Thursday, November 29, 2012

Relief Pain Without Drugs

Body pain is an uncomfortable feeling often caused due to unknown factors. Doctors suggest that most body pain is because of stress and fatigue, something which almost the entire population faces because of the grueling work schedules and a fast paced lifestyle. Sometimes, pain could also result from muscle fatigue or cramps due to excessive exercising. While many people resort to taking pain killers, natural pain relief is an option we tend to overlook because of the ease of availability of over the counter pain medicine. Natural pain relief medicines do not have any side effects.

One of the best and economical natural pain relief methods is to apply a warm compress to the affected area. Whether you have a leg pain, stomach ache or even muscle cramps, a warm compress can make you feel better instantly. A warm compress decreases the muscle swelling and provides relief. Massaging the affected area with avocado oil or any other essential oil will also help in decreasing swelling. Doing this regularly will also help those who suffer from chronic pain.

Some herbs have also been known to alleviate pain and related symptoms, such as willow bark extracts, boswellia, and tart cherry, according to the Psychology Today magazine. Willow bark has properties similar to aspirin but does not cause the harmful side effects associated with aspirin such as stomach ulcers and gastritis.

A nutrient called SAM-e administered in conjunction with several essential vitamins and minerals also reduced chronic back pain in at least 60 of the 70 patients it was administered to. However, the downside is that SAM-e is quite expensive and can be taken only if a few changes are made to your diet, otherwise it breaks down easily and doesn’t work the way it is supposed to.

Doctors say that pain is a sign from your body, a way for it to get your attention. These signs could indicate lack of sleep, lack of proper nutrition, and could also indicate infections in the body. Chronic pain should definitely not be taken lightly and while natural pain relief methods will definitely help you lower the amount of pain, chronic pain could be because of several factors, a chest pain could be indicative of impending heart infarction or other heart ailments. The most common type of pain that people report is chronic back pain, which is mostly because of incorrect posture while working.

The simple solution to this is sitting in the correct posture while working and using a cushion for support. Your chair should be comfortable and provide adequate spinal support. Regular exercise is also helpful in reducing pain over a period of time. You can maintain a healthy lifestyle by choosing to eat healthy home cooked meals and also by going for a walk or a jog every day. because of the increase in genetically processed fruits and vegetables and the high price of organic or heirloom vegetables, you can instead supplement your diet with multi vitamin capsules which are readily available in the market.

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Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Natural Hair Regrowth Tips for Women

For all women, nothing is an important as their hair -- it is associated with youth and attractiveness. On an average, women lose about a hundred strands each day but hair loss is a common problem that two thirds of women are facing globally. Instead of spending huge amounts of money in treatments that don’t even work, you can use some natural remedies for hair regrowth.

First, it is important to understand the root cause for the hair loss. In women, the most common reason is menopause and pregnancy. Because of the hormonal changes women go through in both these situations, estrogen level increases resulting in hair loss. In both cases, the hair loss is temporary although one fourth of the women experience female pattern baldness. This is hereditary and like male pattern baldness, there is no cure per se.

Hair can come out in handfuls if you subject it to harsh chemical treatments and prolonged heating through straightening irons etc. Crash dieting can also result in extreme hair loss. If the cause of your hair loss falls into these two categories, stop immediately. Crash dieting can result in many other complications, not just hair loss, because the body is not getting the nutrition it needs to function properly.

Most women hair regrowth natural remedies focus on diet changes first. A proper diet can replenish the hair by giving it the much needed nutrients and vitamins. Include a lot of fresh fruit and leafy vegetables in your diet. Supplement it by taking oral doses of vitamins and minerals. Also have 4-8 glasses of water every day to keep your hair moisturized.

Herbs are effective in reducing hair loss. Massage your hair with coconut oil for an hour before washing it out with a mild shampoo. You can even make your own shampoo by mixing rosemary and sage extract with a bit of clear liquid soap. Henna is a widely used herb in India. It heals the hair shaft and makes it stronger. You can make a paste of dry henna leaves powder with warm water. Give the mixture a resting time of a couple of hours and then apply on your scalp and hair.

Some natural remedy experts also suggest rubbing the cut underside of an onion on bald patches. This kills bacteria and promotes hair growth in cases where baldness is due to a fungal or bacterial infection. Make sure you wash your hair 2-3 times a week, and four times is you stay in a warm, humid climate.

Irrespective of glossy advertisements about hair regrowth, following these simple remedies will help you get healthier, shinier hair. Stay away from websites that promise herbal drugs aimed at promoting hair growth – they are just after to get your money, unless supported by a verifiable claim. Although women hair regrowth natural remedies will not work instantaneously, you will see visible results over time. You can even take advice from your mother or grandmother, they are sure to have some home remedies that will help you.

Monday, November 26, 2012

Eat to Starve Cancer

Dr. William Li presents a new way to think about treating cancer and other diseases: anti-angiogenesis, preventing the growth of blood vessels that feed a tumor. The crucial first (and best) step: Eating cancer-fighting foods that cut off the supply lines and beat cancer at its own game.

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Natural Hair Regrowth Tips for Men

Hair loss is a problem that isn’t only restricted to women. Men experience massive amounts of hair loss if they suffer from male pattern baldness. Unfortunately, male pattern baldness is a hereditary condition and results in total hair loss. If you are experiencing hair loss that is more than a hundred strands a day, there are several men hair regrowth natural remedies that can help you.

The most common reasons for hair loss in men are stress, illness and an unclean scalp. If your work or school is stressing you out, take a break. Do something that will help you relax like Yoga or meditation, or even a good old game of baseball with friends. Illnesses like typhoid make the body very weak and you may experience a lot of hair loss during this time, although this shouldn’t be a cause of worry.

Unclean scalp is a problem with most men. Many men neglect washing their hair properly. If you can’t remember the last time you used a shampoo, it’s time to pull up your socks if you want to continue seeing some hair on your head. Here are some men hair regrowth natural remedies that are proven to be beneficial.

  • What kind of food do you eat throughout the day? Is it healthy? Does it include salads, fruits and lots of water? If not, change your diet immediately by opting for healthier home cooked meals.
  • Stop using too much dye and permanent hair color if you do. If you have gray hair, just flaunt it.
  • Are you suffering from acute dandruff? Dandruff can also cause hair loss. The trick is to keep your hair clean.
  • Apply warm coconut oil mixed with lemon juice to your scalp every day. Keep it for an hour and wash off with a mild shampoo.
  • Castor oil has been proven extremely effective by the Egyptians due to its many healing properties
  • Aloe vera juice has anti bacterial properties and can also help heal damaged hair.
  • Saw palmetto has been found to be very effective in hair regrowth in cases of male pattern baldness. It was originally used for prostate enlargement. Palmetto shampoos and supplements can be purchased at any store.
  • The simplest natural remedy is to just start taking health supplements that give you the required daily dosage of vitamins, minerals and iron.

Because it is impossible to get a man to care about what is going wrong with him, it could be difficult for your man to realize that he is suffering from hair loss. Additionally, the above listed remedies take some time to prepare and even more time to begin their magic so you must have patience. Applying oil should not take you more than five minutes and if investing such little time can help you get healthy hair, there is no reason for you to not do it.

If you are experiencing mild to moderate hair loss, these men hair regrowth natural remedies will help a lot. Beware of the multiple snake oils that are advertised on men’s websites and magazines – they might make your scalp condition worse.

Tuesday, November 20, 2012

Is There a Natural Cure for Cancer?

Cancer is a class of diseases in which a group of cells displays uncontrolled growth, either by destroying adjacent tissue or by spreading to other parts of the body via lymph or blood. If statistics are to be believed, cancer was responsible for around 8 million deaths around the world in 2007. Because of sedentary lifestyles and a growing rate of obesity, the risk of cancer has increased considerably but it is possible to avoid it by using natural remedies for cancer.

However, it is important to mention that if cancer is detected, please consult an oncologist. Natural remedies can only help in preventing cancer and not curing it. While some natural remedies have been tested by doctors, you must not get sucked into herbal pills and potions offered by quacks. 60% cancer patients around the world experiment with alternative medicines making the disease worse. If detected early, cancer can be cured through chemotherapy or a revolutionary treatment called anti antiogenesis therapy, which has a higher success rate than chemotherapy.

Top cancer experts recommend acupressure, acupuncture and essential oil (not aromatherapy) massage as natural remedies to patients – this can also help you relax and make you feel better emotionally. Ginger capsules can also help ease nausea if started a week before chemotherapy. Some people also sign up for Yoga and meditation classes.

Cancer is most often caused by carcinogens like tobacco, prolonged exposure to the sun, some kinds of rare viral diseases, hormone imbalances and genetic disorders. Most diseases are associated with the kind of environment we live in and the type of lifestyle we lead. When you come home after a tough day at work, it is impossible to make a proper meal but doing so will help you in avoiding a lot of diseases that refined sugars in junk food trigger.

One of the first natural remedies of cancer is including a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables in your diet. Your diet should include foods like raw carrots – a rich source of beta carotene, broccoli, avocados and even mushrooms & garlic. Avoid consuming drinks rich in sugar such as soda and other carbonated drinks, replace this with water. A study has shown that 70% Americans are severely dehydrated without realizing so.

Doctors around the world are researching on natural remedies that can help prevent the risk of cancer in people who have battled with cancer once or twice and want to keep it from coming back. According to them, unhealthy diets are responsible for 30-35% cancers around the world. They are testing extracts of different foods and measuring their effects on cancer cells. For example, a study revealed that anti-antigiogenic foods such as strawberries, red grapes, red wine, soy beans and tea such as Earl Grey and Jasmine, can inhibit cell growth by 60%!

So why aren’t doctors educating patients about the benefits of these powerful cancer fighting foods? In most people, cancer is detected at a very late stage when dietary changes have a little scope of helping because the cancer cells have multiplied into millions of cells. If detected early, natural foods and dietary changes along with regular treatments can help in curing cancer and prevent it from recurring.

Thursday, November 15, 2012

Home Remedies for Dandruff

Dandruff is a common scalp condition that all of us have experienced in some form. It is characterized by dry white flakes caused by yeast like fungus which is normally found on the scalp. However, the fungus causes dandruff only when it starts growing unchecked because of factors like stress, hormones, illness, sweat and infrequent shampooing.

While there are many shampoos available in the market that effectively help in controlling the yeast growth, there are several natural remedies for dandruff which work in a similar way without causing an extra build up of chemicals. Many teenagers who suffer from acne suffer from dandruff as well because of the increased sebum production. The acne will disappear if you can maintain a clean, healthy scalp.

The first thing to do is to alter your diet to include a lot of fresh fruits and vitamin supplements. Avoid excess tea and coffee, carbonated drinks, refined and processed sugars and a diet rich in meat. Alternative medicine experts say that this is perhaps the only thing you need to do to control dandruff! However, if you’re suffering from chronic dandruff, follow this routine:

  1. Before you shampoo your hair, indulge in a hot oil treatment. Apply warm coconut oil to your hair and wrap a hot towel around it.
  2. Shampoo your hair daily either with an anti dandruff shampoo or with an organic shampoo. You can even make your own shampoo with almond oil, henna and lemon juice.
  3. Is your shampooing technique right? Most people wash hair in a hurry, leaving sweat and grime as it is. Take time in shampooing your hair, ensuring that you’re covering all parts of the scalp.
  4. Stop blow drying because it make the scalp dry, resulting in dandruff.

Natural remedies for dandruff make use for everyday kitchen ingredients.

  • Yogurt mixed with lemon juice or black pepper is soothing and relieves scalp itching.
  • Considered an antiseptic and anti fungal agent, tea tree oil is very effective and has been tested by doctors. You can apply tea tree oil directly to the scalp.
  • Spray apple cider vinegar mixed with water on your scalp once or twice a week to control dandruff.
  • Surprisingly, baking soda sucks away dead cells from the scalp without stripping it of natural oils. Apply a handful of baking soda during a shower and rinse off after 2-3 minutes.
  • Use lemon peels directly on your scalp. Lemon has antibacterial and oil cleansing properties and you can even use it on your skin!
  • Another interesting natural remedy for dandruff is Listerine. Being an antibacterial mouthwash, it can fight against oil eating fungus. After a shower, tilt your head back and dab Listerine on to your scalp. Do not to get it anywhere close to your eyes.

Getting some sun may also help in dandruff reduction since it provides you with much needed vitamin D. You can easily maintain a healthier scalp by following these simple natural remedies for dandruff. Remember that dandruff is almost unavoidable during harsh winters because the weather becomes dry and the air sucks moisturize from your body. Frequent shampooing will help in keeping dandruff at bay.

Sunday, November 4, 2012

Is Homeopathic Remedies Effective?

Homeopathy is a form of alternative medicine, proposed by Samuel Hahnemann in 1796. Homeopathic natural remedies involve treating patients with heavily diluted preparations. Doctors and medical researchers have found no verifiable claims of healing through this method.

Homeopaths assess a disease depending on the patient’s physical and psychological symptoms. They then refer to books called repertories and a remedy is selected on the basis of the total symptoms. Most preparations are heavily diluted, requiring a mixture of 3-4 herbal extracts. Homeopathics advise their patients against modern medicine, a fact that has attracted the attention of many critics who consider homeopathy a quack science.

Some universities in Europe and Asia offer doctoral programs on homeopathy although it has lately become more of an unspecialized skill. Anyone can become a homeopath by referencing repertories and stocking herbal dilutions. In most countries, homeopathic treatment is not covered under medical insurance.

According to Samuel Hahnemann, every disease can be cured by medicines that induce the same symptoms in healthy individuals. One of his first experiments involved the use of cinchona bark, which if ingested produces malaria like symptoms. Hahnemann concluded that this cure proceeds through similarity, meaning that a substance that produces symptoms of a specific disease in large doses will cure the same disease when taken in smaller doses.

A large number of studies have indicated that homeopathy does not work yet it is popular in a lot of countries across the world. Medical researchers say that homeopathic medicines are so heavily diluted that the original potency of the herb gets lost.

During the diagnosis, homeopaths do not take into account the patient’s medical history, genetics or environmental factors. All homeopathic medicines are considered safe for normal consumption as well without any positive or negative effects.

The deputy director of the National Center for Complementary & Alternative Medicine says that homeopathy goes beyond the current understanding of chemistry and physics. He also goes on to add that there has been no condition for which homeopathy has been an effective treatment.

However, homeopathy proponents keep going back. Surely they must be seeing some positive changes and visible effects? There are several explanations that exist for the cures, the most common being the placebo effect, where the intensive consultation and diagnosis by the homeopath can result in the release of endorphins that can alleviate pain or other symptoms. The other explanation is unassisted natural healing, which is true in cases of common cold and flu where the disease follows a cycle in which the disease causing agent grows, mutates and then dies after the immune system has killed it.

Homeopaths also advise patients against conventional medicine saying that such treatments worsen a disease, however, anyone can see the success of conventional medicine against homeopathy.

Homeopathic natural remedies should be taken with caution. If you feel that your symptoms run deeper than just a regular fever, you must consult a doctor. It is also equally safe to consult an alternative medicine practitioner, but make sure the system has verified claims supported by medical researchers.