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By: Dr. Mary Riggin
The other day, a thirty six year old woman told me that her
cholesterol test came back high. This was confusing to her since
she teaches aerobics, eats healthy, has no heart disease in her
family and doesn't smoke. She was told she needed medication or
she'd risk having a heart attack.
It seems that many people think drugs are the answer to all of our
health problems. Yet, if you look at the statistics, healthcare
spending has gone up by 73% over the past five years but we are
last in healthy life expectancy. This just doesn't make sense and
some medical doctors are starting to recognize the severity of the
problem.
According to Harvard professor of medicine John Abramson, MD,
author of Overdosed America: The Broken Promise of American
Medicine (Harper Perennial), America is going in the wrong
direction and the reason has to do with drug companies.
In an interview with Bottom Line’s Daily Health News writer Carole
Jackson, Dr Abramson stated “People need to understand that much
of the information about drugs and health is being brought to them
and to the doctors by the drug companies, because of its
commercial value. The fundamental purpose of that information is
to improve corporate profits, not to improve our health.” He goes
on to say, "There's not a single randomized controlled study that
shows that statin drugs (i.e., Lipitor and Zocor) decrease the
risk for heart disease or improve the health of women that don't
already have heart disease. But consider this -- there are five
behaviors that produce an astonishing 83% reduction in the
incidence of cardiovascular disease in women, yet only 3% of
American women do these five basic things. I think that
concentrating on cholesterol reduction is very misplaced, and is
largely fueled by drug company marketing."
The five behaviors that reduce the risk for cardiovascular disease
by 83% are:
1. Eat a healthy Mediterranean diet (olive oil, fish, fruits,
vegetables, whole grains).
2. Exercise regularly.
3. Don't smoke.
4. If you consume alcohol, only in moderation.
5. Maintain a healthy weight.
For many, incorporating holistic and natural healthcare practices
such as Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine has proven to be their
solution for many chronic health issues such as high blood
pressure and cholesterol, bone loss, thyroid problems, digestive
problems, hormone imbalances, allergies, and many other health
concerns.
Here’s how it works: Oriental Medicine uses ancient diagnostic
techniques to identify functional imbalances in the body’s
systems. Once identified, function can be improved and enhanced
because acupuncture promotes blood and oxygen flow to the cells,
which results in improved function. Seems too simple, but it does
take time and also requires self-discipline with diet, exercise,
and lifestyle. The best part about it? No scary side effects!
 Dr. Riggin is a national board certified, licensed Acupuncture
Physician (FL), Doctor of Acupuncture (RI) & clinic director of
Healing Touch Oriental Medicine in Clearwater, FL. She is a public
speaker, a published author, was appointed by two Governors to
Florida’s State Board of Acupuncture & served as President of
FSOMA. Watch Dr. Riggin’s Award Winning TV show “Health Options”
Saturday at 9PM on cable channel # 21 or 96. You may contact her
at (727) 669-6000 or
http://DrMary.Riggin.net
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