Quite simply, natural health means maintaining good health naturally through the air we breathe, the water we drink, the foods and fluids we consume, and also through our daily physical movement and activities, rest and sleep, and interactions with other people. In summary, it is how we live in our bodies on a daily basis.

Natural healing involves moving from a state of non-health into health using only natural means. If we fast to cleanse the body of mucous, seek massage therapy to ease aching muscles, or take herbal formulas to soothe an irritated throat, we are using a natural healing modality.
Natural health modalities such as homeopathy, herbology, iridology, bioenergetic methods, and nutrition, are non-invasive methods of health practice, which are designed to stimulate and maintain the body's intrinsic self-healing processes. Let's take a brief look at each of these modalities.

Homeopathy - Homeopathy, as founded by Samuel Hahnemann, is based on the concept of "like cures like" with the idea that remedies and symptoms sharing certain similar characteristics work together to aid the healing process.

Iridology - Iridology is the study of the colored part of the eye, the iris. According to Iridology, the iris contains fibers and pigmentations, which possibly indicate states of physical and psychological health. By determining the placement of fibers and variations in pigmentation in the iris, physical strengths and weaknesses due to environmental reactions, past physical reactions, emotional patterns, and inherited physiological qualities can be used to maintain and improve general health.

Herbology - This is a health practice, which utilizes the therapeutic applications of herbs and other botanical substances, such as roots, leaves, bark or berries of plants. These substances can be made into various forms of tablets, capsules, teas, lozenges, or poultices, and are generally sold over-the-counter in health food stores and neighborhood pharmacies.

Holistic Nutrition - Holistic Nutrition is the science of using natural, whole foods and nutritional supplements to detoxify, rebuild, and balance the whole person, with an awareness of how these dietary choices are interrelated with the condition of our body, emotions, spirit and the environment.

Energy - Energy work is a general term, which includes several healing modalities, including Reiki, Therapeutic Touch, Healing Touch, and other similar methods. Commonly known as "laying on of hands" in some traditions, energy work may be used to assist in the balancing of physical, emotional, and spiritual energies. It may help the body as it balances or heals itself from the challenges of our everyday lives, stress, and disease, and as it strives to maintain a healthy homeostasis. Our bodies are imbued with life energy, life force, chi, ki, or prana, connecting us to universal life force, or divine life energy. Energy work can also be used as a path to help us remain more connected to our inner selves, our spirits, and support us in our growing, healing, and transformative paths as we evolve physically, mentally, and spiritually.

Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) are therapies considered by mainstream Western medicine to be nontraditional measures used as complements to allopathic (conventional) medicine.

Traditional Western medicine excels in the treatment of infectious disease, acute illnesses, and trauma. However, this system does not adequately address prevention, optimal wellness, or chronic disease.

Certain systems of CAM such as Ayurveda and Traditional Chinese Medicine surpass conventional medicine in these areas. Other systems address the energy of our body in a gentle manner, such as homeopathy, rather than harsh energy medicine such as radiation oncology.
CAM embraces such mind/body techniques as hypnotherapy, yoga, and biofeedback.

Acupuncture is an example of a nonbiomedical system of healing that has few complications or adverse reactions.

We live in a fast-paced society filled with stress and environmental pollution. We have been conditioned to expect fast results and told it is acceptable to pop a pill whenever we have the slightest amount of discomfort. Marketing companies have spent billions in advertising to convince us to eat junk food.

Incorporating natural health modalities into your life can assist you in achieving radiant health, balance of body, and emotional stability, but internal and external changes will need to be made. Good health begins by obtaining and applying knowledge. You can take charge of your health and begin living a healthy lifestyle.

About the Author
About the author – Kathy Browning is a healing arts practitioner and wellness coach. She is also the Editor-In-Chief of "The Art of Living Well", an ezine focused on the mind, body, spirit connection and the author of "Feng Shui for Abundant Living". Be sure to visit http://www.cancercomfort.com for more information.