Hihigh

For years now, we have heard a lot about controlling disease through diet, exercise and food supplements, but not much is being said as far as disease prevention. What I’m saying here is that the best offense is a good defense. By understanding our own physiologies better, we can take great strides in simply not incurring serious illness in the first place. Our bodies were designed to function perfectly within a certain set of lifestyle and nutritional guidelines.

We are all are born with both inherent strengths and weaknesses as part of our genetic inheritance. All of the tissues in our bodies, whether of bone, muscle, gland or organ, have a unique balance of chemical elements that are designed to work in harmony with one another. It is now believed, that all chronic diseases are accompanied by nutritional deficiencies and a lack of key vitamins and trace minerals. Nobel Laureate Linus Pauling asserted that all diseases can be attributed to a lack of or missing constituent vitamin or mineral imbalance in the essential chemical elements that make up the body. That sounds simple enough, but I’m certain we don’t have all of the answers.

Is an inadequate diet simply a case of not eating enough food, or not eating enough of the right kinds of foods? It is now felt that it is the consumption of a majority of inappropriate foods that lead to nutritional deficiencies in the body. By arming ourselves with the knowledge that our farm soils have been virtually depleted of natural nutrients with well over a century of mass agriculture, we can determine that organically grown produce, by it’s very nature, can give us wholesome foods replete with the nutrients that nature intended. Plus, organic farming assures that the soil is nutritionally replenished, ensuring future healthy yields free of growth chemicals, hormones and a myriad of noxious poisonous chemicals, all of which our bodies are unequipped to handle.

Excessive mental work, for example, can deplete the brain, nerves and glands.There are also many other ways in which the body exhausts its valuable supply of chemical elements. Stress can severely weaken our immune system. Toxins can to build up in our bodies, leading to chemical depletion which in turn leads to cellular starvation. We can simply neglect our bodies by eating junk food or too much processed and fatty foods, which in this day and age is so easy to do. Any abuse or overwork to our bodies, in addition to any inherent weakness we may have, can leave us with nutritional deficiencies. By not getting enough exercise, fresh air and quality stress free time, we greatly compromise our immune systems. The good news here is that by being aware of our limits, we can start to live life as we were meant to, with no positive limits.

Symptoms of ill health are the consequence of nutritional deficiencies and chemical imbalances in the body. Many times symptoms are taken for granted as a natural sign of aging. When left unchecked, however, these same deficiencies can contribute to chronic disease such as arteriosclerosis, high blood pressure, diabetes and arthritis. Finally, after many years of limping through life, we die. By making very simple, common sense lifestyle changes, our bodies can, and will, heal themselves.

The appearance of symptoms marks the clinical stage of a disease. Chronic fatigue is often a sign that something is wrong inside. It has been found that with nutritional supplementation and dietary improvements, you can work toward the remission of symptoms and the reversal of the disease process.

Scientists now recognize that even mild nutritional deficiencies and biochemical imbalances can create subtle symptoms of disease. Although there is a point of no return in tissue damage caused by severe long-term deficiencies, it is surprising to see how well the body responds to nutritional correction. As the chemical signs of deficiency are eased, it has been found that many symptoms being experienced are reduced or even eliminated.

Prevention of chemical depletion is the key to optimal health. Take cancer for instance. People don’t die from cancer, per se, they die from the ravages to the immune system, which in turn leads to infections resulting from the severe depletion of vital nutrients. Ironically, the accepted cures for cancer in American medicine are often the biggest culprits, destroying not only cancerous cells, but surrounding healthy cells as well. I went through cancer therapy so I am not speculating here. What I do know is that Natural Health Practitioners think in terms of treating the patient, not just the disease or the symptoms. They consider each patient as an individual with individual needs. Their goal is to see their patients return to normal health, but normal for one patient may not be the same as normal for another.

One way to evaluate your nutritional needs is to obtain a Biochemical Health Assessment. Standard blood tests only identify clinical signs of dysfunction. They tell you when something is broken. A Biochemical Health Assessment, on the other hand, evaluates your body’s biochemistry based on a state of optimal physical health and well being. It identifies when there are imbalances in your body’s biochemistry and chemical make-up.

A complete Biochemical Health Assessment, should evaluate your Cholesterol Levels, including your Coronary Heart Risk Ratio, your Liver Function, Kidney Function and Thyroid Function. It should also assess your Blood Sugar Levels, Blood Electrolytes as well as check for signs of Anemia and Infection.

Think about it. If you start feeding your body the nutrition it needs, disease can be eliminated before any symptoms begin. If you’re unsure that your diet or lifestyle is not what it should be, then you’re right. Look for a quality liquid vitamin and mineral supplement and follow a few common sense guidelines, keeping on top of the latest nutritional news that’s readily available.

The convenience of a multi vitamin pack makes it extremely attractive. For one thing they make it easy to take your daily vitamins. You can always have them with you. Ultimately, whether you take individual multi vitamins or use a multi vitamin pack is strictly a personal issue. However there are some things you need to be aware of when choosing a vitamin in this type of packaging.

Regardless of how your vitamins are packaged, you need to be aware of what types of ingredients you are taking. For instance many multi vitamin packs include fish oil. But, do you have any idea of the quality of that fish oil? Do you have any idea where the fish oil came from? Do to contamination issues, the quality and source of fish oil is critical.

What about the delivery system or how easily absorbed your multi vitamins are? This is a very important issue if you want be sure you will have success with the vitamins you take. The combination of natural ingredients with an enteric coating is the best way to assure yourself that the nutrients will get into your body.

An enteric coating is important because it allows the ingredients to bypass your stomach acid where some of them may be damaged or destroyed. Instead it dissolves when it reaches the intestines where the vitamins, minerals, amino acids and herbal extracts can be efficiently absorbed into the bloodstream.

Keep in mind that the nutrients in your vitamins need to be from natural sources. Most of the multi vitamin packs you pick up at the convenience store counter are synthetic, meaning they were developed in a lab somewhere. Synthetic vitamins are difficult for your body to absorb, so don’t bother spending your money on them. On the other hand your body processes natural ingredients in the same way that it processes food.

Another thing to be aware of is many vitamin packs give mega doses of vitamins. For one thing, this is a sign that the vitamins are poorly absorbed, so they need to provide mega amounts of vitamins in order for your body to assimilate enough to do you any good. This is also a problem because your body can develop toxicity from too many vitamins. Over a period of time you can actually become ill as your liver becomes overwhelmed with everything it is trying to process.

If you really want to benefit from the vitamins you take, don’t concern yourself with finding them in a multi vitamin pack. The vitamins that have been the most effective for me are not even available in daily packs. Instead become familiar with the types of nutrients contained in the vitamins and look for a broad range of ingredients. A multi vitamin that only includes 40 or 50 ingredients probably won’t be effective for you.

There you have it. A multi vitamin pack certainly is convenient. However, it may not be the best, and since you a looking for something that will provide the greatest health benefits, do your research and know what you are putting in your body. Doing so is the only way you will find truly effective vitamin supplements.

It takes knowledge and desire in creating a wellness mentality. Both the knowledge and the desire will enhance your chances of accomplishing your goal. Embracing a wellness lifestyle creates the greatest chance of a lifelong success.

Creating a stress-free zone, a place that’s free of conflict is paramount to your health and wellness. It should be a quiet place where the chatter and distractions are eliminated. A place to retreat from the rest of the world to recuperate and relax.

Creating a self-care zone is creating an environment that is conducive to your physical, emotional and spiritual wellness. Take the time to plan your meals, drink plenty of water, exercise, and focus on people or things for which you are grateful. Try deep-breathing for at least 20 minutes a day, schedule your self-care moments as an appointment on you calendar and keep it.

Simply relaxing in a hot bath filled with bubbles and aromatic oils make all the difference in the world. Go ahead guys it’s okay, I won’t tell. Treat yourself to a manicure, pedicure or both and savor the moment. Indulge in a facial or massage or just sit quietly and read a good book. These are just a few ideas to get you started, I’m sure you can come up with many more.

Check into digestive enzymes, they are the catalysts that allows our foods to breakdown into absorbable nutrients such as vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and fatty acids. Once these nutrients are liberated, enzymes are vital in escorting them to the cells and tissues for utilization. Poor digestion is the beginning of all of our health challenges.

There have been literally hundreds of enquiries this month for herbs to cure skin rashes and irritations, so I thought I’d take a moment to share some of my favorite skin treatments.

First, let me remind you that the best overall skin care product you can use is olive oil. Whether you suffer from dry or itchy skin, or just wish to improve the appearance and texture of your skin, you would be hard pressed to do better than pure, extra virgin olive oil. This can be applied straight from the bottle, and can be used on any part of the skin including the face.

The curative properties of Olive Oil, both internal and external are nothing short of miraculous and I would like to share with you a recent experience that serves as a reminder to me how some of the most common elements surrounding us often remain overlooked.

My neighbor and I happen to share the same birthday. She is a widow whose children and grandchildren often come to visit. As our birthdays approached, I made her up a bottle of my favorite after-bath oil (made primarily with olive oil) as a gift. Unfortunately for my neighbor, I ran into her daughter first, who had suffered a severe exposure to Poison Ivy. In all honestly, it was the worst case of poison ivy I had ever seen. Her legs were almost completely covered in angry, purple splotches. In a number of areas, the rash was crusting and developing a greenish tinge. The itching was so intense that even after two weeks she was still on sleep medication as well as prescription strength antihistamines and ointments.

I gave the oil to her and sincerely hoped it would help to alleviate her suffering. I’m pleased to report that five days later, my neighbor called, overjoyed. Not only had the oil relieved the itching, but also the crusty, green scabs were gone and the huge purple blotches had begun to fade.

The oil I mentioned is extremely simple to prepare and is an excellent curative for virtually any skin irritation including eczema and psoriasis.

After-Bath Oil:
Please remember that while a lesser grade of olive oil can be used for everyday purposes, if you are attempting to treat a serious skin condition, the extra virgin is made from the first press of the olive and retains the most important curative properties that you are searching for.

Indian food menus are becoming more popular the world over. Indian recipes are known for the healthy ingredients the use of which are based on ancient texts, knowledge passed on from one generation to another. What is more important is that these recipes are now being improvised to suit modern needs.

In most Indian food menus, the food item has a pair of ingredients – one working to compensate the side effects of the other.

For example, dosa is an Indian recipe that is a complete nutritious meal in itself. One dosa can provide your body with most of the required vitamins and nutrients. Hence if you are on a weight loss diet, you will be able to have a filling, complete, nutritious meal once and will not feed the urge to eat anything between meals.

The idea is to get your stomach and tongue feel the satisfaction of a delicious and filling meal that it does not crave for anything in between meals.

Ingredients Complimentary and Counter Active

In Indian dosa we use lentils called “urad dal”. This white lentil is rich in protein, very healthy. White Dal is good for improving hemoglobin count. In India herbal doctors prescribe one dosa per day for people suffering from anemia.

So urad dal has all the good qualities that we need. But nothing is perfect in this world. Good healthy ingredients do have a part that is not good for us. So does urad dal. Eating a lot of urad dal can produce ‘stomach gas’. So to deactivate this component of urad dal, Indians use asafoetida called ‘Hing’. By using a pinch of ‘hing’ in the dosa batter the bad effect of urad dal is removed and we can benefit from the nutritious quality of urad dal.

Another ingredient added to dal to overcome its side effect is cooking soda. Cooking soda again is good for digestion and prevents ‘stomach gas’. A third ingredient used in dosa batter is cumin seeds.

What we are doing here is to benefit from a nutritious meal and have a three pronged attack over its side effects. The three ingredients, asafoetida, cooking soda and cumin seeds, which are used for overcoming the side effects of dosa, have healthy nutrients in themselves. So we have removed the bad effects and added more nutritional value to the meal.

This is just one example of the many, many ways Indian food lovers have perfected the art of eating healthy nutritious meal. This knowledge is passed on from one generation to the next.

Modern Indians do not want to spend a lot of time in the kitchen. Necessity is the mother of invention. Instant food items that retain the healthy, nutritious quality based on the ancient wisdom of Indians are coming into the food market.

These healthy recipes have such ingredients that work against the bad effects of each other as well as compliment each other’s nutritional value.

Why Honey works Best

You might be surprised to know that most of those expensive potions you love to use have honey as the main ingredient. Honey adds lustre to your skin because it enables it to absorb as well as retain moisture for a long time. Regular application of honey keeps your skin fresh and hydrated, and prevents it from drying. The blend of honey and milk has traditionally been used to keep women looking young and radiant. Honey has natural anti-microbial and antioxidant properties that protect your skin from the damaging effects of the sun. It is also known to reverse skin damage and rejuvenate dehydrated and aging skin, leaving it supple and baby soft.

One of the least known benefits of honey is that it helps in the treatment of mild acne. Honey absorbs the impurities present in your skin pores by acting as a cleansing agent. Honey is an important ingredient in a number of beauty products for your hair, skin, face and body. It is often added to sunscreens, lip balms, facial scrubs and baby care products. The following are some honey based home recipes for you:

Honey cucumber toner

Make a blend of cucumber puree and 2 tsp of honey and mix well. Apply this mix on your face and neck with a cotton pad. Let it dry and rinse off with cold water.

Honey apple toner

Make a blend of peeled apple slices and 1 tbsp of honey and mix well. Apply this mix on your face and neck with a cotton pad. Let it dry for about 15 minutes and rinse off with cold water.

Honey oats facial scrub

Blend 1 tbsp finely ground almonds, 1 tbsp honey, 2 tbsp dry oatmeal and some yogurt or lemon juice and mix well until it forms a smooth paste. Massage this exfoliating facial scrub gently on your face and wash it off with warm water after a while.

Honey cleanser

Blend 1 tbsp liquid soap, ¼ cup of honey and half a cup of glycerine and mix well. Use a face sponge to apply this mixture gently onto your face. Rinse it off with warm water after a while and pat your face dry with a clean towel.

Hot honey Bath

This is probably the easiest beauty recipe you must have tried – Run some hot water in the bath and add ¼ cup of honey for glowing luscious skin.

Honey hair conditioner

Blend ¼ cup of olive oil and half a cup of honey. Massage this conditioner into your scalp and wear a shower cap for half an hour. Rinse this conditioner off and shampoo your hair as usual.