How the Republican Majority in the House will Impact US Tax Law - Finance - Taxes

Leading up to the election last week, Republican candidates promised serious tax law changes in the next two years. However, since Democrats retained control of the Senate, many are wondering which, if any, of these promises will actually come to fruition.

Government Gridlock

Although Republicans took over the House of Representatives, they do not have the power to override a presidential veto. In order to pass a serious tax reform package in spite of a veto Republican leaders will need to come up with a 2/3-majority vote in both chambers of Congress. This has many worried that we will see serious government gridlock over the next two years. However, the change in power could finally push legislators to work together, and compromise on legislation that will actually help this country.

Health Care Revisions

Exit polls indicated that many voters were dissatisfied with the President's health bill, and the newly elected Republican leaders plan to listen to the dissatisfaction. Congressman John A. Boehner told reporters the American people are concerned about the government takeover of health care. I think its important for us to lay the groundwork before we begin to repeal this monstrosity.

Court Led Overhaul

Although Congress has limited options when it comes to overturning the health care reform law, the U.S. courts could take action. Currently there are 21 states that are challenging the law's requirement that all taxpayers have a qualifying health care plan. If the courts overturn part of the legislation, then it will be easy to build up public support for reforming the bill. Additionally, other experts are warning that members of Congress could add complications to the legislation and build up unpopularity of the law, which could be used as leverage to get Obama out of the White House next election. They could argue that the only way to repeal the law would be to elect a new Republican president.

1099 Changes and Manufacturer Taxes

In addition to concerns over the mandate, Republicans also plan to address two specific parts of the reform package: the new employer 1099 requirements, and the manufacture taxes. James P. Gelfand, Director of Health Policy at the United States Chamber of Commerce, has said he doesn't think "well see a repeal of the health care law tomorrow." But that "Congress got the message that we need serious changes. Gelfand claimed that he expects the new House to attempt to eliminate the provision that would require many employers to contribute to the cost of coverage for employees. Many experts claim that this provision would hurt job creation, as well as the tax on manufacturers of medical devices.

Energy and Climate Legislation

Although energy and climate reform has been a big issue for the President, it is unlikely that any major law changes will pass the new House. Last week, President Obama said he would like to move the country towards cleaner energy by focusing on smaller issues, which likely won't result in major tax law changes. "When it comes to something like energy, the President asserted, what we're probably going to have to do is say here are some areas where there's just too much disagreement between Democrats and Republicans. We can't get this done right now. But let's not wait. Let's go ahead and start making some progress on the things that we do agree on."

Bush Tax Cuts

Although next year there will be a Republican majority in the House, Democrats still have enough votes to extend or repeal the Bush tax cuts during the lame duck session. Obama has called for an extension of all the tax cuts, except for those that benefit highest earning taxpayers. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said that the Republicans' proposed extension of all tax cuts "won't happen." However, if Congress does follow the President's suggestion then there is no promise that the new Congress won't pass a retroactive extension of the cuts for wealthier taxpayers.

AMT Patch

Currently the Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT) is scheduled to affect 25 million families next year unless Congress passes a patch to the law. If Congress does not take action next year then all of these taxpayers will be faced with a huge and unexpected tax increase.

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Headline: Republicans' Healthcare Walk Not Matching Talk - Insurance - Health Coverage

Americans with concerns over their healthcare coverage are not being given much cause for optimism by Democrats or Republicans. While the Affordable Healthcare Act, which didn't seem to please anybody, hangs in the balance of the debate, Republican candidates for president have elevated the rhetoric in their primary squabbles. Talk is cheap, but healthcare is certainly expensive. With this in mind, it is important to consider each candidate's record of action on healthcare policy. Your own insurance could be at risk.

Michele Bachmann

In a very short national political career, Bachmann has been vocal about wanting no government involvement in healthcare. She is a leading voice in the attempt to repeal the Affordable Healthcare Act. In her rhetoric, Bachmann says that insurance and care will be better if left to market forces and that the government should not regulate it at all. Bachmann has actually backed up her words by voting against largely popular bills. She voted no to adding 2-4 million children to the SCHIP eligibility in January of 2007 and she voted against the extension of existing healthcare to 6 million children in January of 2008. In recent years, she has called for defunding all national healthcare plans, which would mean the death of Medicare and Medicaid.

She has claimed that the American system of healthcare is the finest system in the world. However, she has also called for fundamental changes to the American system by defunding existing institutions. According to all healthcare ranking world wide, the US is not number one, but somewhere between 37th and 49th.

Ron Paul

The Representative from Texas has been vocally against government involvement in healthcare, consistently voting against government spending and subsidizing healthcare. He has perhaps the most consistent voting record compared to rhetoric. He has called for abolishing Medicare, but has also protecting the benefits of people on Medicare. In 2011, he advocated allowing people to opt out of Medicare. In 2008, Congressman Paul said the country should replace Medicaid with "volunteer pro-bono medical care". His own contribution to the discussion of a national solution to the healthcare crisis is to expand medical savings accounts.

Rick Perry

Governor Perry is openly in favor of free trade in healthcare and against any government involvement. He argues that this is the best way to promote responsible citizenship and to make healthcare coverage affordable. True to his word, Texas has not attempted to help the low-income and moderate-income families who are struggling and are without necessary medical care. Under his watch, Texas has seen its percentage of insured citizens fall dramatically, despite having higher employment and income numbers than most states, while seeing insurance profits skyrocket. He says he would end federal government involvement in healthcare if he is elected president, meaning millions more uninsured. If Texas is a measure, health insurance prospects would be bleak under President Perry.

Mitt Romney

The former Massachusetts governor was part of a massive health insurance reform that has made Massachusetts the best-insured state in the nation. He worked with state Democrats to provide mandatory care and health insurance vouchers for low-income and middle-income families. The results speak for themselves, but Romney has backed away from those successes, claiming he is pro-free market and anti-government regulation.

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Oat Porridge With Stevia And Cinnamon Is The Best Breakfast Foods To Start Your Day! - Health - Nutrition

The perfect start of your day!Starting your day with oat porridge with Stevia and Cinnamon is one of the most perfect ways to start your day. It is high in complex carbohydrates and provides the body with slow releasing energy. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day and oat porridge with Stevia and Cinnamon is the best breakfast foods and a great way to give yourself and the kids the nourishment they need to kick start their day.

Did you know that oats are one of the most complete foods on earth? In the last few years porridge has slowly been accepted as one of the most important super foods, and understandably so, the oats have so many health benefits that they are often linked to long and healthy lifestyles. Oats are a nutritional power food and, in my opinion, one of the best breakfast foods as it has many health benefits including decreasing heart disease and diabetes. This is not your average breakfast cereal. This is a real super food, make sure it is organic grown - see my article "Why Organic" (see link below).

11 good reasons to start your day with oat porridge - the best breakfast foods!

This is my personal organic oat porridge recipe and a good start of my day.

You may also add some berries and fruits if you feel like it. I recommend that you don't use cow milk and sugar as they are not healthy for you. Use a thick bottomed pot. Stir oat flakes and soymilk over low heat for five minutes, then leave to simmer for 5-6 minutes. Adjust the soymilk to appropriate consistency.

You can put the oat flakes in soy milk to have it swell over the night - then you need less time to cook it.

The best breakfast foodsAlso soymilk, stevia and cinnamon are super foods. I will write more about super foods in another article. The mixture of oats, stevia, soymilk and cinnamon are the best breakfast foods I can think of. Don't ruin the best breakfast foods through the use of non organic products. Organic products are grown without the usage of chemical fertilizers, pesticides, fungicides and herbicides. If you read my article, "Why Organic?", you will understand why it is important to use only organic ingredients.

Did I mention it - oat porride is good too? - your heart and body will thank you for it!

Happy Natural Life!Kristin

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Health Benefits of Fish Oil

Health Benefits of Fish Oil

The health benefits of fish oil include its ability to aid in treatment of heart diseases, high cholesterol, depression, anxiety, AHDH, low immunity, cancer, diabetes, inflammation, arthritis, IBD, AIDS, Alzheimers disease, eye disorders, macular degeneration and ulcers. It is helps in weight loss, pregnancy, fertility and skin care (particular for disorders such as psoriasis, acne).

Most of the these health benefits of fish oil can be attributed to the presence of Omega 3 essential fatty acids such as Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA). Other useful essential fatty acids include Alpha-linolenic acid or ALA and Gamma-linolenic acid or GLA.

The various types of fish which can be a good source of fish oil are mackerel, rainbow trout, lake trout, halibut, herring, sea bass, sardines, swordfish, oysters, albacore tuna, blue fin tuna, yellow fin tuna, turbot, pilchards, anchovies and salmon. The most common names among these for obtaining fish oil are albacore tuna, herring, mackerel, sardines, lake trout and salmon. The type of fish used and the purity standards followed in refining the oil govern the quality of fish oil.

The health benefits of fish oil include the following:

Heart Disease:According to the American Heart Association (AHA), clinical trials have proved that omega 3 is effective in reducing the incidence of cardiovascular diseases (CVD). Fish oil, which is abundant in omega 3, therefore, reduces the risk of heart diseases and heart arrhythmias. It lowers the levels of LDL cholesterol, which is bad cholesterol, and increases the HDL levels, which is good cholesterol. Fish oil prevents accumulation of triglycerides and further reduces the levels of excess triglycerides. Preliminary research has also shown that fish oil can be used for preventing atherosclerosis in coronary patients. Thus fish oil is effective in treating heart strokes and regular usage of fish oil can help avoid numerous sudden cardiac deaths. According to the American Heart Association, these preliminary findings should be confirmed by detailed research.

Weight Loss:Fish oil also aids in weight loss process. Research conducted by Professor Peter Howe at the University of South Australia has shown that fish oil improves the efficacy of exercise in reducing weight. Volunteers who were given fish oil diet showed greater weight loss as compared to those who did not consume fish oil diet. Exercise combined with fish oil had a positive effect on the body shape and body composition of the patients.

Blood Circulation:It is believed that fish oil has the ability to improve blood circulation along with reducing triglyceride and serum cholesterol levels.

Immunity: It is believed that regular consumption of fish oil aids in increasing your immunity thereby enabling you to resist incidence of common diseases such as cold, cough and flu. Omega three fatty acids present in fish oil benefit the immune system by effecting cytokines and eicosanoids present in our body. Researchers have also studied the effect of fish meal and fish oil on the immune system of pigs and found that fish oil aided in the growth of the animals. Similar research conducted on mice at Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taiwan, also gave positive results. Thus fish oil has the potential to enhance the immune system of humans. Fish oil is also beneficial to patients suffering from lupus, which is a disease characterized by the attacks of immune system of the body on various organs and tissues. Fish oil helps in reducing the pain and inflammation that may occur in joints, eyes, kidney, heart, blood vessels, lungs, nerves, etc. It also helps in reducing asso ciated fever, skin rashes and fatigue.

AIDS:Research conducted by the Nutritional Sciences Program in Lexington has increased the promise of fish oil as a treatment of AIDS.

Inflammation:Fish oil has anti inflammatory properties; therefore, it is effective in reducing inflammation in blood and tissues. Regular consumption of fish oil supplements, tablets, pills and capsules is helpful to those suffering from chronic inflammatory diseases. Fish oil is effective in treating gastrointestinal disorders, sprue, short bowel syndrome and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) including Crohn's Disease and ulcerative colitis, which are typical disorders of the intestine. Patients suffering from Crohns disease find it difficult to absorb vitamins, fats and essential supplements. Fish oil supplements are an effective diet for such patients. In ulcerative colitis, fish oil prevents the accumulation of leukotriene on the colon. It should be noted that the anti inflammatory properties of fish oil are limited to reducing inflammation. Fish oil provides little effect in preventing inflammation. Research is also being conducted to enhance the anti-inflammatory acti on of fish oil by addition of other dietary supplements and drugs.

ADHD or ADD:Fish oil has the ability to treat Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) due to the high concentration of fatty acids. If your child suffers from hyperactivity, dyslexia, dyspraxia, inability to complete tasks, emotional instability, wavering attitude, poor coordination, short attention span, short term memory, low concentration, tendency to interrupt others, recklessness, hastiness, impetuosity, impulsiveness, low IQ, or learning disorders, fish oil supplements, tablets, pills or capsules are a proven remedy. Research conducted at the University of South Australia and CSIRO has shown that when children suffering from ADHD were given doses of fish oil and evening primrose capsules for 15 weeks, they showed significant improvement. Since brain consists of about 60% of fats, especially essential fatty acids such as omega 3 and omega 6, fish oil helps in improving the functioning of the brain. Further, it is believed that fish oil is useful in the normal development of the brain. It helps your kid concentrate on the studies better. It has been further found that when pregnant women are given regular doses of fish oil, the born toddlers show enhanced hand eye coordination.

Eye Disorders:It is well known that fish oil is good for its ability to improve vision. It also helps in avoiding age related macular degeneration. The National Eye Institute at the National Institute of Health, US, plans to conduct a nation-wide study to evaluate the effect of fish oil in treating macular degeneration. This study will provide strong scientific evidence to the benefits of fish oil for eye care, thereby enabling government agencies and physicians to strongly recommend fish oil for macular degeneration.

Skin Care:Fish oil helps in improving the condition of poor and dry skin by making it shinny and glowing. It is useful in treating various skin problems such as eczema, psoriasis, itching, redness of skin, skin lesions, and rashes. In case of psoriasis, the EPA present in fish oil restricts the growth of pro-inflammatory agents by producing arachidonic acid. Fish oil can also be applied topically to obtain relief from psoriasis. Regular intake of fish oil capsules helps in reducing loss of moisture from the skin. It is also claimed by some people that fish oil helps in preventing sunburns.

Acne:Fish oil is effective for acne as well. EPA is known to inhibit androgen formation. Androgen can affect the formation of sebum in hair follicle.

Cancer:Fish oil is useful in delaying weight loss in patients suffering from pancreatic cancer. Fish oil supplements can also be helpful to patients suffering from cancer related hyperlipidemia.

Diabetes:Type II diabetic patients are more prone to cardio vascular diseases such as coronary heart disease, atherosclerosis, and stroke. As mentioned above, fish oil is helpful in treating various heart problems. Research conducted at the University of Oxford, UK, has proved that fish oil is useful in reducing triglyceride levels in diabetes as well.

Ulcers:The symptoms of peptic ulcer include pain in the abdomen, heartburn, indigestion, nausea, loss in appetite, weight loss, etc. Due to the presence of EPA and DHA, fish oil can be helpful in case of ulcers caused by NSAIDs.

Pregnancy:Fish oil is very useful for pregnant women as DHA present in it helps in the development of the eyes and brain of the baby. It helps in avoiding premature births, low weight at birth, and miscarriage. Research conducted in Denmark, which involved 8,729 pregnant women, concluded that diet with low amounts of fish resulted in higher risk of premature or preterm babies. It is also believed that women who do not have a sufficient intake of EPA and DHA in their diet suffer from depression after birth as there is transfer of some amount of brain mass from the mother to the child in the last stages of pregnancy. Moreover, as mentioned above, when pregnant women are given fish oil supplements, the born kids show enhanced coordination between eye and hand. Thus it is very beneficial to consume fish oil either by eating fish or taking fish oil supplements, tablets, capsules, or pills during pregnancy for the overall development of the child and well being of the mother. Ho wever, it should be noted that fish oil obtained from the liver of the fish, example cod liver oil, should not be consumed during pregnancy as cod liver oil is rich in retinol and vitamin A.

Fertility:Preliminary research conducted on boar has shown that when male boars are fed with diet containing fish oil, the quality of the sperm is enhanced. After ejaculation, the sperms have increased survival against lipid peroxidative attacks in the female genital tract, thereby increasing the chances of conception. On the other hand, similar animal studies have shown inhibition in the synthesis of prostaglandin E and prostaglandin F, which are produced in large quantities by human seminal vesicles. The research found no impact in the count and mobility of sperm.

Hair Care:Fish oil helps maintain a good luster of the hair. Omega three has hair growing properties as it provides nourishment to the follicles. It therefore aids in faster development of hair and preventing hair loss. A good supply of proteins is also necessary for hair growth. Since most fish varieties are rich in protein, eating fish helps in keeping healthy hair.

It is also believed that fish oil helps in asthma and kidney failure. Many people also like to feed fish oil to their pets especially dog and cat as it enables in the growth of shinny hair and smooth skin. It also helps the dogs and cats deal with arthritis, which is a very common disease among pets.

The National High Blood Pressure Education Program, US, has cautioned against wrongful publicity of fish oil as an effective means of lowering high blood pressure in patients suffering from hypertension. According to its report, fish oil supplements lowers high blood pressure only to a small extent in hypertensive patients. Research conducted at the Channing Laboratory, Boston, US has revealed that moderate doses of fish oil supplements have little effect on the condition of high blood pressure in normotensive persons.

Should we replace vegetable oils with fish oil?

No. There are many websites which advice people to stop eating these vegetable oil and switch to fish oil for increasing the intake of omega 3 fatty acids. However, it should be noted that most of these websites take a bias towards fish oil to increase the sales of their products. There is no doubt that fish oil is one of the best sources of omega 3 essential fatty acids. However, other sources should also be consumed.

Here is a brief on Omega 3 fatty acids and Omega 6 fatty acids. There are three types of Omega 3 fatty acids, namely alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), and Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA). All three are important for the body. Vegetable sources including flax seed oil, soybean oil, hemp oil, canola oil, walnut oil, rapeseed, perilla, chia and tofu are rich in ALA. The human body has the ability to convert ALA to DHA and EPA, though there are limitations to this conversion. It has been found that ALA is also useful in treating heart problems; however, the exact mechanism is yet unknown.

GLA, an important Omega 6 fatty acid, shows promise in the treatment of cancer. It is believed that GLA is useful in treating various problems including arthritis, obesity, heart disease, high blood pressure, skin problems, breast pain, premenstrual syndrome and diabetes. The best source for GLA is evening primrose oil.

Caution on dosage:Excessive dosage of fish oil can have adverse allergies and side effects on the body. Further, fish oil can be problematic in many conditions and hence it is necessary to fish oil supplements cautiously. You should consult a doctor or physician for the exact dosage of fish oil you should take. Moreover, fish oil can be consumed in various forms. These include eating the fish directly by baking, roasting, frying, grilling, broiling, or smoking it or eating fish oil which is available in the form of concentrated dietary supplements such as liquid, tablet, capsule, pill, soft gel, etc. Also, there are various pharmaceutical grades of fish oil. You should also consult your doctor to check the mode of eating fish oil.

Fish oil purity

Purity of fish oil is also an important issue which one must pay attention to. Fish oil is obtained from fresh water, farm, ocean, deep sea and shallow sea fish. All these fish can be contaminated with toxic compounds such as mercury, arsenic, lead, forms of calcium, furans, dioxins, PCBs, and methyl mercury, and may affect the human body. Therefore, the fish oil should be pure. Many companies also sell ultra refined fish oil or distilled fish oil, but you should always check if the standards have been followed.

Fish oil and Vitamins

Vitamin A and Vitamin D:Fish oil, especially the one obtained from liver such as the cod liver oil, is a rich source of vitamin A and vitamin D. However, excessive dosage of cod liver oil can lead to Vitamin toxicity, accumulation of excessive vitamins in the body, which can cause side effects.

Vitamin E:There are various beliefs surrounding fish oil and vitamin E. These are:

* Fish oil undergoes oxidation and can become rancid, leading to formation of free radicals. Addition of antioxidants such as vitamin E to fish oil can help prevent the formation of these free radicals. * Excessive dosage of fish oil leads to reduction of Vitamin E in the human body. This loss of vitamin E should be supplemented with external vitamin E supplements. * The combination of fish oil and vitamin E can have added benefit in the treatment of many cancers and heart diseases, than if they are used individually.

Preliminary research has been carried out which prove the above beliefs; however, these need to be substantiated with detailed research before drawing strong conclusions on the use of fish oil and vitamin E.

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Natural Healing for Healthy and Happy Pets!

Natural Healing for Healthy and Happy Pets!

The purpose of this column is to help you learn about many of the herbs that nurture your pet's body systems and to be able to use them with confidence. For so many pet owners this is anunheard of concept. Fortunately, for our animal friends, this idea is becoming more accepted and sought after. I often hear people ask with wonder, "You can give herbs to animals?" The answer is "Yes, of course." If you lift up their paws and stand them upright, they are basically the same as their owners. We have all the same body systems; urinary, digestive, intestinal, circulatory, nervous, glandular, respiratory and structural. Some of the body systems may differ slightly, as in the intestinal system for a dog, which is somewhat shorter than that of its owner (this is to allow for the digestion and quick passing time of all the protein the dog needs).

An herbalist uses herbs to heal and balance the body, thereby allowing the body to nurture itself--without the use of drugs or invasive procedures such as surgeries. In my practice, I stress PREVENTATIVE health care and education. While Icontinue to help people and pets that are severely ill with life threatening diseases after all conventional therapies have failed, I would prefer to help at a point BEFORE these problems have become a desperate issue. I constantly see that changes in diet and the use of natural supplementation can add many pain free years to a pet's life, and it is indeed rare that I ever have to take my own pets to the veterinarian for any problems that I cannot solve myself with natural approaches.

As you can well imagine, my work with animals has been a very rewarding experience. You see, animals will respond very quickly to herbs and nutritional approaches. They do not have a preconceived notion about natural healing. Never do you hear a dog say, "Well, she wants me to take this, but I don't know. It if keeps her happy I'll do it, but I don't think it will do any good." You give your pet the energy-food and it will balance and heal. It is an indescribable feeling to see an animal that was scheduled to be destroyed, now walking, running and being enjoyed by its family. I will share some of these experiences in subsequent columns.

Your pets become sick for the same reasons you do. There are many causes of illness, including exposure to environmental toxins and pollution. Maintaining a healthy pet requires that they get sufficient exercise and rest, have clean water, proper digestion and elimination. But I believe there is nothing more important than nutrition and food. To give your pet his best chance at great health, it is necessary to supplement his food, whatever brand you choose. There are many different brands of pet food, all promising to give your pet the best possible nutrition. Some foods are so full of fillers, indigestible proteins and chemical preservatives that I will not waste the ink to discuss them. You know which ones they are--the chain stores sell them in 50 pound bags for $9.99!

Fortunately, there are many good quality foods with little or no chemical fillers. I always advise my clients to read the labels on the different foods and base their decision on the quality of the food and not the price. However, I do not believe that there is ANY perfect pet food, not even "home-made" food. There are some good foods, there are even some great foods, but no "perfect" food. Even home-made foods, unless they are thoroughly researched and prepared, are deficient in vitamins and minerals. I have seen what those deficiencies do to your pets. Poor nutrition means poor health, and that means veterinary bills. All of my animals receive herbs, even when they are healthy. I know that by supplementing with herbs, vitamins and minerals that they will stay healthy.

If given a choice, your pet's body, in its innate wisdom, will always choose what is healthy. Unfortunately, your pet is not in control of his life, you decide what he is fed, or how to deal with any health problems. Improper diets or the lack of supplementation is the root cause for all problems, other than genetics, faced by your pet. Conditions as simple as flatulence--and that is not simple if you are ina room with a 90 pound Doberman with gas--or as difficult as cancer, can all be prevented with a proper diet and supplement program.

The other major cause of your pet's deteriorating health is improper and unnecessary drug use and surgeries. When you and your pet go to a veterinarian, the usual first attempt at helping your pet is likely to be antibiotics. When and if that doesn't work, then prednisone or cortisone are often prescribed. Surgery is a last resort. I am NOT saying there is no place for veterinary medicine, and I do not mean to imply anything else. If one of my pets was hit by a car, I would not give him echinacea and then hope for the best! No, I want a veterinary hospital and the best it has to offer to put things right, even if that means surgery. After that, I will take it from there and give him the natural approaches he needs to heal his body. Only herbs, which are foods, can do that. Drugs suppress or stimulate the body into or out of action. They do not heal and are not "health care", they are "disease care".

While there are certainly other situations that require conventional veterinarycare, I am glad to see that many local veterinarians are stressing the importance of using natural health care whenever possible and resorting to drugs and surgery only if necessary. The biggest differences in the two types of care is that natural herbal care will treat the body as a whole unit because you cannot stimulate, suppress or remove one part of the body without affecting another part. Nutritionally, the body is supplemented so that all systems are working to their peak potential. Herbalists do not treat specific conditions. Instead, they nutritionally feed the body, allowing it to take care of itself. Knowing this, you must then understand that the symptoms displayed by your pet are not necessarily the root cause of the problem. When your dog shows a symptom of something, for example, vomiting or diarrhea, it is only that--a symptom. It is not the problem. The symptoms are the body's way of trying to eradicate the offending problem. If your dog suddenly develops diarrhea, and he has not been in your sight 100% of the time, there is the strong possibility that he has just eaten something--like a dead fish along the river, that contains bacteria. His body will do whatever it can to push out the offending bacteria. He may throw up. He may have diarrhea. He may go off his food for several days. If you give hima drug to stop these symptoms, you are stopping his body's attempt at healing itself by pushing out the offending bacteria. It will then remain in his body and can create problems at a later date. Herbs will give the body the strength it needs to push out and cleanse. This allows your pet to heal and re-balance the energies of his body.

Using herbs is not like taking a drug so that 20 minutes later the symptoms are suppressed or the body is stimulated into action. Rather, herbs slowly nurture and heal what is wrong with the body. Although many of my clients have seen immediate healing results, it is more common that natural approaches are going to take some time. Remember, herbs are foods. These foods will produce healthier cells and eventually healthier organs which can then heal the body. I know this often poses a problem for the pet owners. They want their beloved pet to be free of symptoms quickly. Drugs offer a short term fix only. In the long term they only toxify the liver, kidneys and other detoxifying organs of the body. Long term problems then necessitate the need for more drugs for another short term fix, and so on and so on. Have you ever wondered why so many pets are developing cancers, diabetes and other serious health issues at very young ages? The pets we knew as children were often fed table scraps, not commercially prepared food. Drinking water was more pure back then.We did not have as much pollution. Expensive veterinary care with the present array of drugs was not as available as it is today.Nowadays, we use so many "preventative drugs" each year for fleas, etc. that our pets are full of toxins and chemicals. This in turn leads to toxicity in their detoxifying organs which then leads to disease and poor health. I am not advocating a return to just table scraps, but rather to foods without chemicals and toxins. It does not make sense to make your pet's body completely toxic in order to combat fleas. It makes more sense to turn to natural, safe methods of healing and to maintain good health by supplementing nutritionally. In my next column, I will discuss many different safe, non-toxic and natural approaches to flea control.

(This column is authored by Carol Koenigsknecht, Herbal Practitioner and owner of Terra Ken Herbals. She is available for consultations, classes and lectures, and can be reached via her website at or by phone, (706) 797-0091. She also owns and operates Carols Critter Care, a pet-sitting service.)

DISCLAIMER: The information provided in this column is intended for educational purposes only. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Please seek the advice of a QUALIFIED veterinarian or health care practitioner before using any herbs, supplements or other natural approaches to health discussed in this column.

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