Posted on: Friday, January 28, 2005
PBS reports on 'Holistic Health'
By Wayne Harada
Advertiser Entertainment Writer
A Public Broadcasting television special, "Holistic Health from Hawaii," which examines holistic health and alternative medicine, will be shown at 8 p.m. on Feb. 10 on PBS Hawai'i.
Courtesy Andrea Dean "People the world over recognize Hawai'i as a place of health and rejuvenation. Hawai'i is the perfect place to launch a series like this," said Hawai'i producer Andrea Dean.
The program sheds light on a number of health concerns, asking questions then attempting to provide answers.
Does acupuncture really work, and if so, how? Is there such a thing as qi, a healing energy force? Can a serious heart disease be cured without surgery? Is a natural Hawaiian herb a cure for cancer? Do yoga and meditation actually cause changes in physical health?
Guest experts include Dr. Dean Ornish, developer of the Heart Healthy Lifestyle Program for preventing and curing heart disease; actress Mariel Hemingway, author of a new book on yoga and meditation called "Finding My Balance"; Dr. Edwin Cadman, dean of the John A. Burns School of Medicine at the University of Hawai'i; Dr. John Westerdahl, director of Wellness & Lifestyle Medicine at Castle Medical Center in Kailua; and Dr. Terry Shintani, author of "Hawai'i Diet: The Good Carbohydrate Revolution" and director of preventative and integrative medicine at the Wai'anae Coast Comprehensive Health Center.
Segments include a visit to the Manakai O Malama Integrative Healthcare Group & Rehabilitation Center Inc. in Honolulu and an interview with acupuncturist Dr. Xiaoging Yang. The practice of qi gong is explored by Hong Liu, world-renowned qi gong expert.
At the Preventive Medicine Research Institute in Sausalito, Calif., Ornish explains his diet and lifestyle program, which has cured heart disease without surgery or the use of statin drugs. Two patients who were told they would die without surgery discuss their success with Ornish.
The curative effects of the Hawaiian fruit noni are explored in a visit to the Cancer Research Center of Hawai'i.
From her Los Angeles home, actress Hemingway shares personal experiences, describing how she used yoga and meditation to deal with family crises.
"Holistic Health from Hawaii" was created by veteran journalist Stewart Cheifet, former host and creator of the long-running PBS series "Computer Chronicles," and Hawai'i producer Dean. The program is hosted by former Hawai'i residents and former KITV-4 reporters Emerald Yeh and Cheifet. Yeh is the winner of nine Emmy awards. The production work was done locally by Robert Stone of Stoneman Productions.
The one-hour show was partially filmed on O'ahu and Maui, with other footage from Los Angeles and San Francisco. The special is a pilot for the development of a possible weekly series from Hawai'i. The weekly show would be anchored here but would travel around the country to report on the latest information about alternative medicine, new medical technology, healthy lifestyle products and services.
Qi gong, a self-healing art that combines movement and meditation, will be among the topics addressed in a PBS special on alternative medicine and healthcare services.
