Hey! Stop being a lazy (and often unwell) American and get off your ass!

If you do find yourself ill, think about the alternative to conventional medicine and try an Eastern method.

Conventional drugs trick the body into feeling temporarily well, while alternatives such as Acupuncture, Ayurveda and Chinese herbal nutrition heal and strengthen the immune system.

Eastern medicine advocates prevention through healthful upkeep and addresses the symptoms of sickness, a healthier and safer approach.

Unfortunately, many neglect taking care of their bodies, depending instead on prescription meds and obeying their drug-company influenced doctors for a quick fix.

Americans need to learn to strengthen their immune systems before they come down with the latest super-virus.

Instead of loafing on the couch snacking on junk food, hit the gym or a yoga class on campus. A healthy body is a shield against germs. Increasing vitamin intake is also beneficial. Ever heard of vegetables? Eat them - the more the better.

Are you an insomniac? Why drug yourself when you can take Valerian Root supplementtarget=new or drink Chamomile tea. Feeling anxious and depressed? Meditation and yoga have been proven to help ease pain.

A Swiss study showed that patients suffering from multiple sclerosis who participated in a "mindfulness meditation program" experienced less depression.

Most doctors won't mention alternative medicine options because Western medical schools are segregated into organ-specific departments: brain, heart, skin, lungs.

They neglect to address the body as a whole. And the connection between a healthy body and mind is ignored time and again.

Pfizer is the largest pharmaceutical company in the world, developing medications such as Viagra, and cholesterol-lowering Lipitor. In 1996, when an outbreak of measles and cholera hit Nigeria, Pfizer introduced an experimental antibiotic to approximately 200 children.

According to Nigerian officials, more than 50 of them died as a result of the experiment, while many others developed mental and physical deformities.

In spite of this and other drug-related snafus, Fortune Magazine reported that the pharmaceutical industry raked in more than $52 million in 2007.

However, we can't blame it all on the pharmaceutical industry or conventional medicine.
It's our responsibility to take care of our minds and bodies and start making wise and healthy decisions.