According to the popular blog This is Beirut, alternative healthcare offers a promising career in Lebanon. Here is what it says about it:
Alternative Medicine/Natural Health Practitioner – I’m a firm believer in Alternative Medicine and Natural Health Care. Probably because I come from a family of advocates who place Alternative Medicine/Natural Health Care Practioners above Traditional Doctors. I’ll admit, I was a bit skeptical about it at first..we’re talking about naturopathy, herbalism, chinese medicine, Ayurveda, meditation, reiki, biofeedback, hypnosis, homeopathy, acupuncture, and nutritional-based therapies here. But after seeing what Alternative Medicine has done for me, my Mom, and especially my brother (who was born with the unfortunate allergy to both corn and eggs), you could call me a believer! Even the makeup I wear is plant based..but hey, that’s a discussion for another time. Back to the point.
Perhaps the most appealing thing about Alternative Medicine/Natural Health Care, is that it’s rooted in “preventative care” and is more about finding solutions to problems than creating temporary (and oftentimes addictive) fixes. (It’s these temporary fixes that keep Traditional Doctors and Pharmaceutical Companies in business afterall..they aren’t interested in curing anybody).
Now from what I know of Lebanese society, the majority of people are over-reliant on their pharmacist/family doctor, and have spent their lives popping pills for even the slightest problem. In addition to that, many people place great emphasis on looking good..even if they go about achieving it in the wrong way (starving themselves, taking diet pills, plastic surgery..etc etc). That being said, I think that slowly but surely people in Lebanon are becoming more aware of the benefits of leading a natural, healthy lifestyle..and eventually, they will begin seeking out (professionally trained) Alternative Medicine/Natural Health Care practicioners as they become frustrated with the shortcomings of traditional, western medicine. In conjunction with this, I think that dietitians and nutritionists like Paty M of Paty M’s Nutrition World, will begin to be in a lot higher demand,.. and schools and workplaces may even start to offer courses in nutrition..as healthy students/employees = more productive students/employees (ok maybe this last part is a bit of a pipe dream.)
