Traditional Western medicine believes that there is a pill to cure everything. Nowhere is that thinking more prevalent than in America where people apply about as much thought to using prescription medicine as they do to buying a new pair of sneakers. Most physicians are more inclined to prescribe pills than to get to the root cause of what's ailing you. Pharmaceutical companies are more than happy to supply you with the drugs, because they make billions each year on all those new cures and breakthroughs they're giving you. With all those pills come a number of adverse reactions that are well known by the prescription industrym but are ignored to the tune of 100,000 or more deaths reported yearly.

Remedy or Reason?

There seem to be thousands of diseases out there, if not more, and a pill for every one of them. But with all of the deaths occurring due to the drugs that are supposed to cure them, how are these helping? The major diseases are rising at alarming rates: heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and more. Many more people are dying each year from these diseases, despite "advances" in modern medicine that are supposed to be saving lives.

Prescription Medication Side Effects

Here is only a partial list of some of the side effects of prescription medication:

- Inability to sleep - Lack of ability to drive an automobile - Liver troubles - Reduced gastrointestinal function - Drug dependency - Increased risk for major diseases including cancer or heart attack - Kidney deterioration - Increased chance of stroke - Hair loss increase ...and even death!

Is There Hope Out There?

With all these possible side effects and more, is there not a better way? Of course there is! For years, people have been saying to pay attention to what you eat. Living a healthy lifestyle, eating raw foods, reducing stress, and creating a normal exercise routine are all key to a quality lifestyle. While this may not be as exciting as the new fad diet everyone's talking about or going to the doctor and getting a quick fix. it seems that, despite all the advances in technology, the oldest advice is still the best. You are what you eat.

Diets just don't work

Most people eventually reached the idea that there is no magic formula to instantly go from unhealthy to healthy. With that said, it takes gradual changes to get the best results, because most people can take small steps towards a healthier lifestyle. Calorie counting is part of it, but that's not the only thing involved. If you really want to make a lifestyle change, start replacing your processed foods with healthy fruits and vegetables that you can get from your supermarket. Look carefully at the fruits and vegetables that you're getting to make sure that they're not altered or have pesticides and other chemicals in them. One well-known cancer-causing agent is wax on apples so avoid those in the grocery store.

Manage Stress with Proven Techniques

Several scientific studies show a link between meditation and stress relief. Start by taking a free class available in almost every major city, or you can download free guided meditations online from a number of sources. You can even start just by taking a minimum of 5 minutes per day to do some deep breathing. It's amazing the difference five minutes a day can make.

The truth is, no matter what you decide, prescription drugs have many dangerous side effects. Achieving optimum health is easy if you eat right, reduce stress and add exercise to your daily routine.