Natural medicine takes spotlight at March 29 health symposium

DANIEL CLIFTON • PICAYUNE EDITOR
MARBLE FALLS — As a new fast-food restaurant pops up in the Highland Lakes community, pharmacist Kevin Atkins wonders where we’re all headed if we don’t start taking a good look at our health and wellness, from a more natural perspective.
“When I see a new fast-food restaurant open up or look at a school menu, it does make me think about what this means to our health,” he said. “And one of the main purposes behind this symposium is getting people to really think about their health and things like natural medicine, nutrition and wellness.”
Atkins Pharmacy is sponsoring the first Natural Health Symposium from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. March 29 at the Lakeside Pavilion, 307 Buena Vista Drive. The event is free.
“This isn’t just something where you come and get some goodies or to buy something,” Atkins said. “This is an educational event, which is why we’re calling it a symposium.”
The program will offer demonstrations on healthy cooking, tips on weight control, as well as information on herbal tinctures, natural supplements and therapies. The focus is on providing people with information on natural health and wellness products, services and techniques.
“It’s not an either-or thing when it comes to natural health and conventional healthcare,” Atkins said. “Many times, it’s using both. It’s individual in nature.”
The immediate goal of the symposium is to educate people about natural health care and related practices and methods. Atkins pointed out big pharmaceutical companies spend millions and millions of dollars a year educating doctors, pharmacists and the public on their products, yet very little is spent on promoting the natural health ideas and methods.
Yet, he said, natural health methods can often provide people with viable and effective ways to protect their health and keep it. For instance, Atkins said eating strawberries can help reduce a person’s cholesterol.
“Did you know that?” he asked. “Most people don’t because it’s not promoted. Yet wouldn’t you love to reduce your cholesterol by eating strawberries.”
He added that the effect of a cold can be reduced by eating certain levels of Vitamin A at the onset.
“There are all these natural medicine ways that nobody knows about,” Atkins said. “That’s what this symposium is all about — educating people.”
A great deal of natural health puts the emphasis on preventive care.
The Highland Lakes already has quite a few natural medicine and health services and products available, but many people don’t know about those either. So the Natural Health Symposium will bring many of them under one roof so area residents can learn all that’s available.
People will be able to pick up samples of products, and there will be more than $4,000 in prizes given away during the event. But the main emphasis is educating the public.
“I think the more people learn about natural medicine, the more they’ll understand the benefits of it,” Atkins said.
Go to www.atkinspharmacy.com or call (830) 693-2972 for more information. You can also stop by one of Atkins Pharmacy’s two locations at 701 Third Street or 2607 U.S. 281 in Marble Falls to learn more about the natural medicine available.
daniel@thepicayune.com