Biomedicine vs Alternative Medicine Flashcards
What is a common viewpoint on food in all societies and cultures?
Food is medicine; use dietary practices to maintain health or treat illness
What is Evidence-based biomedicine?
The system of clinical medicine based on the principles of natural science
What is alternative medicine?
The name for tradition and folk medicine outside of conventional biomedicine; uses mixture of healing therapies like food, herbal medicine, spirituality, manual therapies, or exercise
Who is an African folk healer?
Healer that prepares traditional medicines and follows the word of ancestors
What is Ayurveda?
Ancient Indian system of healing derived from the Sanskrit words Ayus (life) and Veda (knowledge)
- thousands of years old
- emphasizes good health through lifestyle practices and use of herbal remedies
- holistic practice that considers the whole person in quest for optional health and wellness
What is the Ayurvedic diet?
- Based on Sattvic foods
- Dairy, veggies, fruits, grains, beans, seeds, and nuts
- avoid meat, eggs, fermented foods, mushrooms, stale food, and alcohol
What is the Traditional Chinese Medicine Diet Therapy?
Achieve balance through food and herbs
What is Traditional Arabic and Islamic Medicine (TAIM)?
- Islamic knowledge contained in religious texts for guidance in health and medical matters
- “Medicine of the Prophet Muhammad”
What are the components of TAIM?
- Fasting
-Use of medicinal plants in teas, honey, syrups, infusions, and ointments - Utilization of certain for foods for their traditional/prophetic indications
- Cupping
What is Black seed (Nigella Sativa)?
- Part of TAIM
- “the blessed seed”
- important herb in Muslim community; believed tp have healing properities for most illnesses
What is wet cupping?
Medicinal bleeding where blood is drawn by local suction from a small skin incision; associated with detoxification
What is the prevalence of complementary and alternative medicine in Canada?
79% have tried sometimes in their lives
In 2016, $6.5 billion on providers of alternative therapies, $2.3 billion on herbs, vitamins, programs, books, classes, and equipment
How is alternative medicine different from biomedicine? (5)
- Food has energetic properties
- You take on the qualities of the food you ingest
- There is a life force
- Balance is important for wellbeing
- Therapies maintain or restore balance
What is TCM Hot and cold food beliefs?
Foods are perceived to be energetically be hot cold, or neutral based on how foods are thought to affect body; when you ingest, you take on energetic characteristics
What are the characteristics of Yin foods?
Dark, cold, cooling, moist, feminine
What are the characteristics of Yang foods?
Bright, warm, warming, dry, masculine
What do noodles symbolize in Chinese New Year?
Long life
What are examples of life force energy?
- qi in Traditional Chinese energy (pronouced chi)
- prana in Indian 0based medicine including Ayurveda; pulses through body along network of channels (Chakras)
What are chakhras?
Energy points in the body in Indian-based medicine
What is the three-dosha theory?
Three energies that circulate in the body and govern physiological/psychological qualities (appearance, physique, and personality)
What is life force energy?
A free-flowing energy that connect mind and body and contributes to health
How do alternative medical systems view balance?
Holistic view on health; mind, body, and spirit are integral whole
Health is viewed as restoring balance within body, community, and universe at large
What was the Ancient Greek humoral system?
Humors were vital bodily fluids linked to elements that had to be balanced
What is ayurveda built upon in terms of balance?
- Five elements of ether (essence of emptiness), earth, water, fire, and air
- combination of elements make doshas (energies)
- we have all doshas but one or two dominate
