A lot of people still do not fully understand or know what medical tourism is really all about. Before you go on a trip abroad or decide to go for the cheaper health care rates in other countries, you have to be well-informed about your procedure first and the coverage of your treatment and care. This will significantly minimize the risks and the chances of falling prey to dishonest individuals. You should also know more about the right agencies.

What is Medical Tourism?

Medical tourism describes the process of traveling to other countries to avail of medical, cosmetic or dental care. There are several reasons why people choose to move to other countries to get treated, such as the high cost of getting treatment in first world countries, the long waiting lists before you get treatment, the ease and convenience of modern travel, the added benefit of getting a vacation as you recover, the higher standards of care and modern technology availability in developing nations.

Should I Talk to My Doctor?

Yes. It is vital that you consult your local primary physician first and discuss the details and reasons of why you need to seek medical attention elsewhere. Your primary physician can make a diagnosis and have it validated by the one doing the procedure abroad. It might also be possible for your doctor to give you a list of choices regarding the best countries and medical places to go to. Your local doctor may also be sceptical about the idea, but you can help by providing the right documentation and other evidence that you are only seeking help from internationally accredited hospitals and well-experienced doctors.

Why is health care very expensive in first world countries?

Mainly, the fees in the United States and other big countries are influenced greatly by insurance contracts, administrative fees and labor overhead. The WHO or World Health Organization indicates that labor overhead in the United States is significantly greater compared to third world countries. About 70% of the cost is labor related. Patients who travel abroad can expect to pay only 10% to 40% of the cost they are charged in the States.

What kind of treatments can I receive?

Medical tourism now includes virtually any type of treatment, provided that the institution or hospital has adequate facilities, equipment and staff to supervise and conduct the treatment. Some of the most common procedures done to medical tourists include cosmetic surgery, dental work, eye surgery, heart surgery and organ transplant. Other procedures done include weight reduction surgery, physical therapy, alternative medicine, herbal medicine, psychotherapy, orthopaedics and cancer treatment.

What are the best countries to visit?

There are now around 50 countries all over the globe offering quality medical treatment and world class accommodations. The most popular include Thailand, Hong Kong, Israel, Singapore, New Zealand and Germany. These countries are among the best because they boast of state-of-the-art equipment and facilities, accreditation with the biggest agencies and English-speaking and well-trained staff. There are also several sights, sounds and attractions that lure medical tourists to add to their vacation.

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Spiritual Science as applied to medicine is widely known as Anthroposophical medicine, and is being used by many physicians all over the world – more frequently in certain parts of Europe and North America. This methodology in medicine draws its practices and knowledge from the teachings of Rudolph Steiner, a founder and philosopher, who has founded the school of Anthroposophy.

Anthroposophy is a school of thought that relies on scientific approach in spiritual discernment. Anthroposophical medicine, despite its leanings to spiritual aspects, still relies on established facts and the systematic approaches to modern medicine. It uses fundamental principles in ancient medicine, such as Chinese medicine, Tibetan medicine and Ayurvedic medicine. In a nutshell, it is a more holistic approach, which puts emphasis on the spiritual well being, as much as it does on the physiological one.

The systematic model of AM (Anthroposophical Medicine) relies on the “four-foldness” of being. This means that there are four parts of what decides the general condition of an individual. The first one is the physical body, which is the vessel. The life/etheric body, which is the same as the Chinese idea of chi, embodies the second, while the third level is the soul/astral body. Finally, the fourth one resides in the spirit. In this model, the physician ensures that all these four levels are put under careful scrutiny, and he applies his knowledge of modern medicine and spiritual science in their treatment both in separate levels and as a whole. AM physicians use diagnostic tools, but also rely on intuition and understanding of the patient’s psyche and overall personality. The medicine often used in AM is homeopathic and medicinal, which makes it non-toxic and less risky.

The only drawback is that there are side effects. These side effects are often referred to as the “healing crises”, which results to the temporary worsening of symptoms – such as fever, headaches, nausea, muscle soreness, and many others. This is in harmony with their belief that modern medicine suppresses illness, and not beneficial to a patient’s health in the long run. So the rule of thumb is to draw out the illness in order for the patient to get rid of it completely and thus, pave the way to complete recovery.

Anthroposophical medicine also relies on allied therapies, which include massage therapy, eurythmics (otherwise known as movement therapy). Eurythmics is the science and art of harmonizing our inner spiritual movements. Psychotherapy is another branch of allied therapies, which helps in dealing with sickness and disease on a psychological level. During the first visit, an AM physician makes it a point to educate the patient in the overview of Anthroposophy, since it’s impossible to make any progress with a treatment that involves the mind and spirit without the patient’s conscious awareness. This is in the form of questionnaires and instructional materials, which are given to the patient before the first stage of treatment.

While some fundamentalists in modern medicine have abhorred the practice and made conjectures that it is synonymous to “voodoo”, studies have shown promising results. Whatever the case, Anthroposophic medicine continues to improve our spiritual and physical well being, and is definitely here to stay.

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Controlling your weight and avoiding weight gain as you get older are important ways to prevent a host of weight-related health problems.

Indeed, if you are more than 20 pounds over your ideal weight, you are at greater risk for a rogues gallery of potentially deadly conditions, including diabetes, high blood pressure, coronary heart disease, endometrial cancer, obstructive sleep apnea, and breast cancer.

Whats more, most people who are overweight tend to avoid exercise, and that avoidance just adds to the toll paid for extra pounds.

If you have a sedentary lifestyle and are overweight, you are at a higher risk of cardiovascular disease and other health problems. And, if you already have a medical condition such as high cholesterol, being overweight puts you at higher risk for complications.

The good news is that even modest amounts of weight loss can improve your health significantly. Loss of 10% of body weight can reduce blood pressure, high cholesterol, triglyceride, and high blood sugar levels.

Today, there are many procedures that can contribute and help people loss weight effectively. One of the known procedure in losing weight is through hypnosis.

However, many misconceptions have come up with regards to the application of hypnosis in losing eight. And because it does not involve drugs or any kinds of medications and surgery, many people tend to think that losing weight through hypnosis seems to be one of the safest weight loss program.

To know more about hypnosis and its effects on losing weight, here is a list of some facts that will give you an insight about what it can do to your body weight.

1. Hypnosis can be an imminently risky if not done properly and not utilize by people who are highly trained with the real concept of hypnosis.

Even if many people tend to think that hypnosis will not pose imminent danger to their health, still, it is important to know that the person who will do the procedure is skilled enough and that he or she knows what factors to consider before doing the procedures.

2. Hypnosis alone cannot eliminate excess fat from the body and, therefore, make somebody lose weight.

Most health experts contend that hypnosis should only be a part of a whole assimilated process. It should never be used as the sole weight loss procedure.

Moreover, one session of hypnosis will only have very minimal results on an individuals weight. When losing weight, hypnosis matched with psychotherapy will be more effective than hypnosis alone. This is because hypnosis is only a state of deeply relaxing the mind, in which one can still be in control of his or her own body.

3. Hypnosis is one way of getting into the subliminal state of a person. When a person is on the hypnotic stage, the body is more responsive to suggestibility because of its intensified state of concentration.

However, this does not necessarily mean that through hypnosis, one can already reprogram the mind of an individual.

In reality, hypnosis can only run the range from trouble-free relaxation condition to proper initiation managed by a professional hypnotists. Hence, it should not be considered paranormal and magical in its upshots.

Boiled down, people should be more aware that hypnosis is not a sole effective process in losing weight. It is more of a facilitator of various treatment techniques.

Therefore, it should be combined with other weight loss management program to be effective in making people lose excess weight. In this manner, people will be able to lose more weight with a more relaxed and refreshed state of mind.

As they say, a healthy mind is a healthy body.

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Gastric Bypass Tips: Switch to a Healthy Lifestyle after Weight Loss!

Obesity has been one of the major health issues in the United States for a very long time. For the past two decades, the number of obese and overweight people has been growing fast in more than 30 states of America. Beyond the statistics is a more pressing problem: the health problems that come with obesity. Sleep apnea, diabetes, chronic fatigue syndrome, and hypertension are just some of these health conditions that are often associated with excess weight.

How does one lose weight aside from diet, exercise, and medication? Gastric bypass surgery is a well-know solution for overweight people who need to shed at least 100 lbs. However, surgery alone is not enough to maintain an ideal weight. It must be accompanied by post-surgery lifestyle changes that involve diet, exercise, and mental and emotional adjustments.

The Right Diet after Weight Loss Surgery

The most important thing that a patient should watch out after the surgery is his diet. The surgery involves changing the structure of the stomach and small intestines. The reduced stomach volume following the surgery limits that amount of food that the stomach can hold, which is roughly about 1 ounce. Thus, the patient must be careful with the kind and amount of food he eats. The patient needs to eat small meals at regular intervals everyday. Weeks after the surgery, the patient is required to eat pureed or soft foods for better digestion and to avoid complications such as nausea and vomiting. Examples of foods that can be eaten after surgery are pureed fruits, pureed vegetables, soups, oatmeal, and steamed desserts.

Formal Exercise Program

A day following the surgery, the patient can do some light walkingbut not regular exercises yet. Two to three weeks are needed for rest and healing, and a formal exercise program can start as soon as the patient has fully recovered. Usually, weight loss surgery patients can start low-impact aerobic workouts four to six weeks following the surgery. The recommended exercises for those who have undergone weight loss surgery include yoga, Pilates, water aerobics, resistance band exercises, speed walking, and light jogging.

Psychotherapy

While it seems that weight loss surgery involves only the physiological aspect of the patient, the mental and emotional aspects must not be overlooked. Most surgeons recommend psychotherapy that people who are considering weight loss surgery. Psychotherapy prepares a persons mind and emotions before the surgery so that he could cope easily with the bodily and lifestyle changes after the procedure. Failure to undergo psychotherapy prior to the surgery may lead to post-procedure problems such as eating disorders, constant food cravings, and emotional troubles.

Stress Management

To many people, eating is a great stress reliever. The diet limitations after surgery can be very stressful for many patients. Whats the best way to beat stress after surgery? Not food, not drugs, and not treatments. Simple changes in lifestyle can turn stressful days into comfortable and worry-free ones. Stress management techniques for people who have gone through weight loss surgery include deep breathing and relaxation techniques, acupuncture, yoga, massage therapy, and meditation. Trying a new hobby and joining support groups in ones community are also good ways to manage stress after weight loss surgery.

Gastric bypass surgery is the best remedy for obesity when diet, exercise, and medications fail. But even the most successful procedures wont lead to weight loss without the right lifestyle changes. To help achieve a healthy lifestyle and effective weight loss, one must seek professional help from health care professionals, dieticians, and psychotherapists.

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