The reality, the sometimes long, hard slog to achieve the vision is a different matter. And then there are events – financial downturns, loss of one's income, bereavements, injuries, need I continue, which conspire to derail so many projects and result in our inability to achieve our cherished dreams. We are currently in such a period now, which is curtailing resources, wiping out many enterprises apart those who are cash rich, and forcing a return to individual resourcefulness. The climate of fear engendered by the loss of one's income, job or home unleashes many of our most scary deep-seated demons of being left destitute and uncared for, fears inherited from our parent's generation of growing up in the depression or the privations of wartime.

The truisms of our age and lifetime are in my view accurately reflected in the huge spectrum in content within Positive Health PH, which I guess is reflective in the vastness in which I see healthcare, not separated into a pecking order of myriads of disciplines, but a completely interwoven web of numerous specialities, appropriate to treat various conditions in specific individuals.

The articles across this spectrum range from the highly clinical and disciplines such as Bodywork specialities – Massage, Osteopathy, Physiotherapy, Nutritional, Herbal, Chinese and Ayurvedic Medicine, to mind-oriented disciplines such as Neurolinguistic Programming (NLP),  Psychotherapy and Hypnotherapy, to the somewhat less left-brain oriented energy treatment approaches such as Energy Medicine techniques, Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT), Thought Field Therapy (TFT), Eye Movement Desensitisation Reprogramming (EMDR), Meditation, Visualization.  Then there are the many other clinical traditions including Naturopathy, Aromatherapy, Homeopathy.

The perceived perception within various health professional groups to the huge spectrum in content within Positive Health PH and Complementary Medicine in general has always been highly reflective of the political, clinical and social outlook of each organization and its members. I, however, do not share the hierarchical view of many of them; rather I look at the healthcare interests of the individual and if the treatment followed results in clinical improvement and cure.

This is why I am so pleased to publish the range of features in this July Issue 160 of PH Online, with the Cover Story Resolving Depression with Emotional Freedom Techniques, authoritative fact-filled features including Herbal Medicines to Reduce the Excitatory Effect of Histamine and Treat Allergic Conditions and Herbal and Nutritional Approaches to Women's Hormonal Conditions, the Case Study Unravelling A Tight Psoas Mystery, as well as imaginative and inspiring features such as The Soul, Energy and Polarity.

In this issue are also important letters regarding Codex Alimentarius, and Fluoride toxicity which I encourage all to read and digest (no pun intended).

Also, and perhaps most importantly, are the Research Updates, one of which by Khaw et al – Combined impact of health behaviours and mortality in men and women: the EPIC-Norfolk prospective population study – has profound implications upon all of our health.

These researchers from University of Cambridge School of Clinical Medicine researched, in a population of >20,000 men and women aged 45-79 years with no history of cancer or heart disease,  how four health behaviours: 1) Non-smoking; 2) Not physically inactive; 3) Moderate alcohol intake (1-14 units per week); 4) Plasma vitamin C > 50 mmol/l, indicating at least five daily servings of fruit and vegetables – influenced mortality.

The results were fairly spectacular in my view. After an 11 year follow-up, when you compared those individuals with points for four health behaviours with those with zero of these health behaviours, the relative risks (RR) for all-cause mortality were 4.04, i.e. there was a 400% or 4-fold lower risk of dying, which was equivalent to being 14 years younger in chronological age. These health behaviours are not in any sense difficult or draconian or extreme to follow, yet the results are awesomely impressive. I commend this Research Update to all PH Online readers.

I do not make any claims to have paranormal or psychic abilities to predict the future – be it in any political, economic or health sense – and I am buffeted by the same technological and other winds of change that are blowing over us all. However, I do feel confident that viewing healthcare in its entirety and not in compartmentalized cubby holes is how we can all be helped to achieve our optimum health in body, mind and soul.