Natural Awakenings

Page 22

wisewords

Julia Schopick on Effective, Affordable Medicine

F

ollowing up on the success of her best-selling book Honest Medicine: Effective, Time-Tested, Inexpensive Treatments for Life-Threatening Diseases, Julia Schopick plans to spread awareness of the efficacy of low-dose naltrexone (LDN) in treating autoimmune and other ailments later this year with a new book co-authored with professional writer Don Schwartz.

Her first book, endorsed by many leading integrative health practitioners, earned the top National Indie Excellence Award for Alternative Medicine. It taps into nearly 200 scientific studies, with her research into innovative treatments driven by a quest that she and her late husband both believed added 15 years to his life after a terminal prognosis at age 40. The former English teacher at Long Island University and Virginia State University, now an Oak Park, Illinois resident, has contributed to the American Medical Association publication AM News, writes online and print guest columns and shares her journey in media interviews.

What are some of the most significant natural alternatives you report on in Honest Medicine? The ketogenic diet is one standout because it was the standard of care for children with epilepsy in the 1920s—until pharmaceutical companies began to produce lucrative antiseizure medications; then its use diminished through a lack of proponents in the medical field. Its use was revived in the 1990s due to the efforts of Jim Abrahams, a Hollywood writer/director, father of a child with epilepsy and one of my heroes. I found small studies that proved that the ketogenic diet successfully stops children’s seizures nearly 70 percent of the time. This highly effective alternative has none of the negative side effects of antiseizure drugs. Most doctors aren’t in favor of the diet approach and instead often prescribe affected children up to three or four meds as an easier option. The diet follows Hippocrates’ dictum, “Let food be thy medicine.” Another standout is intravenous alpha lipoic acid, pioneered since the 1970s by Dr. Burt Berkson, who used it mainly for end-stage liver disease and diabetic neuropathy. He saved many people from needing liver transplants with infusions of this powerful, versatile antioxidant.

Organic Wheatgrass, Sprouts, Seeds and Supplies Delivered fresh to your door!

Did anything surprise you?

10% off

I chose to include effective treatments that are non-toxic and inexpensive. I didn’t realize that several of them were effective for many different conditions. For example, LDN has been used since the mid-1980s to treat autoimmune diseases, of which there are more than

your in store purchase with ad

www.gotsprouts.com 561-689-9464

22

Broward County, Florida

NABroward.com

photo by Keith Peterson

by Randy Kambic


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.