Eastern vs. Western Medicine systems
Eastern Vs. Western Medicine Systems
Eastern vs. Western Medicine systems
Many a times Ayurvedic practitioners are asked this simple, yet important question – What is the key difference between Eastern and Western systems of medicine ? This post attempts to answer the question.
Huang Di, China’s emperor from about 2697 BC to 2597 BC, had this to say on prevention – “To fight a disease after it has occurred is like trying to dig a well when one is thirsty or forging a weapon once war has begun.”
About Ayurveda
First and foremost, the basic premise of Ayurveda is to stay in good health by focusing on prevention.
Ayurveda looks at health from a perspective of staying healthy; rather than waiting to cure sickness. An Ayurvedic doctor (Ayurvedacharya) is trained to observe changes in her patient – by doing pulse reading, looking for physical changes and asking questions.
The Ayurveda outlook visualizes the body as a whole system, and not isolated organs that need to be taken care of independently.
The basic premise of prevention makes sense to almost everyone. Despite this, most Western health care systems continue to focus on treatment rather than prevention. Why is the obvious question. Could the answer lie in simple economic principles – There is a lot more money in treating illness, when compared to preventing it. This approach has worked for many decades with continuous increases in national health care spending and a parallel growth in the numbers of “ill” citizens.
Have we hit the tipping point on a “Sickness Cure System” vs. a true Health Care system ? Leading economies of the world (including the United States) have to accept that health care is challenging the basic foundations of their economic stability. Prevention of sickness and keeping the nation healthy is increasingly looking like the better (perhaps the only) option vs. waiting for illness to strike and then curing it. American physician Oliver Wendell Holmes summed it well, “To guard is better than to heal – the shield is nobler than the spear!”
Knowing about Ayurveda
There are many who have seen the merits of Ayurveda in staying healthy, rather than waiting to cure illness. While some nations such as Germany have been the early adopter and supporters of Ayurveda, others are increasingly exploring Ayurveda. The Internet can largely be credited for the profound empowerment of individuals when it comes to health information. Being able to know the options available is the first step. Access
Access to Ayurveda
Accessing the knowledge of Ayurveda and reaching practitioners of Ayurveda has been the next challenge. With most countries not allowing the practice of Eastern medicine (through direct or indirect restrictions), the only option was to take a flight down to India. Which in itself is not a very practical or affordable solution by any yardstick.
Ayurveda Group’s Solutions
Ayurveda Group, using technologies like video conferencing, is enabling individuals from around the globe to take advantage of Ayurveda. Technology has brought the opportunity to consult with a Health doctor, from the comfort of your home.
To book a consultation (short or detailed) with an Ayurveda Doctor, follow the link below -
http://ayurvedagroup.com/blog/products-page/consultations/
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Video – Accessible Healthcare in India – Forum
Video – Accessible Healthcare In India
It is heartening to note that affordable health-care continues to attract the attention of healthcare leaders around the world. The need for affordable healthcare is all the more acute in countries like India.
At Ayurveda Group, we continue to explore ways and partnerships that can lead to enhancing the outreach of Ayurveda. Ayurveda’s core strength is the importance given to prevention of ill-health. And staying healthy is obviously a whole lot more accessible and affordable than curing sickness.
A vast majority of cardiac by-pass surgeries costing lakhs for each patient, can be very well prevented by adopting an Ayurveda guided diet and life-stlye. The same can be said for many of the chronic disorders that drain economies out of valuable financial and human resources.
Further most medications of Ayurveda being plant based, are very affordable.
Yoga exercises are the other call of the day. With no costs of joining health clubs or buying expensive gear, the benefits are there for the asking – by everyone who can spare the few minutes daily.
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About the video below –
Technopak, in partnership with Philips, organised a one day ‘Technopak Leadership Forum 2010′, bringing together leaders in the healthcare and other relevant sectors to share thoughtful insights and learnings and deliberate on ‘Accessible Healthcare – Joining the dots now’.
Video – Accessible Healthcare In India
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Obesity epidemic effects 72 million Americans
More than 72 million Americans are obese.
This is the finding of a new report from Centers for Disease Control. Obesity was rising, was not a secret ; but what is alarming is the size of the epidemic now. 72 million in a population of 300 million (approx.) gives us a 1 in 4 ratio. Any epidemic that has effected such a large swath of population, is unlikely to go away easily.
This will take more than 1 post to cover. So lets first start with what the CDC report has stated. The data, the impact, etc.
- More than 72 million U.S. adults are obese.
- $ Persons who are obese have medical costs that are $1,429 higher than those of normal weight.
- Obesity is common, serious, and costly. In 2009, about 2.4 million more adults were obese than in 2007. This epidemic has affected every part
of the United States. In every state, more than 15% of adults are obese, and in nine states, over 30% of adults are obese. - The medical care costs of obesity in the United States are staggering.
Recent estimates of the annual medical costs are as high as $147 billion
Who is classified as obese ?
Obesity is defined by body mass index, or BMI, which is calculated from your height and weight. BMI greater than or equal to 30 means you ?
are obese.
Who is more effected ?
Non-Hispanic black women and Hispanics have the highest rates of obesity (41.9% and 30.7%).
What other disorders are caused by obesity ?
Obesity is a contributing cause of many other health problems, including heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and some types of cancer. These are some of the leading causes of death in the U.S. Obesity can cause sleep apnea and breathing problems and make activity more difficult. Obesity can also cause problems
during pregnancy or make it more difficult for a woman to become pregnant.
What impact do those effected by obesity have on the health care system ?
Obese persons require more costly medical care.
What is causing this epidemic ?
Diet and Lifestyle
What has changed about American diets ?
Weight gain occurs when people eat too much food and get too little physical activity. Societal and community changes have accompanied the rise in obesity. People may be eating differently due to the following reasons:-
- Some Americans have less access to stores and markets that provide
healthy, affordable food such as fruits and vegetables, especially in rural,minority and lower-income neighborhoods. - Restaurants, snack shops, and vending machines provide food that is often higher in calories and fat than food made at home.
- There is too much sugar in our diet. Six out of 10 adults drink at least 1 sugary drink per day.
- It is often easier and cheaper to get less healthy foods and beverages.
- Foods high in sugar, fat, and salt are frequently advertised and marketed.
What are the lifestyle changes that are causing this epidemic ?
- Many communities are built in ways that make it difficult or unsafe to be physically active
- Access to parks and recreation centers may be difficult or lacking and public
- transportation may not available.
- Safe routes for walking or biking to school, work, or play may not exist.
- Too few students get quality, daily physical education in school.
What are some of the other medical complications of obesity ?
The following disorders have been attributed to obesity by the CDC report.
- Sleep apnea
- Lung diseaseS – Asthma, Pulmonary blood clots
- Liver disease – Fatty liver, Cirrhosis
- Gallstones
- Womens Arthritis
- Gout
- Stroke
- Pancreatitis
- Inflamed veins,often with blood clots
- Heart disease – Abnormal lipid profile, High blood pressure
- Cancer – Breast, Uterus, Colon, Esophagus, Pancreas, Kidney,Prostate
- Women – Abnormal periods, Infertility
- Diabetes
Within the United States, what is the state wise breakdown of diseases
The number of people who are obese varies from state to state. For example, 18.6% of Colorado residents are obese, compared with 34.4% of Mississippi residents. In 2009, 9 states had obesity rates of 30% or more compared with no states in 2000.
What are the changes that can be made to have a meanigful impact on obesity ?
CDC’s report clearly identifies the need for different stakeholders to play relevant roles.
The United States government can – Promote change.
First Lady Michelle Obama recently launched the Let’s Move! program which seeks to eliminate childhood obesity within a generation. The campaign’s main points of action are:
Empowering parents and caregivers.
Providing healthy food in schools.
Improving access to healthy, affordable foods.
Increasing physical activity.
See http://www.letsmove.gov/
States can:-
- Provide supermarkets and farmers’ markets with incentives to establish their businesses inlow-income areas and to offer healthy foods.
- Expand programs that bring local fruits and vegetables to schools, businesses, and communities.
- Support hospital programs that encourage breastfeeding.
- Adopt policies that promote bicycling and public transportation.
Communities can
- Create and maintain safe neighborhoods for physical activity and improve access to parks and playgrounds.
- Advocate for quality physical education in schools and childcare facilities.
- Encourage breastfeeding through peer-to- peer support programs.
- Support programs that bring local fruits and vegetables to schools, businesses, and communities.
All people can
- Eat more fruits and vegetables and fewer foods high in fat and sugar.
- See http://www.mypyramid.gov/
- Drink more water instead of sugary drinks.
- Limit TV watching in kids to less than 2 hours a day and don’t put one in their room at all.
- Support breastfeeding.
- Promote policies and programs at school, at work, and in the community that make the healthy choice the easy choice.
- Try going for a 10-minute brisk walk, 3 times a day, 5 days a week.
See http://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/everyone/guidelines/adults.html.
A great report from CDC indeed. Some clear stat points, further threats identified, and solutions provided too !
In the coming posts, Ayurveda Group will talk about the role Ayurveda can play in the fight against obesity.
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Weight loss trick
In my latest experience with weight loss treatments, I have experienced that along with exercise, Yoga, Pranayaam and some herbal supplements, there is one more simple yet very effective trick.
The trick is to take real hot water with half lemon squeezed in it after each meal helps wash out all lipids away from our stomach. Compare this to a pot with oil in it and how you wash it with hot water and lemon; the oil washes away easily. Similarly, washing away unwanted oil and fat from our food is essential in weight loss treatment at every stage. So try it and see how it works !!!
To schedule a phone or online consultation with Vaidya (Dr.) Komal, please complete the form below -
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Hair loss is a big concern
In my practice, I have been seeing hair loss symptom accompanying to all other symptoms whether male or female. Indeed, it is a concern in the growing stress of our everyday life. But hair is a byproduct of our bones and it is simply showing the type of nutrition we take in our everyday meal.
Yes, balanced food, drink and Yoga / Pranayaam are the most effective ways to bring each aspect of your body in harmony including hair. Whatever may be the reason of your hair loss symptom, the real cause is lack of nutrition to the scalp skin. By simply applying herbs that help generating more hair roots and strengthening them can help you look younger, smarter and bring lot of confidence in your personal and professional life.
We have seen excellent results with our Shirodhara treatment with some balancing supplements that has helped hair regrowt
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