August 31, 2007
Herbal Medicine
Herbal medicine is the oldest form of health care known to mankind, and is also called botanical medicine or herbalism. Herbal medicine began with primitive cultures using different plants for shelter, clothing, and medicine. Herbal medicine is a complementary therapy that uses plants or plant extracts to treat illness, and is an important part of keeping healthy holistically and naturally. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that as many as 4 billion people, or 80 percent of the world's population presently use herbal medicine for some aspects of primary health care.
History of Herbals
Nearly every people, including ancient cultures dating back thousands of years, has used herbs. Medicinal herbs were found in the personal effects of an "Ice man" whose body was frozen in the Swiss Alps for more than 5,300 years. They appear to have been used to treat the parasites found in his intestines. In the written record, the study of herbs dates back over 5,000 years to the Sumerians, who described well-established medicinal uses for such plants as laurel, caraway, and thyme. The continuing importance of herbs for the centuries following the Middle Ages is indicated by the hundreds of pages of information on herbs published after the invention of printing in the fifteenth century.
How To Use Herbs
Herbs can be prepared in a variety of forms depending on their purpose. They have been used in all cultures throughout history to restore balance by nourishing the body and have provided humankind with medicine from the earliest beginnings of civilization. Herbs contain a large number of naturally occurring chemicals that have biological activity. They help the body strengthen its own resistance to infective organisms and throw off illness. Herbs can act on the body as powerfully as pharmaceutical drugs and should be treated with the same caution and respect.
Herbs can also have undesirable side effects just as pharmaceutical products can. Herbs may be harmful if taken for the wrong conditions, used in excessive amounts, combined with prescription drugs or alcohol, or used by persons who don't know what they are doing. Most herbal traditions have accumulated knowledge without modern scientific controls to distinguish between the placebo effect, the body's natural ability to heal itself, and the actual benefits of the herbs themselves.
Who Can Use Herbs
Medicinal plants can be used by anyone, for example as part of a salad, an herbal tea or supplement. Many of the herbs and spices used by humans to season food yield useful medicinal compounds. To use an herbal product as safely as possible consult your doctor or a trained herbalist before you begin. Do not take a bigger dose than the label recommends. Take it under the guidance of someone trained in and experienced with herbal use. Be especially cautious if you are pregnant or nursing.
While herbal medicine is older than any other type of health care, it continues to influence the medicines of today. Herbal medicine has proven to be a huge benefit to mankind and has never been more popular than it is today.
You can improve your health and personal well being as you begin to use complementary herbal medicines confidently and effectively.
Posted by personalhealthnews at 07:58 AM | Comments (0)
August 23, 2007
Yoga: The Breath Of Life
Yoga is a 6000-year-old form of exercise which not only disciplines the body but conditions the mind as well.
While the various asanas or exercises are the basic building blocks of the practice of yoga, the breath is its very essence of it. Some go so far as to say, "If you can breathe, you can do yoga." One of the main reasons for this is that one of the main goals of yoga is to teach you to still and quiet your mind through the use of your breath.
By practicing yoga on a regular basis, you get to know your breath intimately. Not only will you learn about proper breathing , which will soothe and relax you, but you will to bring your postures to life through the use of your breath.
As human beings, our minds tend to wander into thoughts of the past and the future. However, our bodies exist only in the present. By practicing yoga, you will learn through your breath how to draw your mind back to your body and abandon all of your worries.
One of the refreshing aspects about yoga is that, even if only for a minute, you are able to focus and concentrate on the present, and you are learning to let go of the cares and concerns that can bring tension and disease to your body.
By practicing yoga, you will learn conscious breathing during yoga poses which will keep your mind alert and ever aware of your practice. You will learn how to draw your mind to the present moment - allowing you to leave off all other thoughts.
While there are a number of breathing exercises associated with yoga which will teach you how to release tension and balance your mind, as a start, try the following exercise.
1. Lie or sit comfortably and become aware of your normal state of breathing.
2. Continue by being aware of your breath but make your inhalations and your exhalations 4 counts each for several rounds.
3. Now, increase your inhalation and exhalations to 5 counts each.
4. Next, increase your inhalations and exhalations to 6 counts each. This time try to become aware of your body – making sure you are not tensed.
5. Continue increasing your inhalations and exhalations all the way up to 9 counts. If you feel that this is causing you any stress, drop the count back down to a number that is comfortable for you.
6. Keep bringing your mind back to your body to check to see if there is any tension anywhere. If there is, try to relax that part of your body.
7. Whatever your final number of breaths is, continue breathing with long breaths for several rounds, then drop the counting and breathe naturally for 10 rounds.
What you should discover from this exercise, as well as with many of yoga’s other breathing exercises, is the ability to relax your thoughts and to still your mind so that you are present in your body. In time, you will eventually gain mastery over your breath so that you will be able to call on your breath to still your mind in times of stress and tension.
Posted by personalhealthnews at 08:44 AM | Comments (0)
May 22, 2006
Turn Back the Clock – Vital Vitamins and Minerals that Slow the Aging Process
As we grow older, we often wish we could turn back the clock and have the vitality of your younger days. Hormonal changes turn down our inner “thermostat” which results in a change of hormone levels. This is thought to be the primary cause of aging. The first goal would be to replace hormonal levels to the level of a healthy young adult. Then there our cell receptor sensitizers that help rejuvenate the thermostat in our brains. Let’s review a few of them and what they will do.
If you are experiencing an imbalance between estrogen and progesterone levels this can cause depression, fatigue, mood swings, memory loss and unexplained weight loss. There are several over the counter, natural ways to increase your hormonal level especially in women. The soy product has been used extensively to help balance hormone levels. There are also creams on the market that provide extra hormones when they are absorbed in the skin.
Free radicals pose one of the greatest threats to our health as we progress into the twenty-first century. What are free radicals and what do they do? Free radicals are renegade, unstable oxygen molecules that collide with other particles and tissues in our bodies. This causes a burst of light on impact. They seek out other molecules to combine with in order to gain stability.
Some free radicals are good for you because they enable you to fight inflammation, kill bacteria, and help control the tone of your smooth muscles. These muscles help regulate the workings of your internal organs. When there are too many free radicals in your body, they run wild attacking not only unhealthy but also healthy parts of the body. This causes such diseases as heart disease and cancer.
Antioxidants have been found to be a successful shield against these free radicals. They alter cancer growth and act as anticarcinogens. Antioxidants are chemical substances that donate an electron to a free radical and convert it to a molecule that is harmless.
Antioxidants intercept free radicals to keep them from damaging blood vessel membranes. This helps the flow of blood to the heart and brain and can against cancer causing damage. Fruits, vegetables, and grains are rich sources of antioxidant vitamins and minerals.
Carnosine is an important amino acid and natural antioxidant found in high amounts in the brain, lens of the human eye and muscle tissue. It’s capable of protecting cell membranes and cell structures. It is effective against muscle fatigue, reducing stress, hyperactivity, and helping sleep patterns.
Lycopene is another antioxidant that we have seen a lot of on television lately. The richest source of lycopene is in tomatoes and tomato products. Aging reduces levels of lycopene in the blood. Lycopene is needed in organs such as the adrenal glands, prostate, liver colon, and testes. It appears that lycopene is a protection against cancer in the digestive tract.
Lypoic acid is a co-factor in the conversion of carbohydrates to energy as well as an antioxidant. This acid is both water and fat-soluble and can eliminate free radicals in the water compartment of a cell and protects against oxidation. It breaks down sugars so that energy can be produced and is one of the most important antioxidants. It’s called the universal antioxidant because it is able to quench free radicals both in water and fat cells.
Xanthones have strong antioxidant effects on the nervous system but it also is a bitter compound and is known to produce agreeable and delightful feelings. It is a great benefit to those who suffer from depression and acts to reduce appetites and obsessions. It produces a series of hormonal reactions that triggers the release of dopamine in the pleasure centers of the brain.
Dopamine is an energizing neurotransmitter, which can increase or decrease output by brain cells causing a domino effect. Dopamine helps stimulate the pituitary glad that releases growth hormone and improving the immune response. It also helps stimulate brain activity no matter what the age. Dopamine is known to decrease with aging. Blueberries are considered a big part of reversal in motor dysfunction that occurs with aging and dopamine deficiency.
Posted by personalhealthnews at 03:25 PM | Comments (0)
May 20, 2006
Eat a wide variety of foods for a healthy diet
One of the most frequently cited reasons that diets and attempts at healthy eating fail is boredom. Many people simply do not know how to keep a healthy diet interesting day after day, and it can be quite a challenge.
Given the huge variety of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, meats and other healthy foods at the local grocery store, however, it is definitely possible to create exciting, nutritious meals that will keep boredom at bay.
Your key to healthy eating
The key to the success of any plan for healthy eating is to eat what you like, but to exercise moderation when it comes to the less healthy foods. Improving your level of health and fitness does not mean forgoing that piece of chocolate cake, for instance. It does mean, however, limiting yourself to one piece. A healthy diet contains all types of foods, including carbohydrates, proteins, and even fats. The key is choosing foods that provide the best combination of taste and nutrition. After all, if your diet consists of foods you hate, you will not stick with it.
The revised USDA food pyramid contains five major food groups – grains, vegetables, fruits, milk and dairy, and meat and beans. When choosing foods from these groups, it is important to eat a wide variety of foods from every food group. Doing so will not only give you a great deal of variety and keep boredom from setting in, but it will provide the best nutritional balance as well. In addition the widely known micronutrients, such as vitamin A, vitamin D, vitamin C, etc. all foods contain a variety of macronutrients, like fats, proteins, fiber and water. Though present in extremely tiny amounts, micronutrients are vitally important to good health. That is why a healthy, varied diet is so important.
In addition, when choosing foods from within the various food groups, some choices are naturally better and healthier than others. For instance, choosing skim or 2% milk instead of full fat whole milk is a good way to cut down on both fat and calories. And choosing poultry or lean meat is a great way to get the protein you need every day without extra fat, cholesterol and calories.
Likewise cereals and breads that carry the whole grain label are healthier than those who do not. Even in the world of fruits and vegetables some choices are better than others. For instance, peaches packed in heavy syrup add unnecessary sugar to the diet, while those packed in water or juice provide only good nutrition.
There has been a trend lately to add vitamin fortification to food, and this can sometimes be a good way to maximize nutrition. It is important to remember, however, that proper nutrition comes from a healthy diet, not from vitamin supplements. It is fine to buy calcium fortified cereal, but the bulk of your calcium intake should still come from milk, dairy products and green leafy veggies.
Choosing the best foods
Knowing the five major food groups and how much of each to eat every day is only part of the picture. The other part is choosing the best foods from within those food groups. That means things like choosing the leanest cuts of meat, using egg substitutes instead of whole eggs, choosing the freshest fruits and vegetables, etc.
Even with fruits and vegetables, some choices are better than others. Some fruits, such as avocados, for instance, are packed with fat and calories. It is important to check the nutritional qualities of the fruits and vegetables you buy, and not simply assume that all fruits and vegetables are equally healthy.
One way to maximize nutrition while minimizing cost is to buy fruits and vegetables that are in season. Fruits and vegetables that are in season are usually quite a bit cheaper than those that must be shipped hundreds or even thousands of miles, and they are generally much fresher too. Of course, depending on where you live, there may be varieties of fruits and vegetables that are not available locally, so the northerner in search of citrus fruits will just have to watch the sales and buy accordingly.
Posted by personalhealthnews at 09:05 AM | Comments (0)
May 07, 2006
Mind, Body and Soul Interconnectivity
The practice of chiropractic care focuses on the relationship between your spine and your nervous system. The spine is the structure, and the nervous system is the function. Chiropractic believes these two systems work in unison to keep and then restore your body’s health. The word “chiropractic” is taken from Greek, and means “done by hand”. This is exactly how chiropractic care works.
The chiropractor uses his or her hands to manipulate your body, and help it to heal itself. It is the branch of the health sciences which focuses on the neuromusculoskeletal system. That’s a very big word to simply say how your spine and nervous system work together.
The spine is the highway for your central nervous system; if the highway is blocked or traffic is jammed, they are usually able healers. Many cultures, the Egyptians, the Greeks, the Chinese, and even the Africans have used some form of chiropractic care for hundreds of years.
Modern alternative medicine and holistic healers believe in the power of the energy that flows through our bodies; this energy radiates from our mind as well. It is believed to be the chief from of transportation for our body’s nervous system to carry out communication.
Acupuncture is one of the key components of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), and operates on the premise that the body is divided into two opposing and inseparable forces, the yin and yang. Yin represents the cold, slow, or passive principle, and yang represents the hot, excited or active principle.
According to TCM health is achieved by maintaining a balance state of the yin and yang. This is done through the vital pathways or meridians that allow for the flow of qi, or vital energy. The vital energy flow occurs along pathways known as meridians. These meridians connect over 2,000 acupuncture points along the body. There are 12 main meridians, and 8 secondary meridians.
Although traditional western medicine does not completely understand how acupuncture works, the proof that it does work has been shown in several studies conducted by western medical facilities.
Finally, in the last few years, traditional western medicine has come to accept the role that your mind, body and soul have in keeping each other healthy, during daily processes, or recovering from surgery. Almost every form of healing accepts and incorporates the fact that our bodies have a “vital energy force” that flows through, from top to bottom.
This “life force” as some refer to the energy, helps to keep us connected, mind, body, and soul. To come to the understanding, as modern medicine finally has, that there are certain aspects of our health that we cannot place neatly in a physical process, has been a difficult revelation for believers of the purely scientific approaches to healing and medicine.
It’s impossible to separate the mind from the body, or the body from the soul. Their interconnectivity is the basis for our life’s meaning and existence. It is because of this connection, that we are able to heal ourselves in the beginning.
Posted by personalhealthnews at 04:10 PM | Comments (0)
