alternative health

There are many women for whom hormone replacement therapy may not be necessary or may be dangerous. For these women herbal therapy may relieve some of the common discomforts associated with menopause. Herbal sources are used in the manufacturing of some of the traditional therapies such as progesterone and estrogen. Some plant compounds can produce estrogenic and progestational effects. Read more...

"We let the neck be free, to let the head go forward and up, to let the back lengthen and widen." Kay Hogan's words sound almost like a chant, her voice as soft as her touch. Her hands apply minimal pressure as she repositions her student's head, starting at the base of the neck, gliding her hands over the shoulders. An hour lesson feels more like 20 minutes as Hogan Read more...

The slow stretches and meditations of yoga don't burn calories like a run on the treadmill. But a new study suggests it might help people keep weight off in middle age. Researchers found that overweight people in their 50s who regularly practiced yoga lost about five pounds over 10 years, while a group in the same age range gained about 13 1/2 pounds over the same period. Middle-aged Read more...

QUESTION: My mother is 82 and is suffering from arthritis. She's in very good health except for that. She was on Vioxx until it was taken off the market, and now she is in pain again. What can she take to naturally help alleviate the pain?ANSWER: Natural anti-inflammatory compounds can help replace Vioxx. Look for one that contains curcumin, ginger and, if possible, green-lipped mussel extract, Read more...

As Megan Garcia prepares to do a twisting yoga pose, she reminds her students to lift their bellies up and over their legs. Wearing a one-piece purple leotard, she's not shy about the love handles around her waist or the extra flesh on her thighs. Many of Garcia's students are overweight or obese, and she adjusts traditional poses to ease pressure on joints. She encourages them to use a Read more...