I am here with Ast again with more questions and more answers! Here's the concluding part� Fatmah: How do you interact with your clients? What kind of clients do you receive and what do they usually suffer from?

Ast: I hope I interact with them in a friendly and professional way! I see a lot of stressed people; people with skin problems (also better treated with naturopathy than Allopathy); people with digestive disorders. It's quite common to have a run of people with the same or similar presenting illness. Why this is so remains a mystery. Sometimes I find that I see people with problems that I need to address in my own life. It's a bit of a two-way street, really. Fatmah: In today's world, Obesity is the most common problem suffered by both young and old. What kind of treatment do you suggest for them?

Ast: There are no quick-fix magic bullets. Minimize animal fats, sugar, refined carbohydrates, and processed foods. Eat more fresh / raw fruits and vegetarians have good quality protein, eat organic meats if you are omnivore, vegetarians have to balance their amino acids carefully. Don't fry foods, stop eating at McDonalds etc, eat a variety of fresh produce, drink at least 2L of water per day and.... this is the big one... GO OUT AND DO SOME EXERCISE INSTEAD OF SITTING AT A DESK ALL DAY. And have fun when doing it - don't see exercise as a chore, coz that's really what turns people off. Also, and this is a secret that not many people let on about: stop counting calories and measuring yourself and weighing yourself. It's not about finding a magic number. It's about changing lifestyle habits. And if you have the odd slice of cake, it isn't going to kill you: it's good for the soul, and will prevent you from feeling deprived. It's what you do 90% of the time that counts. And get the kiddy winks active and into exercise from an early age. At the risk of sounding like a crotchety old bag, too many kids these days get plenty of thumb exercise from Play stations these days, and not enough spend time swinging on monkey bars and playing outdoors.

Fatmah: What do you think is the best way to let people know about Naturopathy? It is better that they know about it without being subjected to the complex treatment of allopathic medicine. How can we motivate people about Naturopathy (offering no side-effects and a complete life style modification)?

Ast: Tell them. Give lectures at community groups. Get on community radio. Write articles. I actually disagree that good health is promised by Nat and not by Allopathy. There are no promises, because naturopathy requires active participation from the client. Doesn't matter how much they spend on herbs and supplements if they don't change their lifestyle habits. Also, a good many doctors are interested in promoting healthy lifestyle habits in their patients.

I think what is important is to have a holistic practitioner, and also to have a good doctor and a good naturopath who work in tandem for the best interests of their patient. No one school of therapy has all the answers. Acupuncture, homoeopathy, naturopathy, Allopathy and all other therapies have their roles to play. What I believe is extremely important is for every practitioner to know their boundaries and limitations, to know what they can treat and what they can't, when to refer, and the right kind of therapist to refer to. If you get this combination right, it is highly beneficial for all concerned: the client gets the best care they can, and practitioners build up a network of therapists they trust.

Fatmah: It's commonly seen (especially on the internet) that most of the MD's call Naturopathy as the call of the wild. Treatments such as Aromatherapy are referred to as "Making Dollars out of scents" and Ayurveda as "Ayurvedic mumbo-jumbo". They also claim that Naturopaths PRETEND that precise medical treatment is less important than maintaining body balance. Such criticism is faced by Naturopaths! Is there any way Naturopaths can criticize Allopathic medicine? Naturopathy, being the oldest and the most successful method to cure people is reliable and has long term effects. What do you have to say about this? A

st: For a start, the internet, although a wonderful tool, is hardly the gospel on all things. I've never heard naturopathy being called the Call of the Wild, so I can't really comment on that. There is a lot of mistrust, though, and it's been that way since early in the 19th century when medicine diverged between the mechanistic and the holistic. Descartes has a lot to answer for!

I don't think the answer is to criticize orthodox medicine. It saves a lot of lives, and no points will be gained by the naturopathic camp to go mudslinging in dirty politics. We are far better to rebut specific slurs when they occur, and raise our heads high and allow our actions to speak. Public education is also a more positive way to spread the naturopathic message than ridiculing medicine. In fact, engaging in petty dealings with Allopathy will only give them more ammunition to cut down complementary medicine.

Having said that, naturopathy has a reasonably high profile in Australia, and is generally respected. There are a few highly conservative types who feel threatened by it, and pharmaceutical companies get pissed off because they can't patent plants, but in general, naturopathy is well-received. The main debate here is about what constitutes a suitably qualified practitioner.

And another thing - where do we get this ongoing myth that naturopathy is unscientific? I have to tell you, Fatmah, I recently wrote a 5000 word essay on Vinca minor, a herb with properties similar to Ginkgo biloba. I had to wade through 70 published papers from universities all over the world, replete with data, stats and other very scientific modes of investigation to gather the information necessary. And this was cutting it short. There were over 300 studies done on this one plant and its therapeutic applications. And that's just the one herb.

Fatmah: What would be your advice to the public regarding Naturopathy?

Ast: Try it, you might like it! It's effective, it's gentle, and it's safe. Find yourself a qualified and registered practitioner with whom you have rapport, and your life will be greatly enriched.

This was Ast Tiefholz, a journalist-turned-naturopath from Australia. I will get back with you next week with some excellent tips on how to maintain your health in this scorching summer!!

TIP OF THE MONTH:

To sweeten your ice tea, don't use artificial sweeteners as they are known to cause many problems, especially Aspartame and Saccharin. In general, you can use moderate amounts of sugar (less than what you usually consume) or a bit of honey.

Till next month, Take care and be healthy!!

"Healing will come naturally to the body if it is given what it truly needs�"

Fatmah Azam Ali is a freelance writer and a certified health specialist. She has written hundreds of articles on health issues for print and online publications worldwide. Currently, she offers free health consultation via e-mail. The consultation offered is on an educational basis and not prescription basis. E-mail her at naturedoctorfatmah@excite.com for a free advice! Her upcoming book on healthy living releases in September. If you would like to know more about her and her upcoming "Heal Today" e-zine, please log on to http://www.healtoday.biz