Distance Learning Naturopathy: No Longer A Second-Rate Alternative

Naturopathy is simply another word for natural medicine. It is a very old science (the word 'science' means knowledge) which has its roots in Indian and Chinese healing traditions. In the west these traditions have branched out into many different disciplines, but the core of them all is naturopathic nutritional therapy, or simply naturopathic nutrition.

Naturopathy Schools

Naturopathic training nowadays fall into two types. The first type is sometimes known as 'natural hygiene'. It is all about eating fresh, natural (often raw) food, internal cleansing, detoxification and fasting. With this type of naturopathy, little has changed since pre-antibiotic times, when naturopathy was practised by Harry Benjamin, Henry Lindlahr and similar leaders of the natural health movement. It was a very real and frequently effective treatment choice for killer infectious diseases. Before the advent of antibiotics, diseases like scarlet fever, diphtheria and tuberculosis were the biggest public health problems of the day.

Nowadays, chronic ill-health in the form of arthritis, heart disease or hormonal problems is our greatest challenge. Traditional naturopathy can sometimes help these conditions, but it is a 'one diet fits all' approach which can be limited in its effect.

The other type of naturopathic school tends to model itself on conventional medical schools, with an ever-stricter adherence to what is known as the 'evidence-based' model. The teaching of important therapeutic knowledge gleaned by masters over many decades, is often left out of these courses in favour of teaching the results of clinical trials on nutritional supplements and herbal medicines.

These schools may also phase out older editions of books and include only texts which have been rewritten to omit so-called 'unscientific' therapeutic insights, leaving only references to clinical trials and similar research. A notable example is the wonderful original edition of Rudolf Fritz Weiss' book 'Herbal Medicine' which was bursting with pure gold for a practitioner whose priority is to help sick people. I have a copy of this book which I would not trade for 1,000 copies of the latest 'scientifically censored' edition.

Getting People Well Again

Sadly it is all too common now for the most famous schools of naturopathy to follow this so-called 'evidence-based' route. After a student has spent 100,000 dollars and four years of his or her life on this type of training, the student may find that he or she is actually lacking a basic grasp of holistic health, and does not understand why many patients are not responding to the treatment.

After all, if your practice is based on the principle that a 'significant percentage' of women with premenstrual syndrome respond to a particular vitamin supplement, then by copying this treatment you are only going to help the same proportion of your own patients. In medical practice a 'significant percentage' only means those who did better than the patients who were given a dummy treatment.

On the other hand if you study with a master who is dedicated to finding the most effective clinical approach for everybody - whether from their own experience or by also studying advice from past masters - you may be more likely to achieve what you originally wanted when you signed up for your course: to get people well again.

Distance Learning Naturopathy: A New Training Solution?

As I wrote my books over the years, I wanted very much to start a training course which would help to rectify some of the problems I have described. But starting a school is a major project, not to be taken lightly. I did teach many short 'skills development' courses for already-qualified naturopaths, and these courses were always well received. One thing I learned from my students was how stressful it was for them to travel to classes. The UK is not a large country, but even so, the distance and expense of travel was prohibitive for almost everyone who lived more than 100 miles away.

But would a distance-learning course be acceptable? After much thought and planning I believed that I could make a distance learning naturopathy course just as good as a course taught in class. The more I thought about it, the more advantages I saw for the student. Not only greater affordability and convenience, but also greater ease of learning, and better student-teacher contact.

When you think about it, how much student-teacher contact do you get in a classroom? You travel 100 miles to listen to a couple of days lectures and put your hand up to ask questions. You can get the same information online and ask your questions in an online forum, where you would probably get a better answer because the teacher has had the chance to think about it. In class you have to try to write down the teacher's answer and decipher it later. In an online forum the answer is written out for you in full.

Online courses can now easily include video content to vary the learning experience - much better than listening to a lecture droning on. It is well known that the average student starts to lose concentration after about 25 minutes and needs a break. If you have to attend lectures for a whole day or a whole weekend, frequent beaks are not possible. But online they are. Just pause the video and have a cup of green tea.

Accreditation For Distance Learning Graduates

After qualifying, graduates of a naturopathy course need to be able to join a national professional association. This allows them to get the practitioner insurance that they need in order to set up legally in private practice. Naturopathic health advisors also need professional insurance if they work for health food stores, health clubs or vitamin companies.

This is why all practitioner training courses need to be accredited by a national professional association that is recognized by insurers. Recently, many forward-thinking professional associations are beginning to recognize that a distance learning qualification from a good school can produce good practitioners. (See the link at the end to find an accredited course.)

Modern Naturopathy

Modern naturopathy does need to incorporate knowledge gained from modern research. But I don't believe that this means forgetting what our predecessors taught us. Naturopathy is about understanding the human body and how it becomes ill. Only then can the most appropriate treatment be applied. Sadly this basic principle is being eroded away in the mainstream schools of naturopathy. I believe that some of the best training can now be found in smaller schools and by learning from well-respected master teachers. Naturopathy distance learning may well be the way forward.

Linda Lazarides is one of Britain's most respected naturopathic medicine experts. She is founder of the British Association for Nutritional Therapy and author of eight books on health and nutrition, including the best-selling Waterfall Diet and A Textbook of Modern Naturopathy. In January 2011 Linda launched the internationally-accredited School of Modern Naturopathy, an online distance-learning school to train naturopathic practitioners in all countries.

Truck Insurance and a License: No Longer Enough Regulation for Small Motor Carriers?

Having a good-standing license and appropriate commercial truck insurance used to be enough for shippers to contract motor carriers, but new information made public by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, (FMCSA), is causing many small trucking companies to worry that an already-stifled economy could get even worse.

Thanks to the FMCSA's new CSA 2010 program, information regarding company accident history, driver fitness, equipment upkeep and several other safety-related categories is now available to shippers and other freight companies alike by simply logging into the FMSCA website and viewing a comprehensive score.

What is CSA 2010?

CSA 2010, which stands for "compliance, safety and accountability," is a system proposed by the FMCSA in December of 2010 to publish a safety score for motor carriers and independent truckers to prospective employers, as well as their competition.

According to the FMCSA, an agency formed in January of 2000 that regulates the national trucking industry, the goal of CSA 2010 is to increase safety standards and reduce accidents that occur during commercial transit.

Arguments against CSA 2010

Several trucking associations that represent over 2,700 small trucking companies are challenging the FMCSA on the grounds that current CSA 2010 standards produce overall safety scores that may not be accurate. They're worried the scores will cost motor carriers jobs unfairly by increasing false conclusions based on speculation.

Trucking company spokesmen have gone on record expressing concerns for the methods by which safety scores are calculated, stating that accidents caused by other drivers will sky-rocket the scores of smaller companies, costing them jobs because motor carriers will be making false assumptions from the CSA 2010 data.

The scoring system is set on a scale of 1-100, 100 being the worst, that's derived from several categories including several possibly subjective categories such as "Unsafe driving, fatigued driving, driver fitness, controlled substance abuse, vehicle maintenance, cargo-related accidents and an overall crash indicator."

Effect on Independent Truckers

The Owner Operator Independent Driver Association, (OOIDA), has expressed concerns about the system on record as well, claiming the standards for arriving at scores is weighted against independent drivers by counting 3 years of violations and infractions as opposed to the 2 required for motor carriers.

Furthermore, the organization expresses concerns about counting all infractions including warning tickets as opposed to just convictions.

Some speculate the commercial truck insurance industry might unfairly spike rates based on the public information as well.

Official Stance and Current State of CSA 2010

According to the FMCSA official website, the initiative is meant to "improve large truck and bus safety and ultimately reduce crashes, injuries, and fatalities that are related to commercial motor vehicles." They further contend CSA 2010 "establishes a new nationwide system for making the roads safer for motor carriers and the public alike!!"

As of January 4th, 2010, CSA 2010 information is currently public and available to view on the FMCSA official site.

Patrick Winchester is a freelance writer who tells it like it is. He can also save you rates while upping your commercial truck insurance coverage. Don't buy it? Visit http://www.royaltytruckinsurance.com to find out how.

The Heart of Leadership - How to Produce More and Live Longer

Emotional Intelligence is at the Heart of Leadership. The emotionally intelligent leader has the ability to recognize and manage his emotions, and can empathize with a diverse range of people. In addition, he possesses a highly fluid, many sided personality composed of a broad range of personality opposites.

An emotionally intelligent leader can share himself authentically, even in the presence of fear.

Leaders who demonstrate Emotional Intelligence inspire loyalty, and trust, retain talent, create atmospheres in which creative ideas flourish and have better bottom lines. No less important, emotional intelligence is a protective force in the battle against the nation's number one killer, heart disease. Leaders with emotional intelligence are able to discharge toxic emotions which effect the heart. Secondly, they are able to create intimate relationships which protect the heart. Finally, they manage their emotions in ways that promote heart healthy behaviors.

Leaders who are inauthentic or self deceptive often face difficulties retaining talent, inspiring trust, and remaining competitive. Perhaps more discomforting, leaders who wear masks increase their odds of succumbing to a heart attack. Continuous secretion of stress hormones, unhealthy behaviors, and compromised relationships increase the risk of heart disease, particularly in those leaders who already have one or more of the known risk factors.

Leaders with emotional intelligence are more likely to have a "Survivor Personality". Their endorsement of a combination of personality opposites allows emotionally intelligent leaders to empathize with a diverse set of people, promoting social harmony and shared values. Such a leader maximizes his chances of creating a vibrant and competitive company, as well as increasing his longevity.

In contrast, leaders with an "At Risk" personality have unipolar personality traits, the product of defensiveness. Disowning or denying significant aspects of himself creates blindspots in the leader. The "banishment" of large parts of himself, leaves the leader vulnerable to excessive stress and makes him less adaptive to change in the workplace.

Emotional Intelligence increases the odds of long term survival for the company, as well as the company's leader. Leaders who are able to recognize and manage their own emotions, and can draw upon a wide range of personality traits, increase the bottom line and maximize their chances of survival.