consider food and essential oils as nutritional medicine.
Consider this……..if an anesthesiologist found novel wellness information that was so new and exciting to him, shouldn’t you think it is worth checking out as well.
12/21/2009,
Do your feel protected? Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (H.R. 3590) »»
Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (H.R. 3590)
Dear Dr. Geiger,
Early this morning, the Senate took the first of three procedural votes on the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (H.R. 3590), successfully voting to end debate on the manager’s amendment on a 60 to 40 party line vote. A vote on final passage of H.R. 3590 is scheduled to occur the evening of December 24th and expected to pass by an identical vote margin. The manager’s amendment, introduced by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) on December 19th, did address some of the significant concerns that the American College of Surgeons and the surgical societies have continued to raise in discussions with Senate leadership including:
* Removal of the Medicare buy-in plan;
* Removal of the application of budget neutrality for bonus payments for primary care physicians and general surgeons;
* Removal of the five percent cosmetic surgery tax;
* Removal of the Medicare physician enrollment fee.
While there were positive changes, ACS leaders evaluated the complete revised proposal (as all previous proposals) using the ACS core principles (developed by the Regents and Governors) which are quality and safety, patient access to surgical care, medical liability reform, and reduction of health care costs. The American College of Surgeons leadership has consistently maintained in face to face meetings with Senate leadership that ACS top priorities included a permanent fix to the SGR and the opposition to the Independent Medicare Advisory Board. To date, neither of these issues have been appropriately addressed and therefore the ACS has not changed our current position of opposition to the bill. In addition, despite continuing efforts by College staff and leadership, the Senate bill fails to appropriately address the issue of medical liability reform.
As you know, Congress temporarily halted the 21 percent cut in the Medicare conversion factor that is scheduled to take effect on January 1, 2010 last week with a 60 day freeze of the current conversion factor. However, the College has not received any indication from Senate leadership of a pathway for permanent reform of the physician payment system, which must include resetting the sustainable growth rate (SGR) baseline and repealing the SGR formula. In addition, the College remains opposed to the creation of IMAB and the manager’s amendment broadens the scope of the board to include non-federal health programs (although non-binding) and still exempts hospitals from the cost-containment mechanism.
Upon the Senate’s final passage of H.R. 3590, the House and Senate leadership will immediately begin reconciling the differences between the two bills in a conference committee. Those negotiations are expected to continue through the first full week of January. During this process, the College will continue to vigorously advocate for the removal of IMAB and a clear and viable pathway for a permanent repeal of the SGR.
Our efforts will continue to be based on our core principles and aimed at helping create a health care system in this country that is sustainable and has a surgical workforce to provide the highest quality care for our patients.
We will continue to keep Fellows updated as additional details emerge on the health care reform debate over the next several weeks. If you have questions, please contact the College’s Division of Advocacy and Health Policy in Washington, D.C. directly at 202.337.2701.
Sincerely,
Brent Eastman, M.D., FACS, Chair of the ACS Board of Regents
LaMar McGinnis, M.D., FACS, President of the American College of Surgeons
Andrew Warshaw, M.D., FACS, Chair of the ACS Health Policy and Advocacy Group
Thomas R. Russell, M.D., FACS, Executive Director of the American College of Surgeons
