Just because something CAN be done doesn't mean it SHOULD be or that EVERYONE should do it. Some people can live, work and function for a time in outer space, but it isn't for everybody. At least not according to NASA (U. S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration). The last I heard, the requirements for astronauts were still pretty high.

To determine what's good for YOU, your own needs, values, ablilties and limitations must be taken into account. Your total self. And, with an endeavor like "natural healing", how much of that "self" you're willing to put into it.

One of the most common lines of fallacious health reasoning appears to go that if it's natural it's safe; and even doctors can never be absolutely sure how each medicine will react on each individual; so, if it's ok for them to "experiment", surely it's safe for us to do so using only natural therapies. But, realistically, how would you feel about going to a doctor who you knew had never studied, but had found some other way to "pass" all the exams? Surely you see the point: If we're setting out to "heal thyself", we'd better "do OUR homework" too, hadn't we? We can't just blindly experiment, and expect to be "cured" or to have outstanding health. We must be truly COMMITTED to this concept and to the lifetime of personal study and research that it requires --- including the time and patience it takes to change only one element of our life's habits and routine at a time and keep careful personal notes of the results. (SOME friends and relatives may think we SHOULD be committed, but that's a different kind :) You may spend less on medicine and doctor bills, but you STILL have to "pay the piper", so to speak, and not everyone will be able or willing to do that.

The reality is: "natural" doesn't automatically mean "safe". Some of the most toxic materials known to humans grow "naturally" out of the ground. More reason to "do our homework"! Of course, nowadays the specific meanings of "natural" apparently depend on what you're trying to sell but often suggests a wholesomeness beyond human wisdom. More accurately it infers "not tampered with, artificially produced or modified in any way". Not nearly as mystical or magical as it sounds, really. Or even, always, wholesome. Rocks are natural; but, you'd gain no benefit from eating one. By the above definition, though, we'll never live a completely natural life in THIS world. After all, is there any thing or any place on earth not adversely affected in some way by human activity --- that often took place somewhere else on the planet? The best we can do at present is to try to find the things that have been altered the least. And even something that's "good" and "natural" isn't always good for EVERYBODY. If you know very many people rather well, try naming three foods that nobody is "allergic" to.

Another misconception can arise from the term "COMPLEMENTARY Alternative Medicine". While commendable IF it means working together to benefit humanity, (and despicable should it be merely a "buzzword" to camouflage an effort of the profession "in power" to maintain TOTAL CONTROL of all "health care" --- which it appears to still be striving for) the fact remains that not all therapies are as "complementary" or compatible as the term would seem to infer. Remember the somewhat startling news on national TV in some lands a while back that so "natural" and "harmless" a product as grapefruit juice could seriously alter the body's response to a number of prescription drugs? So, if you're thinking of trying to get the "best of both worlds" (which may or may not actually exist) you have even more "homework" to do and an even higher standard to search for in knowledgeable professionals.

If you're really serious, though, about taking personal responsibility for your body and health, which truly natural healing requires, the first thing you need is to understand as much as you can about how this marvelous "machine", the human body, actually functions. (Watching all the doctor and hospital "soap operas" won't "cut it" ---sorry!) What you need is a good anatomy and physiology textbook. And some quiet time. Which won't likely come tap you on the shoulder. Even searching for it may not help. If you're like most of us, you'll probably have to TRADE some OTHER time for it, but it will be one of the best "investments" you ever made. And prepare to be amazed beyond words (unless you have a really fantastic vocabulary). Then, when you go looking for natural healing advice, whether in print or from a professional health care provider, you'll be better equipped to evaluate how (or if) it should be applied to your particular needs --- or whether someone is simply (sincerely or otherwise) "selling you a fantasy".

LEARNING all this is the relatively easy part. APPLYING it with SOUND REASONING is where it gets tricky. Nearly all of us grow up in a very narrow culture. Our view of life and the world around us is shaped and often distorted by that upbringing. The common "western world" view for example, is that to be "intelligent" one must accept unquestioningly whatever is popularly considered "scientific" at the time. Nothing could be futher from the truth, of course. ANCIENT SUPERSTITION accepted unproven "scientific" beliefs as fact. So does "modern superstition", sad to say. To TRUE science, however, no human understanding of the physical universe is above question --- not even one's own observations and conclusions.

With that principle in mind, some obvious but often overlooked questions you should ask about health advice you receive from magazines, "junk mail" or the internet include: Is it selling a product or service? Is it a "sure cure"? --- Or a "cure all"? Does it contain negative connotations toward all other therapies and methods? How proud of themselves and their supposed knowledge do the writers sound? It's great to share one's knowledge and experience, but not to consider it the "last word" or the "stone tablets from Sinai". Of course, all human nature seems to have a touch of pride, prejudice and related self-centeredness which can sabotage the credibility of even the best advice; so, try not to be too paranoid about it (the "eternal skeptic"). But try not to be gullible, either. We all at times tend to believe what we WISH were true --- OR ARE AFRAID TO QUESTION. Try instead to be not only knowledgeable but sensible. (There IS a difference.) In everything strive for balance --- the key to health and life itself.