Vegetarian Benefits

Vegetarian Benefits

A vegetarian diet provides a variety of proven health benefits. Vegetarians have significantly reduced rates of obesity, coronary heart disease, hypertension, type II diabetes, diet-related cancers, diverticular disease, constipation and gall stones.

In addition to being richer in fruits and vegetables, vegetarian diets tend to be lower in total fat. Taber & Cook (1980) found lacto-ovo vegetarians to consume an average of 35 percent of energy as fat, compared to omnivores consuming over 40 percent of energy as fat. A study of the diets of a group of French vegetarians found they had a daily intake of 25 percent less fat than non-vegetarians (Millet, 1989). Vegetarians also tend to eat proportionally more polyunsaturated fat to saturated fat compared with non-vegetarians. Animal products are the major sources of dietary saturated fat.

Health Benefits of Vegetarianism

Compared with non-vegetarians, Western vegetarians have:

• A lower average Body Mass Index (BMI) (by about 1 kg/m2).
• A lower mean plasma total cholesterol concentration (by about 0.5 mmol/l).
• A lower mortality from IHD (by about 25 percent).
• They may also have a lower risk for some other diseases such as constipation, diverticular disease, gallstones and appendicitis.
• The evidence available suggests that widespread adoption of a vegetarian diet could prevent approximately 40,000 deaths from IHD in Britain each year.

The Seventh-Day Adventist Church Health Study

This is the only major ongoing study on the general health and mortality of vegetarians in the U.S. Data was collected from 1976-1988. Of the 34,192 participants, all members of the Seventh-day Adventist church: 29 percent were vegetarian, while 7-10 percent of the vegetarians were vegan.

Compared to non-vegetarians the above vegetarians had about:

• 1/2 the high blood pressure and diabetes
• 1/2 the colon cancer
• 2/3 the rheumatoid arthritis and prostate cancer
• Breast, lung, & uterine cancers tended to be lower in vegetarians but could have been due to random chance.

Vegetarian Life Expectancy

Life expectancies in the Adventist Health Study have recently been published. They show that this group of Seventh-day Adventists appears to be the longest-lived, formally studied population in the world (with an average life span of 78.5 years for men, 82.3 for women).

9 ways to live healthy

9 ways to live healthy
1. Move your Body
Find new ways every day to move your body. Use the stairs rather than an escalator or elevator. Chase your kids, Walk your dog, play ball with friends, mow the lawn. Anything that moves your limbs is not only a fitness tool; it's a stress buster. Think 'move' in small increments of time. It doesn't have to be an hour in the gym or a 45-minute cardiovascular class or body pump or kickboxing. Move more and feel better!
2. Cut the Fat
Don't eat the obvious fat in your diet such as fried foods, burgers and other fatty meats. Eat dairy products like cheese, cottage cheese, milk and cream low fat versions. Nuts and sandwich meats, mayonnaise, margarine, butter and sauces should be eaten in limited amounts and even then in their low fat versions. Most are available in lower fat versions.
3. Reduce Stress
Stress busters come in many forms. Some techniques recommended by experts are to think positive thoughts. Spend 30 minutes a day doing something you like. Exercise is a great stress reducer; walk on the beach or in a park. Soak in a hot tub; read a good book; visit a friend; play with your dog; listen to soothing music; watch a funny movie. Get a massage, a facial or a haircut. Meditate. Count to ten before losing your temper or getting irritated. Avoid difficult people when possible. . Thought for the day: When seeing red, think pink clouds…. then float on them.
4. Drink plenty of water:
Drink plenty of water daily. Drink at least 6-8 glasses of water daily. Drink 2-4 glasses of water in morning before lunch. It all makes your stomach good in work, skin glow and you would not have any problem of kidneys.
5. Stop Smoking
All the experts agree on this one. Ever since 1960 when it was announced that smoking was harmful to your health, people have been reducing their use of tobacco products. It seems the stars in every movie of late smoke cigarettes. Beware. Warn your children of the false romance or 'tough guy' stance of Hollywood smokers. Thought for the day: Give up just one cigarette…. the next one.
6. Reduce your exposure to Pollution
Not everyone can live in a smog-free environment, but we can all avoid smoke-filled rooms, high traffic areas, breathing in highway fumes and exercising near busy thoroughfares. Exercise outside when the smog rating is low. Exercise indoors in air conditioning where air quality is good. Plant lots of shrubbery in your yard. It's a good pollution deterrent. If you ride a bicycle in traffic, where a small pollution mask over your mouth and nose.
7. Wear Your Seat Belt
Statistics show that the wearing of seat belts add to longevity and help alleviate potential injuries in car crashes.
8. Floss Your Teeth
Harvard Medical School studied longevity and found one of the most important contributing factors was daily flossing! Flossing and brushing your teeth daily can make your Real Age as much as 6.4 years younger. These studies make a direct connection between longevity and teeth flossing. Nobody knows exactly why. Perhaps it's because people who floss tend to be more health conscious than people who don't?
9. Maintain a Positive Mental Outlook
There's a definitive connection between living well and healthily and having a cheerful outlook on life. Yes, keep on smiling and laughing!

Benefits of Exercise

Benefits of Exercise

The risk of developing diabetes, heart disease, osteoporosis, and many other health problems is lessened with regular physical activity. Some conditions, such as hypertension and type 2 diabetes, have a direct link to a sedentary lifestyle. Regular exercise also brings more immediate benefits: It improves resistance to infections, joint flexibility, emotional well-being, energy and stress levels, and digestion. With continued, regular exercise, you will find that you will move easier, feel stronger, have better posture, and experience less chronic pain (if any at all).               
                      Choose an Exercise
                       Walking
Walking is the ideal exercise for those of us with weight issues. Even if you're significantly overweight or obese, you can walk for weight loss. Begin today by simply walking to the end of your block, or even just to your mailbox and back. More people tend to stick with walking in the long run than any other form of exercise.
                           Invest in Equipment

Shop local thrift shops, classifieds, yard sales, and second-hand fitness stores. Stick with tried-and-true exercise equipment, such as exercise bikes or treadmills; resist the call of novelty equipment such as an "ab fat blaster." A step, resistance bands, or a set of hand weights, are also good investments for beginners.
                                Join a Gym
Gyms offer a wide variety of exercise methods, including cardio machines such as step machines, low-impact aerobic classes, weight-lifting, indoor cycling classes, kickboxing and step aerobics classes.
                                At Home
Options for working out indoors at home include exercise videos or DVDs, doing exercises such as squats or push-ups, dancing, using a stationary bike, and using a step.
                             Before You Begin
The Surgeon General recommends that women over 50, men over 40, and those who have been sedentary for a long time see a doctor before beginning to exercise. It's very important to start out slowly, particularly if you have been inactive for a while. If you do too much, too soon, you not only increase your risk of injury, you're more likely to get burnt-out. And that can lead you to give up exercise altogether.
                               Get Started
Why not start today? Aim for just 10 minutes of walking. Those 10 minutes can eventually become three 10-minute sessions a day; in time you will be able to work up to 30 consecutive minutes. Gradually increasing the duration will help your body become conditioned to regular exercise.

In time you can set a bigger goal, such as three 30- or 60-minute workouts, three days a week. (The World Health Organization currently recommends an hour of moderate activity most days of the week to maintain a healthy body weight.

Food and Diet

   Food and Diet
Food and Diet is such an incredibly important part of our lives. Every day we need food to sustain ourselves. However, not just any food will do. We should always exercise caution and be selective when we can regard what type of food we put into our body. That being said, there are many people who choose not to eat healthy because they don't have the mental fortitude and wherewithal to turn away from tempting foods that are bad for them.
Here's an example. In an effort to eat better, You decided that You would forego all of the sugary, carb heavy foods that You normally eat such as bread, butter, cookies, pies and fast food. Instead, I am now trying to revert back to the way You used to eat before You got out of college. You see, when we have someone else making our food for us, we often don't think twice about what is healthy versus what is not healthy. When You was in college, You had the food at the dining hall. When You didn't eat at the dining hall, You was racking up debt on my credit cards eating out; and while You ate out quite a bit, You always somehow managed to eat relatively healthy. Eating became a problem after college was over and it was time to step into the real world. No longer leaning on the total support of an academic institution to provide me with free meals, and having racked up a ton of debt eating out was no longer an option; You had little money but was still hungry. So what are your options when you don't have the money to spend on healthy foods that cost more? You eat poorly.
Rather than go to the supermarket and purchase the necessary ingredients needed to make a healthy meal for myself which would've taken anywhere from twenty to thirty minutes to make, You opted instead to stop in at the local fast food restaurant. And even though You would order what You thought was the healthiest choice on the menu (typically some sort of chicken deal), it turned out that it still wasn't that great for me. The funny thing about eating poorly is that your health almost immediately suffers. In my case, You am a runner; and having been used to a relatively healthy diet to then go to one that is in the dumps, You began to feel sluggish. You was having trouble getting out of bed in the mornings. your feet felt like they were dragging up the hills, and You became increasingly irritable and couldn't think straight. If that wasn't enough, You began to put on a little weight- hardly noticeable, but noticeable enough to me.The lesson to be learned here is that we must learn to treat our bodies as if they were temples. Before you pick up food to eat, think twice

one minute cure

The One Minute Cure guide claims to have the method to help patients cure diseases, but is this scam or does it really work?

1. How Does The One Minute Cure System Work?

This cure method can be administered at home with only one minute a day. It has already helped many people heal their diseases. According to a prominent doctor known for using oxygen therapy, this method allows maximum transportation of blood to the body cells from the blood by increasing oxygen and hemoglobin disassociation.

2. Why Do Disease Cells Die When The One Minute Cure Is Administered to the Body?

Since disease cells like viruses, micro organisms and pathogens cannot survive in highly oxygenated environment because of their anaerobic nature, The One Minute Cure is able to kill disease cells by flooding the body's tissues and cells with oxygen.

3. Has The One Minute Cure Been Scientifically Proven?

According to researchers and health practitioners, this treatment method has been very effective for treating every form of diseases. It is also much safer as it uses a natural oxygenating substance to deliver oxygen atoms from the bloodstream into the body cells and tissues.

4. Other Tips on How to Cope with Cancer

Because cancerous cells build up a lot of lactic acid in the body which results in fatigue, the person should also do activities like relaxation, yoga, and exercising and massage therapy to help cope with cancer.

10 Health tips for Every women

               10 Health tips for Every women

It is a herculean task to manage home, children, family and a demanding job, and at the same time look fresh and radiant. Many women who juggle different roles forget to take care of their diet. All women must take care no matter how busy they are:

1) Always eat some fruit for breakfast because it gives the required energy to detoxify and aids in the elimination of wastes effectively.

2) Drink enough water, cut down tea, coffee to two cups in the day and substitute them by herbal drinks like jasmine, chamoile tea, which are great for skin hydration and a young looking skin.

3) With age, cut down on cereals and eat more of fresh fruits and vegetables to keep the weight off.

4) Walk and do stretches to keep your body supple, slim, youthful and full of energy.

5) Cut down on smoking and alcohol as it ages the skin fast.

6) Increase soy, or fish or sprouts in the diet.

7) Add anti-aging herbs like tulsi, amla, ashwagandha in the routine.

8) Go for natural sweeteners like honey and raisins.

9) indulge in your sinful foods once a week.

10) Positive thinking and a positive outlook can make any women look young and attractive!

Tips for Healthy Heart

Tips for Healthy Heart

To reduce risk of heart attack, eat healthy and low fat diet. Develop a pattern of eating that will stomach without damaging your heart, but sometimes its hard to figure out which food is good for us.
Try to cut back on foods that are high in saturated fat, total fat, and cholesterol. If you have a family history of high cholesterol or you have a diagnosed high blood cholesterol level, you should take a more vigorous approach to your diet.
Food with High Fats & Cholesterol: Saturated fat increases your blood cholesterol level more than anything else in your diet; Most of the saturated fat you eat probably comes from animal products.
Dairy products made from whole milk -- including butter, cheese, milk, cream, and ice cream -- and the fat in meat and poultry skin contain very high amounts of saturated fat.
There are also some vegetables that are high in saturated fats, including coconut oil, cocoa butter, palm kernel oil, and palm oil.
What to Eat: Instead of meats like sausage, bacon, and processed high-fat cold cuts, eat fish, poultry, and leaner cuts of meat, but be sure to remove the fat and skin before eating. It's ok to eat up to six ounces of these daily. You should also cut down on organ meats, such as liver, kidney, and brains.Replace butter with margarine (the softer the less saturated fat) or vegetable oil. Drink skim or one percent milk instead of whole milk and eat nonfat or low-fat cheese and yogurt. Substituting egg whites, which are cholesterol and fat free, for whole eggs or egg yolks will also help improve your heart health.
The way you prepare your food also affects its nutritional value. It's better to boil, bake, roast, or poach your foods than to fry them. Vegetable oils are great to use instead of butter for sautéing vegetables.
You should try to eat six to 11 servings daily of breads, three to five daily servings of vegetables; two to four daily fruits servings; cereals, rice, and pasta; two to three servings daily of milk, yogurt, and cheese; and two to three servings daily of meat, poultry, fish, dry beans and peas, eggs, nuts, and seeds.Your diet should focus on fruits, vegetables, and whole grains cereals, breads, rice, and pasta. With a little effort, you can start cooking up healthy and delicious meals in no time

Herbs for Skin Care

Herbs for Skin Care

There are a wide variety of skin problems many people face on a day to day basis. The most common of course, tends to be oily skin and acne. But there are others as well, such as dry skin, itching and flaky skin, rashes, wrinkles, and even more serious problems such as psoriasis and eczema.

Due to the wide variety of skin problems and conditions people experience, there can be any number of reasons for the problems. Most modern doctors tend to treat the symptoms themselves though, instead of digging for deeper problems to resolve. Herbalists and natural remedy specialists agree however, that most skin related health problems are related to toxins within the body. Specifically the liver or colon is not functioning as well as they should be, and they need to be cleansed.

And since most skin problems are cleared up with liver or colon cleansing approaches, many skin remedies include herbs which work specifically to help the liver cleanse, tone and heal.

Dandelion for instance, is an excellent herb for liver health. It will help the liver produce more bile, which draws toxins and pollutants out of your body at a much faster rate. This process works very well for dealing with every day skin problems such as acne.

Eczema is often caused by a food allergy of some kind, and it's seen most often in children. The most common allergies which cause this skin condition are cows milk and wheat or gluten. Simply removing these items from the child's diet is often all that's needed to clear up the eczema problems.

When food allergies aren't the cause though, sometimes bacteria and infections is. In these cases, Garlic is the best herb to use for clearing up those problems. Garlic is a powerful anti fungus herb which can kill candida yeast related infections among many others. Garlic will also expel most parasites from your body, and those tend to cause skin related problems too.

For wrinkles and dry skin problems though, one of the most natural approaches you can take is to simply drink more water. Our bodies need two to three quarts of water every day, and more so if we're sick or live in dry climates. Since our skin always seems to get water last, after all the major internal organs have gotten their share, there's often not enough left over to hydrate the skin properly. This not only causes dryness, itching and flaking, but it can cause premature wrinkles too.

Applying Vitamins A, C and E to your facial skin directly will also help rehydrate it, fight free radical damage, and reduce or prevent wrinkles as well.

With summer coming very soon, many people will experience mild, moderate and severe sunburns from being exposed too long without proper skin protection. An excellent natural remedy for sunburns though, is to simply apply old fashioned black tea to the burned areas. Soak some teabags in cool water for a few moments to activate the tannin, then lay the bags on the sunburned skin. This will pull the heat and pain from the burn, as well as help it to heal into a nice tan without peeling

Herbs for High Blood Pressure

Herbs for High Blood Pressure
According to the American Heart Association, an estimated one out of every three Americans has high blood pressure, and at least a third of them don't even know it. Since high blood pressure can lead to stroke, heart attack, and kidney failure, this disease is often referred to as "The Silent Killer".
Blood pressure is the force at which blood moves through your arteries as the heart beats. High blood pressure is also referred to as hypertension, and it's usually measured with two numbers: systolic which occurs when the heart beats, and diastolic which is between heart beats. Normal blood pressure levels are considered to be less than 120/80, and pre hypertension or borderline high blood pressure is between 120/80 and 139/89. Above those levels is high blood pressure, and that is also divided into stage one and two. Stage two high blood pressure is the most dangerous, and it's usually measured at 160/100 or higher.
Many people can lead calm, non-stressful lives yet still have high blood pressure, so it's important to check it at least once every year or two depending on your personal risks for developing the disease.
There are many herbs which can help regulate blood pressure too though, and these herbs have the added benefit of being extremely nutritional. Many of the herbs used to regulate blood pressure will also help heal and tone the arteries and veins as well, so your entire circulatory system can have improved health over time.
Cayenne is one of the best herbs to use for regulating blood pressure. Since it regulates, it's useful for anyone with high or low blood pressure problems. Cayenne also helps tone the entire circulatory system too though. It feeds the cell structures of veins, arteries, and capillaries so they'll begin to be more elastic again.
Garlic another excellent herb to use for balancing and regulating your blood pressure levels too. Garlic is an herb used for a wide variety of things actually, because it's a powerful natural antibiotic, it kills parasites in the body, and it can kill fungus infections too.
All of these factors can help your body fight common illnesses and infections while also helping to keep your blood pressure at more normal, healthy, and safe levels. These qualities are more important for people with high blood pressure though, because they often tend to have other problems such as obesity and diabetes.
Hawthorn is an herb which will specifically relax the blood vessels and lower the blood pressure in your body. This herb is quite useful for people who are under a lot of stress, and it's great for strengthening and regulating the heart too.

Herbs for Arthritis

Herbs for Arthritis Approximately 2.1 million Americans have a chronic disease known as Rheumatoid arthritis. This disease affects primarily women though, with about 70% of sufferers being female. Men and children can get the disease too, even though it's more rare, but when men get it they tend to have more severe symptoms from it than women.Rheumatoid arthritis is simply an inflammation of the tissue which lines your joints. Since this inflammation is chronic though, time will cause the tissue to cause joint damage, limit movement abilities of the affected joints, and cause increasing amounts of pain. There are currently no known modern medical cures for Rheumatoid arthritis, so doctors often treat the symptoms instead. Common treatments include the use of strong prescription pain relievers known as NSAIDS. Over the counter versions include products known as Aleve, Ibuprofin, and Motrin. NSAIDS work to relieve pain by reducing the inflammation which is causing the pain. Unfortunately, prescription NSAIDS have some dangerous side effects associated with them, including kidney and liver damage. Over the counter versions have the same risks, but since doses are lower it can take much more time and misuse of the products to cause these types of problems. Herbal remedies also include using anti inflammatory solutions though. In fact, a completely natural herb known as White Willow was the basis for most of the modern day painkillers we use today. White willow can be used safely both internally and externally to help reduce inflammation and relieve pain caused by inflammation. And it doesn't have the same side effects as prescription synthetics do. To use white willow externally, open a powdered herbal gelcap and shake out the powder. Mix some pure aloe vera juice or mineral water with the powder to make a thin paste, then simply rub that over the painful joint areas. When using white willow for arthritis pain or any other health purposes of course, be sure you're using 100% pure herbal supplements in powdered form. If you buy the hard tablets and products which say they "contain" an herb, you're not likely getting the full strength of the herb and it may not help as much as it could. Burdock is another excellent herb to use for arthritis, because it helps reduce the swelling of joints, plus it helps break down calcification deposits that build up over time. Burdock should be taken orally for the best effects, but it too can be applied externally to help reduce swelling. Chaparral is an herb which has been used specifically for arthritis for hundreds of years. It helps relieve pain, it purifies the blood, and it helps tone the body by rebuilding new tissue.

Herbal Nutrition

Herbal Nutrition
The biochemical and energetic nutrients which we digest, absorb, and metabolize from foodstuffs are the foundation of all cellular activity in the body, including growth, repair, reproduction, resistance to disease, and maintenance. Good nutrition is critically important to every form of life we know. Finding, growing, preparing, and storing food has been women's work and women's genius since time out of mind.
The Spirit of the Food.
Nutrition begins with milk from mother's breast, from the breast of the Great Goddess. In earth-centered cultures, the harvesting and gathering of food is inter wound with sacred threads, and the consumption of the food is a sacrament. This aspect of nutrition is invisible, unmeasurable, undiscussed, but of utmost importance to the health of the individual and the ecology.
Healthy Diets .
When food choices are limited, women eat whatever is available. As long as adequate carbohydrates, protein, fats, vitamins, and minerals are consumed and clean water is available, health is easily maintained.(1) Restricted diets (vegan, vegetarian, impoverished) generally fail to provide adequately for women, and the addition of milk products, eggs, or meat to these diets optimizes health. When the food supply is abundant and foods are highly refined, as is the case in most Western countries, food choices may adversely affect health. This is due in part to an innate (healthy) craving for sweet, salt, and fat (which are scarce in nature but commercially abundant, leading to overconsumption) and in part to the degradation of the foodstuffs themselves
Protein.
After water, protein is the most plentiful substance in our bodies. Without protein we cannot create enzymes, antibodies, milk, menses, skin, hair, nails, muscle, brain, heart, or organs. We require twenty-two different amino acids (building blocks of protein), of which eight are considered essential nutrients. Animal foods contain all essential amino acids. No one food of vegetable origin contains them all, but combinations (such as corn and beans) do. Each and every amino acid must be present at once in the body, and in the correct proportions, for protein synthesis. If even one essential amino acid is low or missing, even temporarily, protein production slows or stops altogether.(2) Adult women can be healthy on low protein diets; however children, pregnant, lactating, and menopausal women require high levels of protein.
Fats.
Fat is the most concentrated source of energy in the diet. Found in vegetable seeds, beans, and nuts, fruits such as olives and avocados, and in all animal products, fat is vital to women's health. Unfortunately, many American women avoid fat. A recent study (1999) found 26 percent of women deficient in vitamin E due to low-fat diets.Animal fats are more stable than vegetable oils, which become rancid within days after pressing. (Rancid fats promote cancer and heart disease.) Hydrogenation and partial-hydrogenation slow rancidity but create trans-fatty acids that create deposits on the blood vessels. Even unhydrogenated vegetable oils are unhealthy: They flood the body with omega-6 fatty acids (the primary fat component of arterial plaque), and contribute large amounts of free radicals that damage the arteries and initiate plaque deposits. Vitamins.
Vitamins are small organic compounds made by all living tissues. They are found in whole, fresh foods. Vitamins are absorbed best from dried, fermented, or cooked foods. Some vitamins are fat-soluble (A, E, D); some are water-soluble (B, C). All vitamins are groups of related enzymes that function together. Eighteen hundred carotenes and carotinoids contribute to the liver's production of vitamin A, two dozen tocopherols function together as vitamin E, and only when ascorbic acid is joined by bioflavonoids and carotenes does it function as vitamin C.
Healthy diets supply adequate vitamins so long as refined foods are rarely eaten. "Enriched" flour is really impoverished, as it does not contain the entire complement of B vitamins and minerals found in the whole grain. When vitamins are synthesized in the laboratory, their complexity is reduced to one active ingredient. In situations of impoverishment and famine, supplements have health benefits. They do not replace healthy food, however, and long-term use of vitamin supplements poses health risks including more aggressive cancers (alpha tocopherol), faster growing cancers (ascorbic acid), and increased risk of cancer and heart disease (beta carotene). Minerals.
Minerals are inorganic compounds found in all plant and animal tissues as well as bones, hair, teeth, finger and toenails, and, of course, rocks. Minerals are also found in, and critical for, optimum functioning of the nervous, immune, and hormonal systems, and all muscles, including the heart. Our need for some minerals, such as potassium, magnesium, manganese, and calcium, is large. But for trace minerals, such as selenium, iodine, molybdenum, boron, silicon, and germanium, our needs are minuscule. (4)Minerals may be difficult to get, even in a healthy diet. Overuse of chemical fertilizers reduces mineral content. According to US Department of Agriculture figures, during the period 1963-1992, the amount of calcium in fruits and vegetables declined an average of 30 percent. In white rice, calcium declined 62.5 percent, iron 32-45 percent, and magnesium 20-85 percent. (5) Not only are commercially grown grains low in minerals, refining removes what little minerals they do have.Seaweeds and herbs are dependable mineral sources when eaten, brewed (one ounce dried herbs steeped four hours in a quart of boiling water in a tightly covered jar), or infused into vinegar, rather than taken in capsules or tinctures. Many herbs, such as dandelion l-eaves, peppermint, red clover blossoms, stinging nettle, and oatstraw, are exceptional sources of minerals, according to researchers Mark Pedersen, Paul Bergner, and the USDA. (6,7) For instance, there are 3000 mg of calcium in 100 grams dried nettle.

Herbs for Acne

Herbs for Acne
Most of the time acne is caused by the sebaceous glands at the base of the hair follicles of the skin secreting too much sebum - an oily substance released from the pores to keep the skin lubricated and healthy. When too much sebum is produced or it gets clogged it can form hard plugs that block the pores and produce pimples.A localized bacterial infection can develop when these oil plugs rupture beneath the skin's surface.
What causes an overproduction of sebum?
Hormonal imbalances are a common cause of an overproduction of sebum. This is common in adolescence, especially in males.
In females, menstrual periods or pregnancy can also create hormonal disturbances that can lead to breakouts.Other common triggers include emotional stress, irritation of the skin, and certain medications, particularly steroids, contraceptives, or any drugs that affect hormone levels. There is some evidence that skin eruptions can be brought on or aggravated by certain foods or food allergies as well. There are many useful herbs for acne and we will outline some of them here.
Specific Herbs for Acne.
ALOE GEL has astringent & antibacterial properties and is applied topically.
CALENDULA promotes healing of skin tissue. You can make a strong infusion of this herb and use as a facial was or steam. It is also available in creams.
LAVENDER compresses are used to relieve inflammation. ROSEWATER is applied topically for pain & inflammation.
TEA TREE OIL is a powerful antiseptic but must be diluted before applying to skin.
WALNUT LEAF is a useful astringent skin wash.
WITCH HAZEL has antibacterial & astringent properties. ECHINACEA tincture taken internally promotes healing, reduces inflammation.
GOLDENSEAL is an antimicrobial which stops oozing. Another common cause of outbreaks is a sluggish liver. When the liver is not functioning optimally it cannot clear excess hormones. When trying to clear acne it is important to balance the hormones and cleanse the liver.
BURDOCK ROOT and DANDELION contain insulin which improves the skin by removing bacteria.
MILK THISTLE is the most commonly used herb for cleansing and strengthening the liver. It also helps remove excess hormones through the stool by stimulating bile production.
Traditionally this condition has responded well to a combination of herbs.
When treating acne it is important to take a two-fold approach:
Internally and Topically
Generally speaking, just treating the skin topically does not address the internal causes of acne and skin eruptions.
Internally, a good combination for cleansing the liver and blood would be a tincture of MILK THISTLE and DANDELION. The traditional dosage is 30 drops in a little water 3 times daily.
Topically, you can combine any number of herbs such as CALENDULA, LAVENDER, TEA TREE OIL, WITCH HAZEL and ROSEWATER, depending on the specific condition of your skin.

Herbal weight Loss!

Herbal weight Loss!

Many people use natural supplements and herbs to help lose weight naturally. This form of weight loss is considered safe and effective. You can improve health by losing weight by not hurting your body in the process. According to the London based Obesity Task Force, an estimated 1.7 billion people are overweight throughout the world. Obesity in the United States is now considered an epidemic with more than 71% of adults classifying as overweight. Only a few decades before, in 1984, this percentage was 56%. Not only adults are suffering from this problem. Between 12% and 14% of children and teenagers are also overweight. Over 300,000 people die each year from illness linked to weight. Health problems that can develop for overweight people include stroke, cancer, heart disease, diabetes, gallbladder disease, and gout. Less severe conditions include osteoarthritis and sleep apnea. Protect yourself from weight related illness by loosing weight. The risk of health problems increases with the amount you are overweight. Herbal supplements aid in weight reduction while helping lower the health risks of obesity. According to health experts, there of four factors in weight control: 1. strength training to help build muscle, 2. cardiovascular training to increase your metabolism, 3. good nutrition to manage caloric intake but provide the body with sufficient energy, and 4. mental strength providing the ability to start and execute a program. Good nutrition often includes the following nutritional herbal and weight loss supplements: Popular weight loss herbs include the following: Bitter Orange Cayenne Coleus Ephedra Garcinia Cambogia Green Tea Guaraná Guggul Spirulina (Blue-Green Algae) St. John’s Wort

Herbal Tea Recipes for Peptic Ulcer

Herbal Tea Recipes for Peptic Ulcer

Herbal Recipes for Peptic Ulcer #1
Ingredients:BAEL Leaves, crushed 1 handful, Water 2 cups
Preparation Method: Soak the bael leaves overnight in the water, strain and drink the liquid.
Preparation time: 12 hours.
Dosage: 1 cup, twice a day.
Herbal Teas for Peptic Ulcer #2
Ingredients: FLAX Seeds, crushed 1 tea spoon, Water 1 cup
Preparation Method: Stir the crushed flax seeds in the water, cover and leave for 8 hours. Strain and drink lukewarm.
Preparation time: 8 hours.
Dosage:1 cup before breakfast and 1 cup 30 minutes before the main meal.
Home Made Herbal Tea Recipes for High Blood Pressure #1
Ingredients: ALFALFA Seeds, crushed 1 tea spoon, Water 4 cups
Preparation Method: Boil the seeds in 4 cups water for 30 minutes and strain.
Preparation time: 30 minutes.
Dosage:1 cup, 6-7 times a day.
Herbal Recipes for High Blood Pressure #2
Ingredients: HAWTHORN Dried blossoms, crushed 1 tea spoon, HAWTHORN Dried leaves, crushed 1 tea spoon
Boiling water 1 cup
Preparation Method: To prepare the tea, combine all three ingredients, including the boiling water, in a suitable container, cover and allow the tea to brew for 20 minutes. Strain the extract and take 2-3 times a day.
Preparation time: 20 minutes.
Dosage: ½ cup, 2-3 times a day.
Home Made Herbal Recipes for High Blood Pressure #3 Ingredients: MARIGOLD Flower heads, crushed 1-2 tea spoon
Boiling water 2 cups.
Preparation Method: Add the marigold flowers to the boiling water and let them steep, covered, for 15-20 minutes. At the end of the standing time discard the flowers and the tea is ready to drink.
Preparation time: 15-20 minutes.
Dosage: 1 cup, twice a day

History of Herbal Medicine

History of Herbal Medicine
Quite possibly the earliest form of herbal medicine was marshmallow root, which is a common grass chewed for settling an upset stomach, and has been eaten for (presumably) that reason by our closest evolutionary cousins, chimpanzees and bonobos. Likewise, hyacinth (a diuretic) causes the tissues to give up excess water, is rich in tannins and alkaloids, which have a bitter, or pungent taste. As tribal human societies grew, a small body of knowledge over what plants were beneficial for what ailments grew, until the role of a tribal herb lore specialist became known; often times, in hunter-gatherer societies, this herbalist carries a lot of weight in the day to day running of the tribe.
As human societies shifted to an agronomical view of the world, the cultivation of plants for medicine was an important role in this; eventually, herbal lore and herbal remedies became codified, first with the Egyptians, then with the Greeks in the Western tradition, and the knowledge base was slowly accumulated upon by the Romans. It's from the Greeks in particular that the foundation of modern medicine - of not just prescribing a treatment, but recording what the treatment was, and what its impact was, got started.
In India, the herbalist tradition was Ayurvedic, focusing on the use of metals, herbs and parts of animals generally considered inedible, prepared in solution. These herbs and other compounds are used in varying proportions to remedy specific ills, and may be applied internally as pills or infusions, topically as ointments, inhaled as smoke, or pressed to the body as powders.
In the Americas, without a written tradition to work from, most herbalism is carried by oral traditions from various tribes; this has proven invaluable when looking for herbal remedies in the rain forests and Andean uplands. Much of the American herbal tradition is tied to shamanism and spiritualism.
In China, herbalism and herbal remedies were used as an adjunct to acupuncture, and the medical morphology in use is of balancing qui or chi, the life force energies, which have yin and yang elements; in Chinese herbalism, the aim is to bring the systems of the body, treating it as an electrical system, back into balance, which is a tactic commonly expressed in modern, or syncretic herbalism.
                       Herbal Medicine Today
Modern herbal medicine takes a syncretic approach, trying to cross reference the benefits of various herbs and treatments from different traditions, and find the best combination of herbal remedies. It's estimated that upwards of three quarters of the people on the planet use herbal medicine as part of their primary health care regimen. Furthermore, it's estimated that nearly three quarters of all naturally derived medicines are used in ways conforming to their herbal component's or antecedents traditional use, and somewhere close to one third of all medical research begins with botanical research of samples collected from rain forests and other biomes.
Most traditional herbs are aromatics - the compounds we use to treat illness are an effect of plants conducting chemical warfare on each other and to fend off herbivores. The same compounds that make many herbs bitter or smell strongly are the ones used in herbal medicine and clinical trials.
While there are countless claims that herbal remedies have "no side effect", this is not the case; it's more than the side effects cannot be attributed to one compound in the herbal repertoire, and sometimes this leads to dangers - for example, cochinea was used to treat gout (rheumatoid arthritis, and a number of related symptoms), but also has severe side effects on the function of the kidneys and liver, as it's a slow, cumulative toxin. The primary difference in side effects between herbal remedies and those listed in the Physician's Desk Reference is that the Physician's Desk Reference has double blind studies listing what dosages cause which side effects, while many herbal remedies lack this benchmark. That being said, most traditional therapeutic doses of herbal remedies are small enough to avoid the worst side effects. (Whether some herbs have their effect from the placebo effect is also open to dispute.)

While herbal remedies can be beneficial, do understand that they are not an either-or proposition with modern medicine, though there is a strong establishment precedent for treating them that way - up until the early part of this century, most of the remedies prescribed by doctors were herbal and natural remedies. Do consult with your health care provider about possible interactions between herbal remedies and prescription drugs.