The problem is that often the HPV remains invisible which means that although the virus has altered the DNA structure of the affected skin cell, there is no visible sign on the skin itself and so no warts. As a result, people are unaware that they have HPV but they pass on the virus to others through skin-to-skin contact, sexual contact or intercourse.

The good news is that firstly, the majority of women who contact the HPV virus will have it naturally eliminated by their immune system and secondly, they can be safely tested for a possible HPV infection by a PAP test where the doctor takes cells from the cervix. A positive test can then result in the necessary treatment.

It is obviously very important to treat any visible warts anywhere on your body immediately for your health’s sake. It is also thought that this makes it less likely that you will pass on the HPV virus to others.

It has also been found that a nutrient – folic acid – destroys HPV when given to women with dysplasia (abnormal cells that are pre-cancerous). A prescribed mega-dose treatment comprising b-vitamin folic acid 20 milligrams (NOT micrograms) twice daily along with a nutritional program can be successful in leading to normal PAP smears. Some people have a genetic condition preventing the body from utilizing folate/folic acid and they need prescription treatment with either intramuscular or very high dose oral folinic acid. Methyl-folate is the natural form of folic acid.

According to Heidi Fagley, she writes in her article on HPV and folic acid that:

Folic acid has been found to reduce the severity of the infection and aid the cells in stopping viral replication. All women can support their own systems in preventing cervical dysplasia by simply adding adequate amounts of folate in the diet. If you choose to use a supplemental form of folic acid, please check with a holistic practitioner to find the dose that is safe for your specific situation. Foods rich in folic acid can help support the immune system. Some of nature’s most popular fruits and vegetables that are high in this B vitamin include oranges, cantaloupe, asparagus, avocados, green leafy vegetables, broccoli, brussels sprouts, papaya, cabbage, bananas, peaches, peanut butter, and nuts (soaking and sprouting nuts and seeds enhances digestibility and allows greater absorption of nutritional content).

The raw version of these foods contains higher amounts of folic acid. Cooking can destroy most of this beneficial vitamin, so consuming fruit and veggies in their raw form as much as possible will help increase the amount the body absorbs.

http://www.naturalnews.com/028711_folic_acid_HPV.html#ixzz1lsZPBmRe

You can also reduce your vulnerability to contracting HPV by living a healthy lifestyle and being aware that you put yourself at higher risk for getting HPV:

- When you start to be sexually active at a young age
- When you don’t know the status of your sexual partner or when you have multiple sexual partners
- When you abuse alcohol and nicotine
- When you suffer from other viruses such as HIV or herpes
- When you suffer from stress related illnesses
- When you have a weakened immune system
- When you don’t follow a healthy and nutritious diet

While the much publicized vaccines have recently come on the market, these are highly controversial with evidence of deaths and serious side effects in many young girls who have had the shots. Many experts will advise that you should never have a vaccine that has not been on the market and tested for at least 10 years. It is just too risky to your health and wellbeing. And once you or your daughter has had the vaccine and suffered side effects, there is no turning back the clock.

1. Washing machine laundry soap – use just 1 tablespoon per light load or 2 tbs for an extra heavy load and, for the average family, this amount will last approximately 9 months and can be used in HE washers too. It will have a mild scent but you can add a few drops of essential oil if you want something more fragrant but please avoid artificial fragrances.

Ingredients:

1 x 4lb 12oz box Borax

1 x 4 lb box Arm & Hammer Baking Soda

1 x 3lb 7oz box Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda 55 oz

3 x bars of Fels-naptha soap (or you can use Ivory soap or Zote soap)

Optional 2 x small containers of oxyclean or store brand oxyclean (total 3.5lbs)

Method – grate all the soap – you can even use a food processor and put with the rest of the ingredients in a 5 gallon bucket lined with a garbage bag. Mix it all up and store in a large container along with a tablespoon size scoop to make it easier to use when adding to your washer’s dispenser. In the case of a HE washer, add to the barrel instead of the dispenser.

2. Natural fabric softener – use 1/3 cup of white vinegar which you can pop into the softener dispenser of your washer. Once the clothes are dry, there is absolutely no smell of vinegar.

3. Dishwasher detergent

Ingredients:

1 x 4lbs 12oz box Borax

1 x 3lbs 7oz box Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda

24 small packets of unsweetened lemonade drink mix, like kool-aid – (the lemonade will stain soap dispenser yellow so an alternative option is to use ½ to ¾ cup of citric acid instead which you can usually find along with canning supplies at your local store)

3 x cups Epsom salts

1 x Lemi Shine rinse aid – sprinkle a tablespoon in the bottom of the dishwasher

Method

Mix Borax, washing soda, salt and lemonade together in a very large bowl and put into a container large enough to hold whole batch if required. A pouring spout will make life easier and you just need 1 tablespoon per wash cycle.

These three recipes come from www.beingcreativetokeepmysanity.blogspot.com while Shayla Groves of www.designfinch.com has the following suggestions;

4. All-purpose Cleaner

Ingredients:

¼ cup white vinegar

2 tablespoons baking soda

¼ gallon hot water

a few drops of essential oil (optional)

Method – combine ingredients in a bucket, stir and let the mixture cool before pouring into a suitable spray bottle.

5. Glass Cleaner

Ingredients:

2 teaspoons white vinegar

1/4 gallon water

Few drops of lemon essential oil (optional)

Method – combine the ingredients in a spray bottle and shake. Wipe the glass surfaces with crumpled newspaper.

6. Furniture Polish

Ingredients:

1/4 cup olive oil

4 tablespoons white vinegar

2 tablespoons lemon juice

Method – combine the ingredients in a spray bottle and shake well before use. Remember to store extra in the refrigerator to prevent lemon juice from souring.

Safer for the environment but also easier for sensitive skins, eyes and noses.

In fact, many academics, scientists, environmentalists and even the man in the street believe urban farming could be the green solution to future food shortages instead of relying on the worrying and downright dangerous GMOs as a way to resolve such shortages. It is all about trying to become more self sufficient and less reliant on others to provide for you. It is also about eating a more health-promoting and organic diet and even caring for a few chickens who will reward your devotion with a regular supply of free range eggs. Urban farming could be the answer to so many modern problems.

Only last year, there was a huge outcry on the internet when Julie Bass of Oak Park, Michigan was facing 93 days in jail after being charged with a misdemeanor. Her crime was planting a vegetable garden in the front yard. Julie explained that she planted the garden after her front yard was torn up for some sewer repairs. Rather than wasting the opportunity to start with a clean slate by planting a lawn, she decided to really put the area to use, and plant a vegetable garden. Her garden consists of 5 raised beds, where she grows a mix of squashes, corn, tomatoes, flowers, and other veggies. She was threatened and persecuted by her local council but in the face of such opposition, the council soon backed down. In her own small way, Julie was instrumental in sowing the seed (pun intended) whereby people were encouraged to start their own vegetable gardens or fruit orchards in place of water guzzling and labour intensive lawns.

Urban farming is generally practised for income-earning or food-producing activities, though in many communities the main impetus is recreation and relaxation. In the UK, town and village allotments have been popular for decades. An area of land is divided up into small plots and rented to interested people to grow veggies and fruit. Such urban farming can contribute to food security and safety in two ways: firstly, it increases the amount of food available to people living in cities and secondly, it allows fresh vegetables fruits, eggs and even meat products to be made available to urban consumers.

While there many urban farming schemes, you can also benefit from growing your own city vegetable garden. All you need is a window, balcony, patio, deck or roof that receives six or more hours of sun together with a few containers. These can produce an adequate supple of produce for you without the need for a large garden plot. With containers, you can grow anything from lettuce and tomatoes to beans and peppers. You can even grow potatoes and vine crops, such as squash and cucumbers. As long as there is adequate drainage, nearly anything can be used to grow vegetables.

Just remember that:

1. Smaller containers are used for more shallow-rooted crops like carrots, lettuce, and radishes. Vegetables like tomatoes, potatoes, and beans will benefit from using containers that are big enough to accommodate their larger root systems. In fact, the use of five-gallon buckets is not uncommon. To make use of all available space, consider growing vegetable plants in hanging baskets too.

2. In order to help improve drainage and airflow, it may be a good idea to raise your containers about an inch or two off the ground with blocks. Place vegetables in a sunny area that is well protected from wind, which can dry out plants. Container plants usually require daily watering particularly when it is dry, hot and sunny.

I live in a mostly warm and sunny climate but only have a small city courtyard garden. In spite of this, we manage to have a successful urban mini farm! We have 4 blueberry bushes in containers, raspberry and gooseberry canes, a prolific lemon tree plus newly planted grapefruit and tangerine trees. We have a container garden for herbs plus two large deep containers for growing spinach, carrots, shallots, lettuce, cucumbers, radishes, bell peppers and cabbages. The tomato plants have their own 5 gallon pots. Everything is organic including compost (we make our own in 2 compost bins) and fertilizer. It is great fun and very satisfying. The image for this post is our very own first cucumber!  The image for the front page of the blog shows the wonderful veggie garden of my friend in Maine.

If you plan on starting your own city vegetable garden, you will find so much help and advice on the internet. There are even specialist web sites and magazines devoted to the urban farmer so there is no excuse not to get going.

Only honey actually bottled, tested and authenticated in New Zealand can use the UMF label (standing for “unique manuka factor”) and an 8 oz jar or bottle will probably cost you about $37 in a US health store. So genuine UMF New Zealand honey can be rather expensive. There is an American alternative available that is still from New Zealand but bottled in the US but for the very best results, Manuka honey should have at very least a 12+ UMF/”Active” rating but preferably 15+ or higher.

This important UMF rating will only be known if the honey has been tested. If a producer has gone to the expense of testing, they will definitely display it on the container. The testing is expensive and accounts for a reasonable amount of the cost of tested honey.

I know you have been waiting to read about these healing properties and here they are:

1. Use as a natural antibiotic for nasty infections, such as in the chest, by taking a couple of mouthfuls of the honey several times a day, between meals.

2. Use as a natural cough treatment by taking ¾ teaspoon of the honey every time you start to cough. It should resolve in about 24 hours.

3. This raw honey can be used effectively in the treatment of abrasions, acne, bacterial infections (including MRSA), eczema, leg ulcers, puncture wounds, psoriasis, septic wounds and surgical wounds. Manuka honey will kill h-Pylori bacteria that is known to cause ulcers.

4. For abscesses or deep wounds that have been cleaned, the honey can be packed into the cavity before applying an adhesive dressing. According to an article recently published in the American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, honey provides a moist healing environment, deodorizes, rapidly clears infection while reducing inflammation, edema and any oozing.

5. Apply to the face for a few minutes (or as long as you can take it) before showering, to soften and condition the skin.

6. Use when troubled with mouth sores by swishing a teaspoon of the honey in your mouth for several minutes 3 times a day until the sores are gone (usually within a day).

7. Very effective when used in the treatment of burns. According to Professor Keith Scott-Mumbly “Many clinical studies have demonstrated honey’s effectiveness in treating burns. An article in the British Journal of Surgery compared the topical use of honey with silver sulfadiazine (SSD)— one of the most widely-used, common treatments for burns—in 104 cases of superficial burn injuries. In the honey-treated group of 52 patients, 91% of the burns were infection free within 7 days, compared to only 7% of the 52 patients in the SSD group. Pain was also significantly reduced.”

The more recent emergence of dangerous antibiotic resistant strains of bacteria has sounded a wake up call to many in the medical community to consider natural substances with proven medical uses as a means to fighting such strains.

Active manuka honey is one such natural substance and of course it lasts forever.

Dr Deepak Chopra has his insomnia protocol which I thought was well worth passing on to anyone who suffers from insomnia – however infrequently. His protocol tips are in bold. I have added my comments afterwards:

The natural human biorhythm is to sleep between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. For many this means the unusual fact of being in bed with the lights out by 10 pim. So many people are sleep deprived because they go to bed too late but still have to get up early the next morning for work. So they never catch up though they may try to do so at weekends which is when they then put the biorhythm even more out of sync.

Decrease your mental activity after dinner. This means not too much TV or computer activity but perhaps a little light reading just before turning out the light.

Make preparations for the next day. To avoid the early morning rush the next day, get things ready the night before such as laying the breakfast table, putting out clothes to be worn, packing lunches and popping in the refrigerator and more. If you keep a diary, you can make a note of what you hope to accomplish the next day whether at home or at work.  You will rest more easy if you know that everything is ready for the morning.

Take a hot bath for up to an hour with calming fragrances. Use a drop or two of natural essential oils in your bath water and use the soaking time to let go of any daily stress. Healing Natural Oils can provide the natural aid you need to help with sleeping problems. H-Insomnia is a product that is perfect for a safe way to enjoy a full night’s sleep. This should be your goal.

Use your bed for sleep and sex only.

Turn all lights off. Make sure you are comfortable – not too hot and not too cold – relax and concentrate on your breathing while you start to relax.

Try reciting a mantra for five minutes. If you are religious, this could be the time for a prayer or if not, make this the opportunity to listen to soothing music like the sound of oceans waves breaking on the shore.

Something warm, like a hot water bottle, may help soothe your anxieties. It will also keep you warm in cold weather and soothe any painful areas of the body.

If you wake during the night, try repeating some of the techniques above or massaging your head or feet.

If you find it difficult to sleep in your bed, pick another area of the house to sleep in. And get to the root of the problem that might be causing the difficulty such a partner who snores, a room that is too hot or cold, a room that is too light, or the presences of electro-magnetic fields. All cell phones, cordless phones, laptops and other superfluous appliances should be put into another room at night along with their chargers etc.

In addition to Dr Chopra’s tips, remember:

1. When you wake up in the morning, strip back your bed to air it the old fashioned way while you are getting ready for the day. At the same time, open the windows wide (it is best to have windows open at least slightly at night anyway) to keep the air supply fresh and full of oxygen. Once you are ready, come back and make your bed. I am afraid that dust mites love it when you make you bed the minute your jump out of it so that they stay warm and snug!

2. Change your bed linen at least every 5 to 7 days and wash on a high temperature, using a natural laundry detergent and softener. It is a good idea to hang your duvet or blankets together with the pillows out in the sun for at least 3 hours on a regular basis. This helps to to get rid of dust mites, mould and mildew.

3. When changing your sheets, leave the new set off for a while and let your mattress air. Run the vacuum over it to get rid of dust mites and a good tip is to spritz with eucalyptus oil.

4. Keep the bedroom as minimalistic as possible to provide a clean and dust-free environment in which to relax and sleep. Always use natural and non toxic materials to clean and care for your bedroom area.

5. Melatonin is vital to ensure good sleeping habits and this is only produced during darkness so make sure your room is darkened when it is time to sleep. During the day, light stimulates that part of the brain that tells the pineal gland to decrease the melatonin level when it is daytime and light, and to increase it when it is night time and dark. The brighter the light, the bigger the decrease and the darker the dark, the bigger the increase of melatonin. If you find it difficult to sleep without some light, reduce any light source gradually to improve both the quality of your sleep and the amount of time it takes you to fall asleep.

When your bedroom is environmentally friendly, you will awake refreshed and energized so that your day will go so much better and your health and immune system will benefit.

Image via Wikipedia

Fortunately, lemons are easy to get hold of all year round, even if you do not have your own lemon tree. Lemons have so many health and other benefits that they should always be part of your diet and especially in the winter months. And don’t forget that it is not just the flesh and juice of the lemon – try to use the pith and the zest too.

1. Always start your day with a lemon as a glass of water with a slice of lemon will rehydrate your body after a long night’s sleep while supporting the kidneys and the digestive system. If you can drink more of the same during the day or add fresh lemon to your cup of black tea, even better. Then end your day with a glass of warm water with lemon before bed to help the body cleanse whilst you sleep.

 2. Use lemon to detox and cleanse that very hard working organ, the liver. Alcohol and sugar can really exact a heavy toll on the liver so give it a break by kicking the sugar habit, taking a rest from alcohol and including plenty of lemons (or grapefruit) in your diet to help to cleanse the liver while preventing toxins from spreading to other parts of the body.

3. The bitter taste of lemon helps the pumping motion in the bowels to spring into action for improved and regular bowel movements. So that lemon juice in warm water first thing has another benefit.

4. Of course everyone knows about lemon and vitamin C which together with flavonoids work to prevent infection. In addition, lemons contain citric acid, B-complex vitamins, calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium and fiber.

5. The vitamin C found in lemons helps to neutralize those free radicals that have been linked to aging and most types of disease. In addition, Vitamin C helps to boost the immune system while also assisting in the production of collagen which fights wrinkles by keeping the skin firm. This incredible vitamin helps the body absorb calcium and iron and has also been shown to reduce acne flare-ups.

6. Not only anti-infection, lemons have anti-viral properties too and can be very effective against all types of viruses including viral colds and flu.

7. Although lemons are acidic, strangely enough they interact with our body’s metabolism to have an alkalizing effect on the body’s fluids. This helps to restore the body’s PH.

8. A very important benefit is the presence of 22 anti-cancer compounds (including limonene which studies have shown slows or halts the growth of cancer tumors in animals while flavonol glycosides prevents cell division in cancer cells.

9. Rutin is found in lemons and its presence has been shown to improve the symptoms of eye disorders, including retinopathy in those who have diabetes. Another plus for diabetics is that lemons contain hesperetin which lowers blood sugar levels.

10. That citric acid found in lemon juice helps with kidney health by dissolving gallstones, calcium deposits and painful kidney stones.

So stock up a supply of lemons when you do your grocery shop every week and ensure a continuous supply of health benefits from this powerhouse of goodness.

Easy to spot with its orange peel, puckered appearance of the skin, cellulite is usually found on those areas where fat gathers – namely the thighs, buttocks and abdomen. For some it is in the genes and then they follow the kind of lifestyle that aggravates the condition. While you cannot help the genetics factor, you do have a choice with other causes such as lifestyle, diet, exercise and stress levels.

These are the main reasons for cellulite:

• Digestive disorders such as irritable bowel syndrome, constipation or liver problems.
• Constant stress, that leads to tension in the neck muscles, problems with the vertebrae and inflamed tissue, which is thought to cause cellulite at the back of the neck. Prolonged stress and the associated surge of adrenaline can also lead to increased fat storage in the stomach, hips, buttocks and thighs.
• Cellulite in the upper arms and legs is common in older women and this is thought to be partly caused by impaired vein systems in the arms and legs while surprisingly too much leg exercise can lead to cellulite appearing on the front of the thighs.  Aging plays a big role in cellulite formation.
• There is a septae structure under the female skin which is very fibrous and mesh-like making it prone to trap fat cells.
• The female hormones estrogen and progesterone – while the former encourages fat cells to develop and grow around the breasts, thighs and buttocks, the latter can lead to fluid retention, weak veins and weight gain.
• Pregnancy is a time of drastic change in the body including fluid retention and a surge of hormones while the growing uterus can also affect circulation and lymph drainage. Plus any cellulite problems will usually worsen with each successive pregnancy although the good news is that breastfeeding is very beneficial in reducing cellulite.
• A sedentary lifestyle means little or no muscle contractions and a strong possibility of weight gain. If you are overweight or obese, you will be more prone to cellulite plus any fat accumulation will also push the existing cellulite upwards so that it is more noticeable. Please take note that crash diets are particularly harmful because they lead to the body wanting to store fat.
• Cigarette smoke is damaging to vein and capillary walls causing inflammation and leaking, while nicotine itself can affect your circulation.
• Highly processed foods, artificial sweeteners and other additives build up toxins in the body and ultimately, cellulite.

So here are 7 natural ways to combat cellulite:

1. Make a warm drink to take each morning on an empty stomach by mixing 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar into a glass of warm water. Add a small amount of honey as a sweetener.

2. Coffee scrub is made by simply mixing a handful of ground coffee granules with some olive oil and then massaging the affected areas of cellulite with it.

3. A gentle apple cider massage treatment could help to reduce the appearance of cellulite when you mix 3 parts apple cider vinegar with one part of your favourite massage oil. Then gently knead this solution onto affected skin areas twice daily.

4. H-Cellulite from Healing Natural Oils fades and reduces the appearance of cellulite through improving the texture and tone of the skin, moisturizing the skin and then sealing in that moisture. Specially formulated with essential oils, the product is safe and gentle to use.

5. Physical exercise like walking or swimming, and even yoga, are all effective ways to control stress and reduce the appearance of cellulite. Exercise for 20 minutes a day, 5 times a week. This returns your body chemistry to a balanced state in which cellulite is less likely to develop. When you take up yoga, it whips your leg muscles into shape but it can help smooth spongy thighs too. Cellulite is a symptom of reduced lymph circulation, and yoga helps lymph flow more freely through fatty areas, flushing toxins and reducing cellulite.

6. Think about using a mini trampolene to make you fit, tone your body, assist with weight loss, boost your lymphatic system, detox your body, boost your immune system and help get rid of cellulite. A gentle bounce is used to warm up and end your session.  Your feet remain flat on the mat, your hands either on your hips, by your side or holding onto a support bar and you bounce very gently while you breathe consciously and steadily.  Your “zone” is a bounce you slip into without even thinking about it. Remember to slow right down at the end of a session, first to a gentle bounce and then a standstill before stepping off. Then have plenty of water to flush out all the toxins and to rehydrate your body. An extra special tip for cellulite is to tap or slap the affected areas as you breathe and bounce.

7. Finally, include these fresh foods in your new healthier way of eating because they are particularly good for combating cellulite: asparagus, avocados, bananas, broccoli, pears and cucumber.

If you would like to make your own sauerkraut, here is the recipe from a friend. She is a mine of information for all those good and healthy recipes we should all be using but so often don’t have the time or the inclination.

You will need:

1 half gallon glass jar for storage

1 medium sized cabbage shredded (preferably in your food processor)

Optional extras: half a daikon raddish, shredded carrots, juniper berries plus a tiny amount of red pepper flakes.

half cup of pure filtered water with 1 tablespoon of natural sea salt dissolved

1 cup water kefir as a starter (although not absolutely necessary, this will help to speed up the process). Incidentally, water Kefir is a lacto-fermented beverage made from sugar water, juice or coconut water. Here is a link to how to make your own http://www.culturesforhealth.com/water-kefir

Method

Pack all the cabbage and optional extra ingredients into the jar as tightly as possible using 2 or 3 cups at a time. Between each addition, use a potato masher to compact the cabbage even further before adding more and compacting again. Carry on until the jar is completely full.

Mix the salt water and water kefir and slowly pour over the cabbage mixture, giving it time to soak all the way through until the top of the cabbage is completely covered. Cap the jar with a plastic lid so that it is not quite air tight and place it in a pan (because the jar will leak) and cover with cloth to block out the light. Leave it on the kitchen counter for 3 days but check daily and add more water as necessary to ensure the cabbage is covered. After 3 days in the summer or 4 to 5 days in the winter, place in the refrigerator for another week or two. You can start to eat it as soon as it is in the refrigerator but if left a bit longer, the flavor develops more.

Don’t be put off by the fact that naturally occurring bacteria on the surface of the cabbage leaves thrive in this environment, chemically changing the cabbage and increasing its B vitamin content. We all know how long fresh cabbage can last in the refrigerator. Fermented cabbage lasts much longer than that – for weeks if not months.

The ideal way to serve sauerkraut is as an accompaniment to cold beef or sausage or as a side dish to pork chops or a pork roast. Another way is to brown pork chops in a pan and place on top of the sauerkraut in a casserole dish before baking at 320 degrees until the meat is tender.

Healthy sauerkraut is tasty, very low in calories, with no fat and no cholesterol but with plenty of fiber. Serve it at least once a week and you will get all sorts of nutrients – vitamin C, vitamin K, vitamin B6, folate, iron, potassium, copper and manganese.

And if you want to get hold of ready made sauerkraut, you need to look for unpasteurized fermented cabbage. It is harder to find but you may be lucky at a health food store or you can order online.

Most of us have had experience of pink eye or conjunctivits and know how highly contagious it can be. It is alarming for parents the first time they see this condition on a young child because it may make the eyes extremely red and even spread rapidly. The good news is that it usually causes no long term damage either to the vision or the eyes themselves.

Some types of pink eye go away on their own while other require treatment.

The symptoms of pink eye are:

-   Redness or swelling of the white of the eye or inside the eyelid

-  Increased amount of tears

-  White, yellow or green eye discharge

-  Itchy eyes

-  Burning eyes

-  Increased sensitivity to light

-  Gritty feeling in the eye

-  Crusting of eyelids or lashes

Pink eye can be caused by:

-  The bacteria and viruses that are responsible for colds and other infections such as ear, sinus or throat infections.

-  The same bacteria that can lead to sexually transmitted diseases – known as chlamydia and gonorrhea.

-  Allergies – although this is more likely when a child has other allergic reactions such as hay fever.

-  Irritants in the environment such as chemicals in chlorine or soaps or air pollutants such as smoke or fumes.

Chlorine in higher concentrations such as in public swimming kpools can be the culprit if your child experiences frequent bouts of conjunctivitis. The chlorine can break down the protective layers of lubrication that cover the eyes so that they become more vulnerable to getting infected if they are rubbed. Triggers of this type of allergic conjunctivitis include grass, ragweed pollen, animal dander and dust mites.

Fortunately, most cases of conjunctivitis resolve on their own within a week or so but when the pink eye produces a green or yellow discharge, using an over-the-counter antibiotic eye drop can be very helpful. Even if the pink eye appears in just one eye, it is safer to put one drop in each eye because it is so easy for the conjunctivitis to spread. Continue the treatment daily for at least two days after all signs of the redness have gone.

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Popular opinion has always carried a lot of weight and when combined with the fact that money talks, it should not be impossible for consumers to convince both themselves and their main food suppliers that a healthier diet is needed by everyone. A growing rate of a 70% overweight and obese population in the US just cannot continue – it is unsustainable. To become a healthier person while putting less strain on the environment can and should be the goal of us all.

Here are 6 ways in which you can help

1. By cutting your meat consumption. At present, US meat eaters swallow 4 times as much meat as the rest of the world does. If you can cut your consumption in half, you can then easily afford to buy healthy grass fed organic beef or free range chicken and you will be cutting any damage to the environment by at least 50%. Factory farmed meat is very damaging both to the environment and to our health with 90% of meat currently coming from CAFOS and factory farms. Move away from all factory farmed meat, eggs and dairy and create a new demand for grass fed beef and free range chicken and eggs along with raw or at the very least organic milk, butter and other dairy products and farmers will change from dangerous, unhealthy industrial agriculture practices to sustainable organic techniques with more local production.

2. By avoiding so much waste in our food supply from start to finish in the food chain. More than a third of all food in the US gets thrown away. This is a terrible indictment on us all when others in the word are starving.

3. By ditching all the processed and refined foodstuffs too. That means white bread, white flour pastas, corn, processed salts instead of healthy natural salt, sugar, sodas and artificial sweeteners. With the US diet comprising more than than 80% processed, junk and fake foods, a natural, wholefood diet would vastly improve both our heath and our negative impact on the environment.

4. By supporting and buying local and seasonal produce wherever and whenever we can. Food supply transport equals 20% of food-based greenhouse gas emissions so consumers can greatly reduce the CO2 emissions they are responsible for by purchasing their food from local organic growers. Local food from a farmers’ market or a veggie box scheme travels a much shorter distance than supermarket food from all over the world. Remember that even when supermarkets display “local” food, it has often travelled further than you might think because it still gets packaged centrally. Genuine local food often has a lot less packaging and if it’s from a market, it can often go straight into your bag.

5. By showing concern about the number of bees that have been dying off around the world for a decade now from a phenomenon called Colony Collapse Disorder or CCD. A third of the US food supply depends on the honeybee. The collapse of bee colonies is probably multifactorial rather than a response to one type of toxic assault but one major factor is the toxicity of systemic pesticides such as Clothianidin (made by Bayer). Do your bit to raise awareness of this worrying trend.

6. By learning to cook from scratch instead of relying on convenience ready-to-eat meals or take outs. Remember that the more ingredients in a meal, the higher the emissions from processing the food. This means it is better to cook your meals from scratch – something everyone would have done automatically in the past. This is where eating local food really wins out as most processed and ready-to-eat meals have ingredients that come from all over the world. If we want to be sure of eating local food, we need to cook more from scratch. We should also consider including more raw food in our diet – I try to have at east one raw meal per day.

Support the organic food and farming movement and at the same time drastically reduce your carbon foot print by changing the way you shop and eat with these 6 tips. Become part of a mass consumer demand for farm products that are organic, locally or regionally-produced and of course also climate friendly.

Hundreds of everyday products contain parabens and the main reason for this is that parabens are widely used as effective preservatives by the cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries. These paraben compounds, and their salts, are used primarily for their bactericidal and fungicidal

Parabens such as Ethyl, Butyl, Methyl, Propyl, and Parahydroxybenzoate are the second most common ingredient in skin care products after water. The very least of the side effects can be skin rashes and other allergic reactions.

However, many people have become very wary of parabens because they have been found in breast cancer tumors. In fact in a very recent study, researchers found parabens in the breast tissue of every woman examined plus they found extra examples of one type of paraben, Propyl, in the underarm region. This study was carried out under the leadership of Dr Philippa Darbre, reader in oncology at the University of Reading, who has spent years studying parabens and how they get into the body.

The other concern about parabens is that they can mimic the hormone estrogen, which is known to play a role in the development of breast cancers. In the July 2002 issue of the Archives of Toxicology, Dr. S. Oishi of the Department of Toxicology, Tokyo Metropolitan Research Laboratory of Public Health, Japan, reported thaT exposure of newborn male mammals to Butyl “adversely affects the secretion of testosterone and the function of the male reproductive system.”

So how can you protect yourself and your family from parabens?

-  Start reading and checking ingredients on labels because a huge percentage of the products you buy for everyday use contain some form of parabens. It can be difficult to find products that do not use them and the problem with the cosmetic industry is that it is very unregulated so ingredients are often incorrectly listed. Look out for any chemical ingredient that ends in paraben as well as the E number followed by 3 digits (such as E218 which is another name for Methylsuch) as these codes could be used instead of the actual name of the paraben.

-  Change from commercial make up and personal toiletries to organic natural products instead. I never use commercial toothpaste, shampoo, conditioner, face cleanser or moisturizer any more. True organic herbal products made from from high quality organic herbs and organic grain alcohol do not even need preservatives because they are shelf-stable for around two to three years.

-  Genuine castile soap (liquid or bars) has an excellent shelf-life of up to eighteen months or longer and requires no preservatives while a self-preserved 100% organic moisturizing body oil made from organic sunflower oil, organic cocoa butter, organic coconut oil, organic peppermint oil and organic spearmint oil can have a shelf-life of up to 18 months.

-  Remember to treat your skin in the same way as you would think about what you eat before consuming it. I have a friend who says she will not put anything on her skin that she would not spread on her toast in the morning. That is excellent advice as long as she is a healthy eater! If you happily spread coconut oil or raw butter on your breakfast toast, then this would be just as safe, gentle and healthy for your skin.

The good news is that there is a gradual phasing out of these preservatives occurring in the natural skin care industry. While preservatives are needed, there are all natural, nontoxic preservatives that are both safe and effective. Many smaller skin care companies proudly state the fact that they are paraben-free. While this is a great option for them because of the smaller quantity of products they make and sell, most larger skin care companies use parabens to enable you to get your supply of product no matter where you shop. So you are usually safer with smaller, natural companies such as Aubrey Organics, Dr Hauschka Skin Care and Weleda Skin Care. Look out for natural skin care lines that avoid toxic cosmetic ingredients and are created entirely from safe, effective botanical ingredients.

Healing Natural Oils is just such a company providing 100% organic essential oils safe and gentle skin care and treatment for a host of conditions such as wrinkles, acne, varicose veins, psoriasis, rosacea, eczema and many more.

]]> http://www.amoils.com/health-blog/the-perils-of-parabens-and-how-to-protect-yourself/feed/ 0 http://www.amoils.com/health-blog/the-link-between-restless-leg-syndrome-and-fibromyalgia/ http://www.amoils.com/health-blog/the-link-between-restless-leg-syndrome-and-fibromyalgia/#comments Thu, 26 Jan 2012 18:51:28 +0000 Jane Chitty http://www.amoils.com/health-blog/?p=5813 Do you sometimes toss and turn in your bed at night, constantly fighting the urge to keep moving your legs? Now this is very disturbing for your sleep (and possibly for your partner too) but the condition known as restless leg syndrome or RLS has been linked to fibromyalgia according to a new study published in the October issue of Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine. The link is so strong that those with fibromyalgia are 11 times more likely to have RLS than the general population.

There is already a similarity in that fibromyalgia and restless legs syndrome tend to keep sufferers awake at night, often  leading to serious sleep deprivation and insomnia.

Resless leg syndrome is a condition caused by a disorder in the central nervous system and the name really tells you exactly what it is. The disorder can worsen with age. The symptoms are unpleasant sensations in the legs and an uncontrollable urge to move while trying to rest. Some describe the sensations as if there are insects crawling inside the legs together with a burning, creeping or tugging feeling. These sensations can vary from just plain uncomfortable or irritating to really painful and distressing. The big problem is that the condition only arises when you go to lie down, rest and try to sleep. Sufferers have difficulty both falling asleep and staying asleep so that that they suffer from exhaustion and the quality of their lives can be severely affected.

Fibromyalgia or FMS can cause severe pain and tenderness in muscles, ligaments and tendons. Shoulder and neck pain is common but some people with fibromyalgia also have problems with digestion, sleeping (insomnia) and not surprisingly, suffer anxiety and depression. Others have cognitive problems, making it difficult to remember or pay attention. Additional symptoms can include irritable bowel syndrome, headaches, temporomandibular joint disorders (TMJ)and numbness or tingling in the hands or feet. Sufferers may be extra sensitive to odors, noises, bright lights and touch. Fibromyalgia is often linked with the Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) and chronic fatigue syndrome.

This link between fibromyalgia and RLS was discussed in a Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine study that followed 172 people suffering from fibromyalgia. 93% were female and the average age was fifty. They were compared with a control group of 63 people who had no symptoms of fibromyalgia and with an average age of 41. The researchers found that 33% of the fibromyalgia group also had RLS as compared to only 3.1 percent of the control group. Professor Nathaniel F. Watson of the University of Washington in Seattle commented: “Sleep disruption is common in fibromyalgia and often difficult to treat. It is apparent from our study that a substantial portion of sleep disruption in fibromyalgia is due to restless legs syndrome.”

Typically, the medical approach to treating both these conditions is with pharmaceutical drugs along with all too often harmful and toxic side effects. But there are more natural ways too.

If you suffer from RLS, you can help the condition by following these tips and, if your RLS is mild, these home treatment tips may well be sufficient.

During the day:

-  Reduce, or preferably cut out altogether, caffeine, alcohol and tobacco use.
-  Take iron supplements if you have low iron levels – but be sure to get tested first as too much iron in your system can be dangerous.
-  Try wrapping your legs in ace bandages or wear compression stockings to see if this helps.
-  Start an exercise program such as every half hour or hour at work, get up, stretch and walk around for 5 minutes. Do leg stretching exercises frequently.
-  Keep a sleep schedule so you have a record if you need to show your doctor.
-  If you have to go on a long car trip or long distance flight, make sure you exercise and stretch or just walk around as frequently as you can.

At bedtime:

-  Stretch your legs, do knee bends or rotate the ankles.
-  Massage your legs and use H-Restless Leg Syndrome from Healing Natural Oils for relief and treatment.
-  Relax with meditation, yoga or deep breathing.
-  Have a bath or soak your feet in hot water. Apply a hot water bottle or heating pad. Some people find comfort from a cold compression.
-  Try lying on your side with a pillow between your knees.

Natural remedies for fibromyalgia include:

-  Swimming or exercising in warm water for an hour or so three times a week  which can be very beneficial, helping to ease the pain and improve the quality of life. Any other low impact exercises will help keep muscles strong and flexible while also controlling weight and helping the person to remain active. Suggestions include walking, yoga, tai chi or pilates.

-  Colloidal silver has proven to be very effective in treating fribromyalgia. An initial daily dose of 2 to 4 oz can be reduced to 1 oz once the condition improves. Be wary of your source for this product – ensure it is reputable.

-  Anti-inflammatory spices in the diet such as turmeric, garlic, onions and ginger.

-  Supplements of calcium and magnesium which can help to relax tight muscles and calm nerves. Magnesium is a naturally occurring substance that calms nerve cells.

-  Organic apples and apple juice contain malic acid which will help relieve pain and generate cell energy.

-  Garlic, astralagus and echinacea are three important ways to strengthen the immune system while improving circulation.

-  Plenty of good sun exposure to increase vitamin D levels, or vitamin D3 supplements, can help reduce inflammation. Vitamin D deficiency is an important consideration in the management of fibromyalgia syndrome according to a recent study.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21894355

-  A deficiency in vitamin B12 is another possible contributing factor for this condition.

-  Increasing serotonin can lead to a reduction in pain signals. SAMe is a natural compound found in the body and is needed for optimum immune function while helping to maintain cell membranes. SAMe is also instrumental in the production and breakdown of neurotransmitters such as serotinin but also norepinephrine and dopamine. 5-HTP increases serotonin levels in the brain while reducing the number of tender areas in the body. Either of these compounds can be taken as supplements but not together or with anti-depressants.

- Taking Sugar D-ribose to improve energy production within cells.

- There are homeopathic substances to reduce muscle pain, including Rhus Tox (for stiffness and muscle ache that gets worse in cold weather), Cimicifuga racemosa (for muscle pain that feels like bruising (especially helpful when fibromyalgia affects the neck to mid-back) and Bryonia alba (for muscle and joint pain that is worse with motion).

The expert in the case of canned tomatoes is Fredrick vom Saal, PhD, an endocrinologist at the University of Missouri, who studies bisphenol-A.  He quotes the problem as being that the resin linings of tin cans contain Bisphenol-A, a synthetic estrogen that has been linked to ailments ranging from reproductive problems to heart disease, diabetes and obesity.

Most of us have heard of BPA in plastics.

Unfortunately, and because tomatoes are high in acidity, this causes BPA to leach from the resin lining of the tin can into your food. Studies show that the BPA in most people’s bodies now exceeds the amount that can suppress sperm production or cause chromosomal damage to the eggs of animals.

Fredrick vom Saal says: “You can get 50 mcg of BPA per liter out of a tomato can, and that’s a level that is going to impact people, particularly the young,” says vom Saal. “I won’t go near canned tomatoes.”

http://www.ecokaren.com/2010/02/7-foods-even-food-safety-experts-won-t-eat/

So what is the solution?

Change from canned tomatoes to buying those in glass bottles or jars (or if you get a large crop of tomatoes in your own garden, how about preserving your own?). Brands such as Bionaturae and Coluccio supply jars of tomatoes while Trader Joe’s and Pomi provide tomotoes in Tretra Pak boxes as an alternative.

For the cream of the crop, both in product and packaging, you can go to Eden Foods. They have recently announced the launch of their protective amber glass 14 and 25 ounce jars of organic crushed tomatoes and sauces in their line of shelf stable organic tomatoes. Apparently, they are the only tomatoes in the USA packed in amber glass to protect both the flavor and nutrients from light damage.

These products include:

- Organic Spaghetti Sauce
- No Salt Spaghetti Sauce
- Pizza Pasta Sauce
- Crushed Tomatoes
- Crushed Tomatoes with Sweet Basil and
- Crushed Tomatoes with Roasted Onion & Garlic

They are all now available in these new, protective amber glass containers.

Eden Foods decided to change to amber glass jars in order to avoid the presence of bisphenol-A (BPA) in high acid food cans because of the failure of the can manufacturers to make BPA-free cans specially for tomatoes.

Evidently, light can cause discoloration and affect the flavor of the tomatoes through chemical changes in food when they are in plain glass. Photo-oxidation (light damage) is systemic in food stores. This is because fluorescent lighting, in particular, reduces food quality. Amber glass is difficult to get and more costly, but offers the best protection for food. Of course, amber glass is also free of the endocrine disrupter chemical bisphenol-A (BPA).

And to add to your enjoyment, Eden Foods tell us that their organic crushed tomatoes and sauces are made exclusively from fresh, red, ripe, unpeeled Midwestern organic Roma tomatoes (also known as Italian plum) along with 100% organic herbs and spices – some with no salt added. While most sauces are made from tomato concentrates, Eden tomatoes only have to travel 45 miles before they are washed, hand sorted, cooked and jarred (all within hours of harvest) ensuring maximum flavor, aroma and nutrients. And of course it goes without saying that no processing aids or additives are used. All ingredients are listed on the label.

Roma tomatoes are ideal for canning and using in delicious sauces because they have few seeds. Worldwide, Romas are prized for their deep color, rich mild sweet flavor and low acidity while their dense, meaty flesh and low moisture content make them feel heavy for their size.  Added health benefits to enjoy are that they are the highest in the antioxidant lycopene. Organic versions are higher still in lycopene, giving the customer up to 14.4 milligrams of this highly acclaimed and protective antioxidant per serving.

Don’t forget to look out for fresh organic Roma tomatoes too as they are usually available in the USA from early November to the end of May from your local Farmers Market or the fresh produce department of your local store. The sweeter varieties are perfect for eating fresh or adding to salads or recipes.

These toxins include medications such as NSAIDS and statins, aspirin and Tylenol.

In addition, here are some other ways in which you can harm your kidneys:

-  Being obese

-  Through fluoride in your water supply

-  Using non stick cookware (Teflon)

-  Undergoing root canal treatment along with dental mercury amalgams

-  Exposure to toxic mold in the home and elsewhere

-  The use of pesticides and laundry detergents and other toxic cleaning matrials

-  Artificial sweeteners of all types

-  Consuming fructose, sodas and candies

Emotions can play a part with the health of our organs too, and the emotion often associated with problems with the kidney is fear so be mindful that if you are frequently fearful, you may well be affecting your kidneys and their function.

Kidney disease risk factors include diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity, smoking and age. Early detection and treatment can increase the life of the kidneys.  Remember too that high blood pressure can lead to or be a sign of kidney disease.

Kidney disease is called a ‘silent disease’ as there are often few symptoms but here some of the signs and symptoms:

-  Change in frequency and quantity of urine passed, especially at night (usually increase at first)
-  Blood in the urine (haematuria)
-  Foaming urine
-  Puffiness around the eyes and ankles (oedema)
-  Pain in the back (under the lower ribs, where the kidneys are located)
-  Pain or burning when passing urine

Later on, when the kidneys begin to fail, there is a build-up of waste products and extra fluid in the blood as well as other problems, gradually leading to:

-  Tiredness, inability to concentrate
-  Generally feeling unwell
-  Loss of appetite
-  Nausea and vomiting
-  Shortness of breath

Reduction in kidney function cannot usually be reversed.  However, if detected early enough, the progress of kidney disease can be slowed and sometimes even prevented but if kidney function is reduced to less than 10 per cent of normal then renal dialysis or a kidney transplant becomes necessary.

Dialysis is a treatment for kidney failure that removes waste products and extra water from the blood by filtering it through a special membrane (fine filter).

But please do not let your kidneys deteriorate in the first place. Early detection of kidney disease can be life saving. Very importantly, lifestyle changes can keep your kidneys healthy.  Here are those 12 tips:

1.  Avoid contact with all the toxic and harmful items listed at the beginning of this article.

2.  Eat lots of  fresh fruit and vegetables (particularly the latter) together with grass fed beef and free range chicken and eggs.

3.  Stay away from sugars, sodas and artificial sweeteners, processed salty foods and the bad trans fats and change to natural salt and good fats such as butter from raw cream, olive oil and organic cocnut oil.  Stevia is a safe replacement for sugar.

4.  Try to drink only water instead of other drinks. This should be pure filtered water – at least 8 glasses per day.

5.  Maintain a healthy weight and of course this will be achieved through the other lifestyle changes that you make.

6.  Stay fit by at least 30 minutes of physical activity that increases your heart rate on five or more days of the week including walking, lawn mowing, bike riding, swimming or gentle aerobics.

7.  Don’t smoke and limit your alcohol to two small drinks per day if you are male or one small drink per day if you are female.

8.  Have your blood pressure checked regularly.  If you blood pressure levels are higher than they should be, lower them with natural remedies rather than statins which can actually lead to kidney damage.

9.  Do things that help you relax and reduce your stress levels.

10.  Spirulina (from a safe source) helps to protect your kidneys. As kidneys are one of the first organs to suffer damage after significant radiation exposure, Spirulina is used but research also suggests that spirulina helps protect from the nephrotoxicity of cancer treatments, antibiotics and analgesics.

11.  Please be aware that many people today are gluten intollerant and as such can suffer from gluten induced kidney damage. If you are not sure or are suspicious that you might be gluten intolerant, get genetically tested for gluten sensitivity.  If you have actually have kidney disease, make sure your doctor checks your 25 OH D levels (vitamin D).  Additionally, make sure that he measures for other nutritional deficiencies as well.   Malabsorption is a common cause of secondary diseases for those with intolerance or sensitivity to gluten.

12.  It cannot be overemphasized how important vitamin D is to your general health including the kidneys.  Vitamin D is not a vitamin at all but a steroid hormone that is probably the single most important factor in human health.  The optimum level for good health is to be between 40 ng/ml and 100 ng/ml and if you are not receiving sufficient sunlight exposure, the average adult needs to take a daily dose of 8000 IUs daily to elevate their levels above 40 ng/ml.

Remember that avoiding all toxins, taking regular exercise, along with a balanced diet and drinking plenty of water will help to keep your kidneys working well and in peak condition. 

Second only to the banana in the tropical fruit popularity stakes with Americans, the pineapple has many health benefits too making a bowl of fresh chunks of pineapple a great idea for a refreshing snack at any time of the day.  Best eaten on its own between meals without other food because pineapple is a great aid to digestion.

-  Fresh pineapple is full of bromelain which is a sulphur-containing, protein-digesting compound and the most important of the enzymes.  Enzymes are effective in reducing swelling and inflammation while assisting in the treatment of such conditions as acute sinusitis, sore throats, arthritis and gout. Enzymes in pineapple are used for treating rheumatoid arthritis successfully while also speeding up the tissue repair associated with general surgery, diabetic ulcers and injuries.

-  Pineapple also reduces blood clotting and aids in removing plaque from the arterial walls.

-  Those suffering from angina can consume pineapple because it enhances blood circulation in narrowed arteries.

-  Pineapple is a useful aid in building up healthy bones.

-  A good source of vitamin C, pineapple makes a welcome change to citrus and other vitamin C-rich fruit while offering an excellent protection againsts free radicals. Vitamin C (which is your body’s vital water soluble antioxdant) is invaluable for fighting and treating colds and flu as well as atherosclerosis and diabetic heart disease, asthma attacks and even the risk of certain cancers.  As pineapple is so rich in vitamin C, it means it is also good for oral health, helping to reduce periodontal disease and gingivitis.

-  Pineapple provides a rich source of manganese plus vitamin B1 which  are essential minerals and vitamins for energy production.

-  We all worry about our eye health especially as we age and along with other fruit, pineapple has been shown to help protect against macular degeneration.

For your information, these are the the nutritional values of pineapple as present in 100 grams:

Dietary fiber – 1.4 g
Sugar – 9.5 g
Vitamin E – 0.62 mg
Vitamin B6 – 0.111 mg
Vitamin B5 – 0.205 mg
Vitamin B3 – 0.495 mg
Vitamin B2 – 0.031 mg
Vitamin B1 – 0.079 mg
Vitamin C – 37.2 mg
Fat – 0.12 g
Protein – 0.54 g
Carbohydrates – 13.2 g
Zinc – 0.11 mg
Phosphorus – 10 mg
Iron – 0.29 mg
Potassium – 110 mg
Calcium – 13 mg
Calories – 50

So next time you see pineapples in the fresh produce aisle of your local store, go ahead and buy one or two.

Pineapples should feel heavy for their size and should look, feel and smell clean with no bad or mouldy marks on the outer surface. So give them the “feel in the hand” and “the sniffing test” before choosing. Remember that a pineapple stops ripening when picked so don’t select any that look too immature. Pineapples can be stored at room temperature but don’t wait too long before you enjoy their juicy sweet taste because they can spoil easily if left and forgotten.  You can wrap in a plastic bag and store in the fridge for up to 5 days or if you have cut up your pineapple, you can store unused pices in the fridge for a further day or two in an airtight container. Freezing pineapple will change its flavour.

You can cut and prepare your pineapple ready to eat by using a sharp knive and a cutting board.

Turn the pineapple on its side and slice off the top and the bottom of the fruit. Then turn it back up so the top is facing the ceiling and slice down the side rough skin all the way round until you are left with a juicy cylinder of fruit. Turn it on its side again and cut into slices. If the core of each slice is hard rather than soft, use the sharp point of your knive to make little cuts around the edge of the core and push it out.

Your pineaple is now ready to eat. Enjoy!

You can do this test by going to www.realage.com and logging in. It will probably take you about 15 minutes to complete especially if you have some general background information ready before you start – such as your weight, height, waist measurements, blood pressure and cholesterol levels. The rest of the survey you should be able to do from memory. There are little tips all through the questionnaire to help you out if you are not quite sure about the various questions.

I found the test to be very extensive, working through different aspects of your health and well being. The initial general back ground questions are followed by your medical history including dental and eye health. If you give a positive response to any medical conditions in this part of the questioning, the survey will come back to follow up with more questions on such conditions as to treatment, medications and more.

The next page goes into your emotional background and you need to think carefully and be very honest here. Following on are questions about your education and work background along with the family income. Queries on your diet, vitamins and supplements are quite extensive as is the final set of questions on what form of exercise you do.

Once you start the questionnaire, please do not give up but keep on right to the end when you will be given your Real Age.

And it does not end there. There is a detailed plan for you – congratulating you on what you are doing correctly and steering you in the right direction for improving any aspects of your lifestyle. You can print out this plan (which runs into several pages) to keep and to follow. But read it on your screen as well because all through the plan are links to interesting pieces of information such as a special tracker to start a walking workout and to log your miles or the chance to take the RealAge Sleep Health Assessment to see how you rate in the sleeping department.

The plan is also peppered with healthy hints such as checking your skin regularly so that you can perform skin self-exams and learn how to spot potential problems like changes in moles or other skin marks. If you have any moles that concern you, these can be easily and safely removed with H-Moles from Healing Natural Oils.

Many of the suggestions are good and sensible. There are a few that I had issues with though and these I listed them here with my suggested alternative:

-  They recommend chewing gum (for lowering stress) as long as it is sugarless gum. Unfortunately, sugarless gum will usually have aspartame as an ingredient which is a particularly harmful and toxic artificial sweetener. In fact all artificial sweeteners should be avoided. Instead, find a gum that uses xylitol which is an alcohol sugar that is very good for oral hygiene.

-  Shake the salt habit. This should read “shake the processed salt habit” because we do need salt in our lives but it must be natural salt.

-  Stressing the importance of sun screen when it has now been found that sun screens can contain many harmful and toxic chemicals to such an extent that they can actually cause cancer. If you must use a sunscreen, find a natural one with safe ingredients. Sunscreens also block out the massive Vitamin D benefits of sunlight.

Recommending soy foods such as tofu, soymilk and anything made from whole soy beans.  However, soy can be incredibly healthful, but only if it is organic and properly fermented. The risks of consuming unfermented soy products far outweigh any possible benefits. In fact the vast majority of soy at your local market is not a health food. Unlike the Asian culture, where people eat small amounts of whole non-GMO soybean products, western food processors separate the soybean into two golden commodities—protein and oil. And there is nothing natural or safe about these products.  In fact 91% of soy grown in the US is genetically modified (GM) to impart resistance to the toxic herbicide Roundup. While this is meant to increase farming efficiency and provide you with less expensive soy, the downside is that your soy is loaded with this toxic pesticide. And this is just the tip of the iceberg as far as the worrying health side effects of soy.

In spite of these few reservations, most of the advice given on this site is very helpful and encouraging and I know you will benefit from doing the RealAge test and printing out your own plan at the end.

Do yo

As we all know only too well, obesity rates in the United States have skyrocketed with 66 percent of adults being overweight or obese.

According to Michael Breus, PhD, author of Beauty Sleep: ”When you’re sleep deprived, your body produces more ghrelin, a hormone that tells you to eat more, and less leptin, which signals you to stop eating.”  For example people who sleep only four hours a night are more likely to choose high-carb, sugary and starchy foods over healthier picks, a recent University of Chicago study found.

James Maas, PhD, a sleep researcher at Cornell University and the author of Power Sleep, points to increasing evidence that chronic sleep deprivation raises the risk of weight gain. Maas also blames those same two hormones: leptin, which helps the brain sense when you’re full, and ghrelin, which triggers hunger. The less sleep you get, the lower your leptin levels – and the higher your ghrelin.  He says: “Many people think they’re hungry when they’re actually sleepy. Instead of a snack, they need some shut-eye.’

The reverse is also true as eating certain healthy foods calms your nervous system and triggers a sleep-inducing hormonal response, helping you rest better at night.

Staying in bed longer or having a short nap during the day can actually keep you from gaining weight. The less sleep you get, the less efficiently your appetite-regulation system works.

So if you have weight problems, then it appears to be important to work on any sleep deprivation or insomnia issues at the same time.

Here are some more interesting facts about sleep from James Maas as presented in his book “Sleep for Success” co-authored by Cornell graduate student Rebecca S. Robbins.

• Most people overestimate the amount they sleep each night by nearly one hour;

• If you fall asleep within five minutes, you are sleep deprived, since the fully rested person takes 20 minutes to fall asleep;

• Women sleep less soundly with a partner than men do.

• Every additional hour of sleep reduces a child’s risk of obesity by 9 percent;

• One drink of alcohol on six hours of sleep has the same effect on one’s ability to drive a car as three to four martinis on eight hours of sleep;

• Most high school and college students get 2.5 hours less sleep per night than recommended. Grades in high school and college are directly related to sleep length.

Changing to a healthier lifestyles will help both your insomnia and weight gain: plenty of regular exercise, drinking lots of pure filtered water, ditching the sugars, the sodas and all processed foods; eating whole living foods with lots of fresh fruit and veggies along with healthy fats; going to bed earlier and enlisting the help of a natural essential oils product H-Insomnia from Healing Natural Oils.

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The number of asthma cases keeps on growing. Can you believe an increase of more than 300% over the last two decades? Asthma affects an estimated thirty million Americans including many children. This inflammatory condition, typically of the upper airways, results in symptoms of chest tightness, shortness of breath, wheezing and coughing. When the symptoms are especially severe, it can be extremely stressful for the sufferer.

Asthma can be treated with two types of pharmaceutical medications: long-term control and quick-relief medicines. Long-term control medicines help reduce airway inflammation and prevent asthma symptoms while quick-relief medicines relieve asthma symptoms that may flare up.

If you have asthma, you probably spend a lot of time using various inhalers and nebulizers. Often, these contain glucocorticoids (steroids) which can have major side effects when used long term. These side effects include: cataracts, osteoporosis, adrenal insufficiency, weight gain (with a possible dramatic increase in abdominal fat), Type 2 diabetes and behavioral changes such as extreme anger.

In addition, other inhalers contain drugs which dilate the bronchi allowing more air in but, at the same time in many users, these drugs cause very rapid heart rate, tremors and insomnia.

Of course these drugs can be life saving but it is important to look at other safer ways to improve asthma symptoms.

Triggers for asthma include allergies, certain drugs, pollution and severe stress.

Some sufferers are finding that their symptoms respond well to natural treatments for asthma. One natural alternative is inhaled glutathione an antioxidant which is usually deficient in those suffering from asthma. The body produces its own glutathione unless a poor diet, pollution, toxins, medications, stress, trauma, aging, infections and radiation have depleted your reserves, leaving you susceptible to unrestrained cell disintegration from oxidative stress, free radicals, infections and more.

Other ways to treat and even prevent the symptoms of asthma naturally are with these suggestions:

- By testing for gluten intolerance and/or other food allergies as it has been found that many with asthma also have a gluten or other sensitivity. In such cases, their immune systems are so busy fighting their food, that they don’t have left over immune resources to fight the environment.

- By increasing the intake of animal-based omega 3 fats and by reducing the intake of omega 6 fats – the ratio between these two fats is very important. If the balance is distorted it can lead to the type of inflammation that causes asthma.

- By getting regular exercise especially out in the fresh air. Research has shown that exercise in asthmatics leads to an improvement in maximum ventilation and maximal oxygen uptake; in work capacity; and in maximum heart rate.

- By testing your vitamin D levels. Most important of all is that if you get your levels to about 60 ng/ml or higher, there’s a strong likelihood you may not experience the symptoms of asthma any more. The vast majority of today’s population is vitamin D deficient – that is below 30 ng/ml – so that even the medical community is beginning to realize the importance of raising vitamin D levels to protect against a large number of diseases and health conditions including asthma. You can raise your levels by exposing as much skin as possible to sunlight during the 2 hours either side of noon (with no sun block) for as long as it takes for your skin to turn a light pink. The darker your skin, the longer you need.  Do this as often as you can. You may still need to supplement with vitamin D3 and the suggested optimal dose is 8000 IUs per day until you reach above 60 ng/ml. You will then need to maintain that level.

Nail polish, polish removers and artificial nail products contain a host of toxic chemicals known or suspected to cause cancer, reproductive harm, asthma and other negative health effects.   But at least some nail polish manufacturers have now reformulated their products to remove the “toxic trio” of  ingredients: namely, dibutyl phthalate, formaldehyde and toluene.

1. Dibutyl phthalate (DBP) adds flexibility and a moisturizing sheen, and helps dissolve other cosmetic ingredients. But the downside is that it is a a reproductive and developmental toxin that has been linked to feminizing effects in baby boys.

2. Toluene helps suspend the color in nail polish and form a smooth finish across the nail. But it also affects the central nervous system and can cause headaches, dizziness and fatigue. It is thought to be a possible reproductive and developmental toxin.

3. Formaldehyde is found in some nail products such as nail hardener and is a well known human carcinogen. Plus it is an irritant to the eyes, nose and throat, possibly leading to skin irritation and an allergic rash called dermatitis or eczema.

In addition to the toxic trio, nail care products can also contain a host of other toxic chemicals, including organic solvents like xylene, methyl ethyl ketone and acetone, as well as acrylic polymers such as methyl methylacrylate and ethyl methylacrylate.

But do not despair, there is a safer alternative to nail polish and it is called nail buffing which can create an attractive and smooth sheen to your nails while helping your nails grow stronger and longer because of increased circulation.

Here is how to nail buff.

Equipment:

- Medium to fine buffing block
- Fine to superfine buffing block
- Chamois leather
- Beeswax

Method: 

1. Take off that old nail polish for the last time using your existing bottle of nail polish remover before conditioning your fingernails with a good quality natural cream or oil while pushing back the cuticles. Then file your fingernails carefully to the desired shape.  At the same time look out for any signs of nail fungus.

2. Stroke each fingernail a few times with a medium/fine buffing block to take off any ridges on the surface. Be extra careful not to buff too long or too hard because of the risk of thinning out the fingernail, weakening it and making it vulnerable to injury or infection.

3. Stroke each fingernail with a fine/superfine buffing block to shine them. Go in one direction only. This is to make sure you don’t move the buffing block back and forth over the fingernail so quickly that you cause damage without realizing it.

4. Shine your fingernails with a small piece of chamois leather. If you wish, you can use a buffing cream or a little beeswax to give your fingernails a high sheen.

5. Your fingernails will look natural and attractive so you can now skip that nail polish with its toxic chemicals which you would absorb through your nails and your skin. Apart from any toxic and harmful ingredients, polish remover dries out and ultimately damages your fingernails.

Just one word of warning – don’t use the buffer for smoothing out ridges on your nails more often than once a month. You can buff the nails themselves as often as you like as long as the product is minus any abrasives.

There is a nostalgic trend for people to trace their family trees by going back several generations or as far as they are able. If there is not a lot of actual evidence in the family archives, many will use such web sites as myheritage.com to help them on their way. However, there is another important aspect to tracing your family history that you might not have thought of.

That is your family’s medical history because this could hold vital information about your own health and that of your children.

Many common conditions are passed down through families but there may also be less well known conditions that are genetic in nature that would be helpful to know about. The more common ones include heart disease, cancer, diabetes, mental illness, osteoporosis, birth defects and even memory loss.

Your first port of call when putting together such information is to chat to your parents and your grandparents as well as any uncles and aunts and get them to rack their brains for what they can recollect. Write it all down. It will form the basis of your family’s medical history. Once you have exhausted that source, then there other ways and means to find out more.

It is very important when collecting your family medical history to obtain accurate, complete records. A three generation set of records and information is the ideal goal to aim for. It is rather a tall order but you should set out information in the following format for each family member:

-  First and last names (including all married and maiden names for women where appropriate).

-  The current age, or age at death.

-  Exactly how people are related to each other, noting if any brothers and sisters have different parents or if anyone was adopted.

-  In the case of twins, you need to know if they are or were identical or fraternal.

-  Note if any family member married a blood relative eg. first cousins.

-  The country your ancestors came from eg. Jewish ancestors could be Ashkenazi Jews (from eastern Europe) or Sephardic Jews (from Spain or certain middle eastern countries). This information can be important because of the prevalence of some genetic conditions in certain ethnic groups.

-  Note the cause of death and if an autopsy was performed plus any history of miscarriages or babies who are deceased.

-  Include any illnesses, birth defects, or mental retardation in family members. A bonus would be the names of hospitals or medical centers where treatment took place plus the age at which illnesses occurred or any surgery was performed and why.

-  Also include any particular lifestyle habits that might be relevant such as a history of tobacco use, alcohol or drug use, obesity or an occupation that might be hazardous.

Aim to be as accurate as you can when compiling a family medical history as this can be a valuable tool for both your family members and your healthcare providers.

In addition, forewarned is forearmed. If you do your own research about a family condition and know what you might be up against, in many instances you can adjust your diet and more as a preventative measure.

You can add to your family medical history by applying for medical records and/or death certificates for different members. Death certificates are particularly useful as they usually contain all the relevant information about cause, place and age and may even give the name of the hospital that treated the deceased. Death certificates may or may not include information about other medical conditions that did not contribute to the cause of death. They can be obtained from the records office in the state where the family member died. A small fee is usually charged for a copy of a death certificate.

In the case of your own medical records, you can apply for these from the appropriate facility but if you wish to apply for a family member’s records, then you will need their permission or in the case of a deceased person, their next-of-kin’s permission.

Compiling such a family medical tree is quite an undertaking but you might find it a very worthwhile and interesting exercise with valuable benefits for both you and your family.