Making wiser and safer alternative choices about your health decisions is apparently becoming much more mainstream these days, according to this awesome piece in today's New York Times, my favorite newspaper in the world.

The article discusses the personal journeys of three women whose health conditions were often mishandled and, not surprisingly, ignored in lieu of treatments that often did them or their loved ones no good, and sought out alternative treatments that were, for the most part, effective. The commonalities of their experiences speak volumes about the shift in thinking about what constitutes good health care:

• They were affected in some way by a personal health care crisis or death that spurred them to scrutinize the conventional health care paradigm and take better responsibility for their health.
• Conventional health care physicians weren't interested in what their patients believed their problems to be, reducing them to a diagnosis to be solved, cured or, in one case, ignored, rather than being treated.
• Naturopathic physicians, on the other hand, listened to their patients and observed their patients, ultimately helping them.

No wonder almost half of all American adults have opted for alternative treatments at least once in 2004, a jump from 42 percent a decade ago, another sign my vision for a better and safer health care paradigm is quickly becoming a reality.

If you want to learn more about naturopathy and what it can do for you, please read future naturopathic doctor Colleen Huber's excellent piece I posted on my Web site late last year.

New York Times February 3, 2006 Registration Required