| h and wellness products will mean very different | | | | certain claims being made by some health and |
| things to different people. | | | | wellness products promoters, (under the banner of |
| Wellness can be defined as 'the pursuit of a healthy, | | | | being 'natural') can insinuate their health and wellness |
| balanced lifestyle. For the benefit of this article, | | | | products being the exclusive answer to your health |
| wellness products are being looked at in the context | | | | condition or wellness questions, thus putting you at |
| of 'over the counter drugs, health supplements and | | | | great risk. Secondly, how open are they being about |
| health remedies. | | | | what's really inside? You should always consult your |
| While for some people, wellness products might be | | | | physician over any health concerns, as well as |
| viewed as an aid to recovery from illness, for others | | | | discussing with him/her your intention or choice of |
| it might be a means of further enhancing some | | | | alternative means for treatment with any health and |
| aspect of their current health. The variety of and | | | | wellness product or remedy. |
| uses for such products are as numerous as are the | | | | Multi-billion-dollar industries have long wealed their |
| the definitions of wellness products or wellness | | | | power by way of lobbying to gain exemption from |
| programs, depending of course upon who is | | | | FDA regulation. This has been exactly the case, |
| promoting them at any given time. | | | | according to the Skeptical Inquirer, who, on |
| Whatever your reasons for pursuing alternative care | | | | commenting on the 'dietary supplement industry, |
| health or health and wellness products, a common | | | | back in 1994, states - "Since then, these products |
| goal is to achieve optimised health and well-being. | | | | have flooded the market, subject only to the |
| There are powerful media images hailing the benefits | | | | scruples of their manufacturers". |
| and safety of many over the counter drugs, | | | | The above point is an important one to note in that, |
| supplements and health and wellness products, every | | | | while health and wellness products manufacturers |
| where you turn these days. They have equally | | | | may list ingredients and quantities being used in |
| strong claims of being the one and only miracle cure | | | | specific health and wellness products, there has been |
| or solution for one ailment or another. How accurate | | | | no real pressure on them to do so, or to do so |
| are these claims though, and what are the real costs | | | | accurately. Furthermore, neither has there been any |
| to you in monetary and health risk terms? | | | | watchdog body to ensure they are penalised for this |
| Immediately after reading this article, go take a look | | | | failing. |
| and do a quick add-up of the total cost of all the | | | | So, what are the alternatives open to you? |
| health and wellness products you currently have in | | | | Increasingly, more and more people are turning to |
| stock. I'm sure the figure will surprise you just as | | | | do-it-yourself health and wellness homemade herbal |
| much as learning about the very real and harmful side | | | | remedies. The distinct difference being that in making |
| effects which can be caused by some of these | | | | your own health and wellness products, you are in |
| drugs or supplements that are supposed to be | | | | the driving seat. Not only do you have a full |
| contributing to your overall state of wellness. | | | | awareness of exactly what the ingredients are and |
| You may also be surprised to know that many of | | | | the true quantities, but with the appropriate level of |
| the 'over the counter drugs you buy on a regular | | | | guidance from a reputable practitioner, you're more |
| basis, simply treat the symptoms and not the real | | | | conversant with any health implications, if any. |
| health issue. Needless to say, this approach of | | | | With the right know-how, you too can draw on the |
| focusing on the symptom, side-steps the crucial | | | | old-fashioned yet effective sources to greatly |
| requirement of getting to the root cause of your | | | | improve your health. For instance, using naturally |
| condition or whatever it is that ails you. | | | | prepared herbs, vitamins, minerals and nutritional |
| You're most likely to pursue a wellness product either | | | | supplements, essential oils and flower essences to |
| because you are becoming wary of the adverse | | | | create real healing solutions that deal with particular |
| effects of chemically produced drugs or because | | | | health conditions rather than just the symptoms. |
| you're keen to recover from ill-health and improve a | | | | It is in the interest of a health and wellness product |
| specific health condition. In some instances it might be | | | | manufacturers to promote their products as being |
| that you just want to optimise your current state of | | | | the only option open to you. They don't want you to |
| good health. | | | | know about the abundant natural resources and |
| While some health and wellness products can be an | | | | health-giving potent attributes of herbs and home |
| effective measure toward improving your health, you | | | | remedies which have been used effectively for |
| should note that long-term use of certain over the | | | | thousands of years. You see, these remedies cannot |
| counter drugs and some supplements can cause you | | | | be patented because you can make them yourself |
| more harm than good, with the long-term implications | | | | and at a fraction of the cost. |
| far outweighing any short-term benefits. You may | | | | Whether your goal is to overcome illness, drugs |
| well find that you are paying far too high a price on | | | | intolerance, allergies or just to optimise your already |
| the basisof a mere quick fix promise. | | | | good health, with a little know-how, you can start |
| For thousands of years, people in lands far and wide | | | | making your own health and wellness products and |
| have used natural homemade remedies to manage | | | | remedies, using nothing more than the readily |
| their health conditions and wellness needs, without | | | | available natural resources in your home and garden. |
| manufactured health and wellness products, that can | | | | Not only will you save your hard earned cash, you |
| be detrimental to health. They have purely relied | | | | also alleviate the risk of serious or harmful additives |
| upon attaining or maintaining health by plants or by | | | | and side effects. |
| other natural means. It could be argued that with the | | | | Are you interested in learning more about how you |
| emergence of chemical and pharmacological methods, | | | | can treat numerous common ailments without the |
| many forms of this natural means to health and | | | | harsh side effects, using nothing but natural herbs, |
| wellness have declined. In fact, even by today's | | | | vitamins and nutrients you prepare yourself at home? |
| standards, there are many so-called under-developed | | | | For instance, did you know that placing yogurt on |
| countries where inhabitants' rely on nothing more | | | | your face help to bring water from the deeper layers |
| than homemade health and wellness products, gained | | | | of your skin to the surface, moisturizing your skin for |
| via natural methods of plants or plant-based extracts. | | | | the rest of the day and hiding wrinkles? |
| While conventional medicine relies on scientifically | | | | Here are just a few more of the many quick and |
| backed research to substantiate effectiveness and | | | | effective remedies you can learn to make: |
| safety. In contrast, similar cannot be said about some | | | | 1. Natural laxatives |
| alternative medicines or health and wellness products. | | | | 2. Beauty recipes |
| There is no such requirement but their promotion as | | | | 3. Skin care and cleansing preparations such as acne |
| regard effectiveness are deemed sufficient in | | | | treatment |
| themselves as support for therapeutic or wellness | | | | 4. Herbal shampoos as well as how to treat hair loss, |
| claims. | | | | 5. Dermatitis |
| Herbal remedies in general are harmless, however, | | | | 6. |