Health Summit draws crowds

Article orginally printed in the Salt Lake Tribune, November 24, 2006. Written by Wendy Frank.

Alternative medicine attracted the curious and those skeptical of traditional methods, to the South Towne Expo.

The Alternative Health Summit that wrapped up recently at the South Towne Expo Center served as a magnet for the curious, including medical practional Yentai Ng of West Jordan.

"I just came to check things out," said Ng, who claims he can see people's auras and their past lives.

Presented by Derrick Walker, founder of the Alternative Medicine Referral Network, the event was an East-meets-West convergence of medicine, science and spirituality.

"There 's so much to learn at each booth," said Janet Ainsworth of Bluffdale. "I only visited four in five hours."

All told, there were 40 booths touting the latest in nontraditional therapeutic practics and products -- everything from a fermented soy beverage concocted to protect patients from the toxic effects of chemotherapy and radiation to a device that applied vibrational frequencies to supposedly boost flexibility and muscle strength.

For people plagued by a general malaise, there was an ionic-detoxification process that was said to draw toxins from the body. For an aching neck or back, there was a thermal-massage bed system. There also was Quantum Touch healing for people who tote backpacks or babies and had their hips out of line.

Natalie Bowman of Payson was impressed with the hip therapy she received from Mary Strack. "When she put her hands on my hips," Bowman said, I felt a warmth. And when she finished, I actually felt lighter, like a weight had been lifted."

Fad dieters at the summit had lots of information to digest, particularly from a testimonial-filled newsletter about losing inches and boosting the immune system through swallong colostrum supplements.

A huge draw at the event was the electrodermal-assessment machine, voted the world's top light-acupuncture machine by the German Acupuncture Society. For some, a shot ofr two of exotic hand-packaged tea was energizing enough. Others gravitated to samples of dark chocolate made from unprocessed cocoa, assured they would be lowering their "bad" cholesterol, not upping their weight.

There was plenty more to devour in presentations such as "Spirituality and Healing" by special guest, Dr. Joan Borysenko, "Remote Viewing" (the ablility to perceive people and things in distant time) by Talia Shafir, "Earthing" (healing through barefoot contact with the earth) by Clint Ober, and "Feng Shui clutter clearing" by Claudia Draper.

Many at the summit said they turned to alternative medicine after more traditional approaches failed to heal their health woes.

"In my teens I became very sick,"said Terry Austin of Draper. "octors did the best they could, but that led me on a differrent journey to something bigger out there. Drugs aren't the answer." Added Sandy Root, also of Draper, "Whatever we can do to take charge of our medical care through self-education will enable us to make more informed choices."

For more information about the Alternative Medicine Referral Network, call Derrick Walker at 800-498-5640.