Herbal Health
Herbal Remedies Blog
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FOODS THAT PREVENT AND CONTROL CANCER: OLIVE OIL
Eating too much fat has been linked with breast cancer. This has been adequately proved by a research study of 750 Italian women. It was found in this study that the women who eat the most saturated fats have triple the risk of breast cancer as compared to those eating the least. Eating too much fat can influence the spread and virulence of an existing breast cancer, its recurrence and survival chances. Some researches show that the more saturated animal fat in your diet, the greater the odds of auxiliary lymph node involvement or spread of the cancer, and the more total fat in a diet, the greater the chances of dying from breast cancer. Monounsaturated fat, the type predominant in olive oil, is however, not cancer a culprit. In fact, new evidence suggests that olive-oil-type fat can help counteract cancer. Mediterranean women who eat lots of olive oil have low rates of breast cancer, as do Japanese women who eat lots of fish oils but little animal fat.*37/355/5*
Cancer -
IMMUNE POWER DIET: AMINO ACIDS: YOUR ENERGY THERMOSTAT
Amino acids make your body’s energy thermostat—the way you absorb, digest and use protein, carbohydrates, fats, and sugars—run more smoothly. Ideally, our body should work to keep us on a smooth course of constant high energy and cheery moods. But for many people, it doesn’t work that way because imbalances in the body’s energy regulators cause periodic bouts of low blood sugar.In my opinion, this is one of the most common undiagnosed medical problems in this country. The medical term for it is reactive hypoglycemia. This means that instead of smoothly maintaining the constant sugar and protein balance we need, the body responds jerkily, flooding itself with sugar energy (“hyperglycemia,” or “high-sugar”) then abruptly slamming on the energy brakes (“hypoglycemia,” or “low sugar”). We all know people who are “touchy,” apt to fly off the handle, with what psychiatrists call “mood lability.” Often, such people are stuck on this “hyper-hypo” seesaw, victims of a faulty energy thermostat.People suffering reactive hypoglycemia may also be susceptible to every passing germ that comes along, and often plagued with hay fever, skin rashes, or allergies. In short, their erratic energy thermostat seems to go along with a weakened immune system. I am indebted to Dr. Jeff Bland, a noted nutritional researcher, for first bringing this constellation of symptoms to my attention.*61\242\2*
Weight Loss -
TREATING MIGRAINE WITHOUT DRUGS: MEDITATION AND YOGA
MeditationThe many different forms of meditation can be grouped into two general categories: those concerned with ‘emptying the mind’ and those in which internal thoughts are built up and maintained by an effort of concentration.Transcendental meditation became very fashionable in the West during the 1960s and much is claimed for it by headache sufferers. It is not surprising that an act of relaxation or withdrawal from everyday activities is associated with relief of tension which produces a reduction in headache frequency. It is less likely to be effective once a headache has started, presumably because the metabolic changes which occur during the headache make it difficult to maintain the appropriate state of mind.
Pain Relief-Muscle Relaxers
YogaYoga is an ancient Indian technique of achieving total bodily and mental control in an attempt to reach new heights of awareness and in promoting relaxation. There have been several trials of yoga methods of meditation in the prevention of migraine and the results, although preliminary, are encouraging.’Yoga of the body’ is concerned with making the body a fit vehicle for the mind as it meditates. The first precepts of control are based on the type of foods ingested, and are similar to much of the dietary advice often given for migraine: no citrus fruits, little cheese, no alcohol or wine, no garlic or onions and, in addition, no smoking. Garlic and onions are excluded because they may cause gastric upset. Meals are taken three times a day, the stomach being ‘half filled with food, a quarter filled with water and one quarter left empty’, to avoid any feeling of fullness. Food has to be chewed thoroughly and eaten slowly (in contrast to the gulping of quick snack lunches seen in British pubs). Constipation is avoided by adding bran to the diet. Much of this advice is commonsense and it is understandable that, with this regime, the body will function in a better way.The exercises of yoga are divided into those in which breathing is the main concern, and those which exercise the rest of the body. The breathing exercises are designed to establish conscious control over respiration as well as using the stomach muscles to ensure that the lungs are fully inflated.The bodily exercises are performed very slowly and involve either stretching movements or the maintenance of particular positions for periods of time. Physiologically, the maintenance of posture utilizes the stretch reflex of muscles. The whole system can be likened to a cat stretching and rolling, with movements being slow and graceful. It is essential that these exercises become comfortable and patience is needed for this but, after three months’ practice, many patients find they feel much better, fitter, and much less likely to develop headaches.There are many techniques of teaching yoga. The meditation aspect of yoga is the most important so that those techniques controlling thought, or holding thoughts in the mind and so building on them, are likely to be of benefit in developing control.Current approaches involve combining certain yoga techniques with biofeedback and it will be interesting to see how much this will achieve; it is conceivable that migraine patients who practice these techniques will not be so much at the mercy of stress and therefore will suffer fewer headaches.
*46/152/5* -
SKIN TROUBLES: CONDITIONING THE STOMACH AND THE BOWELS
It may almost be taken for granted that in all skin complaints there will be some disturbance of the digestive system, and a preparatory course will be necessary to bring it into a condition to be able to deal in a satisfactory manner with the food that is taken. The stomach should be given a rest for a few days, and during that time no solid food of any kind should be taken. Those who are possessed of sufficient will-power should keep watering only for twenty-four to forty-eight hours; others should take fruit juices only. This liquid diet may be kept up for three or four days, and will be a good start in clearing the stomach of the offending mucus.If there has been a tendency to constipation – and this is practically certain to be the case in skin complaints – then the warm-water enema should be used once a day to clear the lower bowel and activate the intestines. Just plain water should be used, and nothing should be added to it. Its use is simple and a matter of personal experiment, and is far easier to do than to describe. It is much better and safer than taking laxatives.This cleansing process should be followed by the all-fruit diet, if the weather is not too cold; in the middle of a cold spell it may be better to take two meals of fruit and one of nicely cooked vegetables. This restricted diet may be carried on for another four to seven days, depending on the reaction and the condition of the sufferer. Many people find it quite easy to carry on in this way for ten days or two weeks, and if the condition of the skin is responding to it the extra time will be well worth while. The bulkiness of the diet will keep the bowels acting as a rule, but there is no danger if they are rather sluggish. The flora of the colon will gradually change through the large amount of cellulose that is in the fruit and vegetables and bring the bowels back to normal activity.The idea of this restricted diet is thoroughly to cleanse the whole alimentary tract, so that when the ordinary diet is adopted the system will be able to make full use of the nutritional elements. A short cleansing diet will do more to tone up the stomach and the bowels than any amount of medicine, and apart from its good effect upon the skin it will improve the general health. Conditioning the digestive tract in this way should be done at least twice a year. It will be beneficial to those who do not suffer from any specific trouble, and will help to prevent the development of disease, especially the complaints that have their roots in digestive disorders.With fruit and vegetables as the basic diet it is very easy to build up a sensible daily menu. One should add the protein and the starchy foods gradually. The protein foods consist of meat, fish, eggs, cheese, nuts and such preparations, and the starchy foods are potatoes and those containing the cereal flours, bread, oatmeal and all the various things that are made from flour. As a rule it is safer to add these foods to the fruits and the vegetables rather than to approach it from the other angle, because the fruits and the vegetables should take precedence.
Skin Care
*41/154/5* -
ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY OF THE BACKBONE: CURVATURE
Let us now look at the vertebral column as a whole. It consists of 7 cervical vertebrae, 12 thoracic vertebrae, 5 lumbar vertebrae and 5 sacral vertebrae, which fuse completely between 25 to 30 years of age. The total length of the vertebral column of an adult averages 28 inches.The vertebrae do not form a straight and rigid structure. If you look at the spine from the side (see Figure on page 61) you will see that it has several curves, namely (1) the cervical curve, (2) the thoracic curve, (3) the lumbar curve and (4) the sacral curve.The thoracic and sacral curves are called primary curves as they appear by the end of foetal development and are present in the newborn. They are also called ‘accommodation curves’ as they accommodate the thoracic organs (lungs, heart and other related structures) and abdominal and pelvic organs (large intestines, small intestines, uterus, kidney, bladder, rectum etc). These organs are voluminous and they need space, so the spine in the thoracic and sacral regions curves out (convex) to accommodate these organs. In the case of the sacrum, the weight of the abdominal organs tends to push them downwards into the pelvic region where they need ample space to be accommodated.*65\330\8*
Pain Relief-Muscle Relaxers -
IBS AND FOOD INTOLERANCE – MARGARET’S STORY
The condition responds well to treatment, but because of the lack of information it can be difficult to find someone who understands the problem. Some clinical nutritionists believe many chronic conditions, such as certain chest and kidney troubles and arthritis, are caused by food intolerance. The dramatic improvement in some degenerative and nervous illnesses in people who have been treated for food intolerance – even if they have only used self-help methods – would seem to confirm this. Here is Margaret’s story:It all started when I was pregnant. I had lost a lot of weight and my bowel movement was never normal; I either had diarrhoea or constipation. After my son was born I had a rash on my legs which formed blisters.The doctor said it was post-natal depression and gave me tranquillizers. This went on for years, I was convinced it was something to do with food but I was given more and more tranquillizers, then anti-depressants. When I developed migraine -although it seemed like the last straw – it put me on the right road. I found a book in the health shop on headaches. It was the first time I had heard of food intolerance or elimination diets. I cut out all dairy produce, chocolate, tea and coffee and did improve a little but it was not until I had an asthma attack after drinking a glass of orange squash (containing E102, Tartrazine) that the doctor began to think about allergies. He referred me to a private doctor who just said I had severe allergies and sent me to a dietician. This was not very helpful and it was not until I found a doctor with an interest in clinical nutrition that I started to make progress. Tests revealed I had trouble with wheat, yeast and several other foods. The treatment suggested was an elimination /anti-Candida diet, vitamins and minerals.I really feel I am getting somewhere; for the first time in years my head is clear, I am not depressed, and my silly bowel is starting to behave.*82\326\8*
Gastrointestinal -
CIRCULATION: BLOOD VESSELS
The fine subdivisions of blood vessels result in every minute portion of the body getting supplied, as you may readily realize when you consider how even a pin prick produces bleeding. A little way back the resemblance of the blood system to the branching tree was suggested. It has often been so depicted. But if a branch is broken, the leaves at its tip wither. Such a calamitous result is uncommon in the body, for the blood system really is like the network of highways in the country. If the main route is blocked, it is bothersome, but traffic can be rerouted. The side routes for the blood are referred to as collateral circulation. John Hunter, the famous eighteenth-century English surgeon, did a great deal to study and described these side circulations.His most famous experiment consisted in tying the vessels which carry blood to a deer’s antler. One would naturally suppose that this constriction would interfere with the growth of the antler, but Hunter found that other large vessels appeared, or at least enlarged so that they became noticeable, and the antler continued to grow.We used to think that there were a number of places in the body that were supplied by what we called end arteries; that there was only one route for the blood to traverse, and if this was blocked then no blood reached the part. The more the matter has been investigated, the more we find that this is not so. The coronary arteries in the heart were among the last to be proved to have this side circulation. Recent investigations have shown that coronary arteries can be blocked off and in many instances the blood does get to the tissues by side routes.There is a theory that in the early stages of life all these vessels are equally important, but then some one vessel takes over most of the load and the others do not develop. When your pulse is counted, the throb comes through the radial artery in the wrist for that is carrying lots of blood to your very important hand. Most of you could find no evidence of blood getting through by any other channel. Yet the’ radial artery can be cut and tied off, and other vessels will take over the work with very little difficulty.The veins which bring the blood back have even more side routes to help out. The circulation of blood in the brain has to be carefully adjusted. Too little or too much makes a great difference here. The jugular veins, one on each side of the neck, are tremendous big pipes; but when we dissect the side of the neck, as we frequently do for cancer, we think little of removing the jugular. That big flow of blood goes off by other channels and the brain minds it not at all. The patient may be up and around the next day. Nature is a good traffic engineer. She can adjust to peak loads and times of light traffic more successfully than is done on our streets.*3/276/5*
Cardio & Blood- Сholesterol -
BACH FLOWER REMEDIES: CHESTNUT BUD
Inattention, lack of observation makes the same mistakes again and again, does not learn from past experiences. Develops escapist mentality.The negative Chestnut Bud Type is not a dullard and does not possess “Low I.Q.” But he makes the same mistakes again and again. He may have incurred huge loss by not supervising the working of his staff m the past, but this experience will not deter him from trusting the same staff again and incur further loss. His friend may have warned him against appointing a person who had been sacked by a rival concern because of his dishonesty, but he would ignore the good advice and appoint the same man for “his good business connections”, and come to grief later on.No. A negative chestnut bud type does not learn any lesson from his past experience or from the experience of other persons, or he may be too slow to learn from experience.The boy may not learn his lesson due to inattention i.e. his mind was away when the book lay open on his lap, or he was looking mechanically on the Black Board when the teacher was writing on it, or he was copying some notes from a fellow student’s copy without caring to grasp the subject which he was copying – a case of inattention.He went to his friend’s house in his car, saw the location, saw the number plate of the street, and saw the number plate on the house.Next time he was led to the house by a ricksha wala, and saw all those things again.When he wanted to go to the same house on his own he had forgotten all those signs which he could follow. He could not recollect what was the size of the number plate, its colour or whether it was fixed on the right or left wall of the street entrance—a case of lack of observation when a person does not see even with his eyes open, or is indifferent to what he sees. A man may be in a hurry when he is given some instructions or it may be his habit to receive the instructions hurriedly and then fail to follow the instructions, Whether it is due to lack of observation, or due to inattention or from hurry, the result is the same need for repeated experience.*78\308\8*
Anti-Infectives, Herbal -
CERVICAL SPINAL CORD INJURY
The immediate course of action for injury at this level often includes placement of “tongs” on the head, for treatment of a dislocated vertebra. The two arms of the tongs are attached directly to the skull (under local anesthesia) with a pin on each side of the head. Weights are connected to the tongs by a pulley system, and the device is used to apply traction to (to stretch) the cervical spine. With increasing weight, the traction allows the dislocated bones to slip back into their proper positions gradually, thus preventing damage that could result if the bones were forced into position. Achieving proper alignment and stability of the spine is essential for a good recovery from spinal cord injury. Tongs are useful for realigning the spine, but surgery and/or bracing are necessary for long-term stability.Because the neck is highly flexible, it is difficult to stabilize it with a brace. The most effective kind of neck brace is called a halo brace. A ring of metal (the halo) is attached around the circumference of the head with small pins drilled directly into the skull (under local anesthesia). The pins are tightened to hold the halo firmly in place. The patient dons a hard plastic vest that fits close to the upper body, and the vest is attached to the halo by metal bars and joints. This gives the spinal cord and vertebral column tremendous stability, allowing the bones and ligaments to heal in their proper positions. The halo can cause some pain, but this usually decreases with time and can be controlled with mild pain relievers.
Healthy bones Osteoporosis Rheumatic
*8/156/5* -
DIABETES: WHAT INFORMATION DO YOU NEED?
To take command of your diabetes you need to know what is happening in your body. To do this, you need to know what resources are available to help you to gather this information and to use it to manage your diabetes.The effects of diabetes upon the body can be divided into biochemical and physical factors. The lack of insulin or its failure to act properly at the surface of the body’s cells leads to many changes in body chemistry. The most obvious, and in practical terms the most important, is an accumulation of glucose in the blood stream because it cannot enter the cells. High blood glucose levels may cause immediate symptoms (for example, thirst and passing urine frequently). In combination with other as yet unidentified factors, they may cause long-term physical damage to body tissues. You therefore need to know:1. What your blood glucose level is2. What effect (if any) the diabetes is having on your body over the years.
Diabetes
*1/102/5*