health-tips

How does human body eliminate dead cells?

2009-04-05T08:05:00.000-07:00

The human body is a complicated system which operates much like a self-contained city. Some organs produce new cells, others use cells to perform their jobs, and eventually certain scavenger cells arrive to remove dead cells from the system. In the case of the human body, these scavengers are specialized white blood cells called macrophages. Macrophages remove dead cells essentially by eating them, which helps to explain why the word macrophage means "big eater" in Greek.

When external skin cells die, there are a number of mechanical and chemical methods used to slough them off. Exfoliants and scrub brushes are often employed to remove dead cells and encourage new cell turnover. But dead cells within the human body are not so easily removed. They go through a much more complicated elimination process, which is not always as efficient or thorough as one might hope.

Living cells become dead cells through two different processes. Many body cells are programmed to die at a prescribed time, through a process called apoptosis. Red blood cells, for example, are programmed to die after 120 days of service. Other cells, such as white blood cells, may be programmed to die an apoptotic death after only a few days. These dead cells may continue to flow through the body's bloodstream or collect in various organs, but they are clearly no longer contributing to the system.

The other process for creating dead cells is called necrosis. Necrotic cell death usually occurs after a trauma or infection or other shock to the system. When cells become necrotic, they may be removed through surgery or other medical intervention, but often they enter the bloodstream in the same way as apoptic cells. The body cannot function well with an overabundance of dead cells, so macrophages take on the mission of breaking down the excess.

A macrophage cell can literally detect dead cells through smell, much like a scavenger bird detects dead animals. Whenever dead cells reach the part of the bloodstream patrolled by a macrophage, the macrophages surround them and convert them into easily removed components. At the same time, the macrophage covers the dead cells with a substance known as an antigen. This action tags the cells for further attack from other types of cells in the body's immune system. Ideally, the macrophages and killer T-cells should render both dead cells and foreign invaders harmless enough to re-enter the bloodstream for elimination.

When macrophages become overwhelmed, however, they may allow some dead cells to pass through unprocessed. The DNA from those cells may trigger an inflammatory reaction as the dead cells combine with other substances. This process is the basis for many autoimmune diseases such as Crohn's disease or lupus. Bolstering the body's macrophages is often a course of treatment recommended for autoimmune diseases and even some forms of cancer.

Once the macrophages and other immune system components have essentially digested the body's dead cells, the cells make their way through the bloodstream and eventually into the digestive system for final disposition. This means that the solid waste we call fecal matter is largely composed of dead cells sloughed off by the various organs and processed for elimination by macrophages.

Importance of Saying "NO" - Time Management!!

2009-04-05T05:36:00.000-07:00

Whether it's in the workplace or the more intimate (close) setting of family relationships, perhaps one of the greatest challenges today is developing the ability to say 'NO' for the right reason, at the right moment and in the right way. There are many reasons why we tend to say 'YES' when we know we should say 'NO'. These include the fear of annoying someone (loss of approval), looking incapable (loss of face), avoiding an argument or confrontation (loss of temper) or even feeling guilty at not being there for someone (loss of relationship).

When it comes to saying NO, time is not the real issue, it is self-esteem / self-respect. If they are intact they will govern both what you say so and how you say it. Saying NO reactively out of fear or resentment will only generate the same reaction in return. However an assertive and affirmative NO once made is never defended, explained or justified.

Don't Panic!!

2009-04-05T04:04:00.000-07:00

The right aid in a medical emergency can save precious minutes and speed up recovery.

Health emergencies don't give warnings before they strike. While calling in for the ambulance and consulting your doctor are the obvious things to do, every moment before the treatment begins counts. The right aid can lessen the damage and increase chances of a speedy recovery. Here are the most common health emergencies and how you can deal with them.

Heart attack

Warning signs

• Most heart attacks are characterised by pain at the centre of the chest. The pain can be increasingly excruciating.
• There can also be pain in the neck, shoulders, back and surrounding area.
• Perspiration.
• Sudden weakness.
• Shortness of breath.
• Dryness of mouth due to fall in blood pressure.

First Aid

• Do not allow the person to stand up or walk.
• Loosen the clothing and get them to lie down. Reassure the patient as you call medical help. Reassurance goes a long way.
• Don’t ignore the symptoms thinking they will go away.
• Even if the pain is mild, do not to run, climb stairs or indulge in any such strenuous activity as it will cause further damage.
• If the person has suffered heart attack before, he/she is likely to have medication (nitrates) handy. These are to be administered by keeping them under the tongue. Nitrates cause dilation of arteries and help relieve pain.
• Do not feed the person anything except the medication.

High Blood Pressure

Warning signs

• Severe headache
• Giddiness
• Restlessness
• Sweating
• Stiffening of body
• Sudden weakness
• Nose bleeds

First Aid

• Take deep breaths and practice meditation.
• Generally, high blood pressure is triggered from a stressful situation. Move away from it as soon as possible.
• Nose bleeds are the body’s way of relieving in-built pressure. Put ice cold water in the nose and on the person’s head to stop it.
• Give the victim fruit juices (with no salt). These are high in potassium which will help bring the pressure down, albeit to a small extent.

Low Blood Pressure

Warning signs

• Sudden weakness
• Giddiness
• Blurred vision
• Unconsciousness
• Feeling faint
• Dryness of mouth and tongue.

First Aid

• Make the person lie down. Unconsciousness is the body’s way of combating the situation. When you lie on the ground, the gravity acting on your body is comparatively less.
• Do not make the person get up suddenly; the BP will plummet further.
• Give the patient plain electrolyte solution or a nimbu-pani with salt.

Asthma

Warning signs

• Rapid breathing
• Difficulty in exhaling
• Audible sound from the lungs when breathing
• Difficulty in talking
• A sweaty face

First Aid

• Ensure the person is immediately removed from the trigger. It can be pollens, perfume, dust etc.
• Calm the person and make him/her sit comfortably.
• Make them inhale steam. This moistens the wind pipe and provides relief. Do not add any menthol or balm to the waterl; it will worsen the condition.
• If an inhaler is handy, assist him/her to use the same.

Hypoglycaemia (Low sugar)

Warning signs

• Weakness
• Feeling overly exhausted
• Feeling irritable and angry
• Sweating and palpitation (especially in case of diabetics. In non-diabetics, the symptoms often construed as mere mood swings).

First Aid

• Eat raw sugar, rasgullas, chocolates, or even glucose biscuits.
• Refrain from alcohol and soft drinks until you get your glucose level tested as these dehydrate the body and might worsen the condition.
• Follow a diet rich in Vitamin C and Vitamin E.

Fits

There are as many as 10 different types of fits known. The classic fits, as understood, have the following signs:

• Body spasms
• Jerking limbs
• Rolling up of eyes
• Bladder and bowel incontinence

First Aid

• It is important to protect the person from injury. Make him/her lie down on the flat surface, away from sharp objects.
• Loosen the clothing.
• Do not try to restrain the person thinking the fits will stop. The spasms will stop eventually.
• Do not feed them anything — not even water — until the fits have completely subsided. The food/drink might slip into the windpipe and cause him/her to choke.
• After the fits subside, feed the person glucose syrup or any high-energy liquid, as fits drain out energy

Cancer Prevention Update!!

2009-04-05T03:51:00.001-07:00

AFTER YEARS OF TELLING PEOPLE CHEMOTHERAPY IS THE ONLY WAY TO TRY (TRY THE KEY WORD) AND ELIMINATE CANCER, JOHNHOPKINS HOSPITAL (IN USA ) IS FINALLY STARTING TO TELL YOU THERE IS AN ALTERNATIVE WAY .

1. Every person has cancer cells in the body.These cancer cells do not show up in the standard tests until they have multiplied to a few billion. When doctors tell cancer patients that there are no more cancer cells in their bodies after treatment, it just means the tests are unable to detect the cancer cells because they have not reached the detectable size.

2. Cancer cells occur between 6 to more than 10 times in a person's lifetime.

3. When the person's immune system is strong the cancer cells will be destroyed and prevented from multiplying and forming tumors.

4. When a person has cancer it indicates the person has multiple nutritional deficiencies. These could be due to genetic, environmental, food and lifestyle factors.

5. To overcome the multiple nutritional deficiencies, changing diet and including supplements will strengthen the immune system.

6. Chemotherapy involves poisoning the rapidly growing cancer cells and also destroys rapidly-growing healthy cells in the bone marrow, gastro-intestinal tract etc, and can cause organ damage, like liver, kidneys, heart, lungs etc.

7. Radiation while destroying cancer cells also burns, scars and damages healthy cells, tissues and organs.

8. Initial treatment with chemotherapy and radiation will often reduce tumor size. However prolonged use of chemotherapy and radiation do not result in more tumor destruction.

9. When the body has too much toxic burden from chemotherapy and radiation the immune system is either compromised or destroyed, hence the person can succumb to various kinds of infections and complications.

10. Chemotherapy and radiation can cause cancer cells to mutate and become resistant and difficult to destroy. Surgery can also cause cancer cells to spread to other sites.

11. An effective way to battle cancer is to starve the cancer cells by not feeding it with the foods it needs to multiply.

CANCER CELLS FEED ON :

a. Sugar , is a cancer-feeder.

By cutting off sugar it cuts off one important food supply to the cancer cells. Sugar substitutes like Nutrasweet, Equal, Spoonful, etc are made with Aspartame and it is harmful. A better natural substitute would be Manuka honey or molasses but only in very small amounts. Table salt has a chemical added to make it white in colour. Better alternative is Bragg's aminos or sea salt. ( THE WEST MADE US 2 CHANGE FROM SEA 2 WHITE IODISED SALT )

b. Milk causes the body to produce mucus, especially in the gastro-intestinal tract. Cancer feeds on mucus ..

By cutting off milk and substituting with unsweetened soya milk cancer cells are being starved.

c. Cancer cells thrive in an acid environment .

A meat-based diet is acidic Meat also contains livestock antibiotics, growth hormones and parasites, which are all harmful,especially to people with cancer.

d. A diet made of 80% fresh vegetables and juice, whole grains, seeds, nuts and a little fruits help put the body into an alkaline environment .

About 20% can be from cooked food including beans. Fresh vegetable juices provide live enzymes that are easily absorbed and reach down to cellular levels within 15 minutes to nourish and enhance growth of healthy cells. To obtain live enzymes for building healthy cells try and drink fresh vegetable juice (most vegetables including bean sprouts) and eat some raw vegetables 2 or 3 times a day.. Enzymes are destroyed at temperatures of 104 degrees F (40 degrees C).

e. Avoid coffee, tea, and chocolate, which have high caffeine .

Green tea is a better alternative and has cancer-fighting properties . Water- best to drink purified water, or filtered, to avoid known toxins and heavy metals in tap water. Distilled water is acidic, avoid it.

12. Meat protein is difficult to digest and requires a lot of digestive enzymes. Undigested meat remaining in the intestines become putrified and leads to more toxic buildup.

13. Cancer cell walls have a tough protein covering. By refraining from or eating less meat it frees more enzymes to attack the protein walls of cancer cells and allows the body's killer cells to destroy the cancer cells.

14. Some supplements build up the immune system (IP6, Flor ssence,Essiac, anti-oxidants, vitamins,minerals, EFAs etc.) to enable the body's own killer cells to destroy cancer cells.

Other supplements like vitamin E are known to cause apoptosis, or programmed cell death, the body's normal method of disposing of damaged, unwanted, or unneeded cells.

15. Cancer is a disease of the mind,body, and spirit. A proactive and positive spirit will help the cancer warrior be a survivor.

Anger, un forgiveness and bitterness put the body into a stressful and acidic environment . Learn to have a loving and forgiving spirit. Learn to relax and enjoy life.

16. Cancer cells cannot thrive in an oxygenated environment. Exercising daily, and deep breathing help to get more oxygen down to the cellular level. Oxygen therapy is another means employed to destroy cancer cells.

PLEASE READ ON

1. No plastic containers in micro.

2. No water bottles in freezer.

3. No plastic wrap in microwave.

Johns Hopkinshas recently sent this out in its newsletters. This information is being circulated at WalterReedArmyMedic alCenter as well. Dioxin chemicals causes cancer, especially breast cancer.

Dioxins are highly poisonous to the cells of our bodies. Don't freeze your plastic bottles with water in them as this releases dioxins from the plastic. Recently, Dr. Edward Fujimoto, Wellness Program Manager at CastleHospitalwas on a TV program to explain this health hazard.

He talked about dioxins and how bad they are for us. He said that we should not be heating our food in the microwave using plastic containers. This especially applies to foods that contain fat.

He said that the combination of fat, high heat, and plastics releases dioxin into the food and ultimately into the cells of the body.

Instead, he recommends using glass, such as CorningWare, Pyrex or ceramic containers for heating food.

You get the same results, only without the dioxin. So such things as TV dinners, instant ramen and soups, etc., should be removed from the container and heated in something else. Paper isn't bad but you don't know what is in the paper. It's just safer to use tempered glass, CorningWare, etc. He reminded us that a while ago some of the fast food restaurants moved away from the foam containers to paper. The dioxin problem is one of the reasons.

Also, he pointed out that plastic wrap, such as Saran, is just as dangerous when placed over foods to be cooked in the microwave. As the food is nuked, the high heat causes poisonous toxins to actually melt out of the plastic wrap and drip into the food. Cover food with a paper towel instead.

Rocket Fuel for your Brain!!

2009-04-04T17:02:00.000-07:00

Do you find yourself forgetting where you left your car keys… or just feel like your brain is in a fog sometimes?

Contrary to popular belief, forgetfulness is not just a normal part of growing older. As you age, your brain loses critical nutrients that it needs to fire on all cylinders.

If your mental spark plugs aren’t firing like they used to, don’t worry. I’ll show you how to get your brain’s engine back to running as smooth as a Rolls Royce. You just need to know what’s missing and how to get it.

Your brain uses chemicals called neurotransmitters to transmit messages in the brain. There are millions of these messages happening every second. Neurotransmitters are conductors of these messages, allowing them to fire from one part of your brain to another.

One important neurotransmitter is acetylcholine (ACh). Your body uses ACh to help regulate your heart, breathing, and sleep. Your body even uses it to control your muscles and keep you fired up for the bedroom.

Here’s the thing… your brain needs you to supply certain nutrients to make neurotransmitters.
But there’s a key nutrient it uses to make ACh that is probably missing from your diet. It’s called choline, and if you don’t get enough, you’re headed for trouble.

Choline is a necessary nutrient for overall brain health and functioning and it is important to avoid nutritional deficiencies to keep your brain sharp and healthy.1

When you don’t give the body enough choline, the brain is forced to get it from other parts of your brain. It starts eating itself alive to get what it needs for vital functions like heart and lung regulation.

I’ll show you ways to get the choline your brain needs in a second, but first let me introduce you to choline’s partner – DMAE.

DMAE (Dimethylaminoethanol) works with choline to create ACh. In fact, it does such a good job, the FDA almost approved it as a drug. The only reason it didn’t happen is that the manufacturer didn’t want to pay the expenses to get it classified as one.

But it is the main ingredient in a commonly prescribed drug in Europe. Called Centrophenoxine, it has been shown to boost cognitive functions.2

Unlike Ritalin® and other brain substances, proper doses of DMAE are a safe and side-effect-free solution to support brain health and reduce age-related mental decline and mood/behavioral problems.3

To get the nutrition your brain needs to stay sharp and clear, you may need to combine food and supplementation. Here’s how to get your ACh cranking:

Choline – You need at least 425 mg a day as a woman, 550 mg if you’re a man. The richest food sources of choline are (in mg per 100 g of food):

Whole cooked eggs – 272. Make sure you get free-range eggs without antibiotics or hormones. They’ll help fuel your muscles as well as give you much-needed choline.

Raw egg yolks – 682. Go ahead and crack open a couple eggs into your protein shake. It’s only an urban legend that there’s danger in eating them raw.

Chicken liver – 290. Though some people get turned off by organ meats, they’re a potent source of high-powered nutrition. And it’s an old wives tale that they store toxins – they don’t.

Turkey liver – 220. Another great source of nutrition. Just like any liver, it also provides vitamin A, CoQ10 and iron.

Pork – 130. Just like beef, you want to eat organic, grass-fed animals only for the proper balance of fats and zero hormones and antibiotics.

If you’re older, you may need more – as much as 1500 mg a day. That may require supplementation. If you take a supplement, be sure it’s in the form of choline citrate. To try my brain-boosting formula that combines choline and DMAE, go here now.

DMAE – You need at least 35 mg of DMAE a day. Fish is a good food source, especially sardines and anchovies.

So stop starving your brain of these critical nutrients. They’re easy to replace and will help to promote a healthy mind into your golden years.

Grapefruits and Blood Clots!!

2009-04-04T10:12:00.000-07:00

Eating too much grapefruit can increase the risk of blood clots from the contraceptive pill, it has been revealed.

Doctors described the unusual case of a woman who nearly lost a leg after undertaking.

Doctors writing in The Lancet medical journal described the unusual case of a woman who nearly lost a leg after trying a grapefruit diet.

The 42-year-old woman - who arrived at hospital complaining of shortness of breath, difficulty walking and light-headedness - underwent an ultrasound scan which revealed a deep vein thrombosis, or blood clot, extending from hip to calf.

The previous day she felt pain shooting down her left leg, which later turned purple. Three days earlier the woman, who was slightly overweight, had embarked on an aggressive diet which involved a 225 gram helping of grapefruit every morning.

Previously, she had only rarely eaten grapefruit.

Her condition was so bad she was in danger of losing her leg, said four doctors from Providence St Peter Hospital in Washington, US.

In the end she was successfully treated with a clot-dissolving drug and by widening a large vein in her hip.

The woman had a number of unlucky factors that increased her chances of suffering a blood clot, said the doctors. She had a narrowed vein with damaged inner walls, a genetic clotting mutation called Factor V Leiden, and in addition was taking the contraceptive Pill.

Oestrogen in the Pill slightly raises the risk of clotting - and it was this, combined with the effect of grapefruit, which appeared to have tipped the balance. The fruit's juice blocked a key enzyme that normally breaks down ethinylestradiol, the form of oestrogen in the contraceptive.

Regular grapefruit consumption would also have had an accumulative effect, making the hazard worse, said the doctors.

They wrote: "Our patient had a constellation of potential risk factors for venous thrombosis; a heightened hypercoagulable (clotting) state from increased ehtinylestradiol serum concentration due to her three days of grapefruit for breakfast may well have tipped the balance."

6 Medical Symptoms One Shouldn't ignore!!

2009-03-28T12:31:00.000-07:00

That new symptom is troubling: the inexplicable swelling in your calf or the blood in your urine. Could it be serious or even life-threatening?

"Your body flashes signals -- symptoms and signs -- that warn you of potential problems," say Neil Shulman, MD, Jack Birge, MD, and Joon Ahn, MD. The three Georgia-based doctors are the authors of the recently revised book Your Body's Red Light Warning Signals.

Fortunately, many symptoms turn out not to be serious. For example, the majority of headaches stem from stress, eyestrain, lack of sleep, dehydration, caffeine withdrawal, and other mundane causes.

But a sudden, agonizing "thunderclap" headache -- the worst of your life -- could mean bleeding in the brain. Being able to recognize this serious symptom and calling 911 may save your life.

Here are six important flashing signals:

1. Paralysis of the arms or legs, tingling, numbness, confusion, dizziness, double vision, slurred speech, trouble finding words, or weakness, especially on one side of the face or body.

These are signs of stroke -- or a "brain attack" -- in which arteries that supply oxygen to the brain become blocked or rupture, causing brain tissue to die.

Symptoms depend on which area of the brain is involved. If a large blood vessel is blocked, a wide area may be affected, so a person may have paralysis on one side of the body and lose other functions, such as speech and understanding. If a smaller vessel is blocked, paralysis may remain limited to an arm or leg.

If you have symptoms, call hospital right away and get to an emergency room that offers clot-busting therapy for strokes due to blocked vessels. Such treatment, which dissolves clots in blocked vessels, needs to be given within the first three hours after symptoms begin, but newer treatments may work within a longer time frame, says Birge, who is medical director at the Tanner Medical Center in Carrollton, Ga.

Timing is urgent; fast treatment can potentially stop brain tissue death before permanent brain injury happens. "There is a time clock ticking as to when you might totally recover," Birge tells WebMD.

2. Chest pain or discomfort; pain in the arm, jaw, or neck; breaking out in a cold sweat; extreme weakness; nausea; vomiting; feeling faint; or being short of breath.

These are signs of heart attack. If you get some of these symptoms, nearest hospital immediately and go to the emergency room by ambulance. Shulman and Birge also recommend that patients chew one regular, full-strength aspirin (unless they're allergic to aspirin) to help prevent damage to the heart muscle during a heart attack.

Not everyone who has a heart attack feels chest pain or pressure or a sense of indigestion. Some people, especially women, the elderly, and people with diabetes, get "painless" heart attacks, the doctors say. Being aware of "painless" heart attack signs is crucial: a very weak feeling, sudden dizziness, a pounding heart, shortness of breath, heavy sweating, a feeling of impending doom, nausea, and vomiting.

Both doctors say that it's important to learn heart attack signs and understand them in context. "Everybody has jaw pain. You don't immediately run and say, 'I've got a heart attack,'" Shulman tells WebMD. He is an associate professor of internal medicine at Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta. "But if you're also sweating and you have some of these other symptoms -- shortness of breath and so forth -- then that's going to tip you off that there's something much more serious happening."

3. Tenderness and pain in the back of your lower leg, chest pain, shortness of breath, or coughing up blood.

These are symptoms of a potentially dangerous blood clot in your leg, especially if they come after you've been sitting for a long time, such as on an airplane or during a long car trip. These signs can also surface if you've been bedridden after surgery.

"Anybody is susceptible, " Birge says. He adds that such blood clots are more common than most people and doctors realize.

Blood is more likely to pool in your legs when you're sitting or lying down for long periods of time, as opposed to standing and walking. If a blood clot forms in your leg as a result, your calf can feel swollen, painful, and tender to the touch; you should be evaluated. If you get sudden chest pain or shortness of breath, a piece of the blood clot may have broken off and traveled through the bloodstream to your lungs. This condition can be life-threatening, so get to an emergency room without delay.

4. Blood in the urine without accompanying pain.

Anytime you see blood in your urine, call your doctor promptly, even if you have no pain.

Kidney stones or a bladder or prostate infection are common causes of blood in the urine. But these problems are usually painful or uncomfortable, which sends people to the doctor promptly.
In contrast, when people see blood in their urine but feel no pain, some take a "wait and see" approach, especially if they just have one episode. "But you can't have this attitude," Shulman says. Lack of pain doesn't necessarily mean lack of seriousness.

Cancer of the kidney, ureter, bladder, or prostate can cause bleeding into the urinary tract; when these cancers are small enough to be curable, they may not cause pain. So don't dismiss this important sign because, according to Shulman and Birge, "blood in the urine may be the only clue for an early diagnosis."

5. Asthma symptoms that don't improve or get worse.

Asthma attacks are marked by wheezing or difficulty breathing. When an attack doesn't improve or worsens, a patient should get emergency care.

If an asthma attack is left untreated, it can lead to severe chest muscle fatigue and death, say Shulman and Birge. Some people with persistent asthma hesitate to go to the emergency room because they've gone so many times before, or they need someone to drive them because they're too short of breath. So instead of seeking care, "They try to hang in there," Birge says, even if they need higher doses of inhalants or have decreasing lung function measurements when using a device to measure how well they move air out of their lungs.

Because asthma makes breathing difficult, the muscles for breathing may tire and the volume of air exchanged by the lungs will decrease. As a result, a person's oxygen level drops while blood levels of carbon dioxide rise. As Birge and Shulman explain in their book, "A carbon dioxide buildup in the blood has a sedating effect on the brain, which may cause you to feel even drowsier. You may lose the motivation or energy to breathe."

"A person with asthma who seems to be relaxing more, who seems to not be struggling for breath anymore -- even though they've been at it for six or eight hours -- may actually be worse. It could be a sign of respiratory fatigue," Birge says. Eventually, the person could stop breathing.

"They're really in a big danger zone," Shulman adds. Patients believe they're getting better when they're actually getting worse, he says. "They become sedated and seem to be peaceful when actually, they're dying."

One of the most important considerations is how long an attack lasts, according to both doctors. "If you've been having labored respirations with the asthma not relenting after a period of several hours, even though you may be apparently doing OK, don't let it go any longer," Birge says. "Get on to the emergency room."

6. Depression and suicidal thoughts.
Few people would put up with crushing chest pain or extreme shortness of breath, but many endure depression, even though at its extreme it can be life-threatening.

"Depression can be a very, very serious problem because people can commit suicide," Shulman says. "Some people will not seek care when they are depressed because they think that they'll be perceived as being crazy or not strong or not manly, and they have to understand that there is a chemical imbalance going on in their brain. It is a disease just like any other disease."

Symptoms of depression include sadness, fatigue, apathy, anxiety, changes in sleep habits, and loss of appetite. Depression can be treated with medications and psychotherapy.

Speak Up When You Think Something Is Wrong
Doctors are human: They can miss important diagnoses, including heart attacks. A patient's awareness and vigilance can make a difference, Shulman says.
"My feeling is, as a doctor, I want a patient who's informed. I'd rather have a patient who's informed, who's helping me so I won't make a mistake," Shulman says. "And I can be honest and say, 'I'm human. Don't be intimated by me because I have a white coat on. Don't be intimidated by me because I'm using big words.'"
If patients can recognize potentially serious symptoms, they'll have more power when they go to the doctor or the emergency room, he adds. "You have enough to say, 'Well, have you ruled out this problem?'"

Courtsey: www.Webmd.com

Drink Water on Empty Stomach!!

2009-03-16T08:12:00.000-07:00

It is popular in Japan today to drink water immediately after waking up every morning. Furthermore, scientific tests have provena its value. We publish below a description of use of water for our readers. For old and serious diseases as well as modern illnesses the water treatment had been found successful by a Japanese medical society as a 100% cure for the following diseases:

Headache, body ache, heart system, arthritis, fast heart beat, epilepsy, excess fatness, bronchitis asthma, TB, meningtitis, kidney and urine disea ses, vomiting, gastritis, diarrhoea, piles, diabetes, constipation, all eye diseases, womb, cancer and menstrual disorders, ear nose and throat diseases.

METHOD OF TREATMENT

1. As you wake up in the morning before brushing teeth, drink 4 x 160ml glasses of water

2. Brush and clean the mouth but do not eat or drink anything for 45 minutes

3. After 45 minutes you may eat and drink as normal.

4. After 15 minutes of breakfast, lunch and dinner do not eat or drink anything for 2 hours

5. Those who are old or sick and are unable to drink 4 glasses of water at the beginning may commence by taking little water and gradually increase it to 4 glasses per day.

6. The above method of treatment will cure diseases of the sick and others can enjoy a healthy life.

The following list gives the number of days of treatment required to cure main deseases:

1. High Blood Pressure - 30 days

2. Gastric - 10 days

3. Diabetes - 30 days

4. Constipation - 10 days

5. Cancer - 180 days

6. TB - 90 days

Arthritis patients should follow the above treatment for only 3 days. In the 1st week to be followed by daily treatment. This treatment method has no side effects, however at the commencement of treatment you may have to urinate a few times.

Secrets for a Flat Stomach!!

2009-02-12T01:49:00.000-08:00

Developing a lean, flat stomach takes time and patience, especially when it comes to those last few kilograms in those hard to lose places. There is only one way to lose fat in the so-called 'stubborn areas,' and that is with the correct combination strength training (with a extra focus on mid-section), cardiovascular exercise (short, hard workouts), and stable blood sugar (keeps you from adding additional fat and makes it easier for the body to use body fat for fuel).

Spot Reduction is a Myth - The first thing you need to realize is that it is impossible to 'spot reduce' fat from one specific part of the body. Fat loss occurs systemically, meaning that you can't control where the fat comes from. When you burn fat for energy, you will draw it from all areas of the body, and the first place you tend to put it on will be the last place it comes off.

Cardio, cardio, cardio - Doing all the abs exercises in the world will do nothing if you have a layer of fat covering it. Doing strength training, or lifting weights, would help, but not as much as aerobic exercise. If you want to add some ab exercises in after the cardio, that's great, but be sure to work your whole torso, not just the upper abs — that includes the lower abs, lower back and the muscles that wrap around your sides.

For example, Walking, jogging, bicycling, elliptical exercise and stair climbing are all great fat burners. Most give up early in the workout. During the first 10 minutes of aerobic activity, glycogen (stored carbohydrates) is the primary fuel source. Because you don't burn significant amounts of fat until glycogen stores are depleted, the key to maximum fat loss is to work out aerobically for 30-60 minutes continuously per session.

Diet - Its best to stay away from fried food and too many sugary desserts. Abdominal fat loss is a 50% exercise, 50% nutrition combination. Regardless of how much you workout, if the number of calories you take in is greater than the amount you burn, you'll still put on abdominal fat.
Eat Small Meals Regularly - You should try and spread your calories out into five small meals a day instead of 2 or 3 big ones so that you don't overeat in one feeding.

Eat Small Meals Regularly - You should try and spread your calories out into five small meals a day instead of 2 or 3 big ones so that you don't overeat in one feeding.

Give it Time - If you want to have a flat stomach in 3 weeks, forget it. Losing fat takes time, and it's unhealthy to lose too much weight too fast. Gradual weight loss is healthier, and more likely to be sustained over time. Go for a lifestyle change, something you can live with for the rest of your life, or you will just yo-yo. It's a marathon, not a sprint.

10 Health Tips for Night Shifters!!

2009-02-12T01:41:00.000-08:00

1.Drink tender coconut in the morning without fail.
2.Follow a healthy diet by adding more vegetables to your food
3.Never skip your lunch; but eat less
4.Never munch snacks at night to keep yourself awake.
5.Restrict yourself to minimum cups of tea or coffee
6.Never drink aerated drinks during breaks at night shift
7.Don't eat stomach full as it can make you feel sleepy
8.Get up from your chair and walk around every one or two hours.
9.Sleep at least for five hours a day.
10.Have regular health checkups to avoid problems due to hormonal changes

Typical Health Mistakes!!

2009-02-01T11:09:00.000-08:00

Typal Health Mistakes

All of us make little health mistakes that cause damage to our bodies in the long run - simply because we are unaware we are doing something wrong. Here are some of the most common mistakes made by many of us.

Crossing our legs
Do you cross your legs at your knees when sitting? Although we may believe that this is the lady-like elegant way to sit, sitting this way cuts down circulation to your legs. If you don"t want varicose veins to mar the beauty of your legs and compromise your health, uncross your legs every time you realise you have one knee on top of the other. The best way to sit is to simply place both legs together on the floor, balancing your weight equally. If you feel like changing position, instead of crossing your legs, simply move both legs together to one side. As an alternative, you could also consider crossing your legs loosely at the ankles. This is a classically elegant way to sit, and is far better for your legs and your health than sitting with your legs crossed at your knees.

Not changing our toothbrush
How often do you change your toothbrush? Most of us wait until most of the bristles have either fallen off, or are in such bad shape that we"d be embarrassed to pull out our brush in public. However, since not many of us need to pull out our brush in public, we carry on with our frayed one until we lose it. Replace your toothbrush often. Damaged bristles can harm the enamel, and don"t massage your gums well. If you find brushing your teeth a pain like I do, but know you must do it, you might as well be doing it right. Imagine going through the annoyance of brushing your teeth twice a day only to find out that you"re damaging your enamel every time you clean your teeth. Also, use a brush with soft bristles unless your dentist has advised otherwise.

Eating out often
There are oils that are high in cholesterol, and oils that cause little harm and are better for your heart. However, no matter how light the oil is, it is never a good idea to eat too much of it. Avoid fried foods.Remember that in all probability your favourite Indian food restaurant throws a huge, HUGE chunk of butter in a tiny bowl of dal. Rita, who worked in the kitchen of a 5 star hotel, was shocked when she saw the cook chop a 500gm butter slab in half, and throw half into a Paneer Makhani dish. No wonder the customers left licking their fingers. And no wonder they felt so stuffed and heavy afterwards. Limit outdoor eating unless you know that you"re getting served light and healthy food.

Skipping breakfast
Never, ever skip breakfast. Remember, when you wake up in the morning it"s been around 10-12 hours since your last meal. Your body needs food now, more than at any other time. Eat a heavy breakfast. You will then be busy through the day, and the calories will get expended quickly. If you are trying to diet, eat a light dinner. Here are some more common health mistakes we make. Being informed and making a few changes can help make us feel a whole lot better.

High heels
High heels sure look great, but they're murder for your back. This however doesn't mean you should steer clear of stilettos. Wear them, but not when you know you will be walking around a lot. Wear them when going out for lunch or dinner - when the only walking you will be doing is to your car, to the table, and back. Avoid high heels when you are going somewhere on foot. If you are constantly tempted to wear your heels, take a good look at your flats. Is there something about them you dislike? Invest in a new pair of beautiful flats or shoes with a low heel. Buy something you love, that you will enjoy wearing. If possible, get a matching bag. You will then enjoy your flats as much as you do your heels.

Sleeping on a soft bed
You don't have to sleep on the floor be kind to your back, but do make sure you have a firm mattress. Although a mattress on springs is soft and lovely to sink into, it's bad for your back. If you already have an old bed with springs, you don't need to invest in a new one - simply get a thick wooden plank put over the springs, and place the mattress on the plank. Similarly, if your mattress is old and lumpy, throw it out and get a new one. Your neck and your back will thank you. The same rule applies to sofas. If you will be spending hours on a sofa, get a firm yet comfortable one. Sofas you completely sink into are not the best idea.

Pillows
No matter how comfortable sleeping with ten cushions is, have pity on your neck and resist. Sleep with one pillow, and make sure it is not too thick. If your pillow gets lumpy, discard it and go for a new one. Get a thin pillow if you sleep on your stomach, and something a little thicker if you sleep on your back, to give your neck adequate support

Not exercising
So all of us know we should exercise more, but many of us don't. This is a health mistake we consciously make! And why is that? Simply because we refuse to admit the damage we are causing to our bodies by not working out. A number of people only start working out once they've experienced a warning signal. Don't wait for a heart attack to strike before you decide to opt for a lifestyle change. Make the change now. You don't need to train for the marathon to be in top shape. Half an hour of brisk walking three to four times a week will make a world of difference to your health. You could then increase this to forty minutes, four times a week - and you're all set. If you haven't exercised for a week, you're making a mistake.

Healthy Habits!!

2009-02-01T10:48:00.000-08:00

Habit 1: Drink more water.
Sure, I know about all the news reports that say it's possible to drink too much water.

Surprisingly, this same story is told just about every 4 years when news stations have no other "news" going on, and it always seems to stir up all sorts of awareness on the topic. The truth is, in all my years of guiding individuals on proper nutrition, I have yet to run into one person who had an H2O disorder.

A well-hydrated body has a much easier time at shedding unwanted body fat and preserving lean muscle mass. A healthy, active individual should be consuming .6 - .7ounces of water per pound of body weight.

Habit 2: Eat more fiber.
I'll say it again. People do not get nearly enough fiber in their diets. Work on trying to get anywhere from 25 - 30 grams of fiber per day into your eating plan. Fiber provides a plethora of benefits from increasing the thermic effect (calories burned from digestion) of a meal, to trapping and evacuating excess fats.

Habit 3: Eat every 3 hours.
Start splitting your larger meals up into smaller, more frequent bouts of eating. Spreading your calories throughout the day allows for an increase in metabolism and insures that none of the nutrients you are consuming go to waste.

This can be difficult for many people who maintain busy lifestyles, which is why I suggest picking one or two days a week to do all of your cooking. At that point, Tupperware containers become your new best friend.

Habit 4: Eat more fruits and vegetables.
And eat a large variety as well. The more colors you consume the better. They're packed with fat-burning fiber, vitamins, and minerals.

We all know that vegetables are gold, but when it comes to fruit, it sometimes gets a bad rep. I often get the question "but doesn't fruit have a lot of sugar in it?" Again, I have yet to meet the person who has a well-balanced diet who has found that fruit was the main reason they couldn't let go of the extra body fat.

Get over it. If you're obese fruit isn't the culprit. Take a long look at everything else you're eating, and I'm positive you'll find something a little more worthy to drop.

Habit 6: Choose organic and local foods when possible.
There is no doubt in my mind that we will start to see more and more studies come out showing the adverse effects of consuming over-processed food. It's only a matter of time.

Digestion is a delicate process, a process our bodies have spent hundreds of thousands of years perfecting. In just the past few decades we have started introducing extra hormones, antibiotics, and other impurities into our foods. Our bodies have filters that take care of these things, but let's not put them to the test.

Habit 7: Reduce the amount of sugars consumed.
At this point it should be a no-brainer. If anything good has come from the hundreds of diet books written this past decade, it's the awareness that controlling your blood sugar is crucial to achieving optimal health. The sweets do not have to be eliminated from your diet completely, but you should have them well under control.

Habit 8: Stop going to the super market hungry.
Real simple. If you're hungry, you'll buy what you want, not what you need.

Our bodies are still hard-wired for survival. Unfortunately when you stroll down the aisle at your local food supply your brain will target just about anything in your field of vision and deem it an acceptable choice of nourishment, regardless of its nutritional value.

Habit 9: Take regular stand up breaks at work.
Do it for your posture, do it for circulation, and do it for your own sanity. Our bodies were not designed to be in a seated position all day long.

You could prevent much of life's chronic pains if you would just take a moment to stand up and stretch your legs every 30 or 40 minutes. Set a timer on your desktop if you have to; just get it done.

Habit 10: Start using the stairs instead of the elevator.
Even park farther away from your destination so you have to walk a few extra steps in the day. Adding a tiny bit of extra footwork can add up at the end of the year. I know it's not exciting or drastic, but the difference can be a few extra pounds that you don't need hanging around your waist.

Habit 11: Balance your physical and sedentary activities.
I'm talking about what you do with your free time. Have you ever spent a couple of hours on the weekend watching TV, playing video games, or browsing the Internet looking at cat pictures?

Try to create some balance by doing an equal amount of leisure activities on your feet. Take a walk, shoot some hoops, and maybe take up a new physically active hobby. Who knows, you might find something new you really like.

Habit 12: Keep a health journal.
One of the most powerful ways to be successful with your health is to write it all down.

Keep track of your workouts and your nutrition. It can be very hard to figure out where you're going if you don't remember where you've been. You'll be giving yourself a point of reference so you can truly see if any of the changes you make are creating a difference. If they're not, then at least you know that and can change your plan of action and recalibrate.

A lot of times we get a little too ambitious when it comes to our New Year's resolutions and try to take on more than we can handle. This inevitably leads to failure. Start with the small habits and work your way up the fitness ladder for a more subtle and long-term experience.

Handling Depression!!

2009-01-29T09:51:00.000-08:00

However, there are lots of people who have to face disappointments while handling certain things. These disappointments can easily lead to depression which is a tough thing to deal with. But, if you will keep few things in mind, you will become able to come out of the depression without much ado.

First of all, you must understand that depression is not just a feeling as it can hurt you mentally and physically. When you feel depressed, you body starts to release certain hormones. For instance, the level of cortisol gets increased in times of depression which can eventually affect neurotransmitter serotonin. This is something that can lead to clinical depression. So, you must never take things lightly as this can create a lot of problem if you will show carelessness.

In order to handle depression, you must try to go through the causes of depression. Although, it is difficult to find exact causes, but, there will surely be few things which will be triggering your depression. If you will become able to find those, it will become relatively easier for you to handle depression.

However, when someone will be under depression, he will never be able to think about the causes and that’s what complicates the whole situation. Here, it is the job of the friends and family members to heal a depressed person. One thing that can be done to help someone getting out of depression is to talk with him.

If you are having a friend suffering with depression, then you must get in touch with him. Try to talk with him over certain things. Here, you can always talk about his favorite topics as this will entice him to take part in conversation. But, you must keep in mind that you may have to face a harsh response from a depressed friend which should be understandable. You must always tell yourself that your help can really work wonders for your friend.

After getting out of this first phase, things will be a bit easier to handle. You must try to take him along with you for an outing. Once the other person will start to feel that the life is beautiful, then your job will be over. This will be the time when a person can take control over his emotions by changing his routines. Exercising, running and walking can really help in order to get back on track.

However, taking a sufficient amount of sleep is of utmost importance and that’s where all types of stimulants should be avoided.

As a whole, it can easily be deduced that if you want to get out of depression, then you will have to keep yourself busy. You can talk with other people, join a gym or take part in certain house chores. All these activities will keep you away from negative thoughts and you will become able to beat depression.

Spotting Medical Problems!!

2009-01-24T08:56:00.000-08:00

Some medical symptoms are warnings that you need immediate care. Health, Body and Mind shows you how to recognise them

Courtsey:Jeanie Lerche Davis

Like red-light warnings on the dashboard, the human body sends out a flare when something's awry. Chest pain, shortness of breath, dizziness - those are some familiar medical symptoms. But other problems can creep up on you, too - aches and pains, lumps and bumps. It's necessary to know when they are important and when they are not.

Neil Shulman, MD and a professor of internal medicine at Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta, calls it a serious and likens to "terrorists inside our bodies." The symptoms are "killing way too many people. There's tremendous suffering and horrible death which could be avoided, but people don't know that something's wrong."

In fact, it happens all the time, a symptom is missed and it leads to a tragic ending. Or it's caught just in time, and a life is saved. Quite literally, it's that dramatic, Shulman tells.
Here are "five flags" - five medical symptoms - you should keep in mind:

1. If you have unexplained weight loss and/or loss of appetite , you may have a serious underlying medical illness.

"If you're on a diet, you're expecting this to happen. But if you're eating the same way - and now have to adjust your belt a few notches tighter - you could have a serious problem, so you should see a doctor." Shulman says.

2. Slurred speech, paralysis, weakness, tingling, burning pains, numbness, and confusion are signs of a stroke, and you should get to an appropriate emergency centre immediately. Early treatment may prevent permanent damage to the brain or even save your life.

3. Black, tarry stools may indicate a haemorrhage from an ulcer of the stomach or the small intestine. It is important to stop the bleeding and to rule out cancer as a cause.What you eat changes the colour of stools. But black, tarry stools mean there may be bleeding higher in the digestive tract, says Shulman. It could be a sign of a bleeding ulcer or cancer.

4. A headache accompanied by a stiff neck and fever is an indicator of a serious infection called meningitis. In fact, if you can't put your chin on your chest, that's a sign you may have bacterial meningitis, says Shulman. With bacterial meningitis, you need antibiotics immediately to kill the bacteria before it infects and scars the brain.

5. A sudden, agonizing headache, more severe than any you have felt before, could mean you are bleeding in the brain. Go to an emergency room immediately. A brain aneurysm is rare, but it can happen - even in people under 40. If you have a severe, crushing headache, you may have an aneurysm, which is a blood-filled pouch bulging out from a weak spot in the wall of a brain artery. If treated before it bursts, it could save your life.

Brain's Communication Infrastructure!!

2009-01-24T08:54:00.000-08:00

Brain signal never switches off and also supports many cognitive functions. Researcher's look at one of the human brain's most fundamental "foundations" is an important step forward in understanding the functional architecture of the brain …

Courtsey: Kate Melville

Washington University School of Medicine researchers are taking the first direct look at one of the human brain's most fundamental "foundations": a brain signal that never switches off and may support many cognitive functions. Their findings, appearing in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, are an important step forward in understanding the functional architecture of the brain.

Washington University School of Medicine researchers are taking the first direct look at one of the human brain's most fundamental "foundations": a brain signal that never switches off and may support many cognitive functions. Their findings, appearing in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, are an important step forward in understanding the functional architecture of the brain.

In the past decade, however, scientists have realised that deeper structures underlie goal-oriented mental processes. These underlying brain processes continue to occur even when subjects aren't consciously using their brain to do anything, and the energies that the brain puts into them seem to be much greater than those used for goal-oriented tasks.

"The brain consumes a tremendous amount of the body's energy resources -- it's only two percent of body weight, but it uses about 20 percent of the energy we take in," says Raichle. "When we started to ask where all those resources were being spent, we found that the goal-oriented tasks we had studied previously only accounted for a tiny portion of that energy budget. The rest appears to go into activities and processes that maintain a state of readiness in the brain."

To explore this deeper level of the brain's functional architecture, Raichle and others have been using fMRI to conduct detailed analyses of brain activity in subjects asked to do nothing. However, a nagging question has dogged those and other fMRI studies: Scientists assumed that increased blood flow to a part of the brain indicates that part has contributed to a mental task, but they wanted more direct evidence linking increased blood flow to stepped-up activity in brain cells.

In the new study, the researchers took fMRI scans of five patients with intractable epilepsy. The scans, during which the subjects did nothing, were taken prior to the temporary installation of grids of electrodes on the surfaces of the patients' brains. The level of detail provided by the grids is essential clinically for pinpointing the source of the seizures for possible surgical removal, a last resort employed only when other treatments failed.

The results confirmed that the fMRI data she had gathered earlier reflected changes in brain cell activity exhibited in the gamma frequency signal. But she also noticed the persistent low-frequency signal, which also corresponded to the fMRI data. "When we looked back in the literature, we found that a similar signal had been the subject of a great deal of animal research using implanted electrodes in the 1960s through the 1980s," she says. "There were suggestions, for example, that when this low-frequency signal, which fluctuates persistently, is in a low trough, the brain may handle mental tasks more effectively."

"What we've shown provides a bridge between the fMRI work many scientists are doing now and the earlier work involving electrical recordings from the brain that emphasised slow activity," says he. "Bringing those two fields together may give us some very interesting insights into the brain's organisation and function."

22 Reasons Why You Should be a Vegeterian!!

2009-01-01T23:15:00.000-08:00

Stacks of studies confirm that a diet full of fresh fruits and vegetables and grains is your best bet for living a longer, healthier and more enjoyable life. There are literally hundreds of great reasons to switch to a plant-based diet; here are 22 of the best:

1.You'll live a lot longer.
Vegetarians live about seven years longer, and vegans (who eat no animal products) about 15 years longer than meat eaters, according to a study from Loma Linda University. These findings are backed up by the China Health Project (the largest population study on diet and health to date), which found that Chinese people who eat the least amount of fat and animal products have the lowest risks of cancer, heart attack and other chronic degenerative diseases.

2.You'll save your heart.
Cardiovascular disease is still the number one killer in the United States, and the standard American diet (SAD) that's laden with saturated fat and cholesterol from meat and dairy is largely to blame. Plus, produce contains no saturated fat or cholesterol. Incidentally, cholesterol levels for vegetarians are 14 percent lower than meat eaters.

3.You can put more money in your mutual fund.
Replacing meat, chicken and fish with vegetables and fruits is estimated to cut food bills.

4.You'll reduce your risk of cancer.
Studies done at the German Cancer Research Center in Heidelberg suggest that this is because vegetarians' immune systems are more effective in killing off tumour cells than meat eaters'. Studies have also found a plant based diet helps protect against prostate, colon and skin cancers.

5.You'll add color to your plate.
Meat, chicken and fish tend to come in boring shades of brown and beige, but fruits and vegetables come in all colours of the rainbow. Disease fighting phytochemicals are responsible for giving produce their rich, varied hues. So cooking by colour is a good way to ensure you re eating a variety of naturally occurring substances that boost immunity and prevent a range of illnesses.

6.You'll fit into your old jeans.
On average, vegetarians are slimmer than meat eaters, and when we diet, we keep the weight off up to seven years longer. That's because diets that are higher in vegetable proteins are much lower in fat and calories than the SAD. Vegetarians are also less likely to fall victim to weight-related disorders like heart disease, stroke and diabetes.

7.You'll give your body a spring cleaning.
Giving up meat helps purge the body of toxins (pesticides, environmental pollutants, preservatives) that overload our systems and cause illness. When people begin formal detoxification programs, their first step is to replace meats and dairy products with fruits and vegetables and juices.

8.You'll make a strong political statement.
It's a wonderful thing to be able to finish a delicious meal, knowing that no beings have suffered to make it..

9.Your meals will taste delicious.
Vegetables are endlessly interesting to cook and a joy to eat. It's an ever-changing parade of flavours and colors and textures and tastes.

10.You'll help reduce waste and air pollution.
Livestock farms creates phenomenal amounts of waste. The tons of manure, a substance that's rated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as a top pollutants. And that's not even counting the methane gas released by goats, pigs and poultry (which contributes to the greenhouse effect); the ammonia gases from urine; poison gases that emanate from manure lagoons; toxic chemicals from pesticides; and exhaust from farm equipment used to raise feed for animals.

11.Your bones will last longer.
The average bone loss for a vegetarian woman at age 65 is 18 percent; for non-vegetarian women, it's double that. Researchers attribute this to the consumption of excess protein. Excess protein interferes with the absorption and retention of calcium and actually prompts the body to excrete calcium, laying the ground for the brittle bone disease osteoporosis. Animal proteins, including milk, make the blood acidic, and to balance that condition, the body pulls calcium from bones. So rather than rely on milk for calcium, vegetarians turn to dark green leafy vegetables, such as broccoli and legumes, which, calorie for calorie, are superior sources.

12.You'll help reduce famine.
It takes 15 pounds of feed to get one pound of meat. But if the grain were given directly to people, there'd be enough food to feed the entire planet. In addition, using land for animal agriculture is inefficient in terms of maximizing food production. According to the journal Soil and Water, one acre of land could produce 50,000 pounds of tomatoes, 40,000 pounds of potatoes, 30,000 pounds of carrots or just 250 pounds of beef.

13.You'll avoid toxic chemicals.
The EPA estimates that nearly 95 per cent of pesticide residue in our diet comes from meat, fish and dairy products. Fish, in particular, contain carcinogens (PCBs, DDT) and heavy metals (mercury, arsenic; lead, cadmium) that cannot be removed through cooking or freezing. Meat and dairy products are also laced with steroids and hormones.

14.You'll protect yourself from foodborne illnesses.
According to the Center for Science in the Public Interest in the US, which has stringent food standards, 25 per cent of all chicken sold in the United States carries salmonella bacteria and, the CDC estimates, 70 percent to 90 percent of chickens contain the bacteria campy-lobacter (some strains of which are antibiotic-resistant t), approximately 5 percent of cows carry the lethal strain of E. coli O157:H7 (which causes virulent diseases and death), and 30 percent of pigs slaughtered each year for food are infected with toxoplasmosis (caused by parasites).

15.You may get rid of your back problems.
Back pain appears to begin, not in the back, but in the arteries. The degeneration of discs, for instance, which leads to nerves being pinched, starts with the arteries leading to the back. Eating a plant-based diet keeps these arteries clear of cholesterol- causing blockages to help maintain a healthy back.

16.You'll be more 'regular.'
Eating a lot of vegetables necessarily means consuming fiber, which pushes waste out of the body. Meat contains no fibre. Studies done at Harvard and Brigham Women's Hospital found that people who ate a high-fiber diet had a 42 percent lower risk of diverticulitis. People who eat lower on the food chain also tend to have fewer incidences of constipation, hemorrhoids and spastic colon.

17.You'll cool those hot flashes.
Plants, grains and legumes contain phytoestrogens that are believed to balance fluctuating hormones, so vegetarian women tend to go through menopause with fewer complaints of sleep problems, hot flashes, fatigue, mood swings, weight gain, depression and a diminished sex drive.

18.You'll help to bring down the national debt.
We spend large amounts annually to treat the heart disease, cancer, obesity, and food poisoning that are byproducts of a diet heavy on animal products.

19.You'll preserve our fish population.
Because of our voracious appetite for fish, 39 per cent of the oceans' fish species are overharvested, and the Food & Agriculture Organization reports that 11 of 15 of the world's major fishing grounds have become depleted.

20.You'll help protect the purity of water.
It takes 2,500 gallons of water to produce one pound of mutton, but just 25 gallons of water to produce a pound of wheat. Not only is this wasteful, but it contributes to rampant water pollution.

21.You'll provide a great role model for your kids.
If you set a good example and feed your children good food, chances are they'll live a longer and healthier life. You're also providing a market for vegetarian products and making it more likely that they'll be available for the children.

22.Going vegetarian is easy!
Vegetarian cooking has never been so simple. We live in a country that has been vegetarian by default. Our traditional dishes are loaded with the goodness of vegetarian food. Switching over it very simple indeed.

Health Tips!!

2008-12-29T22:35:00.000-08:00

Answer the phone by LEFT ear.

Do not drink coffee TWICE a day.

Do not take pills with COOL water.

Do not have HUGE meals after 5pm.

Reduce the amount of OILY food you consume.

Drink more WATER in the morning, less at night..

Keep your distance from hand phone CHARGERS.

Do not use headphones/earphone for LONG period of time.

Best sleeping time is from 10pm at night to 6am in the morning.

Do not lie down immediately after taking medicine before sleeping.

When battery is down to the LAST grid/bar, do not answer the phone as the radiation is 1000 times.

10 Tips for a Good Night Sleep!!

2008-12-26T09:01:00.000-08:00

Stick to a schedule.
Erratic bedtimes do not allow for your body to align to the proper circadian rhythms.
Mum was right when she set a time we always had to go to sleep as kids. Also, make sure you try to keep the same schedule on weekends too, otherwise the next morning, you'd wake later and feel overly tired.

Sleep only at night.
Avoid daytime sleep if possible.Daytime naps steal hours from nighttime slumber. Limit daytime sleep to 20-minute, power naps.

Exercise.
It's actually known to help you sleep better.Your body uses the sleep period to recover muscles and joints that have been exercised.Twenty to thirty minutes of exercise every day can help you sleep, but be sure to exercise in the morning or afternoon. Exercise stimulates the body and aerobic activity before bedtime may make falling asleep more difficult.

Taking a hot shower or bath before bed helps bring on sleep because they can relax tense muscles.

Avoid eating just before bed.
Avoid eat large meals or spicy foods before bedtime.Give yourself at least 2 hours from when you eat to when you sleep.This allows for digestion to happen (or at least start)well before you go to sleep so your body can rest well during the night, rather than churning away your food.

Avoid caffeine.
It keeps you awake and that's now what you want for a good nights sleep. We all know that.

Read a fiction book.
It takes you to a whole new world if you really get into it. And then take some time to ponder over the book as you fall asleep.I find as I read more and more, regardless of the book, I get more tired at night and so find it easier to fall asleep. Different for others?

Have the room slightly cooler.
I prefer this to a hot room. I prefer to turn off the heat and allow the coolness to circulate in and out of the windows.If I get cold, I wear warmer clothes.It also saves on the bills as you're not going to require the heat all night long.

Sleep in silence.
I find sleeping with no music or TV on more easy and restful.I guess others are different, but sleep with no distractions is best for a clearer mind.

Avoid alcohol before bedtime.
It's a depressant; although it may make it easier to fall asleep, it causes you to wake up during the night. As alcohol is digested your body goes into withdrawal from the alcohol, causing nighttime awakenings and often nightmares for some people.

Useful Article on Cancer!!

2008-12-23T09:25:00.000-08:00

AFTER YEARS OF TELLING PEOPLE CHEMOTHERAPY IS THE ONLY WAY TO TRY AND ELIMINATE CANCER, JOHNS HOPKINS IS FINALLY STARTING TO TELL YOU THERE IS AN ALTERNATIVE WAY .

Cancer Update from Johns Hopkins:

"Cancer is a disease of the mind, body, and spirit. A proactive and positive spirit will help the cancer warrior be a survivor. Anger, unforgiveness and bitterness put the body into a stressful and acidic environment. Learn to have a loving and forgiving spirit. Learn to relax and enjoy life." - Johns Hopkins.

1. Every person has cancer cells in the body. These cancer cells do not show up in the standard tests until they have multiplied to a few billion. When doctors tell cancer patients that there are no more cancer cells in their bodies after treatment, it just means the tests are unable to detect the cancer cells because they have not reached the detectable size.

2. Cancer cells occur between 6 to more than 10 times in a person's lifetime.

3. When the person's immune system is strong the cancer cells will be destroyed and prevented from multiplying and forming tumours.

4. When a person has cancer it indicates the person has multiple nutritional deficiencies. These could be due to genetic, environmental,food and lifestyle factors.

5. To overcome the multiple nutritional deficiencies, changing diet and including supplements will strengthen the immune system.

6. Chemotherapy involves poisoning the rapidly-growing cancer cells and also destroys rapidly-growing healthy cells in the bone marrow, gastro-intestinal tract etc, and can cause organ damage, like liver, kidneys, heart, lungs etc.

7. Radiation while destroying cancer cells also burns, scars and damages healthy cells, tissues and organs.

8. Initial treatment with chemotherapy and radiation will often reduce tumor size. However prolonged use of chemotherapy and radiation do not result in more tumor destruction.

9. When the body has too much toxic burden from chemotherapy and radiation the immune system is either compromised or destroyed, hence the person can succumb to various kinds of infections and complications.

10. Chemotherapy and radiation can cause cancer cells to mutate and become resistant and difficult to destroy. Surgery can also cause cancer cells to spread to other sites.

11. An effective way to battle cancer is to starve the cancer cells by not feeding it with the foods it needs to multiply.

WHAT CANCER CELLS FEED ON:

a. Sugar is a cancer-feeder. By cutting off sugar it cuts off one important food supply to the cancer cells. Sugar substitutes like NutraSweet, Equal,Spoonful, etc are made with Aspartame and it is harmful. A better natural substitute would be Manuka honey or molasses but only in very small amounts. Table salt has a chemical added to make it white in colour. Better alternative is Bragg's aminos or sea salt.

b. Milk causes the body to produce mucus, especially in the gastro-intestinal tract. Cancer feeds on mucus. By cutting off milk and substituting with unsweetened soy milk, cancer cells are being starved.

c. Cancer cells thrive in an acid environment. A meat-based diet is acidic and it is best to eat fish, and a little chicken rather than beef or pork. Meat also contains livestock antibiotics, growth hormones and parasites, which are all harmful, especially to people with cancer.

d. A diet made of 80% fresh vegetables and juice, whole grains, seeds, nuts and a little fruits help put the body into an alkaline environment. About 20% can be from cooked food including beans. Fresh vegetable juices provide live enzymes that are easily absorbed and reach down to cellular levels within 15 minutes to no urish and enhance growth of healthy cells. To obtain live enzymes for building healthy cells try and drink fresh vegetable juice (most vegetables including bean sprouts) and eat some raw vegetables 2 or 3 times a day. Enzymes are destroyed at temperatures of 104 degrees F (40 degrees C).

e. Avoid coffee, tea, and chocolate, which have high caffeine. Green tea is a better alternative and has cancer-fighting properties. Water-best to drink purified water, or filtered, to avoid known toxins and heavy metals in tap water. Distilled water is acidic, avoid it.

12. Meat protein is difficult to digest and requires a lot of digestive enzymes. Undigested meat remaining in the intestines become putrified and leads to more toxic buildup.

13. Cancer cell walls have a tough protein covering. By refraining from or eating less meat it frees more enzymes to attack the protein walls of cancer cells and allows the body's killer cells to destroy the cancer cells.

14. Some supplements build up the immune system (IP6, Flor-ssence, Essiac, anti-oxidants, vitamins, minerals, EFAs etc.) to enable the body's own killer cells to destroy cancer cells. Other supplements like vitamin E are known to cause apoptosis, or programmed cell death, the body's normal method of disposing of damaged, unwanted, or unneeded cells.

15. Cancer cells cannot thrive in an oxygenated environment. Exercising daily, and deep breathing help to get more oxygen down to the cellular level. Oxygen therapy is another means employed to destroy cancer cells.

10 Tips for Sound Sleep!!

2008-11-21T01:02:00.000-08:00

Stick to a schedule.
Erratic bedtimes do not allow for your body to align to the proper circadian rhythms. Mum was right when she set a time we always had to go to sleep as kids. Also, make sure you try to keep the same schedule on weekends too, otherwise the next morning, you'd wake later and feel overly tired.

Sleep only at night.
Avoid daytime sleep if possible. Daytime naps steal hours from nighttime slumber. Limit daytime sleep to 20-minute, power naps.

Exercise.
It's actually known to help you sleep better. Your body uses the sleep period to recover muscles and joints that have been exercised. Twenty to thirty minutes of exercise every day can help you sleep, but be sure to exercise in the morning or afternoon. Exercise stimulates the body and aerobic activity before bedtime may make falling asleep more difficult.

Taking a hot shower or bath before bed helps bring on sleep becausethey can relax tense muscles.

Avoid eating just before bed.
Avoid eat large meals or spicy foods before bedtime. Give yourself at least 2 hours from when you eat to when you sleep.This allows for digestion to happen (or at least start)well before you go to sleep so your body can rest well during the night, rather than churning away your food.

Avoid caffeine.
It keeps you awake and that's now what you wantfor a good nights sleep. We all know that.

Read a fiction book.
It takes you to a whole new world if you really get into it.And then take some time to ponder over the book as you fall asleep. I find as I read more and more, regardless of the book, I get more tired at night and so find it easier to fall asleep.Different for others?

Sleep in silence.
I find sleeping with no music or TV on more easy and restful.I guess others are different, but sleep with no distractions is best for a clearer mind.

Avoid alcohol before bedtime.
It's a depressant; although it may make it easier to fall asleep, it causes you to wake up during the night. As alcohol is digested your body goes into withdrawal from the alcohol, causing nighttime awakenings and often nightmares for some people.

Leading a healthy life!!

2008-11-20T23:35:00.000-08:00

I have never been an athlete. I have never been much interested in sports, ever since I stopped playing touch-football with the boys, when I hit puberty. I have tried tennis. I hit the ball too high, too long, and way over into left field. I have tried softball. Thank goodness that ball is "soft" and big, because it felt just awful when it hit me in the eye. I tried running, but I could not get anyone to chase me.

I tried swimming, but even though I float like a cork, and have had numerous lessons, I cannot seem to get over the idea, that I am really going to drown. Finally, I settled on walking and for a number of years, I walked 3 to 5 miles a day. I realize that there is an Olympic sport referred to as "walking," but when I tried that, all I succeeded in doing was throwing my hip out.

I am definitely NOT an athlete, but I make do, especially in my "mid-life" years. Which brings a question to my mind? When did I hit mid-life? I remember when I hit thirty. I had to visit a grief counselor, because I knew my life was over. I remember forty. I had to see a grief counselor, the day after my first child graduated from high school and moved out of the house, because I knew my life was over. I remember forty-four. For some reason I thought my life was over. Then I hit fifty, and I was all excited, because I was able to join an organization called AARP. My husband was, especially, excited because he is younger than I, and he got to join, too!

Fifty became the magic age. I knew that as long as I was in good health, in this day and age, I probably had a good fifty years ahead of me. Then came the asthma. O.K., I had that much earlier, but it only became life threatening after fifty. Then came the fibromyalgia. O.K., I had THAT earlier, but it is not life threatening. Then came the arthritis, and, more recently, at fifty-five, came the diabetes. Somewhere, along in there, I became very interested in pharmaceuticals, and, finally, one day, I became free.

I began by noticing the sunsets, and I had the time to stop and really wonder, at the beauty and the magnitude of it all. Then I moved onto the sunrises, and I quickly found out that if I wasted the early morning, I missed the loveliest part of the day. Then I began to notice how grateful I was to be able to witness the changing of the seasons. The first whisper of spring; the rustling of the leaves beneath my feet, in the fall; that first breathless covering of a winter's snow; and in the summer, all the flowers, and the buzzing of a bumblebee.

When illness would hit me, I found that I, actually, enjoyed the solitude. A time to reflect, gathers my thoughts, and prays, at leisure. I found that I was "experiencing" this mid-life season, and I was no longer missing every moment, shackled to the chains of worry, and what "might" be. I found that worrying about tomorrow, only served to make me overlook the blessings of today.

It is not always easy. A few loads of laundry, and a pile of dishes can take an entire day; but then I do not push myself a lot. So, I forget to make the bed, as I watch the rosy glow of dawn meet the rising sun. I have time to walk our little, wooded acre with my little dachshund straining at the leash. I get to read the "signs," with my Happy Dog, sniff the air, and gaze out at nowhere, studying the sky, with the same intensity that my little dog studies the ground.

I get to meet the day, every day. I get to say "good-night," to the sunsets. I have studied a lot of sunsets, in the last five years, and I have never seen two that were alike. I get to know my Creator as I never have before, and I have gotten to make MY mind up, about the mysteries of life; and I have grown certain, that all this was no accident.

I feed the birds, and I take great delight in their multicolored hues, especially in the spring. I drag a chair to stand on, so that I can fill the feeders to the brim, myself. I say a little prayer, as I wobble, a little cock-eyed on the chair, and I laugh, at myself, and all the pretensions of my younger life. I take great delight in my life. I thank God for all the precious little things of every day. Friends. Family. Neighbors. And health. A health of the soul. For I have come to understand, what real health is, and when you have REAL health, then you truly have everything.

5 rules to a lean body!!

2008-09-23T01:23:00.000-07:00

Snack on almonds.
In a study of 65 men and women who were following a low calorie diet, California researchcers found that those who noshed on the nuts shrank their waistlines nearly 50 per cecnt more than dieters who didn't eat them, despite consuming the same number of calories. Likewise, even without increasing exercise, a diet enriched with monounsaturated fatty acids (found in foods suchc as almonds and avocados) decreased the accumulation of abdominal fat compared with a carb-heavy diet, which increased it.

Fill up on fibre
"When you slow digestion, you slow the delivery of glucose to the bloodstream" says Marie Savard, M.D., author of "The Body Shape Solution to Weight Loss and Wellness". "That means less insulin is released, and with lower insulin release comes lower visceral (belly) fat storage." Aim for atleast 25 GMs a day from such foods as vegetables, fruits, beans lentils, brown rice, and whole grain bread, and pasta.

Stay satisfied with protein
Gram for gram protein has the same number of calories as carbs (and half that of fat), but takes longer to digest, so you feel full longer. It also seems to help lower levels of the hormone ghrelin, which is known to stimulate appetite. Include a serving of lean protein with each meal and snack-eggs for breakfast, a turkey sandwich for lunch, low-fat or fat-free yoghurt or milk for a snack, and grilled fish and vegetables for dinner.

Skip the sweetener.
Researchers believe artificial sweetners may hinder your body's ability to regulate calories based on taste, so you end up overeating. Go with natural sweetner, such as raw sugar or honey, instead.

Dum one high-cal item from your diet
By eliminating just one-high calorie item from your dialy diet, such as a large latte, or substituting cereal and low-fat milk for a bagel and cream cheese, you can easily reduce your intake by 250 calories.

Courtsey:New York Times Service

Home remedies for Conjuctivitis!!

2008-08-13T04:49:00.000-07:00

Conjunctivitis refers to an inflammation of the conjunctiva, the thin transparent membrane covering the front of the eye. This is also referred to as having 'sore eyes' and is a very common form of eye trouble. It spreads from person to person through direct Contact. Overcrowding, dirty surroundings and unhealthy living conditions can cause epidemics of this ailment.

Conjunctivitis Symptoms
Eyeball and underside of the eyelids become inflammed
The eyeball and underside of the eyelids become inflammed. At first, the eyes are red and itchy. Later, there may be a watery secretion.

Pus formation
In more serious cases, there is pus formation, which dries up during sleep, making the lashes stick together.

Causes of Conjunctivitis

Bacterial or virus infection or eyestrain
Conjunctivitis results from bacterial or a virus infection or eyestrain. Prolonged work under artificial light and excessive use of the eyes in one way or the other, no doubt, contribute towards the disease.

Catarrhal condition of the system from general toxaemia
Its real cause can be traced to a catarrhal condition of the system resulting from general toxaemia due to dietetic errors, and a faulty style of living. The patient generally suffers from colds or other ailments indicative of a general catarrhal condition.

Home Remedies for Conjunctivitis

Conjunctivitis treatment using Vegetable Juices
Raw juices of certain vegetables, especially carrots and spinach, have been found valuable in conjunctivitis. The combined juices of these two vegetables have proved very effective. In this combination, 200 ml of spinach juice should be mixed with 300ml of carrot juice. Raw parsley (prajmoda) juice-200 ml, mixed with 300 ml of carrot juice has also been found beneficial in the treatment of this disease.

Conjunctivitis treatment using Indian Gooseberry
The juice of the Indian gooseberry, mixed with honey, is useful in conjunctivitis. A cup of this juice should be taken mixed with two teaspoons of honey twice daily in treating this condition.

Conjunctivitis treatment using Vitamins
Vitamins A and B2 have proved useful in conjunctivitis. The patient should take liberal quantities of natural foods rich in these two vitamins. Foods rich in vitamin A are wholemilk, curds, butter, carrots, pumpkin, green leafy vegetables, tomatoes, mangoes, and papaya. Foods rich in vitamin B2 are green leafy vegetables, milk, almonds, citrus fruits, bananas, and tomatoes.

Conjunctivitis treatment using Coriander
A decoction prepared with a handful of dried coriander in 60 ml of water is an excellent eye-wash in conjunctivitis. It is said to relieve burning and reduces pain and swelling. This decoction should, however, be sparingly used by persons suffering from bronchial asthma and chronic bronchitis.

Conjunctivitis diet
Take fresh fruit diet, avoid bananas
The best way to commence treatment for conjunctivitis is to adopt an exclusive fresh fruit diet for a week. In this regimen, the three meals a day should consist of fresh, juicy seasonal fruits. Bananas should, however, not be taken. Those with acute conjunctivitis should undertake a juice fast for three or four days.

All-fruit diet followed by a restricted diet of chapatis, nuts etc

The short juice fast may be followed by an all-fruit diet for a further seven days. Thereafter, the patient may adopt a restricted diet, consisting of fresh fruits, raw mixed-vegetable salad, wholemeal bread or chapatis and steamed vegetables, and nuts.
Avoid starchy and sugary foods, refined cereals, strong tea ans coffee

The patient should avoid an excessive intake of starchy and sugary foods in the form of white bread, refined cereals, potatoes, puddings, sugar, jams, confectionery, meats, fatty foods, strong tea and coffee, too much salt, condiments, and sauces which cause a general catarrhal condition as well as conjunctivitis.

Other Conjunctivitis treatments

Warm-water enema
Those taking a juice fast for the first three or four days of the treatment should take a warm-water enema daily during the fast.

Cold water fomentation of the eyes
A cold water fomentation of the eyes provides almost immediate relief. The procedure is to fold a small hand towel, saturate it with cold water, squeeze out excess water and place the towel gently over both the eyes. It should be covered with a piece of warm cloth to retain the temperature. The process should be repeated as soon as the foment becomes warm. Fomentation should be done for an hour. The eyes should then be covered with a dry towel, and the patient should lie back and relax. The damaged eye tissues will quickly return to normal. This treatment should be repeated every night for a week, even though the problem may clear up with the first treatment itself.

Relaxing, strengthening of eyes by doing eye exercises

The patient should also adopt various methods of relaxing and strengthening the eyes. These include moving the eyes gently up and down, from side to side and in a circle - clockwise and anticlockwise; rotating the neck in circles and semicircles; and briskly moving the shoulders clockwise and anticlockwise. Palming is highly beneficial in removing strain and relaxing the eyes and its surrounding tissues.

The procedure is as follows: sit in a comfortable position and relax with your eyes closed. Cover the eyes with the palms, right palm over the right eye and the left over the left eye. Do not press on the eye balls. Then allow your elbows to drop to your knees, which should be fairly close together.

Insominia!!

2008-08-13T04:33:00.000-07:00

The term insomnia literally denotes a complete lack of sleep. It is, however, used to indicate a relative inability to sleep that consists of difficulty in falling asleep, difficulty in remaining asleep, early final awakening, or combinations of these complaints. This disease has assumed alarming proportions in the present times, specially among the upper classes in the urban set-up.

Insomnia Symptoms

Lack of sleep, emotional instability
The single symptom that most frequently marks the onset of insomnia is difficulty in falling asleep. There may he changes in the duration and quality of sleep, persistent changes in sleep patterns, lapses of memory, and lack of concentration during the day. Other symptoms are emotional instability, loss of coordination and confusion.

Insomnia Causes

Tension, anxiety, stress
The most common cause of sleeplessness is mental tension brought about by anxiety, worries, overwork, and overexcitement.

Suppressed Resentment, anger, bitterness
Suppressed feelings of resentment, anger, and bitterness may also cause insomnia.
Constipation, overeating, excessive tea/coffee/smoking
Constipation, dyspepsia, overeating at night, excessive intake of tea or coffee, smoking, and going to bed hungry are among the other causes. Often, worrying about falling asleep is enough to keep one awake.

Insomnia Home remedies

Insomnia treatment using Thiamine
Of the various food elements, thiamine or vitamin B is of special significance in the treatment of insomnia. It is vital for strong, healthy nerves. A body starved of thiamine over a long period will be unable to relax and fall asleep naturally. Valuable sources of this vitamin are wholegrain cereals, pulses, and nuts.

Insomnia treatment using Lettuce
Lettuce is beneficial in the treatment of insomnia as it contains a sleep-inducing substance, called 'lectucarium'. The juice of this plant has been likened in effect to the sedative action of opium without the accompanying excitement. Lettuce seeds taken in a decoction are also useful in insomnia. One tablespoon of seeds should be boiled in half a litre of water, till it is reduced by one-third.

Insomnia treatment using Milk
Milk is very valuable in insomnia. A glass of milk, sweetened with honey, should be taken every night before going to bed in treating this condition. It acts as a tonic and a tranquilliser. Massaging the milk over the soles of the feet has also been found effective.

Insomnia treatment using Curd
Curd is also useful in insomnia. The patient should take plenty of curd and massage it on the head. This will induce sleep.

Insomnia treatment using Bottle Gourd
The mixture of bottle gourd juice and sesame oil in 50:50 ratio acts as an effective medicine for insomnia. It should be massaged over the scalp every night. The cooked leaves of bottle gourd taken as a vegetable are also beneficial in the treatment of this disease.

Insomnia treatment using Aniseed
A tea made from aniseed is valuable in sleeplessness. This tea is prepared by boiling about 375 ml of water in a vessel and adding a teaspoon of aniseed. The water should be covered with a lid and allowed to simmer for fifteen minutes. It should then be strained and drunk hot or warm. The tea may be sweetened with honey, and hot milk may also be added to it. This tea should be taken after meals or before going to bed.

Insomnia treatment using Honey
Honey is beneficial in the treatment of insomnia. It has a hypnotic action and induces a sound sleep. It should be taken with water, before going to bed, in doses of two teaspoons in a large cup of water. Babies generally fall asleep after taking honey.

Insomnia treatment using Rauwolfia
The herb rauwolfia is a valuable medicine for insomnia because of its indisputable efficacy as a sedative. The hypnotic action of the drug appears to have been known since ancient times. The very first dose of rauwolfia will enable a patient with a phlegmatic and gouty nature to go to sleep. The powder of the root in a quantity of 0.25 gm to 0.5 gm should be mixed with some scented substance like cardamom and given to the patient The patient will have a sound sleep during the entire night. If the disease is chronic, the patient should take O.25 gm twice a day, in the morning as well as at night before retiring.

Insomnia Diet

Low salt diet
The patient should take a low-salt diet as salt is said to interfere with a restful sleep. A balanced diet with simple modifications in the eating pattern will go a long way in the treatment of insomnia.

Avoid white flour products, sugar products, tea etc.
Such a diet should exclude white flour products, sugar and its products, tea, coffee, chocolate, cola drinks, alcohol, fatty foods, fried foods, and foods containing additives.

Other Insomnia remedies

Regular active exercise
Regular active exercise during the day and mild exercise before retiring at night enhances the quantity and the quality of sleep. Yoga helps in a majority of cases. It provides physical and mental relaxation from one's disturbing problems.

Meditiate, eliminate stress, hobbies
The patient should make an all-out effort to eliminate as many stress factors as possible. The steps in this direction should include regular practice of any relaxation method or meditation technique; cultivating the art of doing things slowly, particularly activities like eating, walking and talking; limiting the working day to nine or ten hours and the working week to five and a half days; cultivating a creative hobby and spending some time daily on this; and avoiding meeting unrealistic targets.

Yogasanas
The traditional yoga asanas which are effective for insomnia patients are shirshasana, sarvangasana, paschimottanasana, uttanasana, viparit karni, and shavasana.

Constipation!! Home Remedies!!

2008-08-13T04:05:00.000-07:00

Constipation is a common disturbance of the digestive tract. In this condition, the bowels do not move regularly, or are not completely emptied when they move. This condition is the chief cause of many diseases as it produces toxins which find their way into the bloodstream and are carried to all parts of the body. Appendicitis, rheumatism, arthritis, high blood pressure, cataract., and cancer are only a few of the diseases in which chronic constipation is an important predisposing factor.

Constipation Symptoms

Infrequency, irregularity in elimination of hard faecal matter
The most common symptoms of constipation are infrequency, irregularity or difficulty in elimination of the hard faecal matter.

Coated tongue, Foul breath, headache, depression , insomnia etc
The other symptoms include a coated tongue, foul breath, loss of appetite, headache, dizziness, dark circles under the eyes, depression, nausea, pimples on the face, ulcer in the mouth, constant fullness in the abdomen, diarrhoea alternating with constipation, varicose veins, pain in the lumbar region, acidity, heart burn, and insomnia.

Causes of Constipation

Faulty diet and style of living
The most important causes of chronic constipation are a faulty diet and style of living.

Insufficient intake of water, strong tea and coffee etc
Intake of refined and rich foods lacking in vitamins and minerals, insufficient intake of water, consumption of meat in large quantities, excessive use of strong tea and coffee, insufficient chewing, overeating and wrong combination of foods, irregular habits of eating and drinking may all contribute to poor bowel function.

Irregular habit of defecation, lack of physical activity
Other causes include faulty and irregular habit of defecation, frequent use of purgatives, weakness of abdominal muscles due to sedentary habits, lack of physical activity, and emotional stress and strain.

Home Remedies for Constipation

Constipation treatment using Bael Fruit
Generally all fruits, except banana and jack fruit, are beneficial in the treatment of constipation. Certain fruits are, however, more effective. Bael fruit is regarded as the best of all laxatives. It cleans and tones up the intestines. Its regular use for two or three months throws out even the old accumulated faecal matter. It should be preferably taken in its original form and before dinner. About sixty grams of the fruit are sufficient for an adult.

Constipation treatment using Pear
Pears are beneficial in the treatment of constipation. Patients suffering from chronic constipation should adopt an exclusive diet of this fruit or it's juice for a few days, but in ordinary cases, a medium-sized pear taken after dinner or with breakfast will have the desired effect.

Constipation treatment using Guava
Guava is another effective remedy for constipation. When eaten with seeds, it provides roughage to the diet and helps in the normal evacuation of the bowels. One or two guavas should be taken everyday.

Constipation treatment using Grapes
Grapes have proved very beneficial in overcoming constipation. The combination of the properties of the cellulose, sugar, and organic acid in grapes make them a laxative food. Their field of action is not limited to clearing the bowels only. They also tone up the stomach and intestines and relieve the most chronic constipation. One should take at least 350 gm of this fruit daily to achieve the desired results. When fresh grapes are not available, raisins, soaked in water, can be used. Raisins should be soaked for twenty-four to forty-eight hours. This will make them swell to the original size of the grapes. They should be eaten early in the morning, along with the water in which they have been soaked.

Constipation treatment using Orange
Orange is also beneficial in the treatment of constipation. Taking one or two oranges at bedtime and again on rising in the morning is an excellent way of stimulating the bowels. The general stimulating influence of orange juice excites peristaltic activity and helps prevent the accumulation of food residue in the colon.

Constipation treatment using Papaya and Figs
Other fruits specific for constipation are papaya and figs. Half a medium-sized papaya should be eaten at breakfast for it to act as a laxative. Both fresh and dry figs have a laxative effect. Four or five dry figs should be soaked overnight in a little water and eaten in the morning. Constipation treatment using Papaya and Figs

Constipation treatment using Spinach
Among the vegetables, spinach has been considered to be the most vital food for the entire digestive tract from time immemorial. Raw spinach contains the finest organic material for the cleansing, reconstruction, and regeneration of the intestinal tract. Raw spinach juice-100 ml, mixed with an equal quantity of water and taken twice daily, will cure the most aggravated cases of constipation within a few days.

Constipation treatment using Other Remedies
Half a lime, squeezed is a glass of hot water, with half a teaspoon of salt is also an effective remedy for constipation. Drinking water which has been kept overnight in a copper vessel, first thing in the morning, brings good results. Linseed (alse) is extremely useful in difficult cases of constipation. A teaspoon of linseed swallowed with water before each meal provides both roughage and lubrication.

Constipation diet

Natural and simple diet consisting of unrefined foods
The most important factor in curing constipation is a natural and simple diet. This should consist of unrefined foods such as wholegrain cereals, bran, honey, lentils, green and leafy vegetables, fresh and dry fruits, and milk products in the form of butter, ghee, and cream. The diet alone is not enough.

Chew food properly, Avoid hurried meals and irregular meals
Food should be properly chewed. Hurried meals and meals at odd times should be avoided. Sugar and sugary foods should be strictly avoided. Foods which constipate are all products made of white flour, rice, bread, pulses, cakes, pastries, biscuits, cheese, fleshy foods, preserves, white sugar, and hard-boiled eggs.

Other Constipation treatments

Fresh air, outdoor games and exercise
Toning up the muscles also helps in the treatment of constipation. Fresh air, outdoor games, walking, swimming, and exercise play an important role in strengthening the muscles, and thereby preventing constipation.

Alcoholism!!

2008-08-13T03:47:00.000-07:00

Alcoholism is a chronic disorder in which a person is unable to refrain from frequent and excessive consumption of alcohol.

Signs of Alcoholism (alcoholism symptoms)
Bloodshot eyes, rapid pulse

ALCOHOLISM
Alcoholics have a puffy face with bloodshot eyes, hoarse voice and a rapid pulse. They are suspicious, irritable and over-emotional.

Vomiting, delirium
Vomiting, delirium, impaired judgment, and disturbed sleep are some of the other symptoms that alcoholics suffer from. Excessive drinking damages the liver and gradually leads to cirrhosis. It also leads to disorders of the stomach and bowels.
It can cause damage to the brain cells, and also affects the heart, which becomes weak and flabby.

Causes of Alcoholism

Occasional drink
Alcoholism starts with the individual taking an occasional drink. This gradually becomes a habit and leads to a state where the person cannot do without alcohol. Some people drink alcohol to enliven social gatherings under social pressure; for others, it is an escape from the responsibilities or stresses of life.

Alcoholism Treatment

Alcoholism treatment using Grapes
The most important home remedy for alcoholism is an exclusive diet, for a month or so, of grapes. Since this fruit contains the purest form of alcohol, it is an ideal yet healthy substitute for alcohol. Alcoholics should take three meals a day of fresh grapes at five-hourly intervals. The success of this treatment depends on the determination of the alcoholic to stop drinking.

Alcoholism treatment using Apples
Apples are another effective remedy for alcoholism.A generous intake of apples helps remove intoxication and reduces the craving for wines and other intoxicating liquors.

Alcoholism treatment using Dates
Dates are considered beneficial in the treatment of alcoholism. The patient should drink half a glass of water in which four or five dates have been rubbed together. This remedy should be taken twice daily for a month. It will bring definite relief.

Alcoholism treatment using Bitter Gourd
The juice of the leaves of bitter gourd is an antidote for alcohol intoxication. It is also useful for a liver damaged due to alcoholism. Three teaspoons of this juice, mixed with a glass of butter milk, should be taken every morning for a month.

Alcoholism treatment using Celery
The juice of raw celery has also been found useful in alcoholism. It exercises a sobering effect on the patient and is an antidote to alcohol. Half a glass of celery juice mixed with an equal quantity of water should be taken once daily for a month.

Diet for alcoholism recovery

Build up body's nutritional integrity, juice fast
The most effective way to treat alcoholism is to build up the body's nutritional integrity so as to prevent craving for stimulants like drinks. The patient should be put on a cleansing juice fast for at least ten days in the beginning. During the juice fast, the patient will gradually feel less craving for alcohol. This is a good beginning towards breaking the drinking habit.The patient should eat several small meals a day in preference to two or three large ones. Plenty of rest and outdoor physical exercises are also necessary.

Optimum diet and fresh fruit juice
After the initial fast of juices, the patient should take an optimum diet of vital nutrients consisting of wholegrain cereals, nuts, seeds and sprouts, fresh fruits, and vegetables. It is advisable that at the beginning of the treatment, the patient is given a suitable substitute to relieve the craving if and when it occurs. The best substitute drink for alcohol is a glass of fresh fruit juice. The patient should drink juices and eat candy or other snacks if he feels a craving for a stimulant.

Avoid refined foods
All refined foods such as sugar, white rice, macaroni products, strong condiments, white flour, and meat should be avoided.

Other Suggestions and herbal treatments for alcoholism

Firm willingness of alcoholic to stop drinking
The most important step towards breaking the 'alcohol habit' is the willingness of an alcoholic to do so. He must make a firm resolve to make a clean break at once, as giving up in stages is next to impossible.

Warm-water enema and physical exercises
During the first ten days of the 'juice fast', a warm-water enema should be taken everyday to cleanse the bowels. Plenty of rest and outdoor physical exercises are also necessary.

Avoid smoking
Smoking must be avoided as it increases the desire for alcohol.

CERVICAL SPONDYLOSIS!!

2008-08-13T03:44:00.000-07:00

Medical Treatment
Usually Analgesics and muscle relaxants are advised . In more severe cases the orthopaedic doctor may suggest cortisone injections near the joints of the vertebral bodies to ease the swelling of the nerves and relieve pain.

Surgical Treatment
If the medical treatment and physiotherapy fails, and the condition is severe, where the nerves are affected, surgery may be required.. Decompression of the nerve is done to relieve the nerve which is compressed by the bones and the disc.

Physiotherapy
The goal of physiotherapy treatment is to relieve pain, and enhance movements of the neck.

Shortwave Diathermy - A disc or heating pad is placed over the back of the neck. The warmth obtained from the shortwave diathermy current relaxes the muscle and the pain is relieved.

Cervical Traction - Traction is a mechanical device, which supports the head and chin. It is used to relieve the nerve compression by a bone.

Posture correction - Simple postural exercises can be taught to correct the faulty position of the neck.

Motivation is given to maintain the erect posture:

Collars - Two types of collars can be prescribed:

Soft Collar - Soft collar is used during night times to prevent awkward position of the neck during sleep.

Firm Collar - Firm collar steadies the neck and relieve pain, especially during traveling or work. It is removed when the pain subsides. Relaxation

Relaxation is essential part of treatment. Tension in neck and shoulder muscle, pain, anxiety are all relieved by relaxation.

Relaxation can be done in two ways:

Physical Relaxation.

Mental Relaxation.

Physical Relaxation:
The whole body is relaxed by free suitable and comfortable positions, so that the muscles are freed from tension and the pain is relieved. For eg., position of relaxation - when you are lying flat on your back.

One pillow under the head
One cushion for the shoulder and
One under knees.

The pillow should be firm and thin. This position will allow relaxation for your body while lying down.

Relaxation while sitting.
The head, neck and shoulder are supported by high backed chair, with a small pillow at lower back.

Feet supported on stool or low bench
Arm, resting on arm of chair or pillow

Mental Relaxation
Positive thinking and using imagination is the way of relaxing mentally. This type makes one feel better and breaks the pain cycle. Muscle tension, anxiety, loss of sleep and pain are all relieved by mental relaxation exercises like yoga.

Lifestyle Modifications
Some modifications in life style will help in over coming problems of cervical spondylosis. For example:-

Avoid any strain of neck and shoulder like reading and writing for long hours.

Avoid the use of very soft cushion bed and avoid using a very high pillow.

Ergonomics
Ergonomics concentrates on the architectural design of furnitures like desk, chairs, tables etc. The design of the furniture should be such that it should support the body structure without causing any undue strain to the muscles of the back and neck .

Do's and Dont's
If you are prone to cervical spondylosis, Avoid bad roads, if travelling by two or four wheelers

Do not sit for prolonged period of time in stressful postures
Do use firm collars while traveling
Do not lift heavy weights on head or back
Do not turn from your body but turn your body moving your feet first
Do turn to one side while getting up from lying down
Do the exercises prescribed regularly
Do use firm mattress, thin pillow or butterfly shaped pillow
Do not lie flat on your stomach.

Low blood pressure-Causes and remedies!!

2008-08-13T02:42:00.000-07:00

Low blood pressure or hypotension refers to the fall in blood pressure below normal. It is a condition in which the action of the heart, in forcing the blood through the arteries, is weak. This is a direct outcome of a weakened and devitalised system.

Low blood pressure symptoms

Lethargy, weakness, dizziness

The patient with chronic low blood pressure may complain of lethargy, weakness, fatigue, and dizziness. The patient may faint, especially if arterial pressure is lowered further when he assumes an erect position. These symptoms are presumably due to a decrease in perfusion of blood to the brain, heart, skeletal muscle, and other organs.

Low blood pressure causes

Faulty nutrition, Malnutrition

The most important cause of low blood pressure is faulty nutrition. It makes the tissues forming the walls of the blood vessels over-relaxed, and flabby or streched. This results in less supply of oxygen and nutrients to the tissues. Malnutrition can result from a diet deficient in calories, proteins, vitamin C, or almost any one of the B vitamins.

Loss of blood, slow internal bleeding

Sometimes the blood pressure falls rapidly because of loss of blood. Low blood pressure may also develop gradually because of slow bleeding in the gastrointestinal tract, kidneys, or bladder.

Emotional instability

Emotional problems are a far more frequent cause of low blood pressure. To a lesser degree, prolonged disappointment and frustration may result in a subnormal blood pressure.

Low blood pressure home remedies

Low Blood Pressure treatment using Beetroot

The juice of raw beetroot is one of the most effective home remedies for low blood pressure. The patient should drink a cup of this juice twice daily for treating this condition Considerable improvement will be noticeable within a week.

Low Blood Pressure treatment using Indian Spikenard

The herb Indian spikenard is another effective home remedy for low blood pressure. It should be taken in doses of thirty to forty grains with a pinch of a little camphor and cinnamon (dalchini). An infusion can also be prepared by steeping 15 to 20 gm of the herb in 250 ml of boiling water, and taking it thrice a day.

Low Blood Pressure treatment using Epsom Salts Bath

Hot Epsom salt bath are one of the simplest remedy for low blood pressure. An Epsom salt bath is prepared by dissolving one to one and half kg of commercial Epsom Salt in an ordinary bath of hot water. The patient should remain immersed in the bath for ten to twenty minutes. This bath should be taken just before retiring to bed, and care should be exercised not to catch a chill afterwards.

Low Blood Pressure treatment using Nutrients

Protein, vitamin C, and all vitamins of the B group have been found beneficial in the prevention and treatment of low blood pressure. Of these, pantothenic acid is of particular importance. Liberal use of this vitamin alone often helps in raising the blood pressure. A diet which contains adequate quantities of complete proteins, B vitamin and, particularly, the nutrients that stimulate adrenal production, quickly normalizes low blood pressure.

Low Blood Pressure treatment using Salt

The use of salt is valuable in low blood pressure. Until the blood pressure reaches normal levels through proper dietary and other remedies, it is essential that the patient should take salty foods and half a teaspoon of salt in water daily.

Low blood pressure diet

Exclusive fruit diet

The treatment for low blood pressure should aim at rejuvenation of the whole system. To begin with, the patient should adopt an exclusive fresh fruit diet for about five days, taking three meals a day of fresh fruity fruits at five-hourly intervals.

Milk and fruit diet

Thereafter he may adopt a fruit and milk diet for two or three weeks. After the fruit and milk diet the patient may gradually embark upon a well balanced diets consisting of seeds nuts and grains with emphasis on fresh fruit and raw vegetables. Further period of all fruit diet followed by a milk and fruit diet may be necessary every two or three months in some cases, depending on the progress being made.

Other Low blood pressure treatment

Warm-Water enema treatment

A warm-water enema should be used daily to cleanse the bowels during the first few days of the treatment, and afterwards, if necessary. Those who are habitually constipated should take all the possible steps for its eradication. Daily dry friction and sponging should be undertaken by those suffering from low blood pressure.

Light walking, cycling, swimming and Breathing exercises

They should undertake breathing and other light exercises like walking , swimming and cycling. The patient should take sun and air baths and spend as much time as possible in the fresh air.

Avoid excessive work, anxiety

All living habits which tend to enervate the system, such as overwork, excesses of all kinds, needless worry, and negative thinking must be eliminated as far as possible.

Home remedies for kKidney stones!!

2008-08-13T02:36:00.001-07:00

What is Kidney stones?
Kidney stones are one of the most painful disorders that affect humans. Kidney stones are solid masses of mineral salt deposits that are normally filtered through the kidney and emptied via urine. Urine has a natural substance, which dissolves these minerals, thereby preventing them into becoming solids or calculi. Sometimes due to dehydration, these salts don't get dissolved and crystallization takes place. It grows large enough to obstruct the renal ducts or stuck in the uterus, causing sharp and severe pain in the urinary tract. Untreated, kidney stones can cause renal failure.

Common Causes of Kidney stones
Urinary tract infection (UTI)
Overdoses of Vitamin D
Mineral imbalance
Kidney disease
Dehydration
Gout
Diet

Home Remedies for Kidney stones

Tip 1:
Boil two figs in a cup of water. Drink this first thing in the morning for one month.

Tip 2:
Mix 1 tspn of Holy basil leaves juice with 1 tspn of honey. Have this every morning for 5-6 months.
Eat 2-3 Apples a day.

Tip 3:
Watermelon, either eaten as a fruit or had a juice is very good.

Tip 4:
1 cup of juice made with radish leaves taken 2 times a day.

Tip 5:
First thing in the morning, drink 1 glass of fresh Tomato juice. Add a pinch of salt and pepper to this.

Home remedies to quit smoking!!

2008-08-13T02:33:00.000-07:00

Smoking tobacco or other substances can be dangerous and addictive. The tobacco contains nicotine which can cause heart diseases and cancer. More over smoking causes: yellow teeth, bad breath, and bad smell of cloth, difficulties to breathe, and much more. To quit smoking is not an easy thing to do because the materials are addictive.

How to Quit Smoking with Natural Treatments

Put mustard seeds on the lungs and tape them with plaster, also rub the spot.
Drink a lot of water, that will help you to quit smoking and will clean your body from the toxic.
Every time you have the urge to smoke, put some salt of the tip of your tongue. Repeat for 1-2 month.
When you feel an urge to smoke, take a gum or a candy.
Drink a lot of celery juice and carrot juice, that will reduce the urge for cigarettes.
Work out daily.

Attending Food Allergies!!

2008-08-06T11:31:00.000-07:00

In this day and age we know so much more about our relationship to food than our predecessors, and the way we eat and think about food has become almost unrecognizable to our grandparents' generation. One example of this is our awareness of food allergies, a condition that has recently entered the collective consciousness. Most of us know someone who is allergic to such commonplace foods as wheat and dairy, and we may even be prone to such an allergy. Understanding how our bodies react to food, and making the necessary adjustments in our diet, can have a profound effect on our whole energy system, and can be the key to shifting our mind into a state of greater clarity.

When we are continuously exposed to a food that gives us an allergic reaction, we feel lethargic, foggy-headed, or as if we always have a low-grade sinus infection. Other symptoms can include nausea, digestive difficulties, skin problems, and difficulty breathing. Many of us have been fighting these symptoms our whole lives without realizing that getting relief could be as simple as cutting a particular food out of our diet. When we do, we feel as if we are waking up out of a fog, and our whole system, cleared of substances that work against it, benefits. Many people see skin improvements, they sleep better, have more energy, and feel able to think more clearly. When we feel less than well, testing ourselves, or getting tested by someone else, for food allergies may be a good place to start.

If you know how to do kinesiology, or if you work with a pendulum or have access to clear signals from an inner guide, you can test yourself. If these modes of gaining information are unfamiliar or uncomfortable, you can get tested through a doctor of your choice. However we go about it, exploring our relationship to the foods we eat can be the first step to a more optimal state of health, well-being, and clarity of mind.

Just smell coffee to pep yourself up!!

2008-06-27T04:03:00.000-07:00

For many of us, the day begins with a steaming cup of coffee. We get over our sleep hangovers and get geared for the day after tasting that special caffeine ambrosia. But now a research published in the June 25th issue of Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry implies that one can get over the stress caused due to lack of sleep by just smelling coffee!

The experiment was conducted on rats and has not been tried on humans yet. Sleep deprived rats were made to smell coffee and it was found that it activated seventeen different genes in their brains to diminish the stressful effects of sleep deprivation. Moreover, thirteen of these genes formed proteins to protect nerve cells from the damaging effects of stress. According to the scientists, this is the first study conducted on the aroma of coffee.

Do you know what this implies? If it works for humans then you do not need to necessarily drink coffee. You can get its good effects by just smelling it. Given the harmful effects of caffeine on the kidney, heart and the liver this comes as a boon for the people who would like to have coffee to get over their stress but cannot do so due to the harmful effects.

With this study it certainly looks as though you can have the cake and eat it too!

VITAMIN B15!!

2008-05-30T11:20:00.000-07:00

Vitamin B-15 (Pangamic acid): This has not been qualified as being essential to our diets. Very little is known about this ingredient and therefore our information is very sketchy. Until further research is available, be careful of supplements containing pangamic acid, calcium pangamate, DMG or B15.

Other names :: Pangamic acid, calcium panmanate

Vitamin B15 (Pangamic acid) is water-soluble but its essential requirement in the diet has not yet been proven. Research points to B15 aiding in lowering cholesterol blood levels, aid in protein synthesis, neutralize liquor cravings etc.

Actions and benefits of vitamin B15
Increases tolerance to hypoxia (insufficient oxygen to tissues and cells).
Vitamin B15 has been used to treat cancer, schizophrenia and heart disease.

Deficiency symptoms of Vitamin B15
There is no evidence to suggest that a lack of pangamic acid has any adverse effects

Best food sources of vitamin B15
Seeds, nuts, brown rice, brewer's yeast, pumpkin seeds and sesame seeds .

Tips to Quit Smoking!!

2008-05-23T01:51:00.000-07:00

1. Make a personal commitment to yourself.

2. Are you worried about your health? Or do you want to quit for your kids or family? Think about what will make you want to give up smoking. Write those reasons down.

3. Start building a support network to help you quit smoking

4. Tell your friends and family that you need their support. Talk about your reasons for quitting with them, too.

5. Make an appointment with your doctor

6. Talk to your doctor about wanting to quit. Ask about treatment options and support. Then decide on a quit date.

7. Set a quit date

8. Pick a date within the next 2 weeks. That's enough time to get ready, but not so long that you'll lose your will to quit. Mark your calendar. You may be more likely to go through with your quit if you see your quit day in writing.

9. Enroll in a support program to help you quit smoking

10. Look for a program that helps with your urge to smoke and helps you break your smoking routine.

11. Clean up your living spaces.

12. Get rid of anything that reminds you of smoking. Don't forget to throw out lighters, ashtrays, and cigarettes the night before.

13. Anticipate withdrawal symptoms.

14. Withdrawal symptoms are part of quitting smoking. Start to plan what you will do when you feel a symptom. It's an important part of the quitting process.

15. Know your smoking triggers.

16. Be aware of your triggers so you can understand why you get the urge to smoke.

10 steps to better heart health!!

2008-05-20T11:13:00.000-07:00

1. Stop smoking. Nourish yourself with a handful of sunflower seeds and a cup of nettle or oatstraw infusion daily for 4 to 6 weeks before quitting. Sunflower seeds reduce the body's craving for nicotine by filling the nicotine receptor sites. The infusions strengthen blood vessels and nerves and cushions the impact of withdrawal.

2. Touch and be touched. Many scientific studies have shown that people who were touched lovingly every day had significantly fewer heart problems than the control group.

3. Eat seaweeds. They have been shown to stabilize blood pressure, regulate levels of triglycerides, phospholipids and cholesterols, they dissolve fatty build-ups in the blood vessels, they can restore cardiac efficiency and prolong the life of the heart muscle, and they encourage a steady heartbeat.

4. Eat foods rich in beta-carotenes: it can cut your risk of a stroke by 40 percent. Foods rich in beta-carotenes are orange, green, yellow and red. They include carrots, cabbage, winter squash, sweet potatoes, dark leafy greens, apricots, and seaweed.

5. Eat garlic. Study after study has confirmed garlic's abilities to lower blood pressure, reduce phospholipids and cholesterol, strengthen heart action, increase immune response, reduce platelet clumping and clotting (thus reducing strokes) and stabilize blood sugar levels. Eat garlic raw or lightly cooked, several cloves a day.

6. Eat foods rich in essential fatty acids. Fresh pressed oils of wheat germ or flax seed are especially nourishing.

7. Drink lemon balm tea. It is so strengthening to the heart that there's an old saying about it: Those who drink lemon balm tea daily will live forever! You can also steep a handful of fresh leaves in a glass of white wine for an hour or so and drink it with dinner. Or make lemon balm vinegar to use on your salads.

8. Move! Go for a walk, jump rope, swim, or do leg lifts and arm raises from your bed or wheelchair: however you can do it, do it! Regular exercise is key.

9. Avoid restrictive diets. Frequent dieting, fasting, binging and purging imbalance your electrolyte levels, causing weakening of the heart muscle and damage to the heart.

10. Eat as much as you want of: whole grains, vegetables, beans, greens, fruits, fish, seeds, and yogurt. Go easy on: nuts, cheese, and milk

What does a healthy diet really mean?

2008-04-29T09:47:00.000-07:00

Is it a Diet or a Lifestyle Change?

Think of the word "diet" and what springs to mind? Restrictive meal plans? Best-selling books by skinny celebrities? Guilt producing health nuts who make us feel like anything that we might want to eat is not only bad for us but will ultimately cause our unfortunate demise and it will be all our fault because we didn't listen to them and follow their diet?!? OK, maybe that last one is just me.

Anyone who has been diagnosed with metabolic syndrome, prediabetes or type 2 diabetes has heard the word "diet", usually in the context of a health care professional telling us that we need to change to a healthier diet. But these days, we tend to think that there must be a detailed diet we need to follow, a book we have to read a membership we have to buy, or a guru we need to pledge our allegiance to.

But "diet" actually has another meaning. According to our good friend Merriam Webster, the word "diet" can also mean "food and drink regularly provided or consumed." Another definition is "habitual nourishment".

Here in this country, there is so much talk of diets, that we start to think that we have to be "on a diet." The other meaning of the word diet gets lost in the hype: Your diet is what you eat everyday.

People can have a healthy diet, a junk food diet, or a steady diet of Steven King novels. It's just another way of saying... something you consume on a regular basis.

So when we hear in the news that we should add something, say, like olive oil, to our diet, it just means that we should chuck the trans-fat laden hydrogenated gunk we're eating and substitute something that's kinder to our heart instead.

No fancy diet required. Just tossing out some bad stuff and adding some healthier choices to what we already eat everyday.

More unhealthy items to limit or eliminate from our diets:
Beverages that contain high fructose corn syrup
Packaged salty, fried snacks
Other packaged snacks that contain trans fats or high fructose corn syrup
Deep fried or breaded, battered foods
Creamy sauces or soups
Processed foods like hotdogs, luncheon meats, or high-fat frozen foods
Sugar-laden foods like packaged cookies, cakes and breakfast cereals

Healthy things to add to our diets:
Fresh or frozen vegetables and salads
Lean meats
Water and other unsweetened beverages like green tea
Homemade low fat, low sugar treats
Fresh fruit
Monounsaturated fats like olive oil, canola oil, nuts and seeds
Whole grain breads, brown rice, and other sources of fiber

A diet doesn't have to be rigid, it doesn't have to cost a lot of money and it doesn't have to be on

The New York Times Bestseller List. It just has to be something that we can follow everyday. Good choices that fit our preferences and our lifestyles. In other words, an everyday diet that we can follow for life.

10 Tips for Better Health!!

2008-04-24T12:38:00.000-07:00

1. "Eat it, it's good for you." - Listen to your mother and eat breakfast every morning. People who eat breakfast regularly are 5 times less likely to put on weight.

2. "How do you know you don't like it, if you haven't tasted it?" – Remember to add fish to your diet. The omega 3's found in cold water fish can cut your risk of heart disease and decrease symptoms of depression.

3. "I can't believe you can sleep in this filth!" - Get plenty of rest. People who sleep less than 7 hours a night on average are 2½ times more likely to die prematurely.

4. "You can say just about anything about anyone, as long as you "bless their heart" somewhere in the sentence." -Remembering those social skills come in handy when meeting new friends. Elderly people who are more involved in communal activities live longer and have less medical problems.

5. "If you're going kill each other, do it outside" - Get outdoors and experience nature. It raises brain serotonin (the feel-good hormone). It's easy, start with a daily walk.

6. "Don't put that in your mouth, you don't know where it's been." – Brush your teeth and floss already. Studies have shown that practicing good dental hygiene can add 6.4 years to your life.

7. "You WILL eat it, and you WILL like it!" - Eat your vegetables, your mother was right, again - bless her soul(or heart!). Fruits and vegetables are chock full of good things - fiber, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. Remember fiber keeps things moving.

8. "Why didn't you go before we left the house?"- Another of life's mysteries. Remember peeing is good, so drink lots of water. For every ounce of coffee or soda pop you consume, ½ ounce of water is siphoned from your tissues.

9. "Why? Because I said so, that's why!" - Need to think about the logic of that one? Maybe a little meditation is in order. Take time for quiet reflection and prayer-- it is shown to reduce stress and lower blood pressure.

10. "A little soap & water never killed anybody." - Wash your hands. Yup, we are channeling mom, again. By frequently washing your hands you wash away germs that you have picked up from other people, or from contaminated surfaces, or from animals and animal waste. One of the most common ways people catch colds is by rubbing their nose or their eyes after their hands have been contaminated with the cold virus.

Mobiles can be cancerous than smoking!!

2008-04-04T00:10:00.000-07:00

A new study by an Indian-origin neurosurgeon has shown that cell phone use could kill more people than smoking, because of its possible association with brain cancer.

Dr Vini Khurana, a staff specialist neurosurgeon at the Canberra Hospital and an associate professor of neurosurgery at the Australian National University, said heavy usage of mobile phones might turn out to be a greater threat to human health than smoking and even asbestos.

To support his finding, Khurana conducted a 15-month 'critical review' of the link between mobile phones and malignant brain tumours, and said that using mobiles for more than 10 years could result in more than double the risk of brain cancer.

In order to curb this danger, he has urged for 'immediate and decisive steps' by industry and governments to reduce people's exposure to invisible electromagnetic radiation emitted by handsets.

He has also asked to begin a 'solid scientific study' observing heavy mobile phone users for a period of at least 10-15 years.

'It is anticipated that this danger has far broader public health ramifications than asbestos and smoking, and directly concerns all of us, particularly the younger generation, including very young children,' the Sydney Morning Herald quoted Khurana, as saying.

However, he added that it is not that smoking was better for people than using mobile phones, but mobile-phone related health issues were a lot more dangerous and affected a far greater number of people.

He pointed out that currently there were 3 billion mobile phone users worldwide, and the number is growing with each passing day. In fact, people started using them as young as three.

He underlined that mobile phone radiation could result in heating up the side of the head or potentially thermoelectrically interact with the brain, while Bluetooth devices and 'unshielded' headsets could 'convert the user's head into an effective, potentially self-harming antenna'.

Khurana indicated that there had been increased reports of brain tumours linked with heavy and prolonged mobile phone use, particularly on the same side as the person's 'preferred ear' for making calls.

However, Chris Althaus, chief executive of the industry body, the Australian Mobile Telecommunications Association, rejected Khurana's conclusions, saying handsets were designed, built and tested to comply with strict science-based guidelines.

He also pointed out to a 2000 World Health Organisation fact sheet, which said no recent reviews had concluded that exposure to the radiofrequency fields from mobile phones and their base stations caused any adverse health consequences.

But this was denied by WHO, saying that there were 'gaps in knowledge' that required further research to better assess health risks, which would take several years to complete. Even Khurana said that the WHO fact sheet was irrelevant in this instance because 'most of the worrisome data has been surfacing in the last 12-24 months'.

Another fact sheet on the NSW Cancer Council's website said stressed for further research as not much was known on the long-term effects of electromagnetic field exposure.

Khurana said there is a time-gap of 10-20 years between the starting of regular mobile phone usage to the diagnosis of a malignant solid brain tumour. And the link between mobile phones and brain tumours had not yet been 'definitively proven' because widespread mobile phone usage started in the mid-1980s and solid tumours might take several years to form.

'In the years 2008-2012, we will have reached the appropriate length of follow-up time to begin to definitively observe the impact of this global technology on brain tumour incidence rates,' said Khurana.

However, he stressed that there was already enough evidence to warrant industry and governments taking immediate action to reduce mobile phone users' exposure to electromagnetic radiation and inform them of potential dangers.

'Worldwide availability and use of appropriately shielded cell phones and hands-free devices including headsets, increased use of landlines and pagers instead of current mobile and cell phones, and restricted use of cellular and cordless phones among children and adults alike are likely to limit the effects of this physically invisible danger,' said Khurana.

Reducing Weight Naturally

2008-02-27T23:50:00.000-08:00

In ayurveda, Charak Samhita describes eight different types of bodies that are disease prone. Out of these, the obese body is described as the one afflicted with the most diseases and troubles. Obesity is the condition or physical state of the body when excessive deposition of fat takes place in the adipose tissue.

Extra fat puts a strain on the heart, kidneys, liver and the joints such as the hips, knees and ankles and thus, overweight people are susceptible to several diseases like coronary thrombosis, high blood pressure, diabetes, arthritis, gout, liver and gall bladder disorders. Chief cause of obesity is overeating, irregular eating habits and not following the rules of eating or mixing non-compatible food items in one meal.

To decrease weight and get rid of obesity three things must be kept in mind:

>>Controlling eating habits.
>>Regular exercise.
>>Avoiding the causes of weight gain.

Diet recommended to lose weight

>>Early morning
Juice of half a lemon mixed in a glass of warm water and a teaspoon of honey.

>>Breakfast
Wheat or Mung bean sprouts and a cup of skimmed milk.

>>Midmorning
A glass of orange, pineapple or carrot juice.

>>Lunch
>Salad of raw vegetables such as carrot, beet, cucumber, cabbage, tomatoes. Steamed or boiled vegetables.
>Whole grain bread or whole wheat chapatis (Indian bread) and a glass of buttermilk.
>Roasted cumin seeds, green coriander leaves, a little salt and some grated ginger mixed in the buttermilk.

>>Mid-afternoon
Coconut water
>Dry fruits
>Lemon tea
Fresh vegetable soup

>>Dinner
>Whole grain bread or chapatis
>Steamed vegetables
>Seasonal fruits except banana and apple.

Home Remedies for Losing Weight
.Increase the quantity of fruits and vegetables and low calorie foods.
.Avoid intake of too much salt as it may be a factor for increasing body weight.
.Milk products like cheese, butter etc. and non-vegetarian foods should be avoided as they are rich in fat.
.Mint is very beneficial in losing weight. A chutney of green mint with some simple spices can be taken with meals. Mint tea also helps.
.Spices like dry ginger, cinnamon, black pepper etc. are good for loosing weight and can be used in a number of ways.
.Regular intake of carrot juice.
.Avoid rice and potato, which contain a lot of carbohydrates. Among cereals wheat is good.
.Vegetables like bitter gourd (Karela), and bitter variety of drumstick are useful in loosing weight.
.Honey is an excellent home remedy for obesity. It mobilizes the extra deposited fat in the body allowing it to be utilized as energy for normal functions.
Dosage: One should start with small quantity of about 10 grams or a tablespoon, taken with hot water early in the morning. A teaspoonful of fresh lemon juice may also be added.
.Fasting on honey and lime- juice is highly beneficial in the treatment of obesity without the loss of energy and appetite. For this, mix one teaspoon of fresh honey with the juice of half a lime in a glass of lukewarm water.
Dosage: Take several times a day at regular intervals.
.Raw or cooked cabbage inhibits the conversion of sugar and other carbohydrates into fat. Hence, it is of great value in weight reduction.
.Exercise is an important part of any weight reduction plan. It helps to use up calories stored in body as fat.
.Walking is the best exercise to begin with and may be followed by running, swimming or rowing.
.The gum of Commiphora Mukul called 'guggulu' is the drug of choice for the treatment of obesity.

Preparation of Home Remedies
According to ayurveda home remedies are prepared in the same way and with the same purpose as other ayurvedic medicines. The main aim is to obtain the maximum therapeutic benefit while making it palatable.

Some common methods of preparing home remedies are:
>Juice
The juice may be taken from the fresh leaves, flowers or stems of the herb. The part of the herb used should be crushed or ground in a mortar and pestle, to make a paste. This paste should be put in a piece of cloth and squeezed to take out the juice.
Dosage: One to two tablespoons twice a day.

>Powder
Dried herbs are used for powders. The herbs are usually dried in a cool, shady and well-ventilated place, although some herbs are dried in direct sunlight. The herbs are then ground into a fine powder and stored in a dry, airtight bottle. The powder may be taken with water, or if specified, with milk or honey.
Dosage: Half to one teaspoon twice a day.

>Decoction
A decoction is prepared by boiling the herb in water (ratio: 1 part herb to 16 parts water). The herbs are broken into pieces and soaked in water overnight. This mixture is then boiled until it reduces to one quarter of the original volume. It is then filtered and stored in a glass bottle.
Dosage: One to two tablespoons twice a day.

>>Infusion
Herbs are soaked in water to make an infusion (ratio: 1 part herb to 8 parts water). Hot infusions result from adding herbs to hot water, or gently heating but not boiling the mixture. This is strained and taken internally. Herbal teas are forms of hot infusions. Cold infusions are made from soaking the herb overnight. Honey can be added.
Dosage: half to one cup once or twice day.

>>Paste
A paste can be made from either fresh or dried herbs. The flowers, roots, stems, leaves or bark are ground and mixed with water. Pastes are mainly used for external application, in cases of cuts, burns and swellings. The paste should be thick enough to be applied in a layer to the skin.

>>Tablets
The herbs should be first dried separately and then mixed together in a powder form, in fixed proportions. Water or herbal juice can be added to this powder to make a paste, from which tablets of a specific size or weight are made. Tablets remain potent longer than juices, powders, pastes or decoctions.
Dosage: 1 or 2 tablets twice a day.

>>Medicated ghee and oil
Ghee is cooked with herbal juices, decoctions or pastes. The ghee should be heated with the herbal mixture at a moderate, controlled temperature. High temperatures can easily burn the ghee or oil, destroying its effectiveness. Medicated ghee and oils are either used internally or massaged externally.
Dosage: Half to one tablespoon.

Obesity Can Double The Risk of Cancers!!

2008-02-16T10:02:00.001-08:00

According to a recent report published in the Lancet medical journal, obesity can cause the risk of several cancers like those of the bowel, kidney, and breast to almost double up. Risk of numerous blood cancers such as adult leukemia, multiple myeloma and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma also increases with increase in body fat.

Andrew Renehan, a cancer specialist at the University of Manchester led the study. Renehan made his analysis after looking into the results of about 282,000 men and women, of what happened to people whose body mass index (BMI) increased from the normal range (18 to 25) to overweight ( more than 25) or from overweight to obese (above 30).

The study also showed that gender too plays a very important role between obesity and certain cancers. For eg, for men, the risk of thyroid cancer rose by a third, while colon and kidney cancers rose by almost 24 percent. When women gained more than necessary weight, their risk gall of bladder cancer rose by almost 59 percent, while 34 percent was the increase in the kidney cancer rate.

Obesity has become a world-wide phenomenon now days; the reasons are multiple some of them include more fast food, less exercise and unhealthy eating habits.

The mantra for staying lean and cancer-free is really simple, all you need to do is to eat sensibly and exercise regularly. Follow it, for not only will you look good, you will stay disease-free too.

Smoking kills almost a million in India per year!!

2008-02-16T09:54:00.000-08:00

“Smoking is harmful to Health” - This is a statutory warning printed on all cigarette packets. Yet the question arises as to how many people pay heed to this warning. Statistics will reveal a very small number. Majority knowingly jump in the fire or continue to smoke, risking even the lives of those around them, due to passive smoking.

A recent research has revealed that smoking kills almost a million people in India per year. More so the high smoking risk among Indians was a surprise when actually Indians start smoking at a later age and even smoke less than their European and American counterparts.

Also smoking results in most Indians dying from Tuberculosis rather than cancer as Indians prefer Beedis, that are traditionally leaf wrapped and hand rolled rather than manufactured brand filters. And since most of them never quit till death, the risk just doubles.

The study also revealed that almost 120 million people smoke in India, majority being men. Due to smoking most men in India get infected with asymptomatic tuberculosis - that is, smoking damages the lungs to such an extent that the latent infection cannot be sustained, eventually leading to death.

Illiteracy is one of the evil causes of smoking, for half of the Indian smokers are illiterate and barely 2% quit smoking in their lives. For the other half literate people who continue to smoke in spite of being aware of the dangers involved, the Indian health authorities are rooting for tobacco companies to print images of diseases that are tobacco related. But politicians want to save their vote banks in the name of protecting jobs of tobacco workers.

The research which was recently published was based on a study of the smoking history of 74,000 Indian who had recently died and 78,000 Indians living.

Well research or no research, smoking is injurious to health - is a known fact. And yet people continue to...smoke!

Courtsey:Rueters

Fatty Liver!!

2008-02-06T08:15:00.000-08:00

Fatty liver is the accumulation of fat in the cells of the liver. About one in 10 Australians are affected by this condition.

....Fatty liver disease is often caused by an excessive alcohol intake, but it is increasingly being found in people who do not drink to excess but who are obese or have diabetes.
....Fatty liver disease can also occur, although far less commonly, with malnutrition, certain medicines and occasionally as a complication of pregnancy.

The major factor in the development of non-alcohol-related fatty liver disease is insulin resistance, a condition usually associated with obesity.

Normally, the hormone insulin tells the body's cells to take up glucose (a type of sugar) from the bloodstream to use as fuel. In insulin resistance, however, the cells don't respond properly to insulin. They cannot take up sufficient glucose and are therefore deprived of fuel. The blood does not have much glucose removed from it by the cells, so blood glucose levels rise.

Doctors have not yet discovered exactly how insulin resistance causes fat to be deposited within liver cells. However, it is clear that fatty liver disease is not necessarily caused by eating too much fat.

Diagnosis
Fatty liver disease usually does not cause any symptoms. Occasionally, people with the condition will complain of feeling tired or generally unwell, but this varies between individuals, and the degree of symptoms does not usually equate to the severity of the disease.

Often fatty liver disease is diagnosed after finding an abnormality incidentally on blood tests or an abdominal ultrasound. Alternatively, your doctor may detect an enlarged liver while examining your abdomen.

A biopsy of your liver is the only test that can definitively diagnose fatty liver disease, but this is not always necessary, as other tests can be sufficiently suggestive to warrant treatment.

Outlook
Originally, fatty liver disease was thought to be a harmless condition, but it is now known that it has the potential to progress to more serious liver conditions, such as cirrhosis.

Treatment
There is no proven cure for fatty liver disease, but active lifestyle changes can significantly improve the condition and perhaps even reverse it. These changes include:

....Avoiding alcohol and medicines that may affect your liver, such as steroids.
....Losing weight. This is not easy for many people with fatty liver disease, so having a well-designed management plan designed by a doctor or dietitian can be beneficial. Gradual weight loss is the key, as sudden, severe weight loss can actually make the condition worse.
....Exercising. Even if this does not result in weight loss, it is worthwhile as it can reduce the amount of fat around your abdominal organs.
....Controlling your blood sugar levels if you have diabetes.

Treating high cholesterol.

There are a number of medicines that have been suggested for the treatment of fatty liver disease, although research into these is continuing. These are sometimes prescribed by doctors in particular cases.

By focusing on reversible factors associated with fatty liver disease, it may be possible to prevent progression of the disease.

Courtsey:http://www.mydr.com.au/default.asp?article=4132

Warning: The reader of this article should exercise all precautionary measures while following instructions on the home remedies from this article. Avoid using any of these products if you are allergic to it. The responsibility lies with the reader and not with the site or the writer.

Cramps-Home Remedies!!

2008-02-06T08:09:00.000-08:00

Cramps can be defined as an unpleasant and painful sensation of the muscles. They are normally caused by overexertion of the muscles, causing them to contract and shorten painfully.

Cramps can also be triggered by the cold weather. Other causes of cramps could be food poisoning or illness.

If you suffer from cramps all of a sudden, there are the home remedies that can give you relief readily available from your kitchen counter.

Home Remedies For Cramps

Home Remedies for Cramps with Hot beverage:
If you get the cramps, try to sit and relax for a while.
Then drink some hot water with ginger in it. You can also take a hot cup of tea or coffee if you find water with ginger not pleasant to your taste buds.

Treat Cramps with Pickle Juice:
Cramps can be very painful. To counter the pain, ask somebody to get you the pickle jar from the fridge. Drain its juice and drink it. You should drink at least a cup of pickle juice for the cramps to disappear fast.

Natural Treatments for Cramps with Hot compress:
If these juices and beverages are nowhere in sight for some reason, just get the heating pad and put it on the affected part.
You can also use a hot compress or any water bottle filled with very hot water. Place it exactly on the painful area and just leave it there until the pain subsides.

Natural Remedies for Cramps with Peppermint candies or lollipops:
You might look like a child asking for some treats with these home remedies for cramps. But they really work so give it a try. Find yourself some lollipops and peppermint from the candy jar. Finish it up and your cramps should go right after.

Remedies for Cramps with Massage:

No other remedy would be best for cramps other than a good massage.
However, you have to remember this rule of thumb when massaging muscles to relieve cramps: rub the muscles that are the exact opposite of the affected area. For example, if the cramped muscle is the lower thigh, massage the upper thigh muscle to achieve the desired results.

Warning: The reader of this article should exercise all precautionary measures while following instructions on the home remedies from this article. Avoid using any of these products if you are allergic to it. The responsibility lies with the reader and not with the site or the writer.

The 6 Big Sleep Busters!!

2008-02-04T23:26:00.000-08:00

At some point or another, it happens to everyone: You can't sleep. When you finally drop off, the alarm buzzes a microsecond later. Then you can't get up. And then it gets worse: When you finally drag yourself out of bed, you look like youknowhat.

Can't imagine why the sleep gods had it in for you? Think about what you ate the night before, says Elizabeth Somer, RD, author of The Food & Mood Cookbook. Any of the following--much less a combo platter--can leave your body on uneasy street for hours.

1. Spicy Foods Garlic, chilies, cayenne, and other intense spices are yummy going down but can keep you up with heartburn or indigestion. Avoid MSG too, as it can trigger dreams that are a bit too vivid.

2. A Big Dinner An overtaxed digestive system takes hours to settle down and there's nothing restful about that. When sleep's critical, make lunch your largest meal and enjoy a light 500-calorie dinner early in the evening.

3. Raucous Veggies Eat those good-for-you-but-gassy foods--beans, cauliflower, broccoli, Brussels sprouts--in the middle of the day. A tankful of gas can keep anyone up at night.

4. Speed Eating Relax and enjoy meals to avoid swallowing air, another common cause of midnight tummy trouble.

5. Nightcaps Alcohol may make you drowsy at first but later on it disturbs sleep patterns and leads to awakenings and restlessness. A 4-ounce glass of wine with dinner won't hurt, as long as it's not within two hours of bedtime.

6. Coffee after breakfast Caffeine can linger in your body for as long as 12 hours. So if you're often wide-eyed at bedtime, make sure you're caffeine-clean for at least 12 hours. (Skip tea, chocolate, cola, or other caffeine culprits too.) Still watching the clock at 2 a.m.? Wean yourself off even morning java, then stay caffeine-free for two weeks. If you definitely sleep better, you have your answer: Caffeine is not your friend. If the results are mixed, "Try adding back a cup or two of coffee or tea in the morning and watch what happens," says Somer. "But if sleeplessness comes back, cut it out."

Getting 6 to 8 hours of sleep a night doesn't just make your eyes bright, your skin happy, and your mind sharp, it can also make your RealAge as much as 3 years younger.

Diabetics, say no caffeine!!

2008-01-30T23:42:00.000-08:00

Diabetics who drink tea and coffee every day are increasing their blood sugar levels and undermining efforts to bring their condition under control, scicentists have discovered.

Researchers in the US say that although there are no gudielines warning patients with diabtetes against consuming caffeine, that may have to change.

The study, conducted by Dr.James Lane from Duke Univesity Medical Center, in Durham, North Caroina, is the first to track the impact of caffeine consumption as patients go about their normal lives.

Researchers monitored 10 regular coffee drinkers with established type 2 diabetes who were managing their disease through diet and exercise but with no extra insulin.

The patients were fitted with a tiny monitor which continously tracked their glucose levels over a 72-hour period. Each took capsules equal to four cups of coffee on one day, and identical capsules containing a placecbo on another.

All were free to eat whatevevr they liked. Researchers found that when the participants cconsumed caffeine, their average daily sugar levels went up eight percent.

Caffeine also exaggerated the rise in glucose after meals, increasing by nine percent after breakfast, 15 percent after lunch and 26 percent after dinner.

The findings, which appear in the February issue of Diabetes care, add more weight to a growing body of research which suggests eliminating caffeine from the diet might be a good way to manage blood sugar levels.

Dr.Lane said: "Coffee is such a common drink in our society that we forget that it contains a very powerful drug - Caffeine. Our study suggests that one way to lower blood sugar is to simply quit drinking coffee, or any other caffeinated beverages."

It futher studies corrborate the results, Dr.Lane says there would be a case for doctors to instruct patients with diabetes to banish caffeine from their diets altogether.

Black-berry (Kalajam)

2008-01-30T04:09:00.000-08:00

Botanically it is known as Polianthes tuberosa. It is a large tree 20 to 60 ft. high or sometimes more. The leaves are elliptical, usually 6 to 12 inches long. The fruits are black containing juicy, fleshy rind and are delicious and nutritious too. It is one-seeded fruit and the seed is usually a large one. The tree is extensively cultivated all over India for its fruits.

Black-berries are available only during summer months. The fruit juice is valuable in summer time as it subsides bile (pitta). It presents sun-stroke, heatstroke and keeps the body cool. It has special qualities to stop vomiting and travel sickness.

Medicinal uses of black-berry :
The bark, fruits and seeds of the tree are medicinal. The bark is very astringent and is given in sore throat, bronchitis, asthma, ulcers and dysentery; it is also used for purifying blood. The fresh juice of the bark with goat's milk is given in diarrhoea. The seeds are very useful diabetes. The fruit juice cures burning sensation of hands and feet. It subsides excessive heat in the body.

Benefit and uses of Black-berry.
Black raspberries' ability to slow the growth of certain cancers. Extracts of raspberries and blackberries may slow or reverse the growth of breast, cervical, colon, oral and esophageal cancers.
60–80 % reduction in colon tumors in rats fed a diet with black raspberries added.
Phenolic compounds such as ellagic acid, gallic acid and rutin contribute to the health benefits of black raspberries.
A cordial from the juice of the blackberry has been used in the past as a stimulate for the body and heart, and is helpful in overcoming an illness.
Blackberries have been used through the ages for a variety of medicina purposes, from diarrhea to a general restorative.

Vitamin B12

2008-01-23T11:10:00.000-08:00

Vitamin B2 is also known as riboflavin and it is readily absorbed from foods, such as meat, dairy products, and fortified grains. This vitamin is essential to energy generation, nerve development, blood cell development, and the regulation of certain hormones. It is required by the body to use oxygen and the metabolism of amino acids, fatty acids, and carbohydrates. Riboflavin is further needed to activate vitamin B6 and helps to create niacin and assists the adrenal gland.

Functions and benefits of Vitamin B 2
.Vitamin B1 has a number of important functions and benefits. For example it:
.It helps burn carbohydrates, fat and protein
.Necessary for good vision, skin, hair and nails
.Eliminates soreness of mouth and lips
.important for good muscle tone

Recommended Dosage for Vitamin B 2
.For men, the usual dose of Vitamin B2 is 1.7 mg.
.For women, the usual dose of Vitamin B2 is 1.3 mg.
.For Pregnant women, the usual dose of Vitamin B2 is 1.6 mg.
.For Lactating women, the recommanded dose of Vitamin B2 is 1.8 mg.

Food sources of Vitamin B 2
.bran
.Yoghurt
.Brewer's Yeast
.Cheese
.Pulses, such as lentils
.Eggs, especially whites of egg
.Fish
.Green leafy vegetables and whole grain breads
.Milk
.Organ meats, such liver and tongue

Deficiency Symptoms of Vitamin B2
.swollen
.cracked mouth and tongue
.fatigue
.depression
.anemia
.greasy
.scaly skin

Warning: The reader of this article should exercise all precautionary measures while following instructions on the home remedies from this article. Avoid using any of these products if you are allergic to it. The responsibility lies with the reader and not with the site or the writer.

PNEUMONIA (Nimonia)

2008-01-20T09:58:00.000-08:00

Pneumonia refers to the inflammation of the lungs.It is one of the most serious infectious diseases. The disease assumes alarming proportions if both the lungs are affected; this condition is called double pneumonia in common parlance.

Pneumonia symptoms

Cold in the head or throat,shivering fever
Most cases of pneumonia begin with a cold in the head or throat. The patient generally feels a chill, shivering fever, difficulty in breathing, and sharp pain in the chest. This may be followed by a cough with pinkish sputum, which may later become brownish. In young children, the disease may cause delirium and convulsions. The temperature may rise to 40.6 degree C and the pulse may go upto 150 beats per minute. A common complication of pneumonia is pleurisy.

Pneumonia causes

Germs and viruses
Pneumonia is caused by various types of germs such as streptococcus, staphylococcus, and pneumococcus. At times, certain viruses are also responsible for this disease.

Fungal infections and toxins in the body
Other causes are fungal infections, irritation by worms, inhaling foreign matter, irritant dust or noxious gases. The real cause of pneumonia, however, is a constitution weakened by the presence of toxins in the body, especially in the lungs and air passages. The accumulation of toxins is due to wrong feeding habits and a faulty lifestyle.

Home Remedies for Pneumonia

Pneumonia treatment using Fenugreek (methi)
During the early acute stage of pneumonia, a tea made from fenugreek seeds will help the body to produce perspiration, dispel toxicity, and shorten the period of fever. Upto four cups of the tea can be taken daily. The quantity can be reduced as the condition improves. To improve the flavour of the tea, a few drops of lemon juice may be added. During this treatment, no other food or nourishment should be taken, as fasting and fenugreek will allow the body to correct these respiratory problems in a few days.

Pneumonia treatment using Garlic (adrak)
Garlic is a marvellous remedy for pneumonia, if given in sufficient quantities. It brings down the temperature, as well as the pulse and respiration within forty-eight hours. A paste of garlic can also be applied externally on the chest with beneficial results as it is an irritant and rubefacient

Pneumonia treatment using Sesame Seeds (til)
Sesame seeds are valuable in pneumonia. An infusion of the seeds can be made by steeping 15 gm of seeds in 250 ml of water. This infusion, mixed with a tablespoon of linseed, a pinch of common salt, and a dessertspoon of honey, should be given in the treatment of this disease. This will help remove catarrhal matter and phlegm from the bronchial tubes.

Pneumonia treatment using Parsnip Juice (Mooli)
The juice of parsnip, a root vegetable botanically known as Pastinaca sativa, has been found beneficial in the treatment of pneumonia. The juice of the leaves and root of this plant possess high therapeutic value. The phosphorus and chlorine elements contained therein are of particular benefit to the lungs and the bronchial system, thus making the juice an excellent home remedy for pneumonia. The patient should take 250 ml of juice daily. It is however, essential that only the juice of the cultivated parsnip plant should be used for this purpose. The wild variety must not be used in juices as it contains some poisonous ingredients.

Pneumonia treatment using Other vegetable Juices
The juice of carrots, in combination either with spinach juice, or beet and cucumber juices, has also been found useful in pneumonia. In these combinations, 200 ml of spinach juice or 100 ml each of beet and cucumber juices should be mixed with 300 ml of carrot juice to prepare 500 ml or half a litre of combined juice.

Pneumonia treatment using Turpentine Oil
The pain of pneumonia can be relieved by rubbing oil of turpentine over the rib cage and wrapping warmed cotton wool over it.

Pneumonia diet

Raw fruit and vegetable juices diet
At the beginning of the treatment the patient should be kept on a diet of raw juices for five to ten days, depending on the severity of the disease. He should take a glass of fruit or vegetable juice diluted with warm water, every two or three hours. After a diet of raw juices, when the fever subsides, the patient should spent three or four days on an exclusive fresh fruit diet, taking three meals a day of juicy fruits.

Well-balanced diet of natural foods
Thereafter, he may gradually adopt a well-balanced diet of natural foods, with emphasis on fresh fruits and raw vegetables.

Other Pneumonia treatment

Warm-water enema
The patient should be given a warn-water enema daily to cleanse the bowels during the period of raw juice therapy and the all-fruit diet, and thereafter when necessary.

Warning: The reader of this article should exercise all precautionary measures while following instructions on the home remedies from this article. Avoid using any of these products if you are allergic to it. The responsibility lies with the reader and not with the site or the writer.

CUCUMBER (Kheera/Kakdi)!!

2008-01-20T09:46:00.000-08:00

It is a creeping plant of the cucurbitaceae family probably originating in India and widely cutivated for its fruit. It is a tender annual with a rough, succulent trailing stem and hairy leaves with 3 to 5 pointed lobes; the stem bears branched tendrils, by which the plant creeps through the supports.

The food value of cucumber is low; but it is popular for salads and relishes. Fresh cucumber should be firm, well-shaped and bright green in colour. They may be kept in refrigerated storage for about 2 weeks.

It is a very favourite fruit during hot summer months as it keeps the body cool and calm. It subsides pitta (bile) and aids digestion. It prevents sun-stroke, heat-stroke and allergy. It quenches thirst.

Benefit and uses of Cucumber.
Cucumber is a great folk medicine used to reduce heat and inflammation.
Cucumber is in helping to heal a range of illnesses – including lung, stomach and chest problem, gout, arthritis and tapeworm.
It makes it useful in maintaining the alkalinity of the blood.
Cucumber's benefits include natural salts, enzymes, and vitamins essential for strong cell growth and repair.
Cucumber facial is powerful and can bring great results for your skin.
It is cools and heals sunburns and windburns.
Cucumber has been used externally for minor burns, sore eyes and conjunctivitis.

Worms!!

2008-01-13T10:46:00.000-08:00

Worms Definition
Worms in the human body also known as Threadworms or pinworms, are small threadlike worms that lives in the lower part of the small intestine, and the upper part of the colon. The pinworms infesting the human intestines and rectum; they effect especially in children.

The pinworms cause itching, and usually are not harmful to the body. The pinworms spread by children scratching their buttocks and carrying the pinworm eggs that can live up to two weeks outside the body. The pinworms spread indirectly, in food, sand and more.

Symptoms
. Constipation / diarrhea
. Abdominal pain
. Flatulence
. Anemia
. Anorexia
. Huge appetite
. Itching of anus
. Pica

Causes
The occurrence of the following worms in different parts of body in children causes this ailment:

Causes
The occurrence of the following worms in different parts of body in children causes this ailment:
. Kaphaj- produced in the stomach
. Raktaj- produced in the blood vessels
. The worm Purishaj (produced in the intestines) encompasses all the following worms also, which are responsible for infestation:
. Giardiasis
. Ascariasis
. Amebiasis
. Thread worm
. Hook worm
. Tape worm

Treatment
. Krimimudger ras
. Krimikuthar ras
. Vidangarishta

Potency / Virya
Cold

Remedies
. Onion juice removes thread worms.
Dosage: Three drops to one teaspoon twice daily
. Neem powder removes all types of worms.
Dosage: 1 to 4 grams twice daily.
. Pinch of asafoetida wrapped in small pieces of jaggery.
Dosage: Half an hour before meals.

Recipes
. 7 - 12 year
20 grams of jaggery in the morning
After 10 minutes give Celery seeds (Ajwain) + salt (2 grams of celery seeds and one gram of salt) with warm water. This recipe eliminates all types of worms.

Home Remedies for Worms

How to Cure Worms with Natural Treatments
. Use one garlic clove, smear with Vaseline and apply (into the buttocks)to kill the worms.
. Eat 1-2 garlic cloves.
. Grind lupine seeds and eat them.
. Don't eat sugar it will make the situation worse.
. Mix 60gm of grind pumpkin seeds (with the peel) with honey and water. Eat the mixture In 3 portions every 2 hours.

Dos and don'ts
. Avoid too many sweets and puddings, very fried, greasy and fast foods.
. Take more green vegetables and fresh fruits.
. Use only boiled water
. Personal hygiene
. Restrict diet to only home made foods

Warning: The reader of this article should exercise all precautionary measures while following instructions on the home remedies from this article. Avoid using any of these products if you are allergic to it. The responsibility lies with the reader and not with the site or the writer.

Home Remedies for Pimples!!!

2008-01-13T10:31:00.000-08:00

Pimples are serious adolescence problem of the skin. They appear on the cheeks, forehead and nose and spoil looks. Pimples are almost developed in young adults and teenagers due to the inflammation of skin. The acne home remedies listed below have worked for many people, but they may not work for some people. Pimples can be removed by taking enough vitamins, calcium, fruits etc. Try out these home remedies to cure pimples.

Pimples Home Remedies
. Mix 1 tablespoon groundnut oil with 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice to prevent formation of blackheads and pimples.
. Another overnight home remedy for zapping a zit is to put a dab of toothpaste on it to help dry it out. You may need to test this on a short-term basis to make sure it doesn't irritate your pimple. Calamine lotion will have the same drying effect.
. Honey is a great remedy for pimples and acne. It kills bacteria and leaves the skin pimple free.
. A common home remedy for pimples is toothpaste. Use the paste variety, not gel and gently apply a small drop directly on top of the blemish and let it dry. This will draw the pimple out and leave you blemish free. If left on too long, the skin may become irritated.
. Juice of raw papaya is the best treatment for pimples. Apply fresh juice of raw papaya on pimples and get a good result.
. Take a raw potato, peel and grate it. Put the grated into a muslin piece and tie it tightly to form a pad. Rub this pad all over the face in the firm, circular motions for about 5 minutes and then wash your face. Alternatively you could directly rub potato slices all over the face, Helps to get rid of blemishes and pimple scar.
. Take a few pods of cloves and roast them dry in a pan. Powder them and add a little curd to make be a paste. Dab the paste on the pimples and let it dry. Wash off. Use this treatment regularly if you are prone to pimples. It is especially good for people who have an oily skin. The roasted cloves help to dry up the pimples faster.
. A few handy tips for those who suffer from pimple 'attacks'. Drink plenty of water and vegetable or fruit juices. Use cucumber or other fruit and vegetable packs to cure pimple scars. Maintain a diet that is rich in cottage cheese, fish and yoghurt. These help to cleanse your system and ward off pimples.

Pimples treatment using Zinc
Another useful remedy for acne and pimples is zinc. It should be taken in a dose of 50 mg daily for a month to reduce pimples. Then you can reduce the dose if noticeable improvements are seen on your skin.

Pimples treatment using Orange peel
. Homemade Pimple Treatment using Orange peel has been found very effective. Pound the orange peel with water on a piece stone and apply to acne affected areas.
. Mix equal amount of lemon juice and groundnut oil to form a paste. Apply on face and leave for 15 minutes and then wash off with water. Another good remedy to prevent pimples.
. Marigold petals crushed with a little castor oil can bring the zit to its head quickly. To suppress it, sandalwood paste with holy basil leaf helps.
. To avoid transferring bacteria and germs, clean your pillowcase, washcloths, towels, make-up brushes and applicators frequently.
. Apply fresh lime juice mixed to a glass of boiled milk as a face wash for acne, pimples, blackheads, and cracked skin .
. Make a paste by mixing 3 tablespoons of honey and 1 teaspoon of cinnamon powder.
Apply this paste on the pimples before sleeping and wash it next morning with warm water. Repeat for two weeks, pimples will disappear forever.
. Use of sulphur soap is effective in keeping the oil glands clean and thus reducing pimples and acne. Grease can be removed by the use of lemon juice or camphorspirit.
. Blend cucumber and make a paste. Apply this as a mask on your face and leave it for 1/2 hour and then rinse. This refreshes your skin and prevents acne.
. A mask of grated apple mixed with a little honey is an excellent remedy for pimples. Most facial masks can be applied to the skin for 15-20 minutes then washed off with warm water, followed by a cold rinse.
. Avoid consuming ghee, butter oils and sweets.

. The Pimple affected parts must be thoroughly cleaned and wiped with a soft towel.
. Cleanse the face free of make-up at night and before going to bed.
. Fuller's earth (multani mitti) pack is an effective means to control pimples.
. Daily intake of a spoonful of honey mixed with rose water clears the skin.
. Too much fingering and bursting of pimples causes septic and may leave behind permanent marks and damages to your looks.
. Grind Neem leaves and turmeric. Mix with water to make a paste. It should be rubbed on the pimple or scars, this helps clear away the spots.
. Carbohydrate foods with low glycemic index or a low GI diet can improve acne by 50%.
. Grind nutmeg (jaiphal) with unboiled milk and apply on acne for 1-2 hours. This works as a magic. Pimples should disappear without leaving a mark.
. Make a paste by mixing honey and cinnamon powder. Apply this paste onthe pimples before sleeping and wash it next morning with warm water. Repeat for two weeks, pimples will disappear forever.
. Apply a mixture of 1 teaspoon lemon juice and 1 teaspoon cinnamon powder. Note that this remedy is not for sensitive skin.
. Make orange peel paste by grinding it in some water. Apply on and around pimples.
. Rub fresh garlic on and around pimples. Pimples will disappear without a mark with regular applications.
. Apply fresh mint juice over the face every night for the treatment of pimples, insect stings, eczema, scabies, & other skin infections.
. Ground drumstick pods and leaves and mix mixed with fresh lime juice, and apply on pimples. This is also good for blackheads and dark spots.
. Mix groundnut oil with an equal amount of fresh lime juice and apply on face. Leave for 10-15 minutes and wash. It may be applied daily to prevent formation of blackheads and pimples (acne).
. Apply juice of raw papaya (including the skin and seed) on swelling pimples or acne.
. Mix lime juice and rose water in equal portions. Apply on affected area. Wash it off after 20-30 minutes with lukewarm water.
. Apply ripe tomatoes pulp on acne pimples and keep upto 1 hour, then wash.
. Make a paste of roasted & powdered pomegranate skin with fresh lime juice and apply over boils, acne, pimple, blackheads and whiteheads.
. Apply grated potatoes as poultice to treat skin blemishes, wrinkles, boils, pimples, blackheads, whiteheads , etc.
. Make a paste of sandalwood with rose water. Apply on affected area. Wash it off after 20-30 minutes with lukewarm water.
. Make a paste of ground radish seeds with water and apply on face to remove blackheads.
. Apply a paste of Ground Sesame seeds with water as poultice for inflammation of the skin due to allergies, skin rashes, and pimples - acne.
. Apply a paste of fresh fenugreek (methi) leaves in water over the face every night and washed with warm water in the morning for preventing pimples, blackheads, whiteheads, dryness, and wrinkles.
. Make a paste of ground orange peel with water and apply on the affected area. Wash it off after 20-30 minutes with lukewarm water.
. Make a paste of salt in vinegar. Rub it on the pimples. Wash it off after 20-30 minutes with lukewarm water.
. Make a paste of turmeric powder in mint juice. Apply on affected area. Wash it off after 20-30 minutes with lukewarm water.
. Drinking of wheatgrass juice may remove acne.

How to reduce pimples:
· Regularly shampoo your hair.
· Avoid unnecessarily touching your affected areas.
· Change your dirty cloths , always wear clean and fresh cloth.
· Wash your face twice a day with mild soap.
· Avoid over make-up, only wear on special occasions.
· Try to minimize your stress levels.
· Keep a food diary to work out.

Warning: The reader of this article should exercise all precautionary measures while following instructions on the home remedies from this article. Avoid using any of these products if you are allergic to it. The responsibility lies with the reader and not with the site or the writer.Never use any home remedy or other self treatment without being advised to do so by a physician.

GROIN STRAIN!!

2008-01-11T23:37:00.001-08:00

What is Groin Strain?
The abductor muscles are 5 in number, and start at the top of the thigh and extend to the inside of the knee. Microscopic ruptures or a major tear to the abductor muscles are called groin pulls or groin strains.

Symptoms of Groin Strain
1. After a quick movement or over-exertion, there is a sudden sharp pain in the upper inner thigh.
2. The strained area is extremely tender.
3. With continued movement and activity, there is increase in the stiffness and pain. In severe cases walking is painful and crutches have to be used for several days.

Causes of Groin Strain
1. Whenever you are involved in twisting, kicking actions, jumping or explosive running; when you run on a slippery surface or make a quick turn the abductor muscles maybe strained.

Home remedies for Groin Strain
1. Stop exercising the moment you experience pain in the inner thigh.
2. Apply ice for 10minutes to the sore spot, 3 to 4 times daily for 2 – 3 days.
3. Use an elastic support bandage to wrap the injured thigh.
4. Proper rehabilitation and strengthening of the muscles should be carried out, which may last for 2 weeks or as long as 2 years.

Preventing Groin Strain
1. Before beginning any exercise you should warm up properly. Gentle stretching along with the 2 strengthening exercises mentioned below also provides benefits.

1. Butterfly Stretch – Sit on the floor with a straight back and bent knees. Place the soles of your feet together and pull the ankles inward. Resting your elbows on the inside of your knees, lean forward from the waist, so that your elbows push your knees towards the floor. Hold the stretch for 20 seconds and repeat it 3 – 5 times

2. Hurdle Stretch – Stand with the healthy leg bent at the knee, toes pointed forward. Stretch the injured leg straight, out behind, flexing the foot so the toes point forward. As you bend the knee of the injured leg let your pelvis drop backwards towards the floor. Hold the stretch for 20 seconds and repeat it 3 – 5 times.

Traditional Home Remedies: Basil

2008-01-11T23:28:00.000-08:00

Courtsey:Anjan K. Nath, Ph.D.

A curious sight in India during the 19th Century was that many Englishmen had adopted the use of a necklace made of the wood of the Basil plant like the ones worn by Hindu holymen. This was not to claim affinity to those over whom they ruled, but rather for more practical reasons for it was scientifically determined and proved that basil provides immunity to electrical impulses and hence acts as preventive to thunder-bolts (lightning). The plant itself is full of electrical energy and hence aids in stimulating blood-circulation. It is said that if one wears the stalk of the basil around the waist, the wearer will be free from afflictions of the waist, liver, spleen, and the generative organs. Because of this property, the basil-stalk necklaces are worn around the neck, hands, and over the heart; and, therefore, it is not surprising that the practice was adopted by the English.

Culpeper, the English physician of old makes a few interesting observations: "This is the herb which all authors are together about, and rail at one another (like lawyers). Galen and Dioscorides hold it not fitting to be taken inwardly; and Chrysippus rails at it with downright Billingsgate rhetoric; Pliny and the Arabian physicians defend it" (Complete Herbal 15). He further adds: ...it was an herb of Mars, and under the scorpion, and perhaps therefore called basilicon, and it is no marvel if it carry a virulent quality with it. Being applied to the place bitten by venomous beasts, or stung by a wasp or hornet, it speedily draws the poison to it. Every like draws his like. Mizaldus affirms, that being laid to rot in horse-dung, it will breed venomous beasts. Hilarius, a French physician, affirms upon his own knowledge, that an acquaintance of his, by common smelling to it, had a scorpion bred in his brain.... To conclude. It expelleth both birth and after-birth: and as it helps the deficiency of Venus in one kind, so it spoils all her actions in another. I dare write no more of it. (15) So much for Culpeper.

In India, the basil (known as Tulsi or Vrinda) is widely used and several myths have grown out of its use both, as a medicinal herb and for religious purposes. The ancient treatises on Ayurveda speak highly of this plant saying that its regular use keeps palate, throat, teeth, gums, bronchus and lungs free of infection. Most traditional Hindu homes grow the plant and believe that an invisible oil permeates the atmosphere thus keeping it clean and free of germs. Further, no snake or scorpion will come near a basil plant and I have personally verified that it also keeps mosquitoes at bay. It is no wonder that the Hindus have accorded spiritual status to the plant and revere it almost as a deity. In fact, the basil is considered to be sacred by many and it is believed that this plant sprouted on its own over the grave of Christ. Christians in Eastern Europe still look upon the plant as a gift of Christ and on St. Basil's day, the womenfolk plant basil seedlings in their gardens with the same fervor as a religious rite. Taking a cue from Christ's resurrection, some even plant basil over the graves of their dear departed in the hope that it might revive the dead!

Uses of Basil
The uses of basil are many and varied. Most of its claims have been verified scientifically, while others remain in the borderline of scepticism and disbelief. The general uses for which it is prescribed as a home remedy ranges from the common cough and cold to blood-pressure symptoms and even paralysis and hemiplegia. I give below some of the more common ailments and their treatment with the use of basil alone or in combination with other herbs.

Acidity:
Grind equal amounts of the dried blossoms of basil, bark of the Neem (Margosa) tree, and black pepper into a homogenous mixture. Take a level teaspoonful of this powder morning and evening with a draft of water, but do not drink milk immediately after. The acidity will be removed from the body with the sweat and urine.

Blood pressure:
The drinking of basil-leaf tea keeps the blood pressure even.

Cataract:
Mix a little honey with the juice of the basil leaves and apply over the eyes every morning and evening. Fresh cases are dissolved without surgery, while chronic ones are rendered "ripe" so as to be surgically removed.

Colds & Cough:
Make a fine powder of the following:

--Basil leaves (dried in shade) 300 gms
--Cinnamon 50 gms
--Bey leaf 100 gms
--Aniseeds (fennel) 200 gms
--Cardamom 200 gms
--Red sandal-wood 200 gms
--Dried orange-peel 25 gms
Take two teaspoonfuls of this mixture and boil it with about 500 ml water till half the quantity of water is left. Add honey (and milk if preferred) and drink it like tea twice a day.

Earache:
Add a little tincture of camphor to the juice of 10 leaves of basil. Instill a drop or two of the mixture in the ear for instant relief.

Eye troubles:
The juice of basil leaves mixed with honey is recommended for all sorts of eye troubles associated with pain and burning sensation. The mixture may be stored in an air-tight bottle. In the case of trachoma, grind ten leaves of basil with a clove and apply to the eyes every four hours. For swelling of the eyes, the juice of the leaves of basil with a pinch of alum applied to the eyes is prescribed.

Epilepsy:
Massage the body daily with the juice of basil leaves (a massage oil may be made with a mineral oil base and the essential oil of basil). Make a habit of smelling the blossoms of basil (essential oil of the blossoms) kept in a handkerchief; also grow a basil plant somewhere near the bedroom. During loss of consciousness during an attack, grind 11 leaves of basil, add a pinch of salt to it and instill a few drops of this juice in the nostrils of the patient.

Flatulence:
Mix together 10 gms of basil juice, 10 gms of dry ginger and 20 gms of jaggery (raw sugar); make small tablets/pills/capsules from this mixture. Take a pill/capsule swallowed with a little water three times a day. It is advisable to either fast or to eat only easily digestible foods during the period of the treatment.

Female disorders:
Basil juice is a good tonic for women and its regular use keeps them free from the disorders of the female generative organs.

Fever/Flu:
Boil about 10 gms of basil leaves in 250 ml water till the water is reduced to 125 ml, then add a little rock salt to taste. This tea produces immediate sweating and relieves the fever. An option is to drink tea made of basil leaves, black pepper, and candy sugar.

Hoarseness:
Add a little honey to the juice of 10 basil leaves and lick slowly. A spoonful is sufficient to restore the voice.

Hair loss:
Massage the scalp evenly with the oil of basil and after an hour or so wash the hair with cold water. Good for dandruff too.

Heart ailments:
As basil has a positive effect over blood pressure and also a de-toxicant, its regular use prevents heart attacks. A tonic may be prepared by mixing 1 gm of dry basil leaves with a spoonful of butter and some candy sugar or honey. Take twice a day; first thing in the morning and before going to bed at night. The wearing of a garland of basil stalks is said to prevent heart attacks. It was common to see Englishmen wearing these "necklaces" during the 19th century in India.

Hysteria:
Smell the crushed leaves of basil and drink the juice of five basil leaves.

Indigestion:
Crush a few basil leaves with a little rock salt and swallow with a little water. Drinking the tea made of dried basil leaves also gives quick relief by inducing sweating and urination.

Insomnia:
The best solution to this tricky problem is to place a few leaves of basil inside the pillow; a specific number of 51 is prescribed, with 50 being placed inside the pillow case and the 51st being chewed upon by the patient. Basil leaves may also be placed around the corners and head of the bed under the bed sheet.

Itching:
Massage the itching areas with the juice of basil leaves. In chronic cases, make a massage oil by mixing two parts of basil juice with one part of sesame/mineral oil and warming over a water bath; cool and store in a bottle. Use this oil for itches of any type for local relief. For a permanent cure, see a qualified Homoeopathic physician.

Jaundice:
Add two teaspoons of basil juice to 50ml of radish juice; sweeten with a little jaggery (raw sugar). Drink this juice twice or three times a day for a month for total relief.

Kidney ailments:
Basil juice is unparalleled in the treatment of all sorts of kidney troubles. Soak overnight about 5-7 gms (one teaspoonful) of Basil seeds in water; next morning grind the seeds with candy sugar and drink the combination. Copious micturition will be induced and soon the congestion will be relieved and infection (if any) will be removed.

Leucoderma (vitiligo):
(a) To a little basil juice add a few drops of lime-juice and apply on the affected area.
(b) Grind 10gms of basil leaves with a clove of garlic and apply the paste on the affected area daily for 10 days. It is also advised to chew 5 basil leaves every morning, afternoon, and evening or licking a mixture of basil juice and honey in addition to the local application.

Lethargy:
The tea made from dried basil leaves is an instant pick-me-up and drunk regularly, keeps one free from colds and other ailments associated with phlegm in the body.

Male sexual problems:
The regular consumption of basil leaves maintains an even blood pressure and keeps a man's urges well within control, making him neither lecherous nor impotent. Venereal diseases are said to be cured with the use of basil juice in combination with cardamom and yogurt drink. Further, the stalk of the basil plant worn around the waist prevents lower-back pain and maintains sexual health.

Migraine:
Dry some basil blossoms in the shade and grind to a fine powder; mix two grams of the powder with a dessert-spoonful of honey and lick it slowly. A second dose, if needed, may be taken in the evening. An excellent remedy, when others have failed (AKN)!

Malaria:
Grind 1gm of black pepper in 10 gms of basil juice and administer at two hour intervals for 5 to six days. In addition give the patient basil tea. The fever along with the malarial symptoms will be totally relieved in a couple of days. This treatment should be effective in Dengue too (AKN).

Nose-bleeding (epistaxis):
Keep some basil blossoms with you and smell them every now and again. In chronic cases, a drop of the essence of basil blossom put in the handkerchief and smelt at intervals cures the problem almost totally. Drinking basil juice with honey is also recommended.

Paralysis/hemiplegia :
Massage the affected limbs with the oil of basil or boil a few leaves of basil in 200ml of water; when cool, strain and use this water for massage. The internal intake of the juice is also recommended.

Pneumonia:
Rub the oil of basil on the chest of the patient and give internally the juice of 5 leaves of basil mixed with a little ground black pepper at six hourly intervals. This will induce sweating and relieve the patient.

Skin:
Basil leaves' juice is an astringent and excellent tonic for the skin.

Sluggish liver:
Grind the following into a homogenous powder: Basil leaves 5 nos; Cummin seeds (roasted)2 gms; Rock salt (black)2 gms. To this mixture add an equal amount of the kernel of wood-apple and then combine the whole with 100 gms of yogurt and eat it with a meal or by itself. For most digestive disorders, a spoonful of a mixture of basil juice and ginger juice gives prompt relief.

Stones (bladder):
Make the patient sit on a steam bath prepared with about 100 gms of basil blossoms to a liter of water. Continue treatment daily for a week. Depending on the size and nature of the calculii, they should dissolve and be flushed out with the urine.

Snake-bite:
(1) Grind 5 gms each of basil leaves and black pepper; instill a drop of this in each nostril of the victim. (2) Grind the root of the basil plant in a little butter and apply on the bitten part. (3) Administer a spoonful of basil juice internally every hour.
T.B.:
Grind 5 gms each of basil leaves and black pepper and mix with a spoon of honey. The patient should take this twice daily for about two months. In the winter, a little ginger juice and a pinch of salt may also be added. Externally, a mixture of basil and ginger juice may be rubbed over the chest.

Urinary troubles:
Soak overnight about a teaspoonful of basil seeds in water and in the morning grind them with a little candy sugar and drink in two doses--morning and afternoon. A week's treatment should clear up all symptoms.

Whooping cough:
Grind together equal amounts of basil leaves and black pepper and add a little honey so as to have a consistency to make small tablets. These tablets, sucked slowly, should be taken four times a day. In the case of dry cough, take a mixture of equal amounts of the juices of basil seeds, ginger and onion. In the case of loose cough, add candy sugar.

References
Culpeper's Complete Herbal, and English Physician. Leicester: Magna Books, 1992.

Warning: The reader of this article should exercise all precautionary measures while following instructions on the home remedies from this article. Avoid using any of these products if you are allergic to it. The responsibility lies with the reader and not with the site or the writer.

Home Remedies for Mouth Ulcers!!

2008-01-11T23:15:00.000-08:00

Painful ulcers or canker sores are sometimes found within the mouth. Usually there is only one ulcer, but occassionally several ulcers may develop at once. These may arise from several different causes, such as poor oral hygiene, nutritional deficiencies, worry, insufficient rest and heavy smoking. Any slight pressure on the gums may cause bleeding.

Ulcerations may form on the gums and about the mouth, particularly between the teeth. Swallowing and talking are painful, there may be excessive salivation and bad breath, and the inflammation may extend to the tonsils and throat. A mild fever may be present in this condition. The first sign of the sore may be a tingling, burning sensation inside the mouth. They can occur either singly or in groups. They are usually white or yellow in color, surrounded by red halos. Usually they heal within 7 to 10 days. The recurrent, bothersome form of mouth ulcers is known as recurrent apthous stomatitis or simply apthous ulcer. They take several more days to heal.

There may be a family history to develop canker sores, as they often run in families. Mouth ulcers may develop in response to a mouth injury such as dental procedures or aggressive tooth cleaning. Canker sores may also occur at the site of a bite when the tongue or cheek is bitten. They can be triggered by emotional stress, dietary deficiencies (especially iron, folic acid, or vitamin B12), menstrual periods, hormonal changes, food allergies, and similar situations. They occur most commonly with viral infections.

The membrane of the mouth may be very dry or exceedingly moist. There is pain on nursing, eating or drinking; the pain varies according to the condition or stage of the disease. The pains may be sharp or sticking if the mouth is dry or smarting and raw if the mouth is full of saliva. These ulcers may be broad and superficial or deep and narrow. Small ulcers may combine together and may form large ulcers on the side of the tongue or in the buccal cavities.

Severe Cases
Severe cases of ulcers in the mouth may require more strenuous treatments like antibiotics (tetracycline) or steroids (dexamethasone elixir). If the pain is particularly severe you may be given a local anesthetic such as lidocaine or the physician may cauterize the sores with a laser or silver nitrate to close them and to facilitate healing. Sulphuric acid solutions like debacterol may also be used as a treatment.

HOME REMEDIES FOR MOUTH ULCERS

Remedies for Canker sores
Some of the effective home remedies for canker sores are as follows:- Rinse your mouth with aloe juice frequently

Put some alum on the canker sores. Repeat this twice a day. It helps to relieve the pain and quickens healing. Apply some baking powder on the sores. It could be used either in the powdered form or in the paste form. It will reduce the amount of bacteria in the mouth, Rinse your mouth several times a day by a mouthwash prepared by mixing one tsp. of baking soda in half cup of warm water, Prepare a mouthwash by putting 5 to 6 drops of Grapefruit seed extract in a glass of water. Rinse your mouth with this at least once in a day. It is an excellent disinfectant, Prepare a mouthwash using three parts of water and one part of hydrogen peroxide. Use this mouthwash twice a day,

Onion is another excellent home remedy for canker sores. Apply some raw onions to the sores, Rinse your mouth with plum juice. If the sore is too bad then apply the juice on the sore using a cotton ball, Eat fresh papaya fruit or chew fresh papaya leaves. If fresh papaya leaves or papaya fruits are not available then you can also use papaya tablets, Gargle your mouth with a solution made by mixing 1 tsp soda and 1 pinch of salt in a cup of warm water, Apply tea tree oil to the sores, Rinse your mouth three to four times a day with a solution made by mixing 2 tbsp. salt to 6 ounces of warm water, Apply some powdered Goldenseal powder to the sore or rinse your mouth with a mouthwash prepared by mixing ½ tsp Goldenseal powder to ¼ tsp salt and 1 cup of warm water.

Eat plenty of salad with raw onions. Onions contain sulfur and have healing properties.
Diet should include yogurt and other soured products, such as cottage cheese, and buttermilk.
Prepare a solution by adding 2 oz hydrogen peroxide, 2 oz water, and 1 tsp each of salt and baking soda. Rinse the mouth with this solution. Do not swallow. This is very useful home remedy for mouth ulcers.
Rinse your mouth with milk of magnesia to coat sores.
Orange juice is helpful in preventing the canker sores of the mouth. Drink it up in 2 or 3 days it will go away. Lack of vitamin C causes them. You can also take Vitamin C pills if you don't want to drink all that orange juice.
Cover the ulcer with a wet tea bag; the tannin will help dry up the sore.
Mix Sodium bicarbonate powder with water. It is a very effective first aid remedy. This mixture can be used as a mouth rinse as well as swallowed to help make the body more alkaline.
Use a toothpaste containing sodium bicarbonate instead of the standard toothpastes high in fluoride and other chemicals.
Antacids can soothe canker sores by reducing the acidity in your mouth that can irritate them.
Combine equal parts of the liquid form of Kaopectate or Milk of Magnesia (both antacids) with Benylin or Benadryl (both mild anesthetics). Apply the mixture to the canker sore with a cotton swab. You'll cut down on painful acidity in your mouth and numb the sore too.
Try stress-relieving acupressure exercises. Avoid constant stress. Take time to exercise, sleep and relax.
Avoid eating fish or meat of any kind for two weeks. The consumption of animal protein increases the body's acidity, which slows healing.
Avoid chewing gum, lozenges, mouthwashes, tobacco, coffee, citrus fruits, and any other foods that you know trigger these sores.
Avoid hard toothbrush bristles or sharp-edged foods such as potato chips or dry bread crusts. Too much acid from fruits and vegetables, and spicy foods can also trigger mouth sores.
Keep the bowels regular to prevent toxic buildup. Walk regularly walking in fresh air to oxygenate the body and stimulate bowel movement.
To avoid getting canker sores, it is important to maintain a proper balance of minerals, acidity, and alkalinity in the body.
For mouth ulcer treatment do not use the same toothbrush for longer than one month.
Application of peppermint oil helps, as it is an anesthetic agent.
For mouth ulcer treatment mix coconut milk with honey and massage the gums 3 times a day.
Take 1 tsp finely powdered Indian Gooseberry root bark, mix with honey. Apply to affected areas frequently
Grate some fresh coconut. Extract the milk and gargle with this 3-4 times a day.
Keep 1 glass of chilled water and 1 glass of hot water ready at hand. Gargle alternately with hot and cold water.
Boil 2 cups of water. Add 1-cup fenugreek leaves and remove. Cover and keep for sometime. Strain the water and gargle 2-3 times a day. This is also very useful home remedy for mouth ulcers.
Boil 1 tsp of coriander seeds in 1 cup of water. Remove when slightly warm gargle. Repeat 3-4 times a day.
Chew on 5-6 tulsi (holy basil leaves) and sip some water. Repeat 5-6 times a day.
Raw tomatoes help rid mouth ulcers. Gargle with tomato juice 3-4 times a day also helps.
Mix 7 parts of sugar candy (mishri) with 1 part of camphor. Apply on the blister.
Mix a pinch of turmeric powder to 1 teaspoon of glycerin and apply.
Avoid hot or spicy foods to minimize discomfort. Mild mouth washes such as salt water or over-the-counter mouthwashes may help.
For mouth ulcer treatment apply hydrogen peroxide (1 part hydrogen peroxide and one part water with a cotton swab) on the canker sore
Pouring salt directly on the ulcer can prove effective, however this can be extremely painful and can scar.
Rinse mouth and especially the affected area with sage tea 3 times a day. The improvement can be seen within 24 hours.
Gargle a mouthful of warm vinegar with half tablespoon of salt for about 30 secs, 3 times a day. Extremely painful but healing can be seen in about 2 days.
Make a paste of baking soda and water—apply directly to the sores

Diet for Canker sores
Eat foods rich in vitamin B. Foods like whole grain and green leafy vegetables are good sources of vitamin B. Eat easily digestible foods, well cooked soft grains and light cooked vegetables. Eat yogurt daily. Active acidophilus in yogurt helps to heal and prevent the outbreak of canker sores. Avoid foods like coffee, citrus fruits and spices, as they may irritate your mouth. Spicy and acidic foods increase the pain; it is advisable to avoid them. Avoid hard foods like chips, wafers and nuts. Avoid diary products, salty foods, sweet foods, oily foods, and animal protein.

Suggestions for Canker sores
Do not eat and chew simultaneously. Brush your teeth regularly after meals. Application of ice eases the pain caused by Canker sores.

When Do I Need to Visit a Dentist?
Be aware that ulcers in the mouth can indicate more serious conditions including the yeast infection known as thrush and other oral inflammatory disorders. Even problems in the bowel, like ulcerative colitis can cause outbreaks in the mouth. As a general rule of thumb, if your mouth ulcers do not respond to home remedies, do not heal after two weeks, or immediately reappear, it would be a good idea to visit your dental care physician.

Thankfully, however, aphthous stomatitis rarely represents a serious problem. Normally ulcers in the mouth are an irritation, albeit a painful one, that will respond to time and to simple home remedies.

Warning: The reader of this article should exercise all precautionary measures while following instructions on the home remedies from this article. Avoid using any of these products if you are allergic to it. The responsibility lies with the reader and not with the site or the writer.

Cholestrol Control!!

2008-01-11T23:09:00.000-08:00

You may have noticed that beef and eggs have become four-letter words. It's all because of cholesterol, a substance that's gotten a reputation for breaking more hearts than a high school prom queen.

But cholesterol isn't entirely bad. The human body actually needs it--and produces it--to help protect nerves and build new cells and hormones. In fact, our bodies get all the cholesterol they need by making it on their own. The trouble starts when we add to the cholesterol our bodies produce, which can happen when we eat the all-American diet of cheeseburgers, steaks, pizza, ice cream or any food that is or includes an animal product.

Excess cholesterol settles along arterial walls, and that excess can clog arteries and restrict blood flow, leading to angina pain, heart attack or stroke. (Cholesterol is also a leading cause of gallstones.)

If your doctor has determined that you have high levels of cholesterol in your blood, you probably have been told the importance of limiting or eliminating it--which means reducing or avoiding its only dietary sources: meat, eggs, dairy products and the foods that contain them. But here are some other ways to control your cholesterol with diet.

Stock up on vitamin E. Scientists have discovered that we have both good (high-density lipoprotein, or HDL) and bad (low-density lipoprotein, or LDL) cholesterol running through our bloodstream. Consuming 400 international units of vitamin E each day may help keep the bad cholesterol from oxidizing-an internal "rusting" process that causes the cholesterol to harden into arterial plaque, which in turn causes heart disease. Vitamin E also raises the level of good cholesterol.

"Taking vitamin E supplements helps prevent the cholesterol in your body from plaquing, so it does less damage," says Karen E. Burke, M.D., Ph.D., a dermatologist and dermatologic surgeon in New York City who has studied the various effects of vitamin E. Vitamin E is found in vegetable oils, nuts and grains, but it would be very difficult to obtain 400 international units daily from diet alone. Be sure to check with your doctor, though, before beginning a supplement program.

Eat breakfast every morning. Breakfast skippers tend to have higher cholesterol levels than those who start off their mornings with a bellyful, according to studies. One reason may be that breakfast skippers make up for missing the morning feast by munching on unhealthy snacks later on, suggests John L. Stanton, Ph.D., professor of food marketing at St. Joseph's University in Philadelphia.

Research also shows that those who eat ready-to-eat cereal for breakfast have lower cholesterol levels than those choosing other morning entrées.

Nibble throughout the day. One way to lower your cholesterol is simply to change how often you eat. Research has shown that large meals trigger the release of large amounts of insulin, according to David Jenkins, M.D., Ph.D., director of the Clinical Nutrition and Risk Factor Modification Center at St. Michael's Hospital at the University of Toronto. Insulin release in turn stimulates the production of an enzyme that increases cholesterol production by the liver.

Having smaller, more frequent meals (but not increasing overall calories) may limit insulin release and play a role in cholesterol control and heart disease prevention, speculates Dr. Jenkins.

Add vitamin C to your menu. Other vitamins and minerals also have a beneficial effect on cholesterol. Research by Paul Jacques, Sc.D., an epidemiologist at the U.S. Department of Agriculture Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University in Boston, shows that people with diets high in vitamin C tend to have higher HDL levels. Vitamin C is especially beneficial when you get it from fruits and vegetables that also have a cholesterol-lowering fiber called pectin. Pectin surrounds cholesterol and helps transport it out of your digestive system before it gets into your blood. Vitamin C-rich, pectin-rich foods include citrus fruits, tomatoes, potatoes, strawberries, apples and spinach.

Go heavy on garlic. Vampires aren't the only thing garlic keeps away. In large doses--at least seven cloves daily--this food can significantly reduce cholesterol. Of course, that's probably more garlic than most people eat in a month. To get a similar benefit, try odorless garlic pills. When people with moderately high cholesterol took four capsules a day of an odorless liquid garlic extract called Kyolic, their cholesterol levels initially rose but then fell an average of 44 points after six months, according to a research study headed by Benjamin Lau, M.D., Ph.D., at Loma Linda University School of Medicine in Loma Linda, California. You can find garlic pills at most health food stores.

Don't depend on decaf. Decaffeinated coffee actually raises LDL levels more than regular brew, so its the worst beverage selection if you have high cholesterol, according to Dr. Jenkins. It may be because the beans used for decaf are stronger than "regular" beans. Frequent coffee drinkers (those who drink it daily) typically have a 7 percent cholesterol increase, as shown in a study at Stanford University in Stanford, California.

Gravitate toward grapes. There's a cholesterol-lowering compound in virtually all products containing grape skin, including wine, according to pomologist Leroy Creasy, Ph.D., of Cornell University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences in Ithaca, New York. You can take advantage of these cholesterol-clobbering qualities by drinking grape juice or simply eating grapes.

Reach for grapefruit. In a study conducted by James Cerda, M.D., a gastroenterologist and professor of medicine at the University of Florida Health Science Center in Gainesville, people who ate at least 1 1/2 cups of grapefruit sections every day lowered their cholesterol over 7 percent in two months. Grapefruit is among the fruits that contain cholesterol-lowering pectin.

Cook up some beans. Lima beans, kidney beans, navy beans, soybeans and other legumes can all help lower your cholesterol, according to James W. Anderson, M.D., an expert in cholesterol research who is professor of medicine and clinical nutrition at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine in Lexington. The reason these high-fiber legumes are so effective is because they, too, contain pectin. The more of these beans you can eat, the greater the benefits.

In one study, Dr. Anderson asked men to eat 1 1/2 cups of cooked beans a day. The result? Their cholesterol plummeted 20 percent in just three weeks. You probably won't go for much, but the more beans, the better--and high-fiber diets have many other benefits besides. Look for a cookbook or two that have great recipes with beans, and try to get more in your diet.

Munch a couple of carrots. Bugs Bunny's favorite entrée is a boon to arteries, because carrots have plenty of cholesterol-lowering pectin. "It may be possible for people with high cholesterol to lower it 10 to 20 percent just by eating two carrots a day," says Peter D. Hoagland, Ph.D., a researcher at the U.S. Department of Agriculture Eastern Regional Research Center in Philadelphia.

Understanding Cholesterol Lingo
If all this talk about good and bad cholesterol is confusing, take heart. Here's how to understand it.

Serum cholesterol is the amount of this fatty substance in your bloodstream. Your serum cholesterol is what your doctor measures in a cholesterol test. A reading under 200 is desirable; a reading over 240 may be dangerous and is cause for concern.

Dietary cholesterol is what you eat. For instance, an egg has 213 milligrams; an apple has none. The American Heart Association recommends that you eat no more than 300 milligrams a day.

Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) is the bad cholesterol that clogs arteries. The lower your LDL, the better.

High-density lipoprotein (HDL) is the good cholesterol that scours artery walls and helps remove harmful LDL. The higher your HDL, the better.

Home remedies for cholesterol #1: Mix 1 tsp. of roasted chicory root.
1 tsp. of lime flowers.
½ tsp. of fenugreek seeds.
½ tsp. of ginger rhizome.
1 quart of water.
Boil all ingredients, let it cool, strain. Drink 2 cups a day.

Home remedies for cholesterol #2: Eat Garlic or take 1 capsule twice a day. It lowers LDL cholesterol level in 12% and increases HDLs.

Home remedies for cholesterol #3: Niacin is particularly helpful in lowering cholesterol. However, inositol hexaniacinate is an even better and safer form of niacin. Inositol hexaniacinate is composed of one molecule of inositol and six molecules of niacin. Inositol hexaniacinate has been used in Europe for over thirty years to lower cholesterol levels. Inositol hexaniacinate yields slightly better results than standard niacin and is better tolerated because it is flush free and doesn't have any long-term side effects on the liver or blood sugar control.

Home remedies for cholesterol #4:Chromium is vital in the synthesis of cholesterol, fats and protein. Chromium maintains stable blood sugar levels through proper insulin utilization and can be helpful for people with diabetes and/or hypoglycemia. Studies have shown that low plasma chromium levels can be an indication of coronary artery disease. Take 400 mcg. a day of chromium picolinate to improve HDL to LDL ratio.

Home remedies for cholesterol #5:Taking Vitamin C with bioflavonoids 4000 mg. a day lowers cholesterol.

Home remedies for cholesterol #6:Ginger reduces cholesterol and thins the blood improving circulation

Home remedies for cholesterol #7:Guggul reduces LDL by 35% increases HDL by 20 % in 12 weeks, prevents arteriosclerosis. It performs better then many drugs in several studies.

Warning: The reader of this article should exercise all precautionary measures while following instructions on the home remedies from this article. Avoid using any of these products if you are allergic to it. The responsibility lies with the reader and not with the site or the writer.

BOILS!!

2007-12-30T08:45:00.000-08:00

Boils are localized, tender, inflamed, pus-filled swellings in the skin surrounded by large red areas. They are infections of the hair follicles of the skin. They are quite painful, particularly in areas where the skin is closely attached to the underlying tissues, such as the nose, ears, or fingers. They usually occur in teenagers and young adults. The common sites for boils are the face, neck, buttocks, and thighs.

Boils are the result of bacteria that invade through a microscopic break in the skin and infect a blocked oil gland or hair follicle. An abscess results when white blood cells, sent to kill the invaders, produce pus. Sounds nasty, but even though boils are sometimes painful and ugly, they're rarely dangerous.

Symptoms of Skin Boils

Painful red nodule appears on the skin
At first, a painful red nodule appears on the skin. This grows bigger and then breaks down in the middle where the pus collects. The patient experiences a great deal of irritation and itching. There may be a single skin boil, or several boils in the same area or in different areas at or about the same time, or they may come in successive crops. The swelling may not be limited to one hair follicle but may extend to several follicles. When the skin boils ripen, they give out a discharge. Fever may sometimes accompany the boils.

Causes of Boils

Staphylococcus germs
Boils are caused mainly by staphylococcus germs which enter the sweat glands or hair follicles. The essential cause of this disorder is thus bacterial. However, several factors predispose the growth of bacteria in hair follicles.

Toxic condition in blood stream
Of these, the chief factor is a toxic condition in the blood stream, which is due to a faulty diet and a frenetic pace of living. Boils generally appear when a person is in a run-down and devitalised condition.

Home Remedies for Boils and Skin Boils

Boils treatment using Garlic and Onion
Garlic and onions have proved most effective among the several home remedies found beneficial in the treatment of boils. The juice of garlic or onion may be applied externally on boils to help ripen them, break them, and evacuate the pus. An equal quantity of the juices of these two vegetables can also be applied with beneficial results. Eating of two to three pods of garlic during meals will also bring good results.

Boils treatment using Bitter Gourd
Bitter gourd is another effective home remedy for blood-filled boils. A cupful of fresh juice of this vegetable, mixed with a teaspoon of lime juice, should be taken, sip by sip, on an empty stomach daily for a few months to treat this condition.

Boils treatment using Milk Cream
Milk cream is beneficial in the treatment of boils. One teaspoon of milk cream, mixed with half a tea spoon of vinegar, and a pinch of turmeric powder, makes an excellent poultice. It helps in ripening the blood boils and in their healing without allowing them to become septic.

Boils treatment using Betel Leaves
Betel leaves are a valuable remedy for boils. A leaf is gently warmed till it becomes soft. It is then coated with a layer of castor oil. The oiled leaf should be spread over the inflamed part. It should be replaced every few hours. After a few applications, the skin boil will rupture, draining out all the purulent matter.

Boils treatment using Cumin Seeds
Cumin seeds are beneficial in the treatment of boils. The seeds should be ground in water and made into a paste. This paste can be applied to boils with beneficial results.

Boils treatment using Margosa Leaves
The use of margosa leaves has proved effective in boils. They can be used as a poultice, decoction, or liniment with beneficial results. To make the decoction, 15 gm of margosa leaves should be boiled in 500 ml of water till it is reduced by one-third.

Boils treatment using Parsley
To treat boils, this vegetable should be steeped in boiled water till it is soft and juicy. When comfortably hot, it should be wrapped with clean muslin or linen cloth and applied to the boils as a poultice.

Boils treatment using Turmeric
Application of turmeric powder on boils speeds up the healing process. In the case of fresh boils, a few dry roots of turmeric are roasted, the ashes dissolved in a cupful of water, and then applied over the affected portion. This solution enables the boils to ripen and burst.
Apply warm moist compress three or four times a day over the tender area. This will help to bring the boil to a head and helps in easy drainage.
Always keep some type of ointment on the boil site to prevent the skin from drying and causing a scaring. Keep the area clean and covered.

Take an onion, cut it in half and place a half on a dry frying pan the cut side down. Warm it on a low heat till the "top" of it feels warm to the touch. Then dig out a piece of the core big enough to accommodate your boil. Place on the boil and try to stay still till the onion cools (=15-20 min.)

Take 1/2 teaspoon Colloidal Silver everyday and you will not have any new boils.
Place 1/2 cup of chlorine bleach in a tub of warm to hot bath water. Stay in tub (with infected area under water) for at least 20 minutes. Do this twice a week for one month. Boils come to a head, drain and dry up faster. This is an effective home remedy for boil.
Prepare a mixture by adding a little of baking soda and water together. Put it all over your boil for about 30 minutes and it should be gone or it should be down.
Prepare a thick paste by adding a small amount of flour and vinegar. Place the paste on the boil over night and wrap it with gauze. Over night the paste will harden like a cast. Upon removing the bandage in the morning, the head of the boil should come out.
Peel a banana (a ripe banana works best). Place banana peel on boil and leave it there for as long as you can.
Cut bacon fat from bacon and place over boil. Place bandage and leave on overnight. Boil should come to a head and rupture upon removing bandage
For boil treatment eat raisins as much as you can.
Crack open and discard contents of egg, then take thin white layer of inside shell and place over boil opening (head) then put on bandage overnight. When you wake up take off bandage and the core of the boil come out then will ooze all contents.
Cut a thick slice of a juicy tomato and place it on the area where the boil is and use a tape of some sort to hold the tomato in place and leave it on for about a day. The boil will come to a head and bursts.
Soak a tea bag in very hot water. When it's cool enough to tolerate, place the tea bag on the boil and leave it there until it cools. Repeat this a few times a day until the boil comes to a head and then wash the boil very well with antibacterial soap, open the boil with a sterile needle and drain it.
Open the Vitamin E capsule and put the liquid on the boil. Leave it on. Repeat as needed also take at least 1000mg of Vitamin C, it helps fight infection internally and helps the skin
Take a piece of bread, white or wheat. Dip the piece of bread into a bowl of milk. So the bread is a little soaked with the milk. Take the bread with milk on it and place it over the boil for about 15-20 min. The yeast in the bread will draw out the stuff inside the boil. And the boil will not return again. This is an effective home remedy for boil.
Sprinkle nutmeg on your food and this will dry up boils within a couple of days.
Take internally, 1 teaspoon of turmeric powder in warm water a day. Continue for several days.
Prepare a mixture by adding one tablespoon of Apple Cider Vinegar, one-tablespoon honey in a cup of hot water and drink at least twice a day.
Mix a paste of oatmeal, add salt and apply directly onto the boilwrap it to keep the poultice in place.
For boil treatment prepare a combination by adding garlic clove, fenugreek, and red clay. It is very effective.

Diet For Patients With Skin Boils

Fast on orange juice with water
A thorough cleansing of the system is essential for the treatment of boils. To begin with, the patient may fast on orange juice diluted with water on a 50:50 basis for three to four days, or adopt an exclusive diet of fresh juicy fruits from five to seven days.

Well-balanced diet
After the short juice fast or the all-fruit diet, as the case may be, the patient should adopt a well-balanced diet, with emphasis on wholegrain cereals, raw vegetables, and fresh fruits. Further periods of a juice fast or an all-fruit diet may be necessary, depending on the general health level and bodily condition of the patient.

Avoid tea/coffee, cakes, pastries, condiments and sauces
The patient should avoid tea and coffee, starchy and sugary foods, especially cakes, pastries, sweets, chocolates, white sugar, and white bread. He should also avoid all condiments, pickles, and sauces.

Other Boils treatments

Warm-water enema
A warm-water enema should be given daily during the initial juice fast or all-fruit diet. This will help to cleanse the bowels.

Warm moist compresses would be applied
Warm moist compresses should be applied three or four times a day over the tender area. This will help to bring the boil to a head and encourage easy drainage.

Hot Epsom salts bath
A hot Epsom salts bath is highly beneficial and should be taken by the patient two or three times in a week until the boils persist and once a week thereafter.

Dry massage followed by cold sponge
Other helpful measures in the treatment of boils are daily dry massage in the morning followed by a cold sponge.

Breathing and outdoor exercises
Fresh air, breathing exercises, and outdoor exercises are also essential for toning up the system.

Avoid constipation
In case constipation is habitual, all measures should be taken to overcome it.

Keep it wet and warm. "A warm compress is the best way to treat a boil, but you have to keep it very wet and very warm," says John F. Romano, M.D., a dermatologist and clinical assistant professor of medicine at The New York Hospital--Cornell Medical Center in New York City. "It's not enough to wring out a washcloth and place it on the boil. You should leave the compress on for 10 to 15 minutes, but keep wetting it every few minutes to make sure the boil stays wet and warm." He suggests this 15-minute compress four or five times daily to bring the boil to a head, which leads to its draining and then healing.

Lead staph to slaughter. If you're prone to boils, you may be able to lessen their frequency by cleaning your skin with an antiseptic soap such as Betadine, says dermatologist Adrian Connolly, M.D., clinical assistant professor of medicine at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey in Newark.

Don't monkey with cysts. When cysts become infected, they often have a nasty way of turning into boils. So leave cysts alone, or have them excised by a doctor.

Hit the showers. When a boil is draining, keep the skin around it clean by taking showers instead of baths. This reduces the chance of spreading the infection to other parts of the body. After treating a boil, wash your hands well before preparing food, because staph bacteria can cause food poisoning.

Head for the kitchen. Applying pieces of warm, milk-soaked bread directly on the boil is an old folk remedy--and some people find it works quite well, according to Varro E. Tyler, Ph.D., professor of pharmacognosy at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana, and author of The Honest Herbal.

Try vegetables ... or tea. Other home remedies for boils include "compresses" of heated slices of tomato--or raw onion, mashed garlic or the outer leaves of cabbage. You can press these cut vegetables directly on the boil and see for yourself how well they work. Another kitchen compress: Place a warm tea bag of black tea directly on the boil for 15 minutes several times a day.

When to See the Doctor
You can treat most small boils (less than 1/2 inch) at home, but boils that are larger than that or that don't respond to simple remedies require a doctor's attention. You should never squeeze a large boil or a boil of any size around certain "danger zones": face, armpits, groin and the breasts of a nursing woman.

Be sure to consult a doctor if you see red lines radiating from the boil or if you get fever, chills or swelling in other parts of your body. You may also need a doctor's care if the boil is extremely tender or is under a thick layer of skin, as with some boils on the back. And if you have diabetes, you should always consult with your doctor any time boils appear: You might need antibiotics that are available only by prescription.

Warning: The reader of this article should exercise all precautionary measures while following instructions on the home remedies from this article. Avoid using any of these products if you are allergic to it. The responsibility lies with the reader and not with the site or the writer.

Kidney Detoxification!!

2007-12-30T08:40:00.000-08:00

Kidney detoxification is a long process. Juice fasting and a diet high in raw food can greatly benefit the kidneys.

Our liver and kidneys enlarge due to the added workload of protein metabolism. If you are an individual with kidney problems, diabetes, hypoglycemia or hepatitis, a high protein diet worsens the condition. A damaged liver or kidney does not do well when overloaded with protein digestion. When the filtering organs are overburdened, the blood becomes more toxic and tends to aggravate other conditions.

DNA and RNA contain purines that are the primary building blocks of our genetic code. Meat eating causes large quantities of purines to break down and form uric acid. Uric acid causes gout and kidney stones. The good news is that both these ailments are cured with a low-protein diet.

Fruit and vegetable juices assist in kidney detoxification.
Fruit and vegetable juices are the cleansers, energizers, builders, and regenerators of the human system. A combination of either fresh, raw fruit or vegetable juices will supply all the enzymes, vitamins, minerals, protein and fats critical to increased vitality! By adding live juices to one's diet as a daily routine, many have experienced a rejuvenating effect and healing of various illnesses such as cancer, leukemia, arthritis, high blood pressure, kidney disorders, skin infections, liver disorders, alcoholism and smoking. Supplying the body with easily-absorbed nutrients, while the body is cleansing itself in the fasting state, avoids the dangers of total abstinence associated with water fasting. Be confident that this method is both safe and beneficial.

Grapes: There are between 40 and 50 different varieties of grapes that come in a rainbow of greens, whites, reds and purples. Grapes fill the mouth with an explosion of delicious flavors. Grapes are an excellent source of potassium, which encourage an alkaline blood balance and also stimulate the kidneys and regulate heartbeat. The restorative power of grapes is phenomenal, cleansing the liver and removing the uric acid from the body. In France, many people go on a grape fast during harvest time. Studies have shown a lower incidence of cancer in the areas of France where this grape fast is practiced yearly.

Asparagus: Available in early spring. It can be expensive due to the difficulty in cultivating. Its claim to fame is the amino acid aspargagine that is destroyed by cooking. Aspargagine is a strong diuretic, stimulating the kidneys. Asparagus is a great blood cleanser and excellent for healthy bowel maintenance.

Parsley: Ancient civilizations have used parsley in medications and in poultices on wounds, boils, cysts and to draw the pus out of an infected cut. Parsley is one of the highest sources of life-giving chlorophyll, which acts like iron to oxidize the blood. Chlorophyll will help neutralize the strong odor of garlic, and is used in chewing gum to sweeten breath. It is a cleanser of the kidneys, liver, and urinary tract. Parsley is effective for upset stomachs by stimulating digestive enzymes. Excellent for the colon by encouraging the peristaltic wave in the intestines.

Spinach: Never cook spinach. Oxalic acid is destroyed when heat transforms it into oxalic acid crystals that are harmful to the kidneys. It also binds to iron, making it unabsorbable.

Cranberry Juice
A powerful healing tonic filled with quinine, which changes to hippuric acid in the liver. Hippuric acid is able to assist in the removal of purines, uric acid, urea and toxic build-up in the prostate gland, testicles, kidneys and bladder.

Kidney detoxification Problems:
Fasting can irritate damaged kidneys due to the amount of toxins they filter. Try short juice fasts of 3-to-5 days before progressing to longer fasts. To maintain the healing, you will need to permanently remove high-protein meals, refined flours, commercial oils and fats from your diet.

Bloodshot Eyes!!

2007-12-30T00:58:00.001-08:00

As eye problems go, bloodshot eyes are easy to self-diagnose: The tiny network of blood vessels on the surface of your eyeballs (barely noticeable, most times) are swollen and your eyes are red. Anything that irritates your eyes can leave them instantly bloodshot: Wind. Crying. A smoke-filled room. An allergic reaction to pets. Mold. Even troublesome makeup. And, yes, drinking too much alcohol can cause the blood vessels to dilate and redden, says Anne Sumers, M.D., an ophthalmologist in Ridgewood, New Jersey, and a spokeswoman for the American Academy of Ophthalmology. Often when your eyes are red, they are also dry, so they feel and look uncomfortable.

FOR CLEAR EYES, READ THIS To shrink those blood vessels and get the red out, try following these tips from experts. Chill. Applying a cold compress to your eyes for 30 minutes will shrink your swollen blood vessels, says Dr. Sumers. "Wrap ice cubes in a clean washcloth or just use a damp washcloth. It brings the swelling way down." Artificial tears to the rescue. They won't whiten your eyes immediately, but they will lubricate and remoisten, ease that stinging feeling and clear up the underlying irritation that makes your eyes red, says Dr. Sumers. Artificial tears, such as Moisture Drops, Hypotears and Tears Naturale, are available over the counter at your local drugstore. If you wear contacts, rewetting drops will work. They serve the same function as artificial tears, says Dr. Sumers. Use medicated eyedrops only in an emergency. Over-the-counter eyedrops, such as Murine and Visine, are medicated; they contain a vasoconstrictive substance that will shrink your blood vessels for about 45 minutes.

So if you need to show up at an important meeting with crystal-clear eyes, it's okay to pop in a few drops, says Dr. Sumers. But use medicated drops sparingly. The more you use medicated eyedrops, the more you need them, says Dr. Sumers. "It's a medical situation that we call rebound hyperemia." If your eyes are chronically bloodshot, you need to find out why and not just mask the symptom.

Apply a cold compress. If your eyes itch, the bloodshot look is probably caused by allergies. "A cold washcloth placed over your eyes will soothe the pain and shrink the blood vessels if your eyes are bloodshot because of allergies," says Eric Donnenfeld, M.D., associate professor of ophthalmology at North Shore University Hospital/Cornell Medical College in Manhasset, New York. Hold the cold compress over your eyes until the itchiness subsides. You can repeat as often as convenient during the day.

For tired eyes-use a warm compress. If your eyes are red but don't itch, then a warm compress is the answer, adds Dr. Donnenfeld: "Warmth is best for bloodshot eyes caused by fatigue, staying up too late or a cold." Just place a warm washcloth over your closed eyes for 10 to 20 minutes.

Try artificial tears. If your bloodshot eyes are stinging, try soothing them with nonpreservative artificial tears, suggests Paul Vinger, M.D., assistant clinical professor of ophthalmology at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He recommends the single-dose packages.

Contacts wearers: Read the label. If you're a contact lens wearer and you notice more eye redness than in the past, read the label on your contact lens cleaner. If you're not using one labeled "preservative- free," switch to one that is. Preservatives in the cleaner can cause reddened eyes.

Put a lid on "red-out" products. "Eyedrops that promise to remove redness should be used only occasionally, because they can become habit forming," warns Dr. Donnenfeld. "After using them for a while, you may develop a 'rebound' effect, so if you don't use the drops, your eyes become red." His advice: Avoid using these over-the-counter products for more than four consecutive days, and try not to use them more than once daily.

Avoid known allergens. Steer clear of anything that has caused you to have allergies in the past: It could be causing your red-eye to flare up. Also, wash your hands after petting pets or applying makeup and shampoo, advises Thomas Platts-Mills, M.D., Ph.D., head of the Division of Allergy and Clinical Immunology at the University of Virginia Health Sciences Center in Charlottesville.

When To See A Doctor
If your eyes are still red after a day, see your doctor. Bloodshot eyes may be a sign of a foreign body trapped in your eye, allergies or infection, says Anne Sumers, M.D., an ophthalmologist in Ridgewood, New Jersey, and a spokeswoman for the American Academy of Ophthalmology.

If you get a strong chemical or poison, such as ammonia, in your eye, flush your eye with water and call 911 immediately (or have someone call for you).

If you're in pain or have vision loss from an injury to the eye (like getting whipped in the eye by a branch), call your doctor immediately.

Warning: The reader of this article should exercise all precautionary measures while following instructions on the home remedies from this article. Avoid using any of these products if you are allergic to it. The responsibility lies with the reader and not with the site or the writer.

Teeth Whitening!!

2007-12-30T00:58:00.000-08:00

Smile is one of the first things people notice about you. Yellow or brown teeth are not the best first impression you want to make. Teeth can become discolored for a number of reasons, the most common being tobacco, coffee, tea, berries, and the natural accumulation of tartar over time.

Other reasons for discoloration of teeth may be internal reasons such as by aging, injury, excessive fluoride, and by certain illnesses and medicines. Discoloration is natural over time.

Tooth whitening can have fantastic affects on your appearance, as well as giving your self-esteem a big boost. Tooth whitening is safe, convenient, and can change the overall appearance of your smile in a matter of hours.

In the adult there are thirty-two permanent teeth. The first of these, which grow in below, begin to come through when a child is six or seven years old. These permanent teeth usually replace the deciduous teeth. By the time a person is twenty-five he should have all his teeth. By the time a person is twenty-five he should have all his teeth. The condition of his teeth will largely depend on his diet, and on the kind of care he has given the teeth during his growing years.

Some teeth seem to be defective from the start owing to hereditary factors. A clean mouth contributes toward an attractive personality and a happy disposition. An unsanitary mouth usually arises from years of neglect.

HOME REMEDIES FOR TEETH WHITENING
Take some foil and fold it to form to your teeth. Take a little toothpaste and baking soda and mix together really well. Put some of the mixture into the foil and place on your teeth. Leave on for one-hour everyday. Brush teeth normally afterwards. This is an effective home remedy for teeth whitening.
Brush your teeth with wood ash. It is good teeth whitener.
Mash some strawberries in a bowl and use this to brush your teeth, just as you use toothpaste. It whitens really well
Every time you brush, add baking soda to your toothpaste. Within 14 days your teeth will become visibly whiter
Good nutritious diet is very effective in maintaining the dental health. Eating fresh crunchy veggies and fruits such as: carrots, broccoli, celery, apples, strawberries, and cucumbers can help whiten your teeth.
Each time after brushing your teeth just gargle with a small capsule of peroxide, concentrating it on your teeth (don't swallow), and rinse thoughroly with water.
Another home remedy for teeth whitening is - Take your wet toothbrush, put baking soda on it, then put a dab of lemon juice on it (the baking soda will begin to fizz) brush your teeth with it. Rinse with water
Rub the inside of an orange peel on the teeth.
Prepare a paste by adding equal parts lemon juice and salt and apply to yellowing spots.
Make a paste by grinding dried bay leaves and dried orange peels and adding a little water. Use as a teeth whitener.
Rubbing the bark of walnut tree brightens the teeth.
For tooth whitening, brush your teeth properly and eat the right food to keep your teeth healthy.
It is also wise to note that eating sweet snacks between meals affect teeth more than eating sweet snacks with meals.
Brush your outer and inner surfaces at 45-degree angle. On chewing surfaces, hold the brush flat and brush back and forth. On inside surfaces of front teeth, tilt brush vertically and use gentle up and won strokes with toe of the brush.
Do not brush after every meal. It will affect the enamel.
Avoid sticky sweets like toffee or hard candies like mints. Try to rinse your mouth quickly after you drink anything with strong color such as coffee and red wine.
Chew a piece of sugarless gum after you've had your coffee or tea. This is also an effective home remedy for teeth whitening.
Avoid smoking.
Teeth should be properly brushed at least twice a day to maintain good dental health.
Brushing should be done in the direction in which they are growing; the upper teeth should be brushed downward, and the lower teeth should be brushed from below, upward.
Use a sweeping motion, being sure that the bristles reach the crevices between the teeth, thus helping to remove any food particles that may have lodged there.
Add a drop of clove oil to the toothpaste and brush.

Warning: The reader of this article should exercise all precautionary measures while following instructions on the home remedies from this article. Avoid using any of these products if you are allergic to it. The responsibility lies with the reader and not with the site or the writer.

TINNITUS!!

2007-12-30T00:47:00.000-08:00

The ringing or buzzing sound inside one or both the ears is called Tinnitus. It may be continuous or may come and go. Those who suffer from tinnitus experience a wide range of noises inside their ears. Tinnitus is of two types, objective tinnitus and subjective tinnitus. In objective tinnitus, apart from the patient himself, people around him can also hear the buzzing sound inside his ears. But in case of subjective tinnitus only the patient himself can hear the buzzing sound inside his ears. Subjective tinnitus is more common than objective tinnitus. Severe cases of tinnitus can be extremely disturbing, the patient may not be able to sleep or concentrate.

Buzzing,hissing, and ringing sound inside the ear
The most common symptoms of tinnitus are buzzing, hissing, and ringing sound inside the ear. Sometimes these sounds may go along with the patient's heartbeat. If the tinnitus patient is also suffering from Meniere disease then the sound in the ear may be accompanied by dizziness and hearing loss.

Damage to hearing nerve
The inner ear has the hearing nerve; any damage to its microscopic endings can cause tinnitus. This is the most common cause of tinnitus. However the hearing nerve is also affected due to aging. Frequent exposure to loud noise also affects the hearing nerve. Therefore those who are always exposed to loud noise can get tinnitus. Any of the four sections of the ear can have tinnitus. Any foreign particle or wax in the external ear can cause tinnitus. Subjective tinnitus may be caused due to some wax in the ear canal.

Objective tinnitus may be caused due to some circulatory problem or some tumor in blood vessel. It may also be caused due to structural defects in the inner ear. Tinnitus may be a symptom of otosclerosis. Conditions like allergy, high or low blood pressure, diabetes, neck injury, head injury may cause tinnitus. Medicines like sedatives, antidepressants, aspirin and so on can also cause tinnitus.

Treatment for Tinnitus
There is no specific or universal treatment for tinnitus, treatment shall be different for different cases of tinnitus. If tinnitus is due to loud noise then wearing a mask could help. Sometimes tinnitus may be a symptom of some other medical problem; in such case the underlying condition must be treated first. Reducing your stress level will also decrease tinnitus, therefore breathe deeply. Put 20 to 40 mg of extract of the Maidenhair tree or Ginkgo biloba into your ears for four to six weeks. This will dilate blood vessels and increase blood flow to the ears.

Avoid saturated fats, sugar, salt
Tinnitus patients must avoid foods like saturated fats, dairy products, sugar, salt, processed foods and so on because all these food items tend to aggravate the condition. Avoid coffee, tea, sweet foods, and refined alcohol because all these result in low blood sugar which can lead to tinnitus. Include lots of fresh and raw fruits and vegetables in your diet. Eat a protein rich diet. Tinnitus patient's diet must include vitamin A, vitamin B, vitamin E, zinc and choline.

Keep blood pressure under control
Avoid alcohol and smoking. Exercise daily to improve your blood circulation. Check and keep you blood pressure under control.

Tinnitus is not a disease, and it doesn't cause hearing disorders. It's any kind of swishing, hissing, whirring, ringing, whistling, buzzing or chirping that goes on inside your head.

The causes? Tinnitus can be a sign of hearing loss, or it can result from head injuries, ear infections or diseases that range from the common cold to diabetes. People who work with noisy equipment, such as power tools, can also get it. Or tinnitus may be initiated by a single loud noise, such as a gunshot or an explosion.

Sometimes tinnitus is only temporary. If you have a ringing in your ears for only a few days (perhaps after listening to loud music), take it as a warning sign. Tone down your listening habits or tinnitus may become permanent.

Even when tinnitus moves in to stay, there are still things you can do about it. The first move is a medical checkup. After that, here are some ways to make it easier to live with.

Tone down sound around you. "Never expose your ears to loud sounds, because they simply make tinnitus worse," says Jack Vernon, Ph.D., professor of otolaryngology at Oregon Health Sciences University and director of the Oregon Hearing Research Center, both in Portland. "If you have to raise your voice to be heard, then the sound around you is too loud. That includes vacuum cleaners, dishwashers, lawn mowers and so forth."

So wear earplugs whenever noise abounds. Pharmacies carry foam, rubber and moldable wax plugs as well as headphones you wear like earmuffs.

Try a little night static. Some people don't notice their tinnitus in the daytime, but as soon as the lights go out, they're up to their inner ears in bells and buzzers. "For those folks, I recommend detuning an FM radio to static between stations," says Dr. Vernon. If you keep the radio near the bed just loud enough to be audible, the static near your head will mask the sounds in your head and let you fall asleep. Other sounds that might be the key to dreamland: a fan running all night or a bit of soft music.

Play that shower! In the "mask that sound" department: "Some people can't hear their tinnitus when they take showers," says Dr. Vernon. Of course, you can't stay in the shower all day, but you can carry shower sounds around with you. Dr. Vernon suggests making a long-playing tape of a running shower. When the tinnitus gets bad, listen to the tape through headphones, he recommends. (The idea is to find a band of tones that includes your tinnitus tone but is more acceptable to listen to.)

Breathe deeply to dismiss distress. "Reducing stress often reduces tinnitus," says Robert E. Brummett, Ph.D., a pharmacologist at the Oregon Hearing Research Center. Deep, slow breathing is one safe way to ease tension any time you feel it creeping up on you, according to Dr. Vernon. But he cautions that this may not be enough. See a counselor if you're having difficulty dealing with stress in your life and your tinnitus is becoming worse because of it.

Skip the smokes and drinks. "Restrict the nicotine, alcohol, tonic water and caffeine you consume," Dr. Brummett suggests. If you find that it helps to cut out one or all of these, consider a permanent vacation from the noise provoker.

Don't take aspirin. People with tinnitus who take aspirin daily (for arthritis, for example) should try a different anti-inflammatory drug if possible, suggests Dr. Brummett. Aspirin can cause or worsen tinnitus. Some of the other anti-inflammatory drugs can also cause or worsen tinnitus, but not in everyone. By working with your doctor, you can try some of the alternative drugs until you find one that you can tolerate.

Give yourself a dose of distraction. "Getting distracted from tinnitus surely will help," says Dr. Vernon. "Focus on some outside things: Help other people. Join some volunteer groups. Don't retire!" he suggests. "People with tinnitus need to enrich rather than restrict their lives."

Warning: The reader of this article should exercise all precautionary measures while following instructions on the home remedies from this article. Avoid using any of these products if you are allergic to it. The responsibility lies with the reader and not with the site or the writer.

DIARRHOEA

2007-12-30T00:09:00.000-08:00

Diarrhoea is not a disease in itself. It is a disorder that may arise from many different causes. The most important cause of diarrhea is the contaminated food. One or two loose watery stools may not be significant. Large, loose stools may drain much of the essential water from the body. Such fluids must be replaced as soon as possible. Diarrhea in babies and small children can be dangerous. Infants are easily dehydrated, and they are not able to tell how they feel

Diarrhea is often seen in people who take excessive amounts of laxatives. Some people are allergic to certain substances or common foods. Some people have frequent loose stools for years without any other evidence of disease. Some people develop diarrhea when under severe emotional strain. Excess alcohol consumption; laxatives; caffeine are also known to cause diarrhea. Some medicines can cause diarrhea, such as antibiotics (tetracycline, clyndamycin, penicillin). Blood or mucus in the stool is a sign of infection or parasites.

Diarrhea is a means to excrete bacteria or viruses that might have ingested by eating bad food. Therefore, it is not good idea to stop diarrhea too quickly. However, diarrhea does not work sometimes and if goes on for several days, dehydration and loss of important nutrients may occur which can be dangerous especially in children.
Diarrhea is characterized by frequent, watery stools, often accompanied by stomach cramps, abdominal pain and gas. Diarrhea may be of various colors and contain mucous, blood or pus.

Symptoms of Diarrhoea

Cramps Dehydration Wind and distention in the abdomen Weakness Mild fever

Water is either not absorbed or is excreted in excess
Diarrhoea may be acute or chronic. Commonly known as 'loose motions', it is one of the commonest diseases, particularly in India, in children. The small intestine normally gets more than ten litres of liquid per day which comes from the diet and from secretions of the stomach, liver, pancreas, and intestines. In the case of diarrhoea, water is either not absorbed or is excreted in excess. It is then sent to the colon whose water-holding capacity is limited. Thus the urge to defecate comes quite often.

Causes of Diarrhoea
Overeating or eating of wrong foods
The main causes of diarrhoea are overeating or eating of wrong foods, putrefaction of food in the intestinal tract, fermentation caused by incomplete carbohydrate digestion, nervous irritability, use of antibiotic drugs, and excessive intake of laxatives.

Parasites, germs, virus, bacteria, emotional stress
Other causes include parasites, germs, virus, bacteria, or a poison which has entered into the body through food, water, or air; allergies to certain substances or even common foods such as milk, wheat, eggs, and sea foods; emotional strain or stress in adults and fright in children.

Organic diseases affecting the intestines
Certain organic diseases affecting the intestines may also lead to diarrhoea.

HOME REMEDIES FOR DIARRHEA

Increasing fluid intake is the first thing to be done to fight against the diarrhea. Fluids that contain salt and small amounts of sugar are particularly beneficial, as they help the body replace glucose and minerals lost during diarrhea. A good "rehydration fluid" can be easily made by adding 1 teaspoon of sugar and a pinch of salt to 1 quart of water.

Foods containing large amounts of poorly absorbed carbohydrates can aggravate diarrhea. Therefore foods such as bread, pasta, and other wheat products; apples, pears, peaches, and prunes; corn, oats, potatoes, and processed bran should be avoided. Dairy products should also be avoided during a bout of diarrhea

Black berry tea is good for mild diarrhea.

Ginger tea can give relief to cramps and pain. This is very effective home remedy for diarrhea.

Do not drink apple juice this will make diarrhea worse.

Boil brown rice and water for 45 minutes eat the rice (it contains Vitamin B) and drink the water.

Cook ½ cup of rice with 4 cups of water with ½ teaspoon of ginger paste and salt. Add ½ cup of pomegranate juice when the gruel is warm. This gruel rehydrates body and supply energy. This soothes inflamed walls of intestine and controls bowel movements. This is also very effective home remedy for diarrhea.

Drink 3-4 times half a cup of water with a few drops of Pudin Hara

Drink a mixture of 1 tsp mint juice, 1/2 tsp ginger juice, and 1 tsp honey.

Make a paste of a lemon along with seeds. Add some salt. Take 1 tsp of this paste 2-3 times.
Add 1/2 tsp of dry ginger (saunth powder in 1 cup buttermilk ( chhachh). Drink it 3 - 4 times a day.

For diarrhea treatment chew a few pieces of the inner lining of pomegranate with salt, and/or drink pomegranate juice.

Prepare a mixture by adding 1 Tbsp poppy seeds, 1 tsp edible gum, 1 tsp cardamom powder, 1/2 tsp nutmeg ( jaiphal) powder, and2 tbs sugar, and grind to a powder. Take this powder every 2 hours.

Prepare a solution by adding 1/2 tsp lemon juice, 1/2 tsp ginger juice, and 1/4 tsp pepper powder and drink it.

Prepare a mixture of 5-6 chopped basil (tulsi) leaves, 1/4 tsp sea salt, some black pepper in 3 Tbsp of curd, and eat it. Repeat this 4 times a day for one week for complete reconditioning of stomach.

Roast 1/2 tsp cumin (jeera) seeds and 1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds (dana methi). Mix and powder it, add to 4 tsp of yogurt (curd). Take thrice a day.

Grate one raw papaya. Add 3 cups water, boil for 10 mins, strain and finish the water in one day.

Stew 1 apple with 2 pinches of nutmeg powder and 1 tsp sugar. Give your child to eat it.

Grapefruit seed extract is an excellent remedy for traveler's diarrhea.

Ripe bananas are recommended. Bananas are especially good as they are easily digested and have pectin and important nutrients such as potassium and magnesium.

For diarrhea treatment add fiber to diet to absorb excess fluid in the intestines and help make firmer bowels.

Try to manage the stress and anxiety that is causing your diarrhea. Yoga, meditation, hypnotism, biofeedback and other tension releasing techniques may be useful.

Take 1 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar in a glass of water with each meal and at mid-morning, mid-afternoon, and at bedtime.

Take bee pollen several times a day. It contains nearly all the minerals and trace elements needed in the diet.

Boil water and cool. Add 3 teaspoons of black pepper and 11/2 teaspoon of kelp to 2 cups of water. Repeat as often as necessary.

Boil carrots, and make a puree. Take 1 teaspoon every 15 minutes.

Prepare a mixture by adding 4 tablespoons of honey with 8 ounces of water. This is a good remedy for bacteria-caused diarrhea.

For diarrhea treatment make a solution by adding 1/2 cup of orange juice, 1 tablespoon sugar, 1/6 teaspoon salt, 11/3 cups of water. Give a child 1/2 oz. of this mixture every 2 hours.

Potato soup is also very good remedy for diarrhea; eat several bowls during the day.

Make a tea from the leaves of a pumpkin, squash or gourd. Boil two quarts of water; snip several double-handfuls of leaves into the water; cover and remove from heat; steep for 35 minutes; drink a cup every couple of hours.

In a food blender mix a handful of chopped red radishes, 1 cup of cold milk, and 1/2 teaspoon of cornstarch. Drink slowly. This remedy should stop the diarrhea within an hour. Repeat again in 4 hours, if needed.

Amaranth seeds and leaves are useful in stopping diarrhea. Make a tea by bringing three cups of water to a boil, adding two teaspoons of seeds, cover and simmer on low for about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and add 1 teaspoon of leaves (if available) or just let it steep for 30 minutes. Drink two cups daily.

Make a paste of sesame seeds (1 teaspoon) and add a few tablespoons of goat's milk. It is also beneficial.

The leaves and fruit of blueberries and bilberries will help to naturally stop diarrhea.

During the course of diarrhea, babies should eat carrots, rice cereal, bananas, potatoes, and applesauce to help firm the stools. Fruit juices, peas, pears, peaches, plums, prunes and apricots should be avoided until the stools are back to normal.

Adults and older children can also eat cheese, crackers, bread, rice and potatoes. During diarrhea outbreaks, it's best to avoid most dairy products, which tend to make diarrhea worse. This includes milk, butter, creams, and eggs.

Yogurt is the exception; it will help to stop diarrhea.

Dietary Remedies

Milk It
A West Indian remedy for diarrhea is a pinch of allspice in a cup of warm water or milk. A pennsylvania Dutch remedy is 2 pinches of cinnamon in a cup of warm milk. A Brazilian remedy calls for 2 pinches of cinnamon and 1 pinch of powdered cloves in a cup of warm milk.
We may as well "milk" this for all it's worth with a Welsh remedy that requires a cup of boiled milk and a red hot fireplace poker.

Carefully place the red-hot poker into the cup of milk. Keep it there for 30 seconds.The poker supposedly charges the milk with iron , which is a homeopathic treatment of diarrhea. Drink the iron-charged milk slowly-it may be hot!

The combination of cinnamon and cayenne pepper is known to be very effective in tightening the bowels quickly. In fact, it probably takes longer to prepare the tea than for it to work.

Bring 2 cups of water to a boil, then add ¼ teaspoon of cinnamon and 1/8 teaspoon of cayenne pepper. Let the mixture simmer for 20 minutes. As soon as it's cool enough to drink, have ¼ cup every half hour.

Add 1 teaspoon of powdered ginger to 1 cup of just-boiled water. To control diarrhea, drink 3 cups of the mixture throughout the day.
Grate an onion and squeeze it through cheesecloth so you get 2 tablespoons (1 ounce) of onion juice. Take the onion juice every hour, along with 1 cup of peppermint tea.

Suited to a Tea
Raspberry-leaf tea is a popular folk remedy for children and adults. Combine 1 ounce of dried raspberry leaves with 2 cups of water (a piece of cinnamon stick is optional), and simmer in an enamel or glass saucepan for 25 minutes. Strain, cool and drink throughout the day.

Hippocratic Oats
According to Hippocrates, the Greek physician and father of medicine, everyone should drink barley water daily to maintain good health. One of the benefits is its effectiveness in treating diarrhea.

Boil 2 ounces of pearled barley in 6 cups of water until there's about half the water-3 cups-left in the pot. Strain. If necessary, add honey and lemon to taste. Not only should you drink the barley water throughout the day, you should also eat the barley.

Berry Good Berries
Since biblical times, the common blackberry plant has been used to cure diarrhea and dysentery. And so the berry remedy, in one form or another, has been passed down through the generations. Don't be surprised if your neighborhood bartender recommends some blackberry brandy.

Dose: Drink 1 shot glass (2 tablespoons) every four hours.
Blackberry juice or wine will also do fine.

Dose: Take 6 ounces blackberry juice every four hours-or 2 ounces (4 tablespoons) blackberry wine every four hours.

The Big Apple
Scrape a peeled apple with a (preferably nonmetal) spoon and eat the scrapings. In fact, eat no other food but grated apple until the condition greatly subsides.
Boil ½ cup of white rice in 6 cups of water for a half hour. Strain and save the water, then sweeten with honey to taste.

Dose: Drink 1 cup of the rice water every other hour. Do not drink other liquids until the condition disappears.
Eating cooked rice with a dash of cinnamon is also helpful in controlling the problem.

An A-peeling Remedy
Bananas may help promote the growth of beneficial bacteria in the intestine and replace some of the lost potassium.

Dose: Three times a day, eat one ripe banana that has been soaked in milk.

Add 1 teaspoon of garlic (finely chopped) to 1 teaspoon of honey and swallow it down three times a day-two hours after each meal.
Certain drinks are effective in treating diarrhea and help replenish the systems supply of friendly intestinal bacteria. Have 1 to 2 glasses of buttermilk or sauerkraut juice or kefir (found in health food stores).

Or eat a portion or two of yogurt with active cultures, along with pickled beets, pickled cucumbers or raw sauerkraut.

Press for Success
The navel is an acupressure point for treating diarrhea. Using your thumb or the heel of your hand, press in and massage the area in a circular motion for about two minutes.

Chronic Diarrhea
This remedy goes to prove that you can't argue with success. A woman wrote to tell us that eating Archway coconut macaroons-two a day-put an end to her 12-year bout with diarrhea. She suffers from Crohn's disease, which is a chronic inflammation of the intestinal wall. Chronic diarrhea is one of the most common and debilitating symptoms of this condition. The woman asked that we include her remedy, hoping it will help others with this problem.

Upon further investigation, we found that joe Graedon, MS, pharmacologist, adjunct assistant professor at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, also reported on these cookies and the success many people had with them. One woman couldn't find the Archway cookies, so she made her own coconut macaroons and they; too, worked like magic. While they don't work for everyone, they may be worth a try.

NOTE: Take into consideration your dietary needs before trying the coconut macaroon remedy. The cookies are high in fat and contain sweeteners.

Warning: The reader of this article should exercise all precautionary measures while following instructions on the home remedies from this article. Avoid using any of these products if you are allergic to it. The responsibility lies with the reader and not with the site or the writer.

NASAL CONGESTION!!

2007-12-30T00:05:00.000-08:00

Most germs enter the body through the nose and throat. Germs are often carried into the body on tiny droplets of water when air is drawn into the lungs.

The inside of the nose is lined with a mucosal membrane that is lined with large number of blood vessels. Nasal congestion occurs when these blood vessels expand and cause the mucosal membrane to become swollen. Expansion of these blood vessels can result from inflammation that accompanies a food-allergic reaction.

Nasal congestion can lead to ear infection. There are many causes of the nasal congestion and can range from a mild annoyance to a life-threatening condition. The newborn infant is an obligate nose breather (must breathe through the nose). Nasal congestion in an infant in the first few months of life can interfere with nursing and cause life-threatening respiratory distress. Nasal congestion in older children and adolescents is often just an annoyance but can cause other difficulties.

Nasal congestion can interfere with the ears, hearing, and speech development. Significant congestion may interfere with sleep, cause snoring, and can be associated with episodes of not breathing during sleep). In most cases it results from the presence of some form of pollen or fungus in the air.

The single most common cause of food-allergic reactions and the number one cause of chronic nasal congestion in the absence of other health conditions is pasteurized dairy. Avoiding significant amounts of pasteurized milk, cheese, ice cream, cream cheese, and other concentrated sources of pasteurized dairy can completely resolve chronic nasal congestion for many people, even those who have suffered with nasal congestion for decades.

HOME REMEDIES FOR NASAL CONGESTION

Place a teaspoon of cardamom seeds on hot coals and let the child inhale the smoke.
Boil water and salt and put in a sterilized container. Wait until it is warm. Get an eyedropper and get some of the solution of boiled water and salt. Put a couple of drops in each nostril while your nose if facing the ceiling. Wait until you feel the salt water in your throat then blow your nose.
Place a handful of crushed carom seeds in a handkerchief. Tie off and place near the pillow.
Too high a diet in carbohydrates creates nasal congestion and asthma. Eat less sugar and carbohydrates; whole grains, vegetable and fish are the median balance foods.
Higher energy and weight loss occur through the increase of meats and the reductions of sugars, fruits and refined carbohydrates.
A warm bath or steam from the shower can help relieve nasal congestion.
Prepare a mixture by addiung 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon baking soda in 8 ounces of warm water. Use a nasal dropper to squirt water into the nose. Hold one nostril closed by applying light finger pressure while squirting the salt mixture into the other nostril. Let it drain. Repeat 2-3 times, then treat the other nostril. This is an effective home remedy for nasal congestion.
Hot liquids relieve nasal congestion, prevent dehydration, and soothe the uncomfortably inflamed membranes that line your nose and throat.
Mix a teaspoon of grated fresh horseradish with a little apple cider vinegar or honey, and eat it on toast. Inhale deeply as you grate the horseradish; the fumes alone will relieve your congestion.
For nasal congestion treatment, put two inches of apple cider vinegar in a pan and heat until it begins to steam. Inhale the vapor.
Both red and black pepper dilates blood vessels in the nose and stimulates secretions, which helps drain the sinuses, thus relieving the congestion.
Place a drop or two of either eucalyptus or peppermint essential oil on a cotton ball or handkerchief and hold near the nose while breathing deeply. This increases the airflow.
Try a nasal rinse by putting a few drops of grapefruit seed extract in 1/2 cup of warm water and inhaling it; repeat two or three times, especially before bed and when you get up in the morning.
Add 1 cup tomato juice, 1 tsp chopped fresh garlic, 1/2 tsp of hot sauce, 1 tsp lemon juice, and a pinch or two of celery salt for flavor. Heat ingredients and drink hot. This is also an effective home remedy for nasal congestion.
Drink plenty of fluids, more than usual. Water, fruit juice, teas, and carbonated drinks are recommended. Rest as much as possible.
For nasal congestion treatment, avoid exposure to as many allergens (such as pets, foods that cause allergic reaction, and dust) as possible.
Sleep with an extra pillow under your head. This will help relieve congested nasal passages.
A small dab of mentholated salve under your nose can open breathing passages and help restore the irritated skin at the base of the nose.
Boil some water and smell its vapor. The vapor will actually help open the nose.

Reference:
The Ayurveda Cook Book: A Personalized Guide to Good Nutrition and Health
New Choices in Natural Healing. Ed. Bill Gottlieb, et al. Emmaus, PA: Rodale Press, 1995.
The Consumer's Medical Desk Reference. Ed. Charles B. Inlander. New York: Hyperion, 1995.
Warning: The reader of this article should exercise all precautionary measures while following instructions on the home remedies from this article. Avoid using any of these products if you are allergic to it. The responsibility lies with the reader and not with the site or the writer.

Coconut in Modern Medicine!!

2007-12-30T00:01:00.000-08:00

Modern medical science is now confirming the use of coconut in treating many of the above conditions. Published studies in medical journals show that coconut, in one form or another, may provide a wide range of health benefits. Some of these are summarized below:

Kills viruses that cause influenza, herpes, measles, hepatitis C, SARS, AIDS, and other illnesses.
Kills bacteria that cause ulcers, throat infections, urinary tract infections, gum disease and cavities, pneumonia, and gonorrhea, and other diseases.
Kills fungi and yeasts that cause candidiasis, ringworm, athlete's foot, thrush, diaper rash, and other infections.
Expels or kills tapeworms, lice, giardia, and other parasites.
Provides a nutritional source of quick energy.
Boosts energy and endurance, enhancing physical and athletic performance.
Improves digestion and absorption of other nutrients including vitamins, minerals, and amino acids.
Improves insulin secretion and utilization of blood glucose.
Relieves stress on pancreas and enzyme systems of the body.
Reduces symptoms associated with pancreatitis.
Helps relieve symptoms and reduce health risks associated with diabetes.
Reduces problems associated with malabsorption syndrome and cystic fibrosis.
Improves calcium and magnesium absorption and supports the development of strong bones and teeth.
Helps protect against osteoporosis.
Helps relieve symptoms associated with gallbladder disease.
Relieves symptoms associated with Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, and stomach ulcers.
Improves digestion and bowel function.
Relieves pain and irritation caused by hemorrhoids.
Reduces inflammation.
Supports tissue healing and repair.
Supports and aids immune system function.
Helps protect the body from breast, colon, and other cancers.
Is heart healthy; improves cholesterol ratio reducing risk of heart disease.
Protects arteries from injury that causes atherosclerosis and thus protects against heart disease.
Helps prevent periodontal disease and tooth decay.
Functions as a protective antioxidant.
Helps to protect the body from harmful free radicals that promote premature aging and degenerative disease.
Does not deplete the body's antioxidant reserves like other oils do.
Improves utilization of essential fatty acids and protects them from oxidation.
Helps relieve symptoms associated with chronic fatigue syndrome.
Relieves symptoms associated with benign prostatic hyperplasia (prostate enlargement) .
Reduces epileptic seizures.
Helps protect against kidney disease and bladder infections.
Dissolves kidney stones.
Helps prevent liver disease.
Is lower in calories than all other fats.
Supports thyroid function.
Promotes loss of excess weight by increasing metabolic rate.
Is utilized by the body to produce energy in preference to being stored as body fat like other dietary fats.
Helps prevent obesity and overweight problems.
Applied topically helps to form a chemical barrier on the skin to ward of infection.
Reduces symptoms associated the psoriasis, eczema, and dermatitis.
Supports the natural chemical balance of the skin.
Softens skin and helps relieve dryness and flaking.
Prevents wrinkles, sagging skin, and age spots.
Promotes healthy looking hair and complexion.
Provides protection form damaging effects of ultraviolet radiation form the sun.
Helps control dandruff.
Does not form harmful by-products when heated to normal cooking temperature like other vegetable oils do.
Has no harmful or discomforting side effects. Is completely non-toxic to humans.

Interesting Facts about Brain!!

2007-12-25T22:02:00.000-08:00

Your brain uses 20% of your body's energy, but it makes up only 2% of your body's weight.
Your cerebral cortex is about as thick as a tongue depressor. It grows thicker as you learn and use it.
Your brain is about 1300-1400 cubic centimeters in volume, about the size of a cantaloupe and wrinkled like a walnut.
The brain feels like a ripe avocado and looks pink because of the blood flowing through it.
Your brain generates 25 watts of power while you're awake---enough to illuminate a lighbulb.
A newborn baby's brain grows almost 3 times in course of first year
Humans have the most complex brain of any animal on earth.
Your brain is divided into two sides. The left side of your brain controls the right side of your body; and, the right side of your brain controls the left side of your body.
Toxins in commonplace items such as carpeting and shower curtains may be contributing to memory loss over time?
Overexposure to aluminum compounds—in foil, cookware, deodorants, antacids, toothpaste—can affect brain function
Lavender can help you sleep
A cooked potato can jump-start your brain when you're feeling foggy.
The essential oil of jasmine can quickly restore mental alertness
Eating foods rich in vitamin E, beta-carotene, and vitamin C may help lower your risk of Alzheimer's disease.
Certain prescription and nonprescription drugs may dramatically affect your ability to concentrate.

Backache!!

2007-12-24T20:39:00.000-08:00

Backache is one of the most common ailments prevalent today. Sedentary living habits, hazardous work patterns and psychological conditions associated with emotional stress, which bring about spasm of the muscles, cause backaches. As the back bears the weight of the entire body, overweight persons feel the strain on the back when they have to carry an extra load.

Symptoms of Backache or Back pain

Pain in the middle of back or lower down
In most cases of backache, the pain is usually felt either in the middle of the back or lower down. It may spread to both sides of the waist and the hips. In a condition of acute pain, the patient is unable to move and is bedridden.

People suffer from cervical and lumbar spondylosis
About ninety per cent of backache patients suffer from what is called cervical and lumbar spondylosis. It is a degenerative disorder in which the different vertebrae adhere to each other through bony unions. As a result of this, the spine loses its flexibility.

Causes of Backache

Muscular tension, straining of the joints, poor posture
The main causes of backache and spondylosis are muscular tension, straining of the joints, poor posture, and incorrect nutrition resulting from dietetic errors and lack of exercise.

Kidney or prostate problems, female disorders, influenza
Acute or chronic illnesses like kidney or prostate problems, female disorders, Influenza, and arthritis, may also lead to backache.

Sitting for a long time, high heels
Other causes include stress and strain resulting from sitting for a long time, improper lifting of weights, high heels, and emotional problems which may cause painful muscle cramping.

Home Remedies for Backache

Backache treatment using Garlic
The most important home remedy for backache is the use of garlic. Two or three cloves should be taken every morning to get results. An oil prepared from garlic and rubbed on the back will give great relief. This oil is prepared by frying ten cloves of garlic in 60 ml of oil in a frying pan. Any of the oils which are used as rubefacients, such as mustard oil. sesame oil, and coconut oil can be used according to one's choice. They should be fried on a slow fire till they are brown. After the oil has cooled, it should be applied vigorously on the back, and allowed to remain there for three hours. The patient may, thereafter, take a warm-water bath. This treatment should be continu ed for at least fifteen days.

Backache treatment using Lemon
Lemon is another useful remedy for backache. The juice of one lemon should be mixed with common salt and taken by the patient twice daily. It will give relief.

Backache treatment using Chebulic Myroblan
The use of chebulic myroblan is beneficial in the treatment of backache. A small piece of this fruit should be eaten after meals. This will give quick relief.

Backache treatment using Vitamin C
Vitamin C has proved valuable in case of severe backaches. About 2,000 mg of this vitamin should be taken daily for treating this condition. Considerable improvement will be noticeable within two days.

Backache treatment using Potato
Raw potato is an ancient home remedy for backache, characterised by incapacitating pain in the lumbar region, especially in the lower part of the back. Application of raw potato in the fom of a poultice has been found very effective in this condition.

Dietaries for Backache

Salad of raw vegetables, plenty of fruits
The diet of those suffering from backache should consist of a salad of raw vegetables such as tomato, carrot, cabbage, cucumber, radish, lettuce, and, at least two steamed or lightly cooked vegetables such as cauliflower, cabbage, carrot, spinach, and plenty of fruits, except bananas. The patient should have four meals daily. Fruit and milk are advised for breakfast, steamed vegetables and wholewheat chapatis for lunch; fresh fruit or fruit juice in the evening; and a bowl of raw salad and sprouts during dinner.

Avoid fatty, spicy fried foods and processed foods
The patient should avoid fatty, spicy, and fried foods; curd, sweetmeats and sugar; condiments; and tea and coffee. Foods that have been processed for preservation have few nutrients and should also be eliminated from the diet.

Other Backache treatments for back pains

Avoid smoking and tobacco intake
Smoking or taking tobacco in any from should be given up completely.

Hot fomentation and alternate sponging
Hot fomentation, alternate sponging, or application of heat to the back will also give immediate relief.

Yogic asanas are also useful
Yogic asanas which are beneficial in the treatment of backache are bhujangasana, shalabhasana, halasana, uttanpadasana and shavasana.

NOSEBLEEDS!!

2007-12-24T20:35:00.000-08:00

Most people have had a nosebleed. They tend to be minor and can be brought on by allergies, cold weather, sinus infection and other illnesses. When the nasal passages are irritated by rubbing, picking or blowing, the tiny blood vessels break and the nose, it starts a-flowin'!

Common Causes of Nose bleed

Nose picking
Nose injury
Cold or flu
Inserting small objects
Allergies
Nasal tumor
Dry nasal passages
Nasal infection

CAUTION: Nasal hemorrhaging- blood flowing from both nostrils-requires immediate medical attention. Rush to the nearest doctor or hospital emergency room. Also, recurrent nosebleeds may be a symptom of an underlying ailment. Seek appropriate medical attention.

Natural home remedies
For the occasional nosebleed, the first thing to do is to gently blow your nose. It will help rid your nostrils of blood clots that may prevent a blood vessel from sealing. Then try any of the following remedies.

Take cayenne, goldenseal, and white oak bark to help with bleeding.
A wet towel placed on the head stops nose bleeds.
When you have a nosebleed, sit or stand. Do not lie down. Do not put your head back. It will cause you to swallow blood.
Eat leafy green vegetables and take chlorophyll as a preventative measure.
A small piece of brown paper from a brown paper bag, placed between the upper lip and the gum, has been known to stop a bloody nose in no time.

We have heard that a dime under the upper lip also stops the nosebleed. If you're outdoors without a paper bag or a dime, a stiff green leaf from a tree can serve the purpose. Place the leaf under your upper lip and press down on it with your finger.

Tie Things Up

This is a remedy that came to us from the Caribbean islands-take the pinkie finger of the hand opposite the bleeding nostril and tightly tie a string under the pinkie's fingernail.
We know that cayenne pepper stops the bleeding of a cut or gash. We've been told that drinking 1/8 teaspoon of cayenne in a glass of warm water will help to stop a nosebleed.
Gem therapists say that a nosebleed can be stopped by placing a piece of pure amber on top of the nose.
Vinegar is said to be very helpful in getting a bloody nose under control. Pour some distilled white vinegar on a cloth and wash the neck, nose and temples with it. Also, mix 2 teaspoons in half a glass of warm water and drink it.

Nosebleed Prevention

Bioflavonoids help prevent nosebleeds. Eat at least one citrus fruit a day and be sure to include the white rubbery skin under the peel. It's called the "pith" and it's extremely rich in bioflavonoids.

In addition, take a vitamin C supplement with bio flavonoids. And add green leafy vegetables-lots of them-to your diet. They're rich in vitamin K, needed for the production of pro thrombin, which is necessary for blood clotting.

CAUTION: Broccoli and turnip greens are rich in vitamin K, the clot-promoting vitamin. If you take anti clotting medication prescribed by your doctor, be aware that those vegetables may counteract the effects of the medicine.

Warning: The reader of this article should exercise all precautionary measures while following instructions on the home remedies from this article. Avoid using any of these products if you are allergic to it.The responsibility lies with the reader and not with the site or the writer.

LEG PAINS!!

2007-12-24T20:03:00.000-08:00

Pain in legs, coming on after walking a moderate distance often arises from narrowing of the blood vessels leading to these areas. If the vessel becomes completely blocked, gangrene may result and the toes become dark and cold. This is most frequently seen in cases of uncontrolled diabetes.

People with varicose veins suffer from swelling of the veins, followed by muscle cramps and a tired feeling in the legs behind the knees. In some cases the skin over the lower part of the leg may break down, forming a large, ugly ulcer, which is often painful.

Leg cramps can occur due to running, walking, riding a bike, standing up, even sleeping. While every lower-leg injury has its specific biomechanical causes, all are rooted in tight calf muscles and relative weakness in the front leg muscles. This is very, very common in runners, since running tends to exercise the calf muscles more than those in the front.

Anterior shin splints is defined as the pain in the front and outer edge of your legs. The main cause of shin splints is tight calf muscles and weak shin muscles, the injury may have been further aggravated by a variety of factors. Shin splints are very common among beginning runners.

Posterior shin splint may be defined as the pain on the inner side of your leg, right where the calf muscle meets the big shinbone. The cause of this may be straining of a muscle that gives some support to the arch of your foot.

Achilles Tendinitis may be defined as the pain in the lower calf along the Achilles tendon, the cord connecting the heel to the calf muscle. The main cause of this may be extra pulling of the tendon, which causes a lot of pain in legs.

HOME REMEDIES FOR LEG PAINS

Grab your upper lip between your thumb and index finger, and squeeze for about 30 seconds to get relief.
Grab the cramping muscle tightly, pushing your fingertips deep into the cramp for about 10 to 15 seconds, then release. You can repeat as often as necessary to relieve the cramp.
After the cramp is gone, stretch out the muscle but begin slowly and without bouncing on it. To begin, sit down on the floor and extend the leg. Then reach out and gently pull your toes toward your knee.
Drinking a cup of water (about eight ounces) every 20 minutes before, during and after exercise will help keep your system from dehydrating. Dehydration helps to prevent cramping.
Boil 1-teaspoon saffron in 1/2 cup water. Let it reduce to become 1 tablespoon. Divide this solution into three portions and take with equal quantities of water, thrice daily for a couple of days. This is very effective home remedy for leg pains and will help to reduce the pain.
A diet high in natural fibres from fruits and vegetables, pulses, whole grains, calcium, magnesium and vitamin E rich foods also help in fighting against the joint pains.
Drink 1 cup of warm water mixed with limejuice and honey to reduce pain.
Avoid mental tensions that lead to stress. Lose weight, if necessary, to get close to your ideal weight. If you weigh less, there is less weight on your joints and less pain.
Take foods rich in calcium and protein. Exposure to sunlight for vitamin D is also good. Milk and milk products, ragi, drumstick leaves and drumstick are excellent sources of calcium and sprouted pulses and nuts are very good sources of protein for a vegetarian. Include these foods in the daily diet.
During the painful stages it is important for the patient to have one or two rest periods during the day.
Add one-tablespoon cod liver oil to the juice of one orange, whip and drink before sleeping.
One raw clove of garlic every day is very beneficial. This clove can be fried in ghee (clarified butter) or castor oil. Take for 2 months.
Drink 15 grams of fresh bathu juice daily with an empty stomach without adding any salt or sugar to it. This is very effective home remedy for leg pains.
Massage the affected area with any oil will to provide relief from the pain.
Drink a cup of papaya seed tea six or seven times daily for two or three weeks for relief from joint pain.
Heavy meals, meat and fish, sour fruits and fried foods should be avoided, as they are difficult to digest.
Consumption of rice during nighttime should be avoided. Among fruits bananas are considered best as they provide strength to the joints and grease them.
To get relief from a severe leg cramp in the calf muscle, flex your shin muscle (which opposes your calf muscle) by pulling your toes toward your knee.
To ease the leg pains and reduce inflammation, ice your shins immediately after running.
Use either a store-bought cold pack or simply freeze a wet towel before going out on a run. Whatever you use, wrap the ice pack around your leg and keep it on for 10 or 15 minutes, keeping your foot elevated all the while.

REMOVING BLACKHEADS!!

2007-12-24T19:52:00.000-08:00

It is very difficult to keep your hands off the blackhead or blemish that may appear on your skin . You always consciously or unconsciously, tend to squeeze your blackheads. But contrary to the popular beliefs, the fact is, "gentle removal of your blackheads" can actually help in reducing and preventing any further damage to your skin. But, the golden question here is how to remove a blackhead.

Following are some of the ways and means to remove blackheads with ease:

Light squeezing: You can remove the stuff from inside a blackhead with light handed squeezing. Such a process can actually help the skin. Yes, squeezing is detrimental to the skin, but how you squeeze determines whether it harms the skin or benefits it. Gentle is the key word and you have to be careful not to over squeeze it.

Using products for exfoliating: You can use some low potency benzoyl peroxide exfoliating product for removing dead skin cells. It is very effective on the blackheads and is mild to your skin as well. In this way you can remove even the most stubborn blackheads. Also, microdermabrasion can be used to remove stubborn blackheads.

Topical retinoids: Topical retinoids such as Retin-A help in battling against the blackheads, successfully. It also removes and prevents the formation of the blackheads. It reduces oil secretion and unclogs the pores by promoting normal functioning of the cells. However, it is a long process.

Chemical peels: Skin care products with salicyclic acid and chemical peels with glycolic acid are very useful in removing dead skin cells from the pores, effectively and quickly. However, you can not use them if you are already using topical retinoids.

Metallic Extractor: You can also take the help of a metallic extractor that has a small and round opening in the end. You can individually plug out each blackhead by using it. But, it must be done with utmost care to prevent scarring.

Blackhead strips: You can use blackhead strips which are tape like strips. Place the strip over the nose for 10 minutes or as directed on the cover of the strip. And pull off. The surface level blackheads will be successfully removed. This is an easy to use, quick and temporary method of removing blackheads. Always read the instructions on the pack carefully.

Diet/Food: You also need to alter your bad eating habits. You need to naturally reduce the oil production, initiate appropriate moisture for the skin and reduce acne. Drink lots of water and avoid oil food. Also, include lots of fresh vegetables and fruits in your diet. Cooked carbohydrates and fats are a big no no and use raw fats such as olive oil in your recipes.

Make up: This is a cosmetic tip but important for those who do not clear it of their skin. You need cosmetics that do not blocks your pores. That is, the non-comedogenic make up! Follow some tips- do not keep the make up when sweating. Use make up cleanser and properly remove the cosmetics of your skin. Also, keep your brushes, sponges clean.

Undoubtedly these methods will help you remove your blackheads, but along you need to follow a regular skin care regime to permanently remove your blackheads.

Nose And Ear BLACKHEADS

Blackheads are yellow-black type of material present in a bump. This material is generally accumulated in the thin pocket of a sebaceous gland. A blackhead is also known technically as an open comedone. It is caused by accumulation of excess oils in the sebaceous gland's bump.

Nose and ear blackheads are all the same, only they appear on the nose and ear and are more difficult and painful to extract.

Treatments for nose and ear blackheads are not different from general treatments for blackheads. The hair follicle in nose and ear blackheads should be extracted with a good extractor with the help of a dermatologist. The presence of dermatologist is important as damage to the nearby tissues by hard-squeezing can lead to permanent scarring.

But how do you remove nose and ear blackheads? As in the case of other blackheads, nose and ear blackheads can also be remove by light squeezing, exfoliating, using chemical peels or by using a metallic extractor.

As your nose and ear are very sensitive, you should take utmost care in removing blackheads from these areas. Blackheads in nose and ear can make you look ugly, so you should take extra care to prevent it from appearing in the first place.

Blackhead Treatment Guide: How To Treat Those Dark Spots Forever?

Blackhead is nothing but a small comedo which is non inflammatory acne, pimple, or zit and appears with a black tip. The one with white tip is called whitehead. If you want to read detailed information on the blackheads read articles Blackheads And Whiteheads , What Is Blackheads? and What Is Blackheads? Part II.

There are several methods you can employ to treat, cure and remove blackheads prevalent on your nose, ear and back. Many of them may promise to remove blackheads at once but they would not ensure you the permanent cure. When it comes to selecting the right method for blackhead treatment, many of you would settle on blackhead removal methods such as blackhead removal strips, squeezing blackheads or using blackhead dissolving solutions.

I do not say they are No-No at all, but they are not blackhead treatment options your dermatologist would suggest you. This is simply because a wrong tampering with blackhead can infest "sebum" in it, which will cause a more severe form of acne called as " cyst." However the cases of cyst overruns are not common. Thus most people still prefer to get rid of their blackheads in the beauty salons.

Now let's find out how to treat these tiny black monsters, typically identified as "blackheads" with the help of medical treatments.

As with other mild to moderate form of acne, blackheads can be treated with both over the counter products and prescription medications.

OTC Treatments
Before using over the counter products to treat blackheads you should pay attention to following points:

Yours is mild case of blackheads, use it. If it is a case of severe blackheads, meet the dermatologist and get prescription advice. OTC products are not meant for severe cases.
Check out the ingredients written over the tube or bottle you plan to use over blackheads. If not listed, better not buy that product or call expert to find out the inside story of that product.
Always use OTC product first as a sample product. Only after you notice good results on your skin, continue its usage.

OTC Products with following ingredients have shown the best results:

Salicylic Acid or Beta-Hydroxy Acid (BHA)
What does it do to your skin?

Firstly, BHA exfoliates the top layer of your skin.
Then, it provides radiant skin by cleaning out the dull skin.
It gets inside the oil glands and clears clogged pores.
And finally, breaks down the dead skin cells and claim war against blackheads.

Glycolic Acid or Alpha-Hydroxy Acid (AHA)

AHA comes out from sugar cane. Let's find out what they do to your skin.
AHA increases the population of skin cells by exfoliating them.
It dissolves the protein bonds present in the cells and which helps in their growth.
The dead skin cells then fall off.
This remarks skin present underneath the top layer which is more fresh and soft than the flaky skin on the top layer.
Besides, they even out skin tone.

Thus, AHA products are best for skin with blotch or marks. However, regular usage may make your skin more vulnerable to the sun. Also, do not use it for more than twice a week. You can use it after every three days. Benzoyl peroxide 5% lotion or gel is also used by many. It is good for other forms of acne but does nothing much for blackheads.You can employ other methods as well. These include: Light Squeezing, Exfoliation (using products containing Benzoyl Peroxide), Microdermabrasion, Chemical Peels, Metallic Extractor, Blackhead Strips, Improving Diet/Food, Make up and facials. All these methods help but should be undertaken by expert hands. Read articles Popping blackheads, Your guide on removing blackheads and Removing blackheads on Nose to know about these methods.

Prescription Treatment
The best prescription solution for blackhead comes in the form of topical Retinoids.

Retinoids can be defined as a derivative of Vitamin A. It opens pores of oil glands. So it works well with both blackheads as well as whiteheads.

When you use Retinoids in the form of creams, it unclogs the pores and allows other medications such as antibiotics to enter the hair ducts to fight the prevalent infection.

It also prevents clogging of dead cells and thereby reduces the possibility of further outbreaks.

Side effects: Topical Retinoids makes you highly sensitive to the sun. You will get dry, flaky, red skin. But these side effects would subside with discontinuation of the treatment.

Warning: The reader of this article should exercise all precautionary measures while following instructions on the home remedies from this article. Avoid using any of these products if you are allergic to it. The responsibility lies with the reader and not with the site or the writer.

Prostate Disorders!!

2007-12-24T18:23:00.000-08:00

A large percentage of men over fifty years of age suffer from prostate troubles of one form or other. The prostate gland is a male gland, comparable in shape and size to a large chestnut. It is situated at the base of the urinary bladder and around the commencement of the urethra. There are various types of prostate disorders, the more important being hypertrophy or enlargement of the prostate gland, and prostatitis or inflammation in the prostate gland.

Prostate Disorders symptoms

Interference with the passage of urine
There are two warning signals to indicate the possibility of prostate disorders. The first is the interference with the passage of urine, and the second is the need to void the urine frequently during the night's sleep.

Aching pain in the lower back and hips
Other symptoms are a dull aching pain in the lower back and pain in the hips, legs, and feet. The position of the prostate gland makes it liable to congestion and other disorders. In an erect position, pressure falls on the pelvic region just where the prostate gland is situated. With ageing, the body gets heavier and loses its flexibility. This puts greater pressure on the pelvis and increases the vulnerability of the prostate gland.

Prostate Disorders causes

Prolonged periods of sitting
Prolonged periods of sitting, as in certain occupations, also increase the pressure on the pelvic region, resulting in congestion of the tissues in and around the prostate gland.

Exposure to cold, chill and infectious diseases
Acute prostatitis may also result from exposure to cold and chill, and from infectious diseases. Chronic prostatis is an after-effect of the acute condition.

Excessive sexual excitement and constipation
It may also be caused by continual irritation of the gland due to excessive sexual excitement. Another important cause of prostate disorders is constipation, when the faeces become hardened and the rectum or lower bowel is overloaded, causing undue pressure on the prostate gland.

Home Remedies for Prostate Disorders

Prostate Disorders treatment using Pumpkin Seeds
Pumpkin seeds are an effective home remedy for prostate problems and many patients have been helped by their use. These seeds are rich in unsaturated fatty acids which are essential to the health of the prostate. Persons beyond the age of fifty, who have any signs of prostate trouble; or those who suffer from urinary disorders of some kind, namely, burning or difficulty in passing urine freely, should take sixty to ninety grams of pumpkin steeds per day. The seeds may be taken in the form of powder sprinkled over cooked vegetables or mixed with wheat flour to make chapatis. They can also be taken in the form of a paste made with honey, or as a drink mixed with diluted milk and sugar to taste.

Prostate Disorders treatment using Vegetable Juices
The use of vegetable juices has been found beneficial in the treatment of prostate problems, including prostate enlargement. The juice of carrots, taken separately in a 500 ml quantity, or in combination with spinach juice, is specially valuable. In the case of combined juices, 200 ml of spinach juice should be mixed with 300 ml of carrot juice to prepare 500 ml or half a litre of combined juices.

Prostate Disorders treatment using Zinc
The use of zinc has been found valuable in cases of prostate disorders. About thirty milligrams of this mineral should he taken daily in the treatment of these diseases.

Prostate Disorders treatment using Vitamin E
Vitamin E has proved to be an important factor for prostate health. The patient should therefore use vitamin E-rich foods liberally or take 600 IU of this vitamin daily. Vitamin E-rich foods are wholegrain products, green leafy vegetables, eggs, milk, and all raw or sprouted seeds.

Pumpkin seeds are extremely useful in treating prostate disorders. The seeds of pumpkin act as a rich source of unsaturated fatty acids that are vital to the health of the prostate. Men suffering from prostate trouble must take about 60-90 gm of pumpkin seeds daily. Pumpkin can be consumed in the form of powder spread over the cooked food. You can also mix them with white flour for making chapattis.
Zinc has been found beneficial in the treatment of prostate disorders. Take about 30 milligrams of this mineral everyday.
Vitamin E is beneficial for prostate health. The patient should be given foods rich in vitamin E like wholegrain products, green leafy vegetables, milk and sprouted seeds.
In 200 ml spinach juice, add 300 ml of carrot juice. You can even have carrot juice separately. Vegetable juices are excellent in curing prostate disorders.

Prostate Disorders diet
Water mixed with a lemon juice
To begin with, the patient should forego all solid foods and subsist on water, mixed with a little lemon juice, for two or three days. The water may be taken cold or hot and it should be taken every hour or so during waking hours. This will greatly increase the flow of urine.

All-fruit diet
After the short fast, the patient may adopt an all-fruit diet, consisting of juicy fruits, for the next three days. This should be followed by a diet consisting of two meals of fruits and one of cooked vegetables for seven days.

Well-balanced diet
Thereafter, the patient may adopt a well-balanced diet, with emphasis on seeds, nuts, grains, vegetables, and fruits.

Avoid heavy starches, highly seasoned foods, hurried meals etc
Heavy starches, sweet stimulants, and highly seasoned foods are entirely forbidden, as they are said to cause direct irritation to the prostate gland and bladder. The diet should also exclude spices, condiments, salt in excess, sauces, and meats, cheese, asparagus, watercress, greasy or fried foods, alcohol, tobacco, and too much of tea or coffee. The patient should avoid hurried meals and must chew his food thoroughly and slowly. Water should be taken between meals and not at meal times.

Other Prostate Disorders treatment

Warm-water enema and hot and cold application
During the initial water fast for two to three days, an enema may be taken once a day to clear the lower bowel of accumulation. Hot and cold applications are highly beneficial in the treatment of prostate disorders. After a thorough cleansing of the bowels through a warm-water enema, hot and cold applications may be used directly on the prostate gland and its surrounding parts. The heat will relieve the tissues and a brief cold immersion will tone them up.

Hot, cold hipbaths
The patient should take alternate hot and cold hipbath these are of great value in relieving pain and reducing congestion.

Wet girdle pack should be applied
A wet girdle pack is another valuable remedy in the realm of hydrotherapy, which provides great relief in prostatitis and prostate enlargement. For this mode of treatment, thin cotton underwear and thick or woolen underwear are required. The thin underwear should be wrung in cold water and worn by the patient. The thick dry underwear should be worn above the wet underwear. This treatment should be continued for ninety minute regularly every night. If the patient feels chilly, he should be covered with a blanket.

Avoid sexual excess, irregularities in eating and drinking
The patient should avoid sexual excess, irregularities in eating and drinking, long periods of sitting, and vigorous exercise. All efforts should be made to tone up the general condition of the body.

Warning: The reader of this article should exercise all precautionary measures while following instructions on the home remedies from this article. Avoid using any of these products if you are allergic to it. The responsibility lies with the reader and not with the site or the writer.

MOLES (Til)

2007-12-24T17:56:00.000-08:00

Moles are small-pigmented tumors, consisting of clusters of nevus cells containing melanin, a pigment of the skin. Moles vary in color; some being yellow or brown and others are purple and black. They may be large or small, flat or raised, smooth, hairy, and some even have the appearance of warts. A few moles may be present at birth and are known as birthmarks. Occasionally a mole may become malignant, a condition known as melanoma, a particular dangerous form of skin cancer.

Ordinary moles are usually benign and the chance of their developing into malignant tumors is very less. But a special kind of mole called a junction nevus may appear like any other mole, and yet it can become highly malignant. Any mole that is growing rapidly and turning a darker color may be malignant and should be removed.

Generally malignant melanomas are more likely to develop in the legs. Moles that are constantly subjected to irritation as from belts or tight bands are always more likely to undergo malignant change. Such moles should be removed. As a rule, if there is hair growing out of the mole, it is not likely to be malignant.

People who have fair skin have greater effect of the sun on the skin. These individuals are more sensitive to sunburn as well as changes in moles, so it is very necessary for the use of protective sunscreen lotions. Moles may be pigmented or non-pigmented. If pigmented, color may vary from light tan to black. A mole that is blackish in color, and especially if elevated and rough in appearance, may be a melanoma.

HOME REMEDIES FOR MOLES

Prepare a paste of baking soda and castor oil. Soak some gauze in this mixture and tape this gauze over the mole. Leave the gauze on overnight. This will possibly remove moles over time.
The real cure (and prevention) for the moles is to eat enough foods that contain potassium or take apple cider vinegar that contain potassium.
Take a small piece of garlic; place it over the mole, scraping the flat side of the garlic that touches the mole so the juice can get onto it. Keep this for the whole day and night. Within two to three days, the mole will disappear.
Rub some iodine on the mole at night for two three days. This is an effective remedy for the moles.
Take some Ground drumstick pods and leaves and mix with fresh limejuice, and apply on pimples. This is also good for blackheads and dark spots.
Make a paste of roasted & powdered pomegranate skin with fresh lime juice and apply over acne, boils, pimple, blackheads and whiteheads.
Apply grated potatoes as poultice to treat skin blemishes, wrinkles, boils, pimples, blackheads, whiteheads , etc.
Take a piece of ripe (or raw) banana peel and apply the pulp side to the wart and cover with a band-aid. Remove it only when taking bath. Apply daily for many months. This is very effective home remedy for moles.
For old moles, chew some cashews and place it on the moles. Moles will disappear in 3-4 weeks.
Open the stem of a dandelion and rub on the warts 2-3 times daily until the wart disappears in 3-4 weeks.
Chop one raw onion and cover with salt and leave overnight. Apply the juice to the warts 2-3 times daily until warts disappear.
Apply the juice of cauliflower on the moles daily until it falls.
Apply a drop of grapefruit seed extract to the moles and cover with a band-aid, 2-3 times daily. This is also very effective home remedy for moles and your moles will disappear in 3-4 weeks.
Rub a slice of fresh pineapple or raw potato peelings or radish 2-3 times daily on your mole.
Apply the milky juice exuding from the stems of figs and leaves.
Put the contents of one 100 I.U. of natural vitamin E capsule on a band-aid and cover the mole. Moles will disappear soon.
Apply vitamin E on the wart, crush a clove of raw garlic and place it on the wart, and cover it with an adhesive bandage.
Soak a small piece of cotton in aloe gel and tape over the wart. Add more gel every three hours. Change cotton daily. The mole should begin to lighten in a few days and in a few weeks may disappear.
Rub the mole daily with a piece of white chalk.
Apply a drop of grape seed extract directly to the mole and cover with a Band-Aid; repeat twice daily. The mole will turn white and will disappear in about a week.
Another effective home remedy for moles is - Apply milkweed juice to the mole.
A tea made from purple coneflower (Echinacea), burdock root or red clover may help in the prevention of moles.
Take some green (not fully ripe) black walnuts and make a few incisions in the outer shell; rub the juice on the moles. There may be a slight stinging sensation or the area may turn brown, but this is only temporary. This is a very effective remedy for moles and moles will disappear within a few days.
Simply apply the purest honey on your mole, keep applying it morning and night until the mole disappears.
Soak your mole in warm water for 15-20 minutes and dry. Apply apple cider vinegar with a cotton ball and leave on for 10-15 minutes. Wash off with water and dry.
Dissolve an aspirin with a small drop of water and apply to the mole. Cover with a band-aid. Repeat twice daily.

Reference:
The Editors of Time-Life Books. The Medical Advisor: The Complete Guide to Alternative and Conventional Treatments. Alexandria, VA: Time Life, Inc., 1996.
The Consumer's Medical Desk Reference. Ed. Charles B. Inlander. New York: Hyperion, 1995 Body, Mind, and Soul by Deepak Chopra . Clifford R. Anderson, M.D. : Your Guide To Health. Second edition

Warning: The reader of this article should exercise all precautionary measures while following instructions on the home remedies from this article. Avoid using any of these products if you are allergic to it. The responsibility lies with the reader and not with the site or the writer.

LEUCODERMA / VITILIGO

2007-12-24T17:39:00.000-08:00

Leucoderma, also known as vitiligo, is a distressing skin condition. The word literally means white skin. There is a gradual loss of the pigment melanin from the skin layers which results in white patches. These patches look ugly, especially in persons with a dark complexion. The condition does not cause any organic harm. This disease is caused neither by any germs, nor is it due to bad blood. It is considered to be neither infectious nor contagious.

Leucoderma symptoms
Small white patch appear in the beginning
The problem usually starts with a small white spot which later develops into patches. These patches are pale in the beginning, but become whiter and whiter as time passes by due to loss of pigment. As the spots enlarge, they merge into each other and, in course of time, form a very broad patch. In some cases, most of the skin of the body may be covered with white patches.

Leucoderma causes

Excessive mental worry, chronic or acute gastric disorders
The main causes of leucoderma are said to be excessive mental worry, chronic or acute gastric disorders, impaired hepatic function such as jaundice, worms or other parasites in the alimentary canal, typhoid, a defective perspiratory mechanism, and burn injuries.

This disease is caused neither by any germs, nor is it due to bad blood. The problem usually starts with a small white spot and later on it develops into patches. These patches are pale in the beginning but become whiter and whiter as time passes due to loss of pigment. As spots enlarge, they merge into each other and, in course of time, form a very broad patch. Leucoderma does not differentiate between races, religions or even socio-economic groups. Females are more commonly affected than males. The main causes of leucoderma are said to be excessive mental worry, chronic or acute gastric disorders, impaired hepatic function such as jaundice, worms or other parasites in the alimentary canal, typhoid, a defective perspiratory mechanism, and burn injuries. Heredity is also a causative factor and about 30 per cent of patients have a family history of the disorder. Treatment of vitiligo usually takes a long time. Medical treatment helps arrest the spread of depigmentation and in some cases, may bring back the pigmentation. The most commonly affected areas are face, neck, back, wrist, hand, groin, genitals, armpits, etc.

Heredity
Heredity is also a well-recognized causative factor.

HOME REMEDIES FOR LEUCODERMA

A paste made from radish seeds is extremely useful in treating leucoderma. Take about 35 grams of these seeds and powder them in 2 tsp of vinegar. Apply this paste on the white patches.
Goosefoot vegetable is considered valuable in treating white patches. Extract the juice of this vegetable and apply to the affected area. Also, consume this vegetable two times in a day, for about 2 months.
In 8 liters of water, soak about 500 gm of turmeric. Boil it, till the point when only one-liter water is left. Strain the water and add 500 ml mustard oil in it. Strain the mixture and apply to the white Leucoderma patches every morning and evening for a couple of months.

Leucoderma treatment using Psoralea
The best-know home remedy for leucoderma is the use of seeds of psoralea (babchi). These seeds should be steeped in the juice of ginger for three days. The fluid should be renewed every day. The seeds should then be rubbed with the hands to remove the husks, dried in the shade and powdered. One gram of this powder should be taken every day with one cup of fresh milk for forty days continuously. The ground seeds should also be applied to the white spots. Babchi seeds, combined with tamarind (imli) seeds. are also useful. An equal quantity of both the seeds should be steeped in water for three to four days. They should then be shelled and dried in the shade. They should be ground into paste and applied to the white patches for a week. If the application of this paste causes itching, or the white spots become red and a fluid begins to ooze out, this treatment should be discontinued.

Leucoderma treatment using Red Clay
Another useful remedy for leucoderma is red clay found by the river side or on hill slopes. The clay should be mixed in ginger juice in a ratio of 1:1, and applied over the white spots once a day. The copper contained in the clay seems to bring back skin pigmentation. Ginger juice also serves as a mild stimulant, facilitating increased blood flow to the spots. Drinking water kept overnight in a copper vessel will also help.

Leucoderma treatment using Radish
A paste made from the seeds of the radish is valuable in treating leucoderma. About thirty-five grams of these seeds should be powdered in two teaspoons of vinegar and applied on the white patches.

Leucoderma treatment using Goose Foot
The use of goose foot is beneficial in the treatment of this disease. This vegetable should be taken twice daily, in the morning as well as in the evening, for two months continuously. Simultaneously, the juice of the leaves should be applied over the patches of leucoderma.

Leucoderma treatment using Turmeric
Turmeric mixed with mustard oil has also proved useful in leucoderma. About 500 gm of turmeric should be pounded and soaked in 8 litres of water at night. It should be boiled in the morning till only one litre of water is left, and then be strained and mixed with 500 ml of mustard oil. This mixture should be heated till only the oil is left. It should then be strained and preserved in a bottle. The mixture should be applied on the white patches every morning and evening for a few months.

Leucoderma diet

Fast of juices followed by restricted diet of fresh fruits.
Constitutional measures should be adopted to cleanse the system of accumulated toxins. To begin with, the patient should undertake a fast of juices for about a week. After the juice fast, the patient may adopt a restricted diet consisting of fresh fruits, raw or steamed vegetables, and whole meal bread or chapatis. Curd and milk may be added to this diet after a few days.

Well-balanced diet
The patient may, thereafter, gradually embark upon a well-balanced diet of seeds, nuts, grains, vegetables, and fruits. This diet may be supplemented with cold-pressed vegetable oils, honey, and yeast. Juice fasting may be repeated at intervals of two months or so.

Avoid tea/coffee, polished rice, tinned or bottled foods etc.
The patient should avoid tea, coffee, alcoholic beverages, all condiments and highly- flavoured dishes, sugar, white flour products, denatured cereals like polished rice and pearled barley, and tinned or bottled foods.

Other Leucoderma treatments
Lukewarm-water enema to cleanse bowels

During the initial one-week juice fast, the bowels should be cleansed daily with it lukewarm-water enema.

Warning: The reader of this article should exercise all precautionary measures while following instructions on the home remedies from this article. Avoid using any of these products if you are allergic to it. The responsibility lies with the reader and not with the site or the writer.

Miscarriage--Home Remedies!!

2007-12-24T17:34:00.000-08:00

Miscarriage or abortion may be defined as the termination of pregnancy before the period of viability, which is considered to occur at 28 th week. Miscarriages generally take place in the first two trimesters. The chance of a miscarriage in the third trimester is extremely low.

Various causes for the miscarriage may be infection such as viral infection, chronic illness such as chronic nephritis, acute or chronic respiratory disease, and severe anemia. Direct trauma on the abdominal wall by blow or fall may be related to abortion. Emotional upset or change in environment may lead to abortion by affecting the uterine activity. A mom in a high stress situation (perhaps unmarried, financial problems, health problems, unstable marriage, unwanted pregnancy, etc.) is more likely to miscarry. In some women even a minor trauma, internal examination in the early months of pregnancy or sexual intercourse in early months can also lead to abortion.

Environmental toxins like lead, arsenic, anesthetic gases, tobacco, caffeine, alcohol, radiation in excess amount increase the risk of abortion. Drugs used for epilepsy or antimalarial preparations are not harmful when used in small doses but in high doses they can induce abortion.

Cervical incompetence, either congenital or acquired is one of the commonest causes of midtrimester and recurrent abortions. Congenital malformation of the uterus may be responsible for midtrimester or recurrent abortion. Premature rupture of the membranes inevitably leads to abortion. Hormonal imbalance due to deficiency of progesterone making the uterine environment less receptive is also responsible for abortion.

Other causes of miscarriage may include the following: Chromosomal abnormalities of the fetus, incompetent os i.e. weakness of the cervical muscles, excessive water i.e. hydramnios, low-lying placenta causing bleeding and consequently abortion, and lifting heavy weights

Sometimes dietary factors such as deficiency of folic acid or vitamin E are often thinks to be responsible for the abortion. When a pregnant woman is under stress, she not only depletes her own vitamin and mineral reserves and her own adrenal and glandular strength, but she drains these things off her baby.

The patient with threatened abortion shows the increased vaginal bleeding, aggravation of pain in the lower abdomen.

HOME REMEDIES FOR MISCARRIAGE

Drinking raspberry tea during pregnancy strengthens the uterus, which will coordinate contractions and shorten labor.
Take the herbs cramp bark along with wild yam to relieve leg pains and to prevent miscarriages. The herb corn silk can help in easy labor and reduce bleeding after labor.
Nutmeg tea helps the uterus to contract and lessens bleeding afterbirth.
The herb thyme taken in a tea helps expel the placenta.
Apply myrrh to the newborn's navel after the cord has been removed to prevent infection.
St.-John's-wort taken in the form of capsules helps to relieve after pain.
The herbs pennyroyal and mistletoe may induce abortion by causing uterine contractions.
The herbs cramp bark and hawthorn may be taken in capsules to help prevent miscarriages.
The herbs red raspberry, false unicorn, and lobelia help to strengthen the uterus which will helpin shortening labor. Take them regularly during pregnancy.
The herbs catnip and cayenne in capsules help to prevent morning sickness.
The herbs bayberry and mistletoe help in stopping bleeding from the uterus.
The herbs wild yam, red raspberry, false unicorn, and hawthorn will strengthen the uterus muscles, prevent miscarriage, and reduces cramps.
Take cod liver oil, iodine, and iron to prevent morning sickness, and birth defects in your infant.
Take dandelion, kelp, and alfalfa to provide minerals and keep weight off the hips.
Alcohol consumption is the leading cause of birth defects and mental retardation in newborns and should be avoided at all stages of pregnancy.
Smoking during pregnancy robs the baby of oxygen and contributes to colic.
The diet mustinclude whole, live foods. Herbs and other nutritional supplements may be used to enhance the diet. Fresh vegetables, fresh fruits, whole grains, sprouts, butter (not margarine), dairy products (if they are tolerated), nuts, seeds, organically raised animal protein (to avoid the hormones and antibiotics used in producing commercial animals) and yogurt are the types of foods to be included in the diet.
Red raspberry acts as a uterine tonic, contains many vitamins and minerals including calcium, magnesium, iron and B-Complex.
Good natural source vitamins can also be used to prevent miscarriages and enhance the health of both mom and babe. Some that are considered to be essential are vitamin E, Zinc, Vitamin B6 and B-Complex.

References:
Nobles, R., and Schiff, D., "Miscarriages of justice: a systems approach" (1996) 59 Modern Law Review 299
Poole, A., "Remedies in miscarriage of justice cases" 1998 Scottish Law Times 65
Christopher, John, School of Natural Healing, Christopher Publications
Gardner, Joy, Healing the Family, Bantam Books
Mervyn, Leonard, Thorson's Complete Guide to Vitamins and Minerals.

Warning: The reader of this article should exercise all precautionary measures while following instructions on the home remedies from this article. Avoid using any of these products if you are allergic to it. The responsibility lies with the reader and not with the site or the writer.

Food Poisoning!!

2007-12-24T17:28:00.000-08:00

Food poisoning, also known as acute gastroenteritis, is an acute inflammation of the lining of the stomach and small bowel. It is caused in various ways, one of which is excessive indulgence in alcohol. Some people are allergic to certain items of food, which may act poison to them.

Food poisoning usually begins suddenly with a feeling of nausea and abdominal cramps, followed by vomiting, diarrhea, and weakness. Rectal burning may be intense, and the stools may contain blood and mucus. All of this loss of fluid from the bowel may result in severe dehydration and shock. There is pain in the abdomen, with some distension, especially in the lower area.

Germs cause the worst attacks of food poisoning. Foods used at picnics, in restaurants, and at home are easily contaminated by toxins or poisonous substances, produced by staphylococcus bacteria. Foods most commonly that cause food poisoning are various meats, fish, pastes, custards, cream filled pastry, milk, ad many different kinds of deserts.

The trouble seems to arise from skin infections on the hands of those who handle food. Within two or three hours after taking this type of contaminated food, the patient suffers from severe abdominal cramps, followed by nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, often resulting in severe prostration and shock. Most of these attacks only last a few hours and are followed by complete recovery. Severe poisoning may be caused by different types of fish.

Home Remedies for Food Poisoning!!

Keep the patient in bed and give nothing by mouth as long as the nausea and vomiting persist.
As the vomiting subsides, give sips of some warm drink, such as tea, barley or rice water.
Gentle heat may be applied to the stomach to relieve spasm or pain and also the tendency to vomit.
Wash your hands before preparing food to avoid passing on bacteria such as staphylococcus (commonly found on the skin and in the throat) or shigella (passed from fecal matter). Wash again after handling raw meat and eggs.
Don't eat raw protein food like fish, fowl, meat, milk, or eggs. Avoid sushi, oysters on the half shell, Caesar salad made with raw eggs, and unpasteurized eggnog. Don't use cracked eggs.
Don't taste test the raw pork sausage stew, the fish chowder, or even the cookie batter before it's done.
Don't let raw meat juice drip onto other food. It can taint otherwise harmless food.
Don't leave food at room temperature for more than two hours, and avoid eating anything that you suspect may have been unrefrigerated for that long.
Don't taste any food that doesn't smell or look right.
For food poisoning treatment drink fluids as much you can to combat the loss of fluids.
Scrub counters with warm, soapy water and bleach to combat countertop bacteria.
Use a plastic cutting board instead of a wooden one. Be sure to thoroughly clean the cutting board after you've finished using it.
Avoid foods that are fried, smoked or salty as well as raw vegetables, pastries, preserves, candies, alcohol and spices and condiments.
Mix a tablespoon of lemon juice or cider vinegar in a cup of hot water before a meal to prevent acid indigestion.
Add three drops of garlic oil to half a cup of Soya oil and rub onto the stomach after food.
For food poisoning treatment drink a herbal tea of mint, raspberry, chamomile and blackberry.
Drink one cup of ginger tea after meals to promote a good digestion and for heartburn, nausea, etc.
Cooking utensils and plates, as well as sponges and dishcloths that were used in the food preparation process, should also be cleaned appropriately.
Grind a lemon along with seeds and make a paste. Add some salt. Take 1 tsp of this paste 2-3 times.
Drink 1/2 tsp of dry ginger (saunth powder in 1 cup buttermilk (chhachh) 3 - 4 times a day.
Chew a few pieces of the inner lining of pomegranate with salt, and/or drink pomegranate juice.
Prepare a mixture by ading 1 Tbsp poppy seeds, 1 tsp edible gum, 1 tsp cardamom powder, 1/2 tsp nutmeg (jaiphal) powder, and2 tbs sugar, and grind to a powder. Take this powder every 2 hours.
Prepare a mixture by adding 1/2 tsp lemon juice, 1/2 tsp ginger juice, and 1/4 tsp pepper powder and drink it.
Mix 5-6 chopped basil (tulsi) leaves, 1/4 tsp sea salt, and some black pepper in 3 Tbsp of curd, and eat it. Repeat this 4 times a day for one week. This is very useful home remedy for food pisoning treatment.
Roast 1/2 tsp cumin (jeera) seeds and 1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds (dana methi). Mix and powder it, add to 4 tsp of yogurt (curd). Take thrice a day. This is also very useful home remedy for food pisoning.
Grate one raw papaya. Add 3 cups water, boil for 10 mins, strain and finish the water in one day.

Drink Water. "You are losing liquids very quickly when you have food poisoning. Therefore, it is extremely important to replenish your system," says Joseph Madden, Ph.D., director of the Division of Microbiology at the Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, a branch of the Food and Drug Administration in Washington, D.C.
"Start with a few sips of water," says Dr. Ruderman. "Once you can keep water down, it is better to take in fluids containing sugar, because they are better absorbed by the body." Try clear fruit juices. If vomiting is a problem, though, wait several hours before taking in liquids.

Slurp on a sports drink. Drinks like Gatorade contain electrolytes, which are essential elements such as potassium and sodium that influence the way water is distributed throughout your body. "When you're vomiting or having diarrhea, these elements get lost along with liquid during dehydration, " says Dr. Madden. "The sports drinks like Gatorade help replenish these necessary elements as well as rehydrate your body with water." Rehydration is more important than replacement of electrolytes, so sports drinks can be diluted 50-50 with water.

Relax. "Most of the time, food poisoning problems tend to resolve themselves without needing intervention, " says Dr. Ruderman. Once your body's immune system takes over, relief is on the way, and you'll be feeling better soon. Just rest and drink fluids, and when you feel a little better, start to establish a diet.

Leave the over-the-counter drugs on the counter. If you feel the urge to reach for an antacid, stop yourself. "They don't really help," says Dr. Ruderman. If you're suffering from traveler's diarrhea, however, Pepto-Bismol is beneficial for relieving the symptoms until you feel better.

Ease into a bland diet. When you feel ready to begin eating, a bland diet is recommended. This means eating easily digestible foods such as cereal, pudding or chicken soup. Be sure to avoid foods that are fried, smoked or salty as well as raw vegetables, pastries, preserves, candies, alcohol and spices and condiments.

Get a lift from a sugary drink. If you're feeling weak, sip on a flat soft drink. "The advantage of soda is that it has sugar in it," says Dr. Ruderman. "This will give you some energy."

Reference:
Selkurt, E.E. (editor), Physiology, 2nd edition, Little, Brown and Company, Boston (1966).Chinese Medicinal Herbs, compiled by Li Shih-Chen, translated by F. Porter Smith, M.D., and G.A. Stuart, M.D., Georgetown Press, San Francisco (1973). Chandan BK, Sharma AK, Anand KK. Boerhavia diffusa: a study of its hepatoprotective activity. J Ethnopharmacol 1991 Mar;31(3):299- 307.

Warning: The reader of this article should exercise all precautionary measures while following instructions on the home remedies from this article. Avoid using any of these products if you are allergic to it. The responsibility lies with the reader and not with the site or the writer.

Baldness!!

2007-12-20T19:40:00.000-08:00

Partial or complete loss of hair on the scalp is common among men. It is less commonly found in women. Premature baldness is found in certain families. Thinning of the hair is often seen in older women, but complete baldness in the female is fortunately rare. Temporary baldness may occur following a fever or some prolonged illness. The hair usually returns after the patient has recovered from the illness.

Sudden loss of the hair in certain areas is a condition, which is called alopecia areata, may sometimes occur after a nervous shock. This may disappear in a few weeks, although sometimes it will recur. In females excessive hair loss is seen after delivery and during lactation. This is only due to hormonal changes in the body and due to suckling of the milk by the child. This disappears after the child stops weaning. It is not a permanent problem.

In children falling of hair occurs due to many reasons such as severe headache, dim eyesight, after a prolonged illness, use of different shampoos and soaps, after a severe head injury and a familial tendency. Generally it is seen that if the parents have thin hair and early loss of hair in their life so is their children.

Hormones in our body check the development of hair that growss after puberty. The male hormone, testosterone, checks the beard, body hair and hair in the armpits. The female hormone, estrogen, prevents hair growth on the chin and helps it to grow on the head. Occasionally women develop signs of hair loss or baldness when estrogen levels falls. Treatment with estrogen has been successful in the treatment of hair growth and stopping of hair loss.

The healthy condition of the hair depends, on the intake of sufficient amounts of essential nutrients in the daily diet. Persons with a tendency to lose hair should take a well-balanced and correct diet, made up of foods, which, in combination, should supply all the essential nutrients. It has been found that a diet, which contains large quantities of seeds, nuts, grains, vegetables and fruits, would provide adequate amounts of all the essential nutrients.

Many people use various shampoos and creams to prevent hair loss but with no gain.

HOME REMEDIES FOR BALDNESS
Boil 1-cup mustard oil with 4 tablespoon henna leaves. Filter the mixture and put it in a bottle. Massage on the bald patches regularly.
Massage the scalp for 10 to 15 minutes after bathing it with water. This increases the blood circulation and strengthens the hair follicles in the scalp. A vigorous rubbing of the scalp with fingers after washing the hair with cold water is one of the most effective home remedies for the prevention and treatment of hair loss.
Another remedy for baldness that helps is Grind 1/2-lime seeds, and 1/2 black pepper, apply to bald patches regularly.
Prepare a mixture of apple cider vinegar and sage tea and then apply on the scalp to help hair grow
Rub the bald area with onions till it becomes red. Then apply honey on the bald area. It is very effective.
Mix 4 tbsp of yoghurt and 4 tbsp of camphor lotion. Apply it on the head; leave it to soak for 2-3 hours then wash off with lukewarm water. This is an effective home remedy for baldness.
Juice of coriander leaves is also very good for hair.
Massage the scalp with 1-teaspoon oil in which raw mangoes has been preserved for over one year. Repeat this frequently.
A shampoo can be prepared by mixing 100 g each of amla (Indian goose berry), reetha, and shikakai and boil in two liters of water till the liquid reduces to half. Use this shampoo for at least one month. Hair will become thick.
Massage the scalp and hair with coconut milk or Aloe Vera gel. Leave it for ½ hour, and then rinse with warm water. Repeat 3 times a week.
Prepare a solution by mixing equal amount of warm castor and almond oil and massage over scalp at least once a week.
A mixture of lettuce and spinach juice help the growth of hair if taken to the extent to half a litre a day
Make a paste by mixing two eggs, two tablespoons each of amla, reetha and shikakai powder. Massage on the scalp and leave it for 30 minutes. Wash with a mild shampoo. Repeat it for 3-4 times a week. This is also an effective home remedy for baldness.
Mix honey with egg yolk and massage on the scalp and hair. Leave for a 1/2 hour, then wash.
Massage almond oil on scalp 2-3 times a day, daily. This will stop further hair loss.
Prepare a hair pack by mixing amla ( Indian goose berry) powder with one egg. Apply it to hair and wash after half an hour. Wash hair.
Prepare a paste of hot olive oil, honey, and 1 teaspoon cinnamon powder and apply it on the scalp before bath and keep for 15 minutes for baldness treatment.
Apply a mixture of Aloe Vera with herbal powder triphala to the hair for a period of three to six months. It will result in growth of new hair.
Take soaked fenugreek seeds (Dana methi), shikakai powder, reetha powder, amla powder, dried lemon or lime peels, and two eggs, and grind to make a paste. Massage this paste onto hair and scalp and leave it on for about 20 minutes. Wash with a mild shampoo. This makes hair thick.
Grind fenugreek seeds with water and prepare a paste. Massage on the scalp after oiling the hair and leave it for one hour before washing. Repeat it every morning for a month.
A juice of alfalfa + fresh spinach or fresh coriander daily helps hair to grow fast.
Juice of carrot, lettuce, capsicum and fresh alfalfa remove copper deficiency, this is good remedy for gray hair and hair loss.
Prepare a paste by mixing 5 tbsp of curd, 1 tbsp of lemon juice and 2 tbsp of gram raw (chholia) powder. Apply it on the head. After an hour wash it off with shampoo.
Prepare a mixture of the powder of black pepper, onion and salt and apply it on the bald patches to prevent the infection of ringworms.
For baldness treatment, cut one lemon (or an orange for dry hair). Place in a pot with two cups water. Boil until half of solution remains. Cool, strain, and place in a spray bottle. Store in refrigerator. If it is sticky, add more water.
Take 10-15 leaves of the large Ber fruit. Burn them in mustard oil, make a paste and apply on hair for 1 hour and then wash it. This remedy prevents hair loss for almost everyone.
Another valuable remedy for hair loss is Amaranth. Its fresh leaf juice should be applied to the hair. It will help the growth of the hair and keep it soft.
The leaves of the margosa tree are also beneficial in the treatment of hair loss.

References:
Alopecia Areata: Understanding and Coping with Hair Loss Wendy byThompson and Jerry Shapiro year 2000.
Beautiful Black Hair: Real Solutions to Real Problems--A Step by Step Instructional Guide by Shamboosie 2002
Cotran: Robbins Pathologic Basis of Disease, 6th ed.,1999, W. B. Saunders Company
Noble: Textbook of Primary Care Medicine, 3rd ed., 2001, Mosby, Inc.

Warning: The reader of this article should exercise all precautionary measures while following instructions on the home remedies from this article. Avoid using any of these products if you are allergic to it. The responsibility lies with the reader and not with the site or the writer.

ITCHING

2007-12-13T08:57:00.000-08:00

Itching can be best described as a peculiar tingling or uneasy irritation of the skin that creates a desire to scratch the affected area. Itching is a common problem faced by many people at some or the other point in life. Itching could be the result of a variety of reasons such as allergies (to food, plants or pets), insect bites, stings, skin disease or even poor hygiene. Itching can be annoying as the skin is irritated and gives you the constant need to scratch the affected area. Constant or repeated scratching can bruise the skin, making it sore and even painful. Itching could be generalized where in the whole body is affected or localized wherein a particular area is irritated.

Red spots, Scaly patches
Tendency to scratch continually to relieve itching sensation
Redness of skin
Scraped skin as a result of vigorous scratching
Prolonged scratching and rubbing can result in thick and scarred skin
Red spots
Scaly patches
Blisters

Dry skin is a common cause for itching
Itching can be caused by a plethora of reasons. Some of the most common causes for itching include -

Exposure or contact with chemicals.
Sunburn can cause itching.
Insect bites or stings.
Certain infectious diseases such as chicken pox cause itching on the skin.
Parasites on the body such as body, head or pubic lice can cause itching.
Itching can be the result of an allergic reaction to certain foods, plants or pets.
Dry skin is a common cause for itching. This is usually seen in older people as aging skin is often dehydrated.
Cold weather, overexposure to water and hot baths typically cause itching.
An unfavorable medication could cause itching as a reaction.
Itching can happen during the later part of pregnancy due to the stretching of the skin especially on the lower abdomen area.
Skin conditions such as Psoriasis, Seborrheic dermatitis, Urticaria, Pityriasis rosea can cause severe itching.

Use of weak carbolic acid lotion
Itching caused due to non-medical conditions can to a great extent be treated using home remedies. Some that can be used to control or treat itching are as follows -

Take a bath in one can of evaporated milk; you can add other combinations such as oatmeal, baking soda etc. The milk works well to soothe the itching.

Apply Aloe Vera, cod liver oil, lemon juice, vitamin E oil, wheat germ oil, or witch hazel tea to the itchy area.

Take burdock, chickweed, goldenseal, plantain, or yellow dock in capsule form.

Cornstarch helps relieve itching. You can pour some into your bath water or dust it onto your body.

Scrub the affected area lightly with a pumice stone. Then wash with soap, apply rubbing alcohol, and dab a thick layer of Vaseline over it. This will provide relief from itching.

Take a bath with a little peppermint or yellow dock to relieve itching.

Add 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar to your bath water to relieve itchy skin.

Baking soda can be used in cool bath water to soothe other skin irritations and alleviate itching from prickly heat, bee stings, insect bites, and other minor skin ailments.

Another trusted home remedy is to use a weak carbolic acid lotion or a solution of bicarbonate of soda (commonly known as baking soda) and applying it over the itchy part.

Apply cold compress to the itchy areas, it is thought to bring relief from itching.

Fresh stinging nettle oil can be used on the affected areas.

Drinking 1 to 2 cups of Nettle tea daily is thought to help relieve itching. Add boiling water to 1 tsp of the dried leaves for each cup. Steep for 15 minutes.

Apply Burdock root oil to the skin to help heal rashes and itching.

Fresh Chickweed poultice is good for itching. This can be made by soaking 2 large handfuls in water. When the plants soften, cool them and apply directly on the skin.

Take a diet rich in Vitamin C,beta-carotene, Vitamin E and zinc
Diet can play an important role to combat itching that result from food allergies. If you have identified foods that cause itching, it's best to avoid them completely.

Increase your intake of Vitamin C, beta-carotene, Vitamin E and zinc through diet by having foods rich in the above mentioned vitamins and minerals.

Avoid scartching or rubbing
Avoid scratching or rubbing itchy areas as this worsens the problem. Keep finger nails short to prevent skin damage from scratching.
Wear loose, light and cool nightwear. Do not use thick, rough clothing like wool over itchy areas.
Take bath with lukewarm water.
Apply a soothing lotion on to the skin after bath.
Avoid exposure to heat and humidity.
Keep your body and affected areas dry and clean at all times. Moisture can worsen itching.

ANGINA!

2007-12-13T08:55:00.000-08:00

Angina attack is an acute chest pain or discomfort felt around the chest area on account of reduced blood flow to heart due to narrowing of the arteries of the heart. Angina could also be caused due to increased demand of blood supply for the heart, blockage of artery, or thickening of heart muscles. Supplying more blood through narrow arteries causes discomfort, sudden pressure, tightness, heaviness or squeezing pain in the chest area which leads to Angina.

Angina also called angina pectoris is broadly classified into three types:

- Stable angina or chronic stable angina
- Unstable angina – known to initiate a heart attack
- Variant angina or Prinzmetal's angina - a rare type caused by coronary artery spasm

Angina is a symptom of the most common heart disease known as Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) and is relatively common considering more than 6 million people in US have angina

Symptoms of Angina
Common symptoms associated with Angina
- Pain and discomfort in the chest area
- Pressure, tightening, squeezing or burning sensation in the chest area
- Pain may also be experienced in the arms, shoulders, throat, neck, jaw or back regions
- May appear like indigestion and consequent discomfort
- Other symptoms include: shortness of breath, palpitations, dizziness, weakness, fatigue, excessive sweating or nausea

Causes of Angina
The key causes that lead to the onset of angina
- Difference between blood demand and supply. Though demand is normal, supply of blood to the heart decreases due to narrowing of arteries or obstructive coronary vascular disease
- Fatty deposits on the blood vessels of the heart causing restriction of regular or required blood flow to the heart causing reduced blood supply to the heart
- Formation of blood clots that may partially or fully block the artery
- Other causes include: uncontrolled blood pressure, diabetes, anemia, polycythemia, heavy smoking or use of cocaine, heavy meals, physical exertion, emotional stress, diseases related to thyroid glands and other types of heart diseases

Remedies for Angina
The common remedies and preventive care associated with angina
- Initiating lifestyle modifications such as: eating healthy and well balanced meals, quitting smoking, exercising regularly and being physically active. It is also advisable to lose weight incase of obesity
- Treating existing disorders that may lead to angina such as: high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity and other heart related conditions
- Medicines and other options in surgery are also available to treat angina in serious cases

Diet for Angina
Following are the suggested diet remedies
- Avoid eating cholesterol rich food and consuming light and preferably vegetarian foods
- Boost intake of Vitamin A, C and E rich foods to prevent and control the onset of angina
- Intake of vegetables, fruits and whole grains ensure your body receives the required nutrients

Suggestions for Angina
Other suggestions and Tips
- A regular exercise program as supervised or indicated by the doctor
- Follow a weight-loss program for over-weight or obese persons
- Regular check to maintain levels of blood pressure, cholesterol and diabetes
- Avoid stress and ensure a relaxed sleep
- Eat a well balanced, cholesterol free meal