Women who are diligent about taking their calcium and vitamin D to ward off osteoporosis have an added side benefit – fewer PMS symptoms! That’s right, getting plenty of vitamin D and calcium the primary building blocks for healthy bones can helps alleviate the symptoms of premenstrual syndrome aka PMS.
PMS can be defined as a group of symptoms that occur in between the time of ovulating and menstruating. A myriad of symptoms can plague a woman going through this and include cramps, headaches, irritability, breast tenderness, bloating, constipation and mood swings that may veer into depression territory. In order for a woman to be diagnosed with premenstrual syndrome, the symptoms must be enough to interfere with every day life whether it is going to work, exercising, socializing and more.
A number of treatment options exist for PMS but there is no cure and it cannot be totally prevented. Thanks to a number of long-term research studies into PMS, scientists and doctors are discovering some real answers that might help women with this dreaded monthly syndrome.
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Becoming a Massage Therapist
Massage therapy is a practice that has been going on for over 3000 years. Research has found that it has some over all medical benefits to improving an individual’s health and helping them to feel better. Becoming a masseuse or massage therapist allows an individual to have a flexible schedule and a fantastic earning potential.
More commonly called massage therapists, masseuses are in the business of helping individuals feel better by relieving pain and alleviating stress. Traditional Western medicine today consider is massage an integral part of overall health and wellness although has not yet made the leap to adjunctive treatment for specific illnesses or diseases. A massage therapist will give a massage at the also are an integrated part of a holistic care program.
As a massage therapist individuals have the ability to help others overcome pain, reduce stress and recover from injuries. There are several different types of massage and most therapists will become adept at one or two.
More commonly called massage therapists, masseuses are in the business of helping individuals feel better by relieving pain and alleviating stress. Traditional Western medicine today consider is massage an integral part of overall health and wellness although has not yet made the leap to adjunctive treatment for specific illnesses or diseases. A massage therapist will give a massage at the also are an integrated part of a holistic care program.
As a massage therapist individuals have the ability to help others overcome pain, reduce stress and recover from injuries. There are several different types of massage and most therapists will become adept at one or two.
The Power of Lavender in Aromatherapy Solutions
Have you ever found one product that œdoes it all? Something that is so great, you can use it to heal your body, give you a relaxing feeling at bedtime, clean your laundry and make your house smell great?
If not, then you have not discovered the amazing power of lavender. Lavender is an essential oil that can help with many of your needs.
Lavender is a little purple flower that often grows wild. You have probably seen and smelled it before. It is a beautiful flower”and the beauty of this little flower extends way beyond its looks. When made into essential oil, these flowers can give you a boost in many ways in and around your house.
In fact, when you know the meaning behind the name, you will see that it really says it all. The word œlavender comes from the Latin word œlavare, which means œto wash. Lavender gives off a wonderfully clean scent in both flower form and oil form. You will see many people love to grow lavender around their home for its scent alone
If not, then you have not discovered the amazing power of lavender. Lavender is an essential oil that can help with many of your needs.
Lavender is a little purple flower that often grows wild. You have probably seen and smelled it before. It is a beautiful flower”and the beauty of this little flower extends way beyond its looks. When made into essential oil, these flowers can give you a boost in many ways in and around your house.
In fact, when you know the meaning behind the name, you will see that it really says it all. The word œlavender comes from the Latin word œlavare, which means œto wash. Lavender gives off a wonderfully clean scent in both flower form and oil form. You will see many people love to grow lavender around their home for its scent alone
Diagnosis and Treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis
Treatment of any disease is customized to the disease itself, and this is never more true than dealing with individuals who suffer from rheumatoid arthritis. Rheumatoid arthritis is an immune disease where the body somehow is triggered to attack itself. While there is no known cause and scientists are unaware of any particular trigger or genetic link, the outcome remains the same.
In order to customize the treatments the diagnosis must be accurate. The first step to identify any disease is a physical examination and thorough medical history. During a physical examination to dodge a look for telltale rheumatoid nodules in the areas of pressure such as the elbows and fingers.
She will also vote for redness, tenderness, swelling and heat in the joints. The physician will use a thorough medical history to determine most family relationships, past medical history and families and current injuries or illnesses. In order to complete the diagnosis the doctor may order blood tests and will probably do some imaging studies.
Once the diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis is confirmed your primary care physician will often refer to a rheumatologist as standard practice. This is a doctor who has received special training and education in the treatment of arthritis and has taken and passed certification Board exams.
In order to customize the treatments the diagnosis must be accurate. The first step to identify any disease is a physical examination and thorough medical history. During a physical examination to dodge a look for telltale rheumatoid nodules in the areas of pressure such as the elbows and fingers.
She will also vote for redness, tenderness, swelling and heat in the joints. The physician will use a thorough medical history to determine most family relationships, past medical history and families and current injuries or illnesses. In order to complete the diagnosis the doctor may order blood tests and will probably do some imaging studies.
Once the diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis is confirmed your primary care physician will often refer to a rheumatologist as standard practice. This is a doctor who has received special training and education in the treatment of arthritis and has taken and passed certification Board exams.
Body Massage
Massage therapy is a practice that dates back thousands of years. There are many different types of massage therapy but all have one basic factor in common-they all involve the manipulation of muscle and other soft tissue in the body.
In the United States massage therapy is sometimes part of traditional Western medicine but often it is part of complementary and alternative medicine.
Many people include massage therapy to help treat a variety of health related Strauss and illnesses as well as contributing to general wellness. At this time scientists do not understand what changes happen in the body during the massage and how they might influence overall health however there are specific current studies being done now in order to answer those questions and identify the best possible way a massage might be integrated into health care.
Although the size is hands on, there are very few risks to massage therapy if it’s done appropriately and by a trained massage professional.
However, prior to undergoing any complementary or alternative medicine you should discuss the options with your primary care physician in order to determine if they will negatively affect any underlying medical condition or medication that you may be taking at the time.
In the United States massage therapy is sometimes part of traditional Western medicine but often it is part of complementary and alternative medicine.
Many people include massage therapy to help treat a variety of health related Strauss and illnesses as well as contributing to general wellness. At this time scientists do not understand what changes happen in the body during the massage and how they might influence overall health however there are specific current studies being done now in order to answer those questions and identify the best possible way a massage might be integrated into health care.
Although the size is hands on, there are very few risks to massage therapy if it’s done appropriately and by a trained massage professional.
However, prior to undergoing any complementary or alternative medicine you should discuss the options with your primary care physician in order to determine if they will negatively affect any underlying medical condition or medication that you may be taking at the time.
Winter Allergies Getting the Best of You?
When you think of allergens, the first thing you probably think of is spring. The flowers are blooming, the grass is growing, and many people are suffering. The problem is that just because spring has come and gone, it doesn’t mean your allergies have too. For many people, winter allergies can be just as annoying, or worse.
Many people don’t worry about allergies during the winter. Since the plants are all dormant, it’s true that you don’t have to worry about most outdoor allergens, but that doesn’t mean you’re in the clear. As you spend more time indoors, avoiding the cold, you’re also exposing yourself to more indoor allergies
Many people don’t worry about allergies during the winter. Since the plants are all dormant, it’s true that you don’t have to worry about most outdoor allergens, but that doesn’t mean you’re in the clear. As you spend more time indoors, avoiding the cold, you’re also exposing yourself to more indoor allergies
Deep Tissue Massage
Massage has been giving individuals medical and health benefits for years. At this time there have been over 30 different types of massage that have been identified, having been used for the last 3000 years.
Deep tissue massage is one of those therapies that focuses on realigning deeper layers of muscle and connective tissue. Researchers have found that deep tissue massage is especially helpful for those who suffer from chronically tense and contracted areas of the body such as neck, low back and sore shoulders.
Deep tissue massage uses some of the same motions and techniques as Swedish massage but the pressure will generally be more intense. Deep tissue massage is a more focused typos therapy as the therapist works to release chronic muscle tension or knots, also known as adhesions.
Deep tissue massage should be done by a therapist who has been a specially trained in the technique. Although it does not hurt it is likely to be more uncomfortable than a classic Swedish massage.
Using these deeper techniques for massage can help to break up and a lemonade scar tissue and is usually focused on more specific areas of the body than an over all body massage. Although there may be some soreness during or after the massage the participant should feel better than ever within a day or two
Deep tissue massage is one of those therapies that focuses on realigning deeper layers of muscle and connective tissue. Researchers have found that deep tissue massage is especially helpful for those who suffer from chronically tense and contracted areas of the body such as neck, low back and sore shoulders.
Deep tissue massage uses some of the same motions and techniques as Swedish massage but the pressure will generally be more intense. Deep tissue massage is a more focused typos therapy as the therapist works to release chronic muscle tension or knots, also known as adhesions.
Deep tissue massage should be done by a therapist who has been a specially trained in the technique. Although it does not hurt it is likely to be more uncomfortable than a classic Swedish massage.
Using these deeper techniques for massage can help to break up and a lemonade scar tissue and is usually focused on more specific areas of the body than an over all body massage. Although there may be some soreness during or after the massage the participant should feel better than ever within a day or two
Events that Trigger Osteoarthritis
Oftentimes patients and doctors will equate osteoarthritis as a disease of wear and tear in the joints as well as old age. Although osteoarthritis usually does accompany old age researchers have found that cartilage in the joint becomes chemically different than a joint that does not have the disease.
Researchers have also found that there are usually a series of events which lead to the development of the condition and that, while it is often associated with old age, that association isn’t enough to trigger osteoarthritis. These particular events involve both the use and breakdown of the cartilage as well as the production and maintenance in the joints. The joints which are effective in are usually the larger weight-bearing joints such as the knees and hips. These provide the majority of the cushion when we are doing any weight-bearing exercise such as walking or running.
Athletes who perform repetitive motion exercises, such as rowing or tennis, will find that osteoarthritis can also develop in the elbow and shoulder areas.
Researchers believe that a genetic component may also be responsible for the development but have not yet conclusively found a link. May have found a higher correlation in the development of osteoarthritis when a parent has the condition and a child subsequently developed it
Researchers have also found that there are usually a series of events which lead to the development of the condition and that, while it is often associated with old age, that association isn’t enough to trigger osteoarthritis. These particular events involve both the use and breakdown of the cartilage as well as the production and maintenance in the joints. The joints which are effective in are usually the larger weight-bearing joints such as the knees and hips. These provide the majority of the cushion when we are doing any weight-bearing exercise such as walking or running.
Athletes who perform repetitive motion exercises, such as rowing or tennis, will find that osteoarthritis can also develop in the elbow and shoulder areas.
Researchers believe that a genetic component may also be responsible for the development but have not yet conclusively found a link. May have found a higher correlation in the development of osteoarthritis when a parent has the condition and a child subsequently developed it
Calling All Healers!
Apture™
I know I have many folks who are in the healing profession reading this blog. So, now is the time I ask all of you to help.
I’ve been experiencing what I call a ‘dark night of the soul.’ I won’t go into what instigated my dilemma, but suffice it to say that I know without a doubt it’s time to do SOMETHING – to give back – to help without expectation of compensation, ego stroking or even recognition. The problem is, I don’t want to do it alone.
I have an idea – this isn’t a ‘profit-making’ idea, mind you – all funds, all time in conjunction with this would go to help children in need. We can pick a single ’cause’ (hunger, abuse, delinquency, education, etc) or multiple – I’m very open on that.
What I’m firm on is that every cent, and part of our time and expertise, goes to whatever cause we choose and that the cause have something to do with helping the children of our world.
I know I have many folks who are in the healing profession reading this blog. So, now is the time I ask all of you to help.
I’ve been experiencing what I call a ‘dark night of the soul.’ I won’t go into what instigated my dilemma, but suffice it to say that I know without a doubt it’s time to do SOMETHING – to give back – to help without expectation of compensation, ego stroking or even recognition. The problem is, I don’t want to do it alone.
I have an idea – this isn’t a ‘profit-making’ idea, mind you – all funds, all time in conjunction with this would go to help children in need. We can pick a single ’cause’ (hunger, abuse, delinquency, education, etc) or multiple – I’m very open on that.
What I’m firm on is that every cent, and part of our time and expertise, goes to whatever cause we choose and that the cause have something to do with helping the children of our world.
General Holistic Medicine
If you are looking for more information on general holistic practices, here are some helpful blogs that can rovide you with an overview:
About.com: Alternative Medicine provides a look at complementary medicine, including holistic practices.
Alternative Medicine Zone offers overviews of different holistic medicine practices, and focuses on how you can be treated as whole person, rather than just your physical symptoms.
Holistic Medicine Blog has posts on different types of holistic healing, as well as helpful hints for using holistic practices in your own life.
Natural Holistic Health Blog gives the reader special hints on how to best use holistic remedies and practice to help improve one’s health.
About.com: Alternative Medicine provides a look at complementary medicine, including holistic practices.
Alternative Medicine Zone offers overviews of different holistic medicine practices, and focuses on how you can be treated as whole person, rather than just your physical symptoms.
Holistic Medicine Blog has posts on different types of holistic healing, as well as helpful hints for using holistic practices in your own life.
Natural Holistic Health Blog gives the reader special hints on how to best use holistic remedies and practice to help improve one’s health.
Nursaholic
Sometimes it is easy to forget, with the rigors of scientific medicine, that sometimes the whole person needs to be treated. With holistic medicine, the health of the patient involves spiritual, lifestyle, nutritional, emotional, mental, social and environmental aspects in addition to the physical. Holistic medicine can be used in a manner that is complementary to medical practices present in modern Western health care. Here are 50 blog resources that can help you learn a little more about holistic medicine:
Welcome!
Being interested in health/wellness issues and working in the natural products world for a number of years as a handcrafted soapmaker, I’ve wanted to start a Blog for almost as long as the word has been a part of the cyber-lexicon. Now, with some very much appreciated help from my son and daughter-in-law, owners of their own website development and design business, Solas Web Design (and themselves avid bloggers), I feel like I can at last begin with confidence.
I believe we are still the primary caretakers of our own health, making the daily decisions and choices, and should never relinquish that responsibility. We live in the “Information Age”, do we not? And information is very empowering.
So my goal is to provide content about health and wellness issues and more natural approaches to health by providing resources, articles, and links to relevant websites for health-related information. My hope is that you can then use those tools to help you make better informed choices regards your own and your family’s health care.
The primary focus will be on women and children’s health issues and concerns, but also on health promotion and illness prevention in general, using safe and proven methods or products. While open to alternative ideas and more natural solutions, I’m also a true believer in authentic research as opposed to “junk science,” and not interested in promoting the latest fads or dubious (and potentially dangerous) “cures” or treatments. Anyone selling machines that hook up wires to your head, promising everything from communication with residents of Alpha Centauri to rearranging your molecules need not apply here.
So in these posts you will find content on traditional medicine and practices, complementary and alternative medicine, holistic approaches to common ailments, more natural alternatives to that prescription drug, and links to and articles about the latest research on a variety of topics from Asthma to Xylitol.
You may also find topics such as functional and organic foods, herbs and their uses, organic gardening, healthy recipes, and “green” living, for all these threads are in synergy and connected to a larger whole. In the end, we are all fruits of one tree.
It’s in our own best interest to learn about and pay attention to our bodies, to look for avenues that will open other doors leading to better self-care, and explore solutions that will complement conventional medicine. We are on this journey together, and I value your input.
I believe we are still the primary caretakers of our own health, making the daily decisions and choices, and should never relinquish that responsibility. We live in the “Information Age”, do we not? And information is very empowering.
So my goal is to provide content about health and wellness issues and more natural approaches to health by providing resources, articles, and links to relevant websites for health-related information. My hope is that you can then use those tools to help you make better informed choices regards your own and your family’s health care.
The primary focus will be on women and children’s health issues and concerns, but also on health promotion and illness prevention in general, using safe and proven methods or products. While open to alternative ideas and more natural solutions, I’m also a true believer in authentic research as opposed to “junk science,” and not interested in promoting the latest fads or dubious (and potentially dangerous) “cures” or treatments. Anyone selling machines that hook up wires to your head, promising everything from communication with residents of Alpha Centauri to rearranging your molecules need not apply here.
So in these posts you will find content on traditional medicine and practices, complementary and alternative medicine, holistic approaches to common ailments, more natural alternatives to that prescription drug, and links to and articles about the latest research on a variety of topics from Asthma to Xylitol.
You may also find topics such as functional and organic foods, herbs and their uses, organic gardening, healthy recipes, and “green” living, for all these threads are in synergy and connected to a larger whole. In the end, we are all fruits of one tree.
It’s in our own best interest to learn about and pay attention to our bodies, to look for avenues that will open other doors leading to better self-care, and explore solutions that will complement conventional medicine. We are on this journey together, and I value your input.
Take Two Maca Tubers and Call Me in the Morning
Both Grandma’s home remedies and native peoples’ healing materials appear to have curative values that science is only now “proving” through more sophisticated technology.
We are beginning to see articles in magazines, on newstands, and through mainstream media about everything from the health benefits of honey to recent studies touting the potential of rice bran as a treatment for diabetes.
The basis of many modern medicines are often rooted, so to speak, in common plants or their components, and food and dietary factors relative to health (and disease) are now beginning to be at long last recognized and studied.
This is certainly gratifying, but altruistic aspects aside, there is also money to be made. Big money.
According to the New York Times, in a study by the European Commission, natural plant substances generate more than $75 billion in sales each year for the pharmaceutical industry, $20 billion in herbal supplement sales, and around $3 billion in cosmetics sales. The Times article states, “Although the efficacy of some of the products the herbal ingredients go into is hotly debated, their popularity is not in doubt. Thirty-six percent of adults in the United States use some form of what experts call Complementary and Alternative Medicine, CAM for short, according to a 2004 study published by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, a division of the National Institutes of Health.”*
Indigenous “medicines” are showing great potential in eventually leading to cures for some of our most devastating diseases … and what company wouldn’t like be the one to find a cure for cancer or any of the other Holy Grails of the world of medicine in a commonly found plant? This is exciting and heady stuff, but at what eventual cost? According to the article, Big Business and Big Pharm are joining hands and beating a path to remote areas as diverse as the Amazon rain forests and the Andes in Peru in aggressive searches for the latest discoveries. It’s telling that the aforementioned article was found not in the Travel or even in the Health sections, but in the Business section of the New York Times.*
Whether the indigenous peoples (and their fragile environments) will benefit or be on the losing end, victims of both the so-called “biopirates” (those who steal traditional knowledge and don’t give back to the local community) and the drug companies who are investing large sums in the hope of lucrative profits, remains to be seen.
We are beginning to see articles in magazines, on newstands, and through mainstream media about everything from the health benefits of honey to recent studies touting the potential of rice bran as a treatment for diabetes.
The basis of many modern medicines are often rooted, so to speak, in common plants or their components, and food and dietary factors relative to health (and disease) are now beginning to be at long last recognized and studied.
This is certainly gratifying, but altruistic aspects aside, there is also money to be made. Big money.
According to the New York Times, in a study by the European Commission, natural plant substances generate more than $75 billion in sales each year for the pharmaceutical industry, $20 billion in herbal supplement sales, and around $3 billion in cosmetics sales. The Times article states, “Although the efficacy of some of the products the herbal ingredients go into is hotly debated, their popularity is not in doubt. Thirty-six percent of adults in the United States use some form of what experts call Complementary and Alternative Medicine, CAM for short, according to a 2004 study published by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, a division of the National Institutes of Health.”*
Indigenous “medicines” are showing great potential in eventually leading to cures for some of our most devastating diseases … and what company wouldn’t like be the one to find a cure for cancer or any of the other Holy Grails of the world of medicine in a commonly found plant? This is exciting and heady stuff, but at what eventual cost? According to the article, Big Business and Big Pharm are joining hands and beating a path to remote areas as diverse as the Amazon rain forests and the Andes in Peru in aggressive searches for the latest discoveries. It’s telling that the aforementioned article was found not in the Travel or even in the Health sections, but in the Business section of the New York Times.*
Whether the indigenous peoples (and their fragile environments) will benefit or be on the losing end, victims of both the so-called “biopirates” (those who steal traditional knowledge and don’t give back to the local community) and the drug companies who are investing large sums in the hope of lucrative profits, remains to be seen.
Do-It-Yourself Solutions
At one point I wore the (bubbly) hat of a handcrafted soap-maker, creating skin-friendly, natural alternatives to the world of commercial bath products. I have always liked the idea of do-it-yourself products made from commonly available ingredients, and it still makes me cringe to see containers of bath salts or body scrubs selling for outrageous prices, knowing they contain about 50¢ worth of ingredients (most of which can be found right in your kitchen cupboard). No matter how fancy the label or high-end the brand, they are not worth $50. Trust me on this one.
For example, here’s a link to an easy, make-it-yourself sugar scrub from The Green Guide which will help you cope with those dry, winter skin blues, and another for a simple bath salts recipe from wikiHow. One caveat: No matter how pretty those chunky bath salts are in the jar, they do not dissolve readily in your bath water and will feel like little shards of broken glass when you step on them. Ask me how I know.
So from time to time be sure to check back to find practical, inexpensive (and eco-friendly) do-it-yourself solutions for seasonal health woes, skincare issues, cleaning products, and organic gardening.
For example, here’s a link to an easy, make-it-yourself sugar scrub from The Green Guide which will help you cope with those dry, winter skin blues, and another for a simple bath salts recipe from wikiHow. One caveat: No matter how pretty those chunky bath salts are in the jar, they do not dissolve readily in your bath water and will feel like little shards of broken glass when you step on them. Ask me how I know.
So from time to time be sure to check back to find practical, inexpensive (and eco-friendly) do-it-yourself solutions for seasonal health woes, skincare issues, cleaning products, and organic gardening.
Healing Honey
Tom Sawyer declared to Huck Finn that warts could be cured by spunk (stump) water and a magic chant … Huck maintained it was better to use a dead cat.*
While we laugh at such odd notions today, the fact is, many “old time” remedies should have a permanent place in our home medicine cabinet. In fact, a friend recently advised me that soaking with common vinegar will indeed (over a few day’s time) remove a wart.
Some time-tested, common cures and treatments are now being seriously investigated under laboratory conditions with interesting results. Grandma didn’t know exactly how or why they worked, she only knew that they did.
One of the most useful items in our cupboard is ordinary, humble honey. We might expect honey to be useful for soothing a sore throat when added to hot herbal tea (or brandy), but its medicinal uses are many.
Due to its wound-healing properties, it was used extensively during the Civil War. Doctors in battlefield hospitals, known more for butchery than for surgical success, used honey as both an immediate field dressing and for post-surgical treatment of wounds. As well as needing no refrigeration, honey also had the advantage of being readily available (a short scouting trip of the surrounding countryside usually could produce a “honey tree”), and it could be put into jars or oilcloth packets and easily transported.
The notion of “germs” was still rather vague back then, so they couldn’t have known that honey has natural antibiotic and anti-inflammatory properties derived from enzymes in what my uncle called “bee spit”. They only knew it was useful.
Those same properties also make it helpful for treating minor burns. One old-time method was to slather butter or fat on the burn, a treatment we now know does more harm than good. The reason is, you want a wound of any kind to “breathe” and not be sealed … butter can trap bacteria and actually encourage infection. I was always taught to just use plain ice on a minor burn, then pat dry and cover with a clean bandage.
But additionally, according to a blurb in the Health section of the New York Times*, scientists have now found that honey may be a quick and easy treatment to soothe and promote healing of minor burns. One study in 2006 examined results of more than a dozen previous studies and found that small, non-serious burns healed faster when treated with gauze and a dash of honey, on average, than those treated with antibiotic creams and other dressings. A separate report published earlier found similar results.
So take the honey jar on your next camping trip … you might just find it comes in handy.
Yours in health …
While we laugh at such odd notions today, the fact is, many “old time” remedies should have a permanent place in our home medicine cabinet. In fact, a friend recently advised me that soaking with common vinegar will indeed (over a few day’s time) remove a wart.
Some time-tested, common cures and treatments are now being seriously investigated under laboratory conditions with interesting results. Grandma didn’t know exactly how or why they worked, she only knew that they did.
One of the most useful items in our cupboard is ordinary, humble honey. We might expect honey to be useful for soothing a sore throat when added to hot herbal tea (or brandy), but its medicinal uses are many.
Due to its wound-healing properties, it was used extensively during the Civil War. Doctors in battlefield hospitals, known more for butchery than for surgical success, used honey as both an immediate field dressing and for post-surgical treatment of wounds. As well as needing no refrigeration, honey also had the advantage of being readily available (a short scouting trip of the surrounding countryside usually could produce a “honey tree”), and it could be put into jars or oilcloth packets and easily transported.
The notion of “germs” was still rather vague back then, so they couldn’t have known that honey has natural antibiotic and anti-inflammatory properties derived from enzymes in what my uncle called “bee spit”. They only knew it was useful.
Those same properties also make it helpful for treating minor burns. One old-time method was to slather butter or fat on the burn, a treatment we now know does more harm than good. The reason is, you want a wound of any kind to “breathe” and not be sealed … butter can trap bacteria and actually encourage infection. I was always taught to just use plain ice on a minor burn, then pat dry and cover with a clean bandage.
But additionally, according to a blurb in the Health section of the New York Times*, scientists have now found that honey may be a quick and easy treatment to soothe and promote healing of minor burns. One study in 2006 examined results of more than a dozen previous studies and found that small, non-serious burns healed faster when treated with gauze and a dash of honey, on average, than those treated with antibiotic creams and other dressings. A separate report published earlier found similar results.
So take the honey jar on your next camping trip … you might just find it comes in handy.
Yours in health …
You Are My Sunshine
Florida calls itself the Sunshine State … California also falls into that category (well, usually). Washington state … not so much. I do miss the California sunshine since moving north … even if it’s not pouring rain, the “gray days” of winter seem neverending. Life here has caused me to pay attention to a number of things I once took for granted … one being my vitamin D intake.
prescribe medications
The days of the kindly old family doctor who would come to your house whenever called and prescribe medications compounded by your local pharmacist (who likely knew you by name and also dispensed penny candy from the case) are long gone. For many of us, we are either going to a public clinic or attached to an HMO for our basic medical care. That care is, for the most part, cookie-cutter and limited to 15-minute sound bytes.
To blindly place our trust solely within the realm of conventional medicine is often a poor choice. We all know of and can attest to unfortunate results from not exploring alternative options. We need to ask specific and often difficult questions in order to make the most informed decisions, and if a doctor is alienated during that process, perhaps he/she is the wrong doctor.
But neither should we trust only in alternative methods … delaying proven treatments have also resulted in serious consequences. It’s clear there is room for both conventional and alternative treatments in our health care.
While conventional medicine certainly has its uses (I recently had abdominal surgery and am thankful for my competent surgeon), many doctors openly admit to treating disease or illness “symptomatically” rather than holistically. It’s not their fault … it’s how they are trained by our medical schools.
“What’s wrong with that?” you ask. Well, nothing on the face of it … an illness can usually be identified by its symptoms. The doctor will then hand you a prescription for a best-guess medication to treat that symptom and tell you to come back in two weeks if you don’t improve. And if that drug doesn’t work, they’ll prescribe another. So they are basically telling you to get sicker before they can help you!
To me, there seems to be a fundamental flaw in this concept, and that is: Understanding and interpreting symptoms has its place, but if you’re invested in only treating the symptoms, you aren’t really looking for a cause and/or prevention. The medical establishment (at least here in the U.S.) may give lip service to prevention of illness and disease, but in reality they’re saying to just trust them to eventually figure it out. In the meantime, you are also supposed to believe that they know what they’re doing … after all, you are only the patient. And as they plod through their protocols you may get worse before you get better.
This is how folks end up taking a whole sack full of prescription drugs. Take for example, high blood pressure. Wouldn’t it make more sense to first look at the possible causes as to why an individual has developed high blood pressure in the first place? (These things seldom happen overnight). Once the reasons are understood, you can explore avenues such as changing diet and lifestyle habits, eating certain foods, or taking supplements that will more naturally keep the arteries and veins elastic and healthy.
I believe, as the old saying goes, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”, so I feel it important that we do all we can to help our body take care of itself. It has a remarkable capacity for self-healing and regeneration, given half the chance, and that help doesn’t always come in the form of a prescription drug with a myriad of negative side effects (and a high price tag).
But then the medical establishment (and the drug companies they service) couldn’t keep prescribing more drugs and tests, could they? And that’s the real name of the game.
Yours in health …
To blindly place our trust solely within the realm of conventional medicine is often a poor choice. We all know of and can attest to unfortunate results from not exploring alternative options. We need to ask specific and often difficult questions in order to make the most informed decisions, and if a doctor is alienated during that process, perhaps he/she is the wrong doctor.
But neither should we trust only in alternative methods … delaying proven treatments have also resulted in serious consequences. It’s clear there is room for both conventional and alternative treatments in our health care.
While conventional medicine certainly has its uses (I recently had abdominal surgery and am thankful for my competent surgeon), many doctors openly admit to treating disease or illness “symptomatically” rather than holistically. It’s not their fault … it’s how they are trained by our medical schools.
“What’s wrong with that?” you ask. Well, nothing on the face of it … an illness can usually be identified by its symptoms. The doctor will then hand you a prescription for a best-guess medication to treat that symptom and tell you to come back in two weeks if you don’t improve. And if that drug doesn’t work, they’ll prescribe another. So they are basically telling you to get sicker before they can help you!
To me, there seems to be a fundamental flaw in this concept, and that is: Understanding and interpreting symptoms has its place, but if you’re invested in only treating the symptoms, you aren’t really looking for a cause and/or prevention. The medical establishment (at least here in the U.S.) may give lip service to prevention of illness and disease, but in reality they’re saying to just trust them to eventually figure it out. In the meantime, you are also supposed to believe that they know what they’re doing … after all, you are only the patient. And as they plod through their protocols you may get worse before you get better.
This is how folks end up taking a whole sack full of prescription drugs. Take for example, high blood pressure. Wouldn’t it make more sense to first look at the possible causes as to why an individual has developed high blood pressure in the first place? (These things seldom happen overnight). Once the reasons are understood, you can explore avenues such as changing diet and lifestyle habits, eating certain foods, or taking supplements that will more naturally keep the arteries and veins elastic and healthy.
I believe, as the old saying goes, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”, so I feel it important that we do all we can to help our body take care of itself. It has a remarkable capacity for self-healing and regeneration, given half the chance, and that help doesn’t always come in the form of a prescription drug with a myriad of negative side effects (and a high price tag).
But then the medical establishment (and the drug companies they service) couldn’t keep prescribing more drugs and tests, could they? And that’s the real name of the game.
Yours in health …
Health Tip: The Benefits of Regular Exercise
Decrease the risk desease
..helps control blood pressure
..helps control cholesteral levels
..improves heart and lung efficiency
..helps the body use blood sugar more efficiently
Improve well-being
..increases energy
..decreases stress level
..improves quality of sleep
Improve appearance
..helps control weight
..tones muscles
..boosts self confidence
..helps control blood pressure
..helps control cholesteral levels
..improves heart and lung efficiency
..helps the body use blood sugar more efficiently
Improve well-being
..increases energy
..decreases stress level
..improves quality of sleep
Improve appearance
..helps control weight
..tones muscles
..boosts self confidence
How Many African Americans Have Diabetes?
National Health Interview Surveys (NHIS) conducted between 1963 and 1990 show that African Americans have a rising prevalence of diabetes. (Prevalence is the percentage of cases in a population.) Most African Americans with diabetes have Type 2, or noninsulin-dependent diabetes. Type 2 diabetes usually develops after age 40. However, in high-risk populations, susceptible people may develop it at a younger age. A small number of African Americans have Type I or insulin-dependent diabetes, which usually develops before age 20.NHIS conducted from 1991 to 1992 indicate higher rates of diabetes among African Americans than among white Americans. At age 45 or older, the prevalence of diabetes is 1.4 to 2.3 times as frequent in blacks as in whites. The greatest difference seen in NHIS was among people aged 65 to 74. Figure 1 details these 1991-92 NHIS statistics. Statistics collected in 1993 indicate that in this age group, 17.4 percent of black Americans had diagnosed diabetes, compared to 9.5 percent of white Americans
Buy foods with these claims more often. The food label may include terms such as:
sodium freevery low sodiumlow sodiumreduced (or less) sodiumlight in sodiumunsalted
Spice Up Your Life! Eat Less Salt and Sodium
Be a smart shopper.
Read the food label to find out more about what is in the foods you eat. This will help you choose foods to limit the amount of sodium you eat to 2,400 mg each day.Size up your food. Compare the amounts you will eat to the serving size given. If you eat 2 cups and the serving size is 1 cup, you have to double the amounts of nutrients and calories listed.Read the nutrition information. Use the Percent Daily Value to compare the amount of sodium among brands. Choose those foods that have lower values.
Read the food label to find out more about what is in the foods you eat. This will help you choose foods to limit the amount of sodium you eat to 2,400 mg each day.Size up your food. Compare the amounts you will eat to the serving size given. If you eat 2 cups and the serving size is 1 cup, you have to double the amounts of nutrients and calories listed.Read the nutrition information. Use the Percent Daily Value to compare the amount of sodium among brands. Choose those foods that have lower values.
Positive Health Attitude
Having a positive attitude about your "health" starts with having a positive attitude about "yourself."In my book "Eating to Die: Changing African American Attitudes About Health," I discuss how attitude affects our behavior in Chapter 5, "Attitude shapes Behavior."Our attitude is the way we think, feel, or act that shows our opinion about something. Whatever attitude you have about your health, good or bad, is reflected in how well you take care of yourself.When you have a positive attitude about yourself you are more likely to make healthy lifestyle choices, think of your life as valuable, and feel that as a human being you are worthy of the best.When you have a negative attitude about yourself, consciously or subconsciously, you are not likely to value your life as something that is precious and deserving of care. As such, circumstances relevant to quality of life and making healthy lifestyle choices will not be at the top of your priority list.
fasting period
Welcome to the discussion group for the Fast-5 Diet and Lifestyle!The Fast-5 diet is a way of eating in which food intake is limited to a five-hour window. The five-hour window may occur any time during the day, but is usually placed in the evening, such as 4-9pm or 5-10 pm. The window is not for continuous consumption -- it's the time when one eats if desired.During the window, one eats according to appetite, with no restriction on quantity or type of food. During the 19-hour fasting period (which includes sleeping) no calories are consumed, but water and other zero-calorie beverages may be consumed as desired.
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