0 mote health and well-being. Women who visit such doctors for symptoms of menopause are likely to come away with odd prescriptions, such as licorice root, blessed thistle and false unicorn, according to a recent USA Today arti- cle. No doubt they consulted Dr. Andrew Weil, an early researcher of "the relaxation response." A medical doctor, Weil (www.drweil.com ) believes that health is an inner resilience that allows one to interact with germs without getting infections, with allergens without haring allergic reactions and with carcinogens with- out developing cancer. "Optimal health should also bring a > c sense of strength and joy; it's more than just the absence of disease," he says. In his books, he advocates dietary change, vitamin supplements, exercise and working on your mental and spir- itual well-being through meditation. His latest is "8 Weeks to Optimum Health" (Knopf). 0 We're seeing a return to the roots of medicine. Dr. David Simon, medical director for the Chopra Center for Well Being in La Jolla, Calif., and author of a new book titled "The Wisdom of Healing: A Natural Mind Body Program for Creating Optimal Wellness" (Crown Publishing), sees a return to genuine "traditional" medicine. What we're really seeing is a return to the roots of medicine," he _ > said, "which always acknowledged the body, mind and spirit in terms of process. The community and health- care providers recognize that there's an important role for individuals to take responsibility for their own well- being, to learn how to keep them- selves healthy and to become vigor- ous participants and partners in a 0 recovery process when they face ill- ness. "For a while there we thought that the continued application of scientific principles would allow us to cure every illness and solve every problem. In 1928, we discovered penicillin, which cured infections in a very pro- found way, so we had this thought C) that for every illness there must be a pill. "Even as we treat illness with fab- ulous miracle medicines, we find the emergence of other illnesses as a direct result of our efforts. Right now there's great concern about the virulent, antibiotic-resistant bacteria that have learned to override every drug we've offered, and it's because we've used antibiotics in a fairly liberal way." The important thing is prevention, according to Simon. People must con- sider what they eat, how they live their lives, whether their relationships are healthy or toxic, whether they're cop- ing well with stress. They can't wait till they have heart attacks and expect to be cured and/or fixed. "We can no longer live with this idea that the body is like a mechanical vehicle, and when it gets broken we take it to the shop and fix it up again," said Simon. "At last we realize it's time for a health-care system as opposed to a disease-care system," he said. "Ultimately, the most important healer is the healing force within each of us." The kind of integrative medicine practiced at the Chopra Center and at Weirs Mind/Body Medical Institute is being adopted by other far-sighted modern physicians in medical clinics around the nation. It's a blend of tra- ditional clinical practices, alternative treatment and patient education that invites active participation. Herbal remedies, aromatherapy, chiropractic, acupuncture, massage, Eastern medi- cine, biofeedback, meditation, herbal and vitamin/mineral therapies, dietary modification and exercise - that most prescribed of all remedies — are ever more frequently to be found at a med- ical clinic near you. Physicians are more open to the integration of alternative therapies and holistic principles into their clinical practice. The public is willing at last to accept the fact that doctors are not infallible and to take a larger part in determining their own treatment and life maintenance. And managed health-care organi- zations are coming to see integrated medicine as a means to cut costs. In January 1998, Blue Shield of California introduces the Life Path Program, which provides health care policyholders with a list of caregiver groups that offer some of the afore- mentioned treatments. These caregiv- er affiliates offer discounts to Life Path policyholders. 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