Candida and fungal infections can often result from the use of antibiotics while the misuse and overuse of such medications can cause our bodies to have an imbalance of good and bad bacteria so that we lose our natural ability to fight disease. And then to add insult to injury, we do not allow ourselves sufficient healing time after an infection so that our immune systems become weaker – perhaps even leading to a further infection and more antibiotic prescriptions.

So if we get sick, what natural antibiotics can we use instead?

There are so many to choose from:

- Echinacea or golden seal tincture in an alcohol base can be taken as directed on the label, 7 to 10 days non stop, using a full dropper in a little water 3 to 5 times per day. Then take a break for a week. If necessary, take for another 7 to10 days. Goldenseal has the ability to soothe the linings of the mucus membranes of the respiratory, digestive and genitourinary tracts while effectively clearing out any bacterial invasion. Just a few drops can stop a sore throat in its tracks.

- Oregon Grape or Berberis aquifolium is native to the US and can stop bacteria from adhering to the walls of the intestine and urinary tract. When used as a tea, it will wash away urinary tract infections but it can also be used in dried capsules or liquid tincture to treat digestive tract conditions like infectious diarrhea.

- Andrographis paniculata is an Asian herb with a long history which is used to disrupt the quorum-sensing system of bacteria. This system helps bacteria attach to each other and thrive as a community. Andrographis basically helps break up the bacterial ‘get together’ and is a great way to treat symptoms of upper respiratory tract infections and sinus problems. Numerous studies have reported on its ability to reduce upper respiratory infection symptoms including fatigue, sore throats, coughs and headaches.

- Most people love honey and Manuka honey is often used in hospitals as a protocol for wound care when it is placed directly on gauze to cover the wound. The bandage is replaced three times a day. Although studies show most honey has antibacterial activity, manuka honey has proven to be especially potent due to a compound called methylglyoxal, acting against a wide range of bacteria, including MRSA.

-  Bee propolis can be bought in capsule form and taken as directed once in the morning and once at night as a natural antibiotic. With antibiotic, anti-inflammatory and anti-viral properties, bee propolis stimulates the immune system and helps heal respiratory infections.

- With antibacterial, antifungal and antiviral properties, garlic is an inexpensive way to treat illness. Eat raw in your food, make a tea or take in capsule form as directed 3 times per day. You do need to consume lots of garlic in order to realize its benefits. You can hold raw garlic under your tongue or drink its juice for a more effective way of assimilating the healing properties. Cooking with garlic does help maintain health but remember that this healing herb can lose its potency when cooked. You can use garlic on a daily basis to help prevent illness and you may need more when you are sick. In the case of serious infections, you may need to combine garlic with prescriptions or other natural remedies.

- Colloidal silver is a tasteless liquid that can be taken in place of an antibotic and is especially helpful for upper respiratory ailments. Begin taking the maximum dose at the onset of an illness and continue without skipping a dose. Colloidal Silver will kill both good and bad bacterium — which means you need to keep adding disease fighting good bacteria to your diet. Many people have great results using CS. However, in extreme cases over-use can cause the skin to turn grey.  CS is made from pure silver and was used in the US to effectively fight bacterial infections until the late 1940s.

- One commercial herbal antibiotic you can use is DefensePlus by NutriBiotic which contains grapefruit seed extract, echinacea, astragalus, Vitamin C, mushroom extracts, goldenseal & ginger root. So lots of good healthy ingredients there.

- Many people find olive leaf to be invaluable as a natural antibiotic. Either as a fresh leaf or in supplemental form, olive leave has been found to be beneficial as a natural antibiotic as well as in the treatment for conditions caused by a virus, a retrovirus or a bacteria.

- A beneficial probiotic will help to balance out the good flora in your digestive tract and assist with dealing with fungus which is the culprit in many respiratory infections. Take probiotics three times per day along with Echinacea and goldenseal. You should continue with the probiotic for several weeks after your infection is gone.

- Vitamin C can also be extremely helpful when you take up to 10 grams a day, preferably in powdered form. If you get loose stools, take less. Studies indicate it lessens the severity of symptoms of an infection and shortens the duration.

- Lemon, Ginger, Cinnamon, Cumin, Cayenne Pepper and Onions are all cleansing and purifying foods that will help detox most illnesses. You can cook with them and eat them as much as you want.

Boosting your immune system is always an important part of keeping well and preventing sickness. See how to do this in one of our earlier posts - http://www.amoils.com/health-blog/how-can-we-boost-our-immune-system-with-natural-remedies-and-home-treatments/

Please remember that natural medicine allows infection to leave your body more quickly and this may mean that you feel sicker longer. Detoxing bad infections can be painful so allow yourself plenty of rest and proper hydration while you are healing. Patience is paramount.

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If and when your children get sick, here is how to go the natural way with some good old fashioned home remedies:

1. Think BRAT for DIARRHEA. – that is a choice of bananas, rice, apple sauce and toast

2. Black licorice will cure children’s CONSTIPATION nine times out of ten.

3. The chemical reaction between baking soda and vinegar creates a cooling effect that will soothe your child’s MINOR BURNS. Just pour equal amounts of the ingredients into a bowl to bathe your child’s hand or other affected place till the burning stops.

4. For an EARACHE, use a hot pack big enough so they can lay their head down to relieve the “ache”. Another good home remedy is to keep a nasal spray pump filled with “food grade” 35% peroxide that has been diluted to 3% with “ionic silver” water (and available from companies providing peroxide water treatment equipment). A few drops of hydrogen peroxide in your child’s ears is safe, very effective and inexpensive. Just make sure you use a peroxide without the stabilizer. You can dilute the peroxide with purified water as an alternative to the iconic silver water.

5. For a HEADACHE give them a big drink of water and rub their head/neck making sure to work out the knots. There is a pressure point between your thumb and pointer finger. If all else fails, H-Headaches from Healing Natural Oils can be safely used on children of all ages for all headache pain.

6. For TEETHING take a wash cloth, wet the center with a little water, spread on a tablespoon of apple sauce, roll it up, then freeze it. Babies love this because it is is sweet, it is chewy and it is cold so it numbs their gums.

7. For COLDS and CONGESTION IN THE NOSE, a nasal wash using a few grains of crystal salt in 1/4 cup of warm water may help. You can use in a Netti Pot as well, but remember to use good quality sea salt and not the normal refined processed table salt.

8. A simple and quick remedy for a SORE THROAT is to place some natural sea salt on an apple slice for your child to eat. This is much easier than getting him or her to gargle salt water and works well.

9. For a really SORE THROAT, make your children “Granny’s lemon and honey drink”. Add one tablespoon of lemon juice and one and a half tablespoons of honey to one cup of warm water. Mix and drink frequent sips. It must be RAW honey and do not give honey to any child under the age of 1 year as they are at risk for botulism from honey.

10. Children who get a dose of honey COUGH less and sleep better than those who get cough medicine. A recipe for coughs:
- Put a pint of raw honey in a pan on the stove on very low heat (Do not boil honey as this changes its medicinal properties).
- Take a whole lemon and boil in some water in a separate pan for 2-3 minutes to both soften the lemon and kill any bacteria that may be on the lemon skin.
- Let the lemon cool enough to handle then cut it in slices and add it to the pint of honey on the stove.
- Let mixture cook on warm heat for about an hour.
- Then strain the lemon from the honey, making sure all lemon seeds are removed.
- Let cool, then bottle in a jar with a lid and store in the refrigerator. This syrup will keep for 2 months in the refrigerator.
- To soothe a cough, take 1/2 teaspoon for a 25 lb. child and 1 teaspoon for a 50 lb. child, about 4 times a day or as often as needed. Adults can take 1 tablespoon doses.

Help to keep your child germ free and able to fight off any virus by ensuring a STRONG IMMUNE SYSTEM by eating healthy whole foods, by regular exercise and by getting sufficient sleep.

Never underestimate the simple advice to WASH YOUR HANDS and those of your children frequently to ward off colds and other infections. Washing hands helps decrease the likelihood of spreading a virus to the nose and mouth as well as others around you but don’t use antibacterial soap for this. They are unnecessary, causing far more harm than good.

And even if during the months ahead, you do get a dose of flu – for most of us,  it is just an inconvenience and not a serious disease.

Following these steps will help you to recover quickly:

1. Rest – flu means you need plenty of rest and sleep for at least a couple of days so take that time off and do what you body tells you so that it can direct all its energy towards the immune battle. As well as helping you to recuperate, good quality sleep will boost your immune system to help ward off future colds and flu.

2. Fluids – whether your body is fighting an infection or a virus in the case of flu, plenty of fluids are the order of the day as they help to detox your whole system and flush out germs and toxins. Water is at the top of the list with at least 6 to 8 glasses per day plus tea, comforting and nourishing soups (homemade if possible) and the occasional glass of natural fruit juice such as lemon, grapefruit, water melon or orange along with its helping of vitamin C. Keep away from sugar as much a possible which can just compromise the immune system that you are trying to boost. Hot liquids help to relieve nasal congestion while soothing any inflamed membranes lining your nose and throat.

3. Nutrition – you may not have much of an appetite but small light meals will help you to keep up your strength and give you the necessary nutrients you need. As well as soups mentioned above, a lightly poached free range egg or some grilled fish with some fresh organic steamed vegetables makes the ideal invalid meal. You may need some added supplements at this time and particularly important is vitamin D3 and vitamin C.

4. Gargling – if you have a sore throat or cough with your bout of flu, gargle with a teaspoon of salt dissolved in warm water several times a day. A tickle in the throat may respond to an astringent gargle with tea (that contains tannin). A drink of hot water mixed with some lemon juice and honey will help to soothe a scratchy throat or you can make a thick gargle with a tablespoon of lemon juice, steeped in a cup of water, and mixed with a teaspoon of honey. Cool to room temperature before using.

5. Congestion – if you are feeling congested, one way to help clear your air passages to breathe more easily, is to take a hot and steamy shower. Take one before bedtime or a daytime nap to help you sleep better. For congestion, always blow your nose gently with one finger over one nostril while you blow to clear the second nostril. Wash your hands regularly to avoid spreading germs. Menthol, eucalyptus and camphor have mild numbing ingredients and a small dab can be used under the nose to help relieve any pain or rawness.

6. Elevation – another tip to help with congestion, particularly when you are trying to sleep, is to use extra pillows to raise your head and allow any fluid in your air passages to drain away. If this makes the angle difficult for you to sleep, place extra pillows under the mattress itself for a more gradual elevation. Sometimes, applying a hot or cold pack around the sinuses (either side of the nose just below the eyes) will also help congestion.

With some TLC from those around you and your own common sense, the flu will soon be a distant memory. But keep up the healthy habits and lifestyle to build up your immune system to avoid any further illness.   Of course, if you have severe symptoms or just feel worse every day, then you should seek medical advice.

If you have a musty smell in your home, then it is more than likely that you have mold but if you see mold, then the problem becomes more acute. Most of the toxic mold that we may be breathing in is actually invisible and floating in the air. We all need lots of fresh air and we are not going to get that if we are holed up inside a musty home 90% of the time with no fresh air circulating.

Mold becomes a big problem when the spores start multiplying or when those who are especially sensitive to mold are breathing it in. The result can be respiratory problems, common allergic reaction symptoms, nervous-system disorders and depression.

If your home is warm and humid with too much stuff piled up and infrequently moved, this provides the perfect breeding ground. Mold will find any organic matter to invade, infesting our living space through walls, windows, doors, carpets and of course under the refrigerator but can also be walked or carried indoors.

Most of us are unaware of our exposure to the “harmful to our health” effects of mold in the home.

You will be wondering how you can protect yourself from mold?

- Check for any leaks and fix them either yourself or with the help of a professional.

- Homes with a humidity level of 70% are especially vulnerable. You may need to invest in a high quality humidifier. A good quality air purification system with an HEPA filter and UV & negative ion technoligies may be the answer for you.

- Homes that are too warm with poorly lit, stuffy rooms are at high risk. Clear out all excess contents, open all the windows and let the sunlight stream in.

- In your bathroom, open the window when you shower and keep it open as much as possible. Do the same when using a clothes drier and make sure it has an anti-humidity vent.

- If you have heating and/or air conditioning, change the air filters regularly. Homes should not be over heated with a maximum temperature of 69 degrees F and a humidity level of around 54% or below.

- Check all your storage areas and closets for any mold growth. If you find any, you need to protect yourself by wearing a mask, eye protection and gloves that will filter the mold. This may sound extreme but people have died from clearing up a basement full of mold. Remember that mold on any porous surfaces cannot be cleaned but must be completely removed and dumped. This includes carpeting, drywall, wall-paper and other. Wash any clothes that have mold. When cleaning hard surfaces, dampen the mold with a wet cloth to lessen the likelihood of airborne spores. A non toxic organic soap is best for the environment or you can use essential oils but the main essential oils which are known to help destroy and control mold and the spores that result are: cinnamon leaf and bark; thyme; oregano; several species of eucalyptus; basil; rosemary; and clove bud. Various products (blends) are available online ready for you to use and these include “Three Thieves”, Four Robbers” and “Pure Cleansing”. They are very safe to use with guidance and they smell good too.

- If you have mold on the structural support of your home, it may have to be sanded.

Remember:

The best prevention for mold is to keep every dry; to ventilate your home by opening windows daily; and to use a good air purification system.

Essential oils can be a great way of controlling mold.

The use of cedarwood when building a home in wet or damp locations can be helpful in preventing certain types of mold.

Conjunctivitis – you can use a chamomile tea bag as a compress to reduce the inflammation of conjunctivitis by just putting a tea bag in warm water for 2 to 3 minutes before squeezing out any excess liquid and placing on the infected eye for a few minutes, several times a day, until better.

Pregnancy - a warm, damp tea bag when pressed to a sore nipple in the early days of breast feeding will help to soothe and heal any pain and discomfort. This will also help to heal any cracks and take the pain away almost at once. A further tip is to place several few warm tea bags straight on to your breasts when they are feeling tender.

Sunburn – Apply a few wet tea bags on sunburned skin to help ease the pain. Also brew some tea (even better is tea that has aloe included) and place the brewed tea into a cool bath and soak in it for a while. If your skin is already dry and peeling from sunburn, place a few warm tea bags over the irritated skin to help heal and ease the pain. Be careful to avoid sunburn. Sunlight itself is extremely beneficial and half an hour or so every day will build up your tan gently and top up those vital vitamin D levels.

Razor burns – apply warm and wet tea bags to reduce swelling and ease any discomfort.

Mosquito bites – these can be helped by applying warm tea bags to the itchy sore areas. Tea bags pull infection out of the bites and ease the itching, pain and swelling.

Colds and flu – when you are feeling less than well with those cold and flu symptoms, add some well brewed ginger tea to your hot bath water. The ginger will stimulate the skin, open up the pores and allow the cold and flu nasties to flow out of that skin.

Herpes cold sores – treat cold sores by pressing a warm wet tea bag to the sore for at some 30 minutes each day. This will disinfect the area, pull the toxins from the sore and reduce the swelling. Keep up every day until the herpes cold sore has gone.

Toothache / tooth removal – this time soak a tea bag in cool water and place on the painful area in your mouth. This will do two jobs – stop any bleeding and ease the pain.

A stye in the eye – this can be a very painful eye irritation but if you apply a wet tea bag over the stye for a few minutes, it will help to reduce both the swelling and the pain. Choose a tea bag that is high in tannic acid – blueberry or bilberry are the best.

Sweaty feet – do you suffer from foot odor? Soak regularly in a bowl of strong well brewed tea and those odors will be eliminated.

Tired and weary eyes – forget the cucumber! You can refresh your eyes by closing and placing warm tea bags, one on each eye. Had to have an

injection or vaccination? Treat that tender site by gently pressing a wet, cool tea bag to cool the area, ease the irritation and reduce the swelling.

And the great thing about tea bags being part of your first aid kit is that every time you have to treat one of those problem areas, you can enjoy a refreshing cup of tea at the same time!

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Yes even medical researchers are starting to admit that there is something about cayenne pepper even though it is just an inexpensive natural anti-inflammatory spice.

And the best way to take cayenne pepper is a teaspoonful in a cup of hot water – but be warned! To start off, use just a quarter of a teaspoon and gradually build up to a full teaspoon as you get used to it. If you really find it difficult to take anything hot and spicy, the good news is that you can buy cayenne pepper capsules from Walmart for roughly $3 a pack. Swallowed with your glass of water, they will slip down to your stomach with no hot rush.

So then, what is all the fuss about cayenne pepper and what can it do for you and me?

There are so many different health benefits that I am going to list 10 here today and then list a further 10 in a second instalment when you have had time to absorb this first list.

1. Anti-allergen properties – cayenne pepper helps to reduce allergic symptoms by its anti-inflammatory properties that desensitize the nasal passages when exposed to allergens and assist in breaking-up and loosening mucus formation.

2. Anti-bacterial properties – cayenne pepper has been used traditionally for years to prevent food contamination from bacteria.

3. Anti-cold and flu agent – cayenne pepper will help to break up congested mucus in colds and flu and get it moving, giving instant relief from many of the symptoms of colds and flu. Alternatively, add some slippery elm and molasses or honey to your cup of hot water and cayenne pepper and take in doses throughout the day for colds, sore throats and coughs.

4. Anti-fungal properties – studies have indicated the pepper prevents fungal pathogens forming.

5. Anti-inflammatory properties – cayenne pepper has been found to be a great help for arthritis, diabetes, psoriasis and even nerve damage caused by herpes. A special mention here for arthritis and other joint pain sufferers is that cayenne pepper is very high in capsaicin. By a strange twist because the cayenne pepper causes temporary pain on the skin with its heat, chemical messages are sent from that skin to the joint. This then offers joint pain relief. For topical joint pain relief, use cayenne pepper as a paste with honey.

6. Anti-irritant properties – cayenne pepper had been used to ease such irritations as stomach upsets, ulcers, sore throats and coughs.

7. Improving heart health – cayenne pepper helps to reduce atherosclerosis (which is a disease in which plaque builds up inside your arteries) while encouraging fibrinolytic activity (the ability of some proteolytic enzymes to dissolve the fibrin in blood clots facilitating wound healing) and preventing the formation of blood clots. But there is more! At the same time, cayenne pepper helps to normalize blood pressure levels while ridding the body of LDL cholesterol and triglycerides. This is all good news for reducing the likelihood of a heart attack or stroke.

8. Assisting with digestion – cayenne pepper will stimulate the digestive tract so that enzymes and gastric juices keep flowing, helping our body to metabolize both the food and the toxins that we ingest. And you know that intestinal gas and bloating you can so easily suffer from?  Well, cayenne pepper stimulates intestinal peristaltic motion to help with both assimilation and elimination.

9. A great detox agent – cayenne pepper causes us to sweat, a natural process for detoxing our systems. Combine that teaspoon of cayenne pepper in a cup of hot water with some lemon juice and honey for an every day detox beverage.

10. An appetite stimulant – cayenne pepper stimulates the flow of saliva, encouraging poor eaters or those with eating disorders to have a healthier attitude towards eating.

Dr John Christopher was a famed natural herbalist and during his long career, he always maintained that if you could get a person who was suffering from a heart attack to swallow a glass of warm water with that teaspoon of cayenne pepper, it would bring the patient out of the heart attack.

Worth remembering that piece of advice if you are ever in the position of being with someone who is perhaps having a heart attack.

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The list of health benefits of ginger is never ending and even medical science is beginning to look with new eyes at how ginger works wonders in treating so many conditions. Ginger has properties rich in at least 12 anti-oxidants, as well as being anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, anti spasmic and an aphrodisiac – it provides a natural treatment for everything from cancer to colds. This little powerhouse of a herb has essential oils, protein, calcium phosphorus, iron, vitamin C, choline, folic acid, inositol, manganese, panthotenic acid, silicon and even vitamin B3 all packed into its almost wizened rhizone appearance.

Some people find ginger to be almost too spicy but if you can get used to the taste, it might be just what you are looking for to treat that condition.

You can easily get hold of ginger in its natural form from the fresh produce aisle at your local grocery store and it will keep for a couple of weeks or more in the kitchen. You can add ginger into lots of your cooking and baking while a teaspoon of fresh ginger juice in your beverages will give you continuous heath benefits.

Let’s see how many different uses we can fit into this blog:

Allergies: ginger acts as an antihistamine and aids in the treatment of allergies.

Arthritis: ginger’s anti inflammatory properties can be used to treat rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, and various other muscular disorders. Ginger provides substantial relief for the pain caused by inflammation and helps decrease swelling and morning stiffness. Some have found the chemical components of ginger to be more effective in treating the inflammation that the NSAIDs that are traditionally prescribed.

Cancer: studies have found that ginger powder induces cell death in all ovarian cancer cells to which it was applied while another study at the University of Minnesota found that ginger may slow the growth of colorectal cancer cells in colon cancer.

Cholesterol: ginger has proven to help lower your cholesterol levels and prevent the formation of blood clots.

Coughs, colds and flu: for a ginger tea, cut up a small piece of ginger and boil it with a small cup of pure drinking water. Add some green tea leaves if you wish. Strain and drink while still hot for a fever (resulting from a cold) or if you feel a cold coming. Drink ginger juice with raw honey 3 to 4 times a day for a bad throat to soothe and help clear up phlegm. Ginger also helps to stimulate getting rid of mucus while soothing your cough and any scratchiness in the throat. Ginger can help with stomach flu too.

Digestive disorder: mix a teaspoonful of fresh ginger juice with one teaspoonful each of fresh lime juice and fresh mint juice with some honey to taste in a glass of water. This is a wonderful drink for relieving the discomfort of heartburn, indigestion and even flatulence.

Fatigue: make yourself a cup of ginger tea but add a piece of cinnamon bark, bring to boil and then cover it for about half an hour till it turns to golden color. A great pick-me-up for fatigue while relieving muscle aches and pains too.

Impotency: for this home remedy, mix a teaspoonful of fresh ginger juice to a half-boiled egg and a teaspoonful of honey and take on an empty stomach, every night for a month to treat impotency, premature ejaculation and for an increased sperm count but no studies conducted for this one! However, for a natural aphrodisiac, drink hot ginger tea (by mixing ginger juice, hot water and raw honey) after a not-too-heavy meal and see if it works!

Menstruation discomfort: as before, crush a piece of fresh ginger and boil with a cup of water and add a little honey to taste. Drink it hot two or three times a day for a month. The pain-relieving and anti-cramping compounds in ginger effectively help relieve painful cramps. In Chinese medicine, ginger tea with brown sugar is used in the treatment of menstrual cramps.

Morning sickness and motion sickness: a teaspoonful of fresh ginger juice with some honey will also help alleviate morning sickness, sea or motion sickness, dizziness and even nausea caused by chemotherapy or anesthesia. Studies have found that ginger is as effective as vitamin B6 for combatting morning sickness. The pungent constituents of ginger (namely shogaols and gingerols) are behind this effectiveness because of their ability to control the movements of the gastrointestinal tract. The extracts of ginger used in ginger beer and ginger ale have been used stomach settlers for generations in many countries.

Pain killer: pure ginger juice can be used for headaches when applied to the forehead. For toothache, apply to the external area either on the cheek or jaw area. Ginger can also be ued for migraine relief due to its ability to stop prostaglandins from causing pain and inflammation in blood vessels.

Even the medical form of ginger, popularly known as ‘Jamaica Ginger’, is used for treating dyspepsia and colic diseases and is especially recommended to people who suffer from gall stones. When you ingest ginger, it triggers the release of bile from the gall bladder so that the problem gradually heals over a period of time.

Aches and pains

- A warm to hot bath with a cup of salt added will help with aches and pains as well as bruising and swelling. Healing too for hemorrhoids, anal fissures and stitches after giving birth (episiotomy).

- Another method for aches and pains is to add Epson salts to your bath where the magnesium is absorbed right through the skin to help the muscles relax.

Acid reflux

- Take a teaspoon of pure organic apple cider vinegar with each meal to combat acid reflux.

- Or as an alternative, take 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda.

Hiccups

-  Take a glass of water. Tell the hiccup sufferer to take 9 small swallows but to keep the 10th one in their mouth and hold it there while counting slowly to 10 (about 10 seconds). They must then swallow that 10th sip of water.  Hiccups are gone! Hard to do, but they must keep a straight face while they are doing it as (a) it will not work and (b) you will have water sprayed everywhere. So the formula is:
1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9, hold it; 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10 swallow.

-  Another method is to take 10 sips of water from a glass with a 1 second pause in between – best way is to lower the glass slightly between every sip.

-  Use an empty plastic bag from the grocer for fresh vegetables. You then seal it around your mouth with your hands and blow in a couple of extra breaths of air. Then breathe into the bag using your mouth only. As the oxygen of the recycled air gets used up, the hiccups go away. It should relieve the hiccups within a couple minutes on the first try.

-  Another glass of water trick is to drop in a lit match. Then drink the water normally. Children love this cure for hiccups.

Sore throats

-  Pop 2 or 3 pearls of Vitamin A into the mouth and break them open so that the vitamin A can trickle down the throat. You do not want to over dose on the vitamin A so don’t carry on for longer than 2 or 3 days.

-  Gargling with salt water every couple of hours at the first sign of a sore throat always works well at stopping this painful condition. I have used this method myself for years.

-  Another way is to mix any kind of vinegar with water, making it as strong as you can stand the taste. Then gargle the first sip (spit it out elsewhere), swallow the second sip, gargle the third sip, swallow the fourth sip and carry on until the glass is empty. It will sting at first but this is good. Repeat this every hour or two and the sore throat keeps on getting better.

-  Eating 1 fresh raw organic radish works within 10 seconds to one minute and will alleviate the symptoms of a sore throat, cough, throat tickle and asthma.

-  If you feel a sore throat coming on, dab a little iodine on your inner arm and you will be amazed at how fast it disappears. If you still feel the sore throat, dab on some more iodine and keep doing so until the soreness is gone.

I have more of these tried and trusted home remedies for other conditions so watch this space for part 2 shortly!

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If, in spite of all your good intentions and preparations to prevent a cold or flu in the first place, you find that you actually succumb, then you really need to take some time off to get as much rest and sleep as possible.

And I am the first to realize that that is not as easy as it sounds.

When your body is fighting a cold or flu, it is really working overtime so you need to give it some help to get it back to normal. Here is what to do:

- Keep up with all the suggestions in my earlier blog on how to prevent a cold as these are also relevant (except the sauna and the body massage).

- Drink even more water than usual – that is 8 glasses per day PLUS. Some of this fluid intake can be 100% fruit juice. You need extra water because a stuffy nose produces extra mucus so you need to keep hydrated because that extra mucus is actually formed from the water in your system. The extra water will help to detox your sysrtem too.

- Have lots of rest and that means real rest – in bed as much as possible when you actually sleep!

- Wash your hands more than ever especially after sneezing or blowing your nose – this is really to protect those around you. And when you sneeze, cover your mouth either with a throw away tissue or sneeze into the crook of your elbow rather than your hand if there is not time to grab the clean tissue. This will stop the spread of germs from you.

- Wear socks (preferably wool) in bed until you are completely better. Your feet let out a lot of heat but your body needs that heat to help cure the cold. A hot bath before bed is also beneficial, then extra blankets and you will be extra warm and cosy for the whole night. Apparently, the heat during the night on your feet jump-starts your immune system. Its all part of the old adage of sweating out a cold.

- If your nose is not too clogged up, a saline solution works well when made with very warm water and salt. You use the spout of a Neti pot to pour the salution into your each nostril in turn to break up the mucus, allowing you to breathe better.

- Very clogged up, then take some thyme and spread with some butter on a cracker or two. Thyme is an astringent and will dry up your sinuses. Taken with Fenugreek, it will dry up a runny nose in double quick time.

- Some other herbal remedies are: add a level teaspoon of turmeric to a mug of milk and heat in the microwave until nice and warm. Meanwhile roast a teaspoon of carom seeds (also called ajwain and available from Indian shops) over the hob in a ladle until they go dark and start to pop. Put these into the hot milk with a knob of butter (it should make a shh noise when the seeds go in). Sip slowly, letting it sit in your throat and you will feel so much better. Turmeric is a natural antiseptic.

- Or use a dropper full of tincture of Milk Thistle into some hot rooibos tea or lemony ginger water to fortify the immune system . Bring the water to a boil and add the tincture immediately afterwards, leaving you with the healthy effects of the herbs. Lemony ginger water is made by boiling water, grating a lot of ginger into the pot with grated lemon peel and finalling add the squeezed lemon juice itself.

- A sore throat can be helped by gargling regularly with salt water. Make it quite strong too. You should also brush your teeth and tongue several times per day. Both of these actions will get rid of germs.

- Dont force yourself to eat – bananas are easy to digest and so is chicken soup. It will also soothe a sore throat. Dont forget about fruit such as cherries, oranges or grapefruit to help you add vitamin C to the system. Anything that you fancy and tastes delicious and natural will be good for you.

With a good dollop of common sense and a handful of these helpful hints, it won’t be long before your cold or flu is on the mend and you will feel proud of yourself for recovering the natural way without the need for over-the-counter solutions which would possibly add toxins to your system.

Feelings of nausea, dizziness, headache and anxiety are all too common during travel and they can take the enjoyment out of a trip. You need to get a handle on this form of motion sickness so that it does not stop you from traveling in the first place and enjoying yourself in the second. The problem is that the motion of a car, train, boat or airplane can trigger mixed signals to the brain, making the body react in a variety of ways. Obviously our bodies and systems were originally designed for us to stay on the ground and just use our own two feet to get around! Even some NASA astronauts struggle to combat this side effect of space travel.

Motion sickness happens when you become aware of the movement around you. Unfortunately closing your eyes will not help.

Normally, the eyes, inner ears (which contain fluid that sloshes around in reaction to movement), skin and muscles send sensory information to the brain that allows it to determine the body’s position in space and to track whether and in what direction you are moving. Motion sickness is believed to occur when this balancing system gets overwhelmed by contradictory messages sent from the eyes and inner ears. The result can be the symptoms of sweating, light headedness, hyperventilation, nausea and vomiting.

So what do you need to do?

First of all, the easiest way to prevent motion sickness is to avoid triggers:

• Try not to sit in those parts of the vehicle (whether car, boat, plane, bus or coach) that are most susceptible to movement. In a plane, sit near the wing since that area has the least movement and then center yourself on your headrest and try to focus on distant or steady vision points such as the horizon (not always easy I know). Turn on the vent so you can get some air.

• During an extended flight, eat small meals and drink small amounts of fluids either before or during a flight to help reduce nausea and vomiting. Foods to be avoided include those that are greasy, spicy, salty, made from dairy products or foods rich in protein. Be careful about what medications you take.

• If in a car, sit in the front seat and focus on the road ahead, helping you to have a proper balance of your body and eye. Back seat passengers get the worst cases of motion sickness.

• Avoid reading, as this is one of the major causes for motion sickness no matter what mode of transport. I sometimes suffer from motion sickness myself so don’t ever ask me to read a map in the car!

• If you are in a bus or coach, try to get out when it stops for more passengers and then get on again before it leaves.

• If you are on a boat, go up on deck into the fresh air to smell the ocean or the sea or the lake.

• Cover your nose from any kind of odor that may cause you to feel nauseus. There are so many such smells including engine fumes. Make sure no one is smoking.

• Avoid a warm, stuffy space. Make sure the area you are sitting in is well ventilated with preferably no heating turned on. Don’t dress too warmly.

• Sleep well before a journey because if you are tired you more likely to suffer from motion sickness.

• Avoid eating too much before you travel as this can be another trigger. The same goes for alcohol. But drinking frequent sips of water can never hurt.

• Try to be stress-free, positive and to look forward to your destination as motion sickness is partially psychological.

• Always stay well clear of other people who are getting motion sickness especially if you have a queasy stomach as seeing others get sick will only accelerate the process for you.

• Remember that there are certain conditions that can heighten motion sickness and these include pregnancy, a hangover and fatigue.

Then there are lots of home remedies you can try to either prevent or treat motion sickness:

• Ginger is highly effective for all types of stomach upsets including motion sickness. Take ginger capsules about an hour before the actual trip. Suck on crystallized ginger candy or make ginger tea by pouring hot boiling water over chopped ginger with a little added brown sugar. You can always make a flask of this tea to take with you on your trip. Ginger works well to treat motion sickness as it absorbs acids and blocks the nausea in your gastrointestinal tract.

• Eat a couple of olives or suck a lemon at the first suggestion of nausea as these contain tannins to make your mouth dry so that saliva does not trickle into your stomach.

• Peppermints or candy made from catnip or lavender may also alleviate motion sickness. Peppermint tea or chamomile tea are two other home remedies you can try.

• Nibble on something light like soda crackers.

• A simple cure for motion sickness is to tuck an Aspirin in your belly button and then place an adhesive bandage over it to hold it in.

• Another home remedy for motion sickness is to suck on a wintergreen lifesaver or other wintergreen mint. It also leaves your mouth feeling fresh.

• Practice cognitive behavioral therapy or other forms of psychological treatment before traveling in order to help condition your brain to accept the concept of travel.

So with some planning ahead of your trip, you should be able to avoid the discomfort of motion sickness and even enjoy your travel to the full.

Herbal medicine began with primitive cultures using different plants for shelter, clothing and medicine. The medicinal benefits of plants were learnt through trial and error methods in addition to observing animals. Gradually man’s knowledge of herbs and their medicinal uses advanced over time.

Ginkgo is just such a beneficial medicinal herb.

Ginkgo is one of the oldest living tree species and is sometimes known as Maidenhair tree, Kew tree or the Japanese silver apricot. Both in Europe and the US, ginkgo biloba supplements are one of the most popular medicinal herbal remedies used.

In traditional Chinese medicine, the seeds of the ginkgo tree are used to work on the “lung” and “kidney” meridians and are used for asthmatic disorders.

The seeds are also roasted and eaten as a snack and can be used in soups, stir fries and stews but some people will suffer side effects from roasted ginkgo seeds such as diarrhea, nausea, indigestion, vomiting, allergic skin reactions. Be aware that fresh ginkgo seeds or too many roasted ginkgo seeds can even lead to breathing difficulty, seizures, unconsciousness and death.

Edible oil is also obtained from the seeds.

The health benefits of ginkgo are numerous and include:

-  Internally to combat asthma and allergic inflammatory responses.

-  To help with senile dementia and Alzehiemer’s disease.

-  To aid in mental alertness and mental function and to improve memory including age-related memory loss.

-  To help with circulatory complaints and varicose veins.

-  To reduce macular degeneration (eye problems linked to aging).

-  To treat sexual dysfunction. Since Gingko biloba improves blood flow, and especially microcirculation, it is helpful to increase blood flow to the genitals by stimulating the action of the endothelium derived relaxing factor and appears to be very effective in the treatment of erectile dysfunction caused by a lack of proper blood flow to the genitals.

-  To enhance blood circulation.

-  To treat tinnitus.

-  The leaves are used to stabilize an irregular heartbeat and the seeds are useful for coughs with thick phlegm as well as urinary incontinence.

Ginkgo leaves contain two types of chemicals (flavonoids and terpenoids) believed to have potent antioxidant properties.

Antioxidants are substances that attack free radicals – those compounds in the body that damage cell membranes, tamper with DNA and even cause cell death. Free radicals occur naturally in the body and increase in number with aging. But environmental toxins (including ultraviolet light, radiation, cigarette smoking and air pollution) can also increase the number of free radicals.

Free radicals are thought to contribute to many health problems including heart disease, cancer, Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia. The antioxidants found in Ginkgo biloba benefit all those suffering from these various conditions by neutralizing the free radicals and reducing or even preventing some of the damage caused.

Although there are many benefits to this herb, you need to be aware that there are also some Ginkgo biloba side effects:

-  Taking large amounts of the herb may cause dementia, headaches, diarrhea and vomiting, digestive problems, allergic skin reactions or muscle weakness.

-  If you are already on a blood thinning medication, then taking ginkgo biloba orally may increase the effects of that medication.

-  Ginkgo leave extracts should not be taken by those with bleeding disorders because it can affect blood clotting.

-  The same may affect blood sugar levels so should not be taken by diabetics unless under the supervision of a health care provider.

-  Epileptics should avoid ginkgo because it could increase the frequency of seizures.

However, for most people there will be a low risk of any side effects. This is what makes herbal remedies so appealing when compared with commercial drugs. For centuries, herbal medicine has increased overall health, vitality, and life expectancy.

But if you do suffer from morning sickness, there is much you can do to overcome this condition. The good news is that for most, the symptoms usually disappear by the 4th month.

The term morning sickness can be a bit of a misleading title as many pregnant women can actually have nausea all day long. For some, the symptoms are worse first thing in the morning but for others they can come and go throughout the day.

It is thought there are several factors that may cause morning sickness and these include:

-  Being highly strung.

-  The build up of the hormone human chorionic gonadotopin (hCG) in your system during the first trimester.

-  The rapid rise of the hormone estrogen during early pregnancy.

-  An enhanced sense of smell as well as a sensitivity to certain smells during this time.

-  A more sensitive stomach caused by the hormone progesterone. This hormone relaxes the workings of the whole digestive track which makes the elimination of bodily wastes slower, which can in turn lead to a slow emptying of the stomach causing excess stomach acids.

-  The carrying of twins or higher multiples.

-  A history of morning sickness in a previous pregnancy.

-  A history of nausea and vomiting as a side effect from taking birth control pills.

-  Your mother or sisters suffering from morning sickness.

-  A history of migraines.

-  If you are carrying a girl! It is said that morning sickness means you have a 50% greater chance of having a girl but I doubt if this has been scientifically proven!

Many doctors feel that morning sickness is a good thing because it indicates a healthy pregnancy and that the placenta and fetal membranes are developing well. But I also think doctors might say this to make the nauseas mom-to-be feel a bit better! I had 3 very normal and uncomplicated pregnancies and I was fortunate enough never to suffer from morning sickness.

So what can you do to help overcome this morning sickness?

-  Avoid warm or hot places, as heat can increase the nausea, and open windows or turn on an extractor fan when cooking and after meals.

-  Use a microwave oven for cooking as this usually produces fewer odors.

-  Carry an old fashioned handkerchief on which have been sprinkled drops of peppermint oil so that you can breathe through the hanky. A few drops of the same can be added to a bowl or cup of boiling water next to your bed or a drop can be placed on your pillow at night.

-  Eat something salty before a meal and avoid foods and smells that trigger your nausea by sticking to a more bland diet. Avoid spicy and fried food. Food served cold or at room temperature is often easier to eat. Eat small frequent meals and snacks throughout the day (say every 2 hours) so your stomach is never empty and of course do not skip meals.

- Eat more carbohydrates such as a plain baked potato, brown rice or dry toast.

-  Other foods you can try are gelatin desserts, chicken broths, slightly sweeetened decaffeinated or herbal teas, and pretzels.

-  Keep simple snacks next to your bed so that whenever you wake up, you can eat a small amount.  Crackers or dry cereals are good snacks to try.

-  Rest about 20 minutes before getting up, and climb out of bed slowly.

-  Drink fluids between meals in frequent small amounts so that you have 1.5 to 2 liters per day.

-  Try to rest and relax as much as possible and avoid any stress. Take naps during the day and make sure you get a good night’s sleep.

-  Ginger ale made with real ginger will settle the stomach as will peppermint tea.

-  Take any vitamin supplements later in the day rather that in the morning. Some moms-to-be find the iron in prenatal vitaimin supplements causes nausea, so check with your doctor.

Just be aware that there is another level of morning sickness called hyperemesis gravidarum and while it is estimated that this extreme type of morning sickness only occurs in a very small percentage (under 2%) of pregnant women, it can be very unpleasant and if untreated, lead to life threatening complications for the mom-to-be and her unborn baby. This condition causes severe nausea and vomiting that prevents the adequate intake of food and fluids and can lead to dehydration, weight loss and nutritional deficiencies as well as other complications. If you suspect you have this condition, contact your doctor immediately or go to the emergency room. The early intervention and treatment is critical.

Another theory about morning sickness is that in pregnancy, nausea protects you from eating the wrong foods. If something makes your feel unwell, it is your body’s way of telling you that you should not have it.

Currently, drug resistant types of bacteria cause approximately 37 000 deaths from hospital-induced infections every year in Europe while the Centre for Disease Control estimate that there are about 90 000 deaths per annum in the US.  About 1 in 20 Americans will contract a hospital superbug during a stay in hospital.  The Archives of Internal Medicine estimate that between 40 and 60 per cent of hospital MRSA infections are resistant to first line antibiotics and the percentage is increasing.

The number of these antibiotic resistant bacteria has increased in recent years because (a) people do not finish their full course of antibiotics allowing some bacteria to survive, develop a resistance to the antibiotic and then multiply as well as (b) the fact that antibiotics have been overused for decades.   Obviously with all these statistics, it becomes vitally important to prevent the infection occurring in the first place.

Now researchers have demonstrated a prototype device that can rid hands, feet or even underarms of bacteria including MRSA (which is otherwise known as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus Aureus). This and other drug resistant bacteria could face annihilation as low temperature plasma devices offer safe, quick, easy and unfailing bactericidal cocktails.

Plasma, which is often called the 4th state of matter after solid, liquid and gas, is defined by its ionized state.  In space, stars are made up of high energy plasma and, on Earth, it is researchers in high energy plasma that are making significant strides towards limitless energy from nuclear fusion.  All very scientific and not always easy for lesser mortals to understand but apparently the high energy of plasma stems from some atoms or molecules in a gas being stripped of their electrons, resulting in a mix of ionized and neutral species.  Working on low temperature and atmospheric-pressure plasma, scientists have found applications in a range of industries from plastic bag production to the manufacturing of street lamps and semiconductor circuits.

In medicine, this low temperature plasma is already used for the sterilization of surgical instruments. Now it is being developed for the hand disinfection of surgeons and surgical staff before operations and for general hospital staff in their daily work, saving so much time and providing a much safer and more thorough procedure.  In addition, medical staff who have to constantly wash their hands often suffer from conditions such as eczema, dermatitis, yeast infections and nail infections.  This new technology would put a stop to that.

MRSA are most common in people who are already in hospital because they often have an entry point for the bacteria to get into their body such as a surgical wound or a catheter.  People in hospital tend to be older, sicker and weaker than the general population which makes them more vulnerable. They are surrounded by a large number of other patients and staff so the bacteria can spread easily either through direct contact with other patients or staff or via contaminated surfaces.

While we are on the subject of washing hands, do you know the proper procedure to ensure your hands are decontaminated?  Well here it is:

-  Wet your hands under warm running water.  Avoid contact with the faucet or tap after this point.

-  Lather the soap on your hands for at least 10 to 15 seconds and then rub your hands together vigorously.

-  Wash your palms, in between your fingers, under your fingernails and the back of your hands; focus on the ends of your fingers.

-  Rinse your hands thoroughly under the warm running water.

-  Dry your hands with a clean towel or paper towel.

-  Turn off the water using the towel to turn the nozzle as this well help to avoid re-infection.

May be in the future, we will all be using plasma technology to keep our hands decontaminated?  It is more than possible.

Obviously, if you are already on a healthy diet then you are on track in helping your recovery but if you know you are about to have surgery, what you eat before and after surgery can help you heal more quickly.

Certain amino acids seem to help wounds heal faster so any meals should include fish, chicken, eggs, brown rice, walnuts, almonds and sunflower seeds.  Vitamin C, Vitamin D and Zinc are important supplements too.  A glass of pure orange juice or a couple of whole oranges will take care of the daily Vitamin C.   Thirty minutes or so of sunlight exposure on most of your body several times a week will take care of the Vitamin D.  But if that is not possible, take a Vitamin D3 supplement with added Zinc.  A multivitamin that includes B12 and iron (to help bone marrow to form new blood cells) is good while an amino acid supplement that contains glutamine would be the cherry on the top.

Vitamin C is important because studies have found that levels of this vital vitamin can drop when you have been injured or undergone surgery.  The minimum intake should be  between 300 mg to 1g per day during a recovery period.  Apart from citrus fruits, a good source of Vitamin C is rose hips or you might like to try a product known as Pure Camu from the Amazon Herb Company which you will find on www.amazondreams.amazonherb.net

Zinc reduces wound healing time as well as rapidly reducing wound size while bolstering your immune function to avoid infection.  So take a supplement before surgery to bring your levels up.  The recommended dose is 30 mg per day.

Apart from using sunlight to ensure your dose of Vitamin D, sunlight also accelerates wound healing too.  Patients who are exposed to sunlight heal far faster than those who are not.

You can also heal any scars by using H-Scars from Healing Natural Oils or even use to treat fresh wounds so that you eliminate scarring even before it occurs.  Remember that an injury does not become a scar until the wound is complete healed.

If you have undergone oral surgery, this can be more difficult because you need to eat well.  Yet some patients lose weight after oral surgery because of difficulty eating plus any nausea they feel.  Again if you know you are going to have surgery, build up your immune system and levels of vitamins beforehand.  Lay in a stock of nutritious soft or liquid food such as liquid dietary supplements designed for cancer patients and rich broths and smoothies.  You will find great recipes for smoothies containing every kind of healthy fruit and vegetables.   You will be able to get all the nutrition you need from these.  Try www.smoothie-recipes.com/healthy/ for lots of ideas.

By taking care of your body as you recover from any kind of surgery or injury, you will find your pain and healing time greatly reduced.  Even getting a massage or participating in yoga can be very beneficial. Acupuncture can help speed wound recovery if you are interested in this alternative method.   Treating the tissues near the wound with acupuncture can boost local circulation and help eliminate scar tissue too.

Finally, good news for the future, as scientist say they have discovered an antibody that could minimize the major internal beleeding seen in traumas like bullet wounds and car crashes.  The team at Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation has discovered that a protein called histone is responsible for much of the damage during these traumas.  They say they have found a specific type of antibody that can block the ability of this histone to cause such damage.   Extensive testing will continue.

And if you are going to be undergoing surgery in the near future, make sure you build up your own immune system and follow the tips above for a quicker recovery from surgery, injury and scarring.

All the very best for a full and speedy recovery.

A good example is swine flu or H1N1.  The panic and media hype that erupted with the advent of swine flu seemed to be out of all proportion to the problem.  Admittedly, the virus seemed to be more virulent when it commenced in Mexico but since its spread to beyond the Mexican borders, the symptoms appear to be much less dangerous and life has gone back to normal in spite of the media trying to keep up the pressure.  The swine flu virus remains mild with the infections having peaked out in mid October and according to hospital reports, those who have died from the H1N1 virus are almost exclusively those who were already suffering from pre-existing conditions that compromised their health such as asthma or extreme obesity.

Therefore it would seem that the only reason why the US and UK governments are pushing for the vaccine to be widely distributed is because someone is going to make a lot of money.

I read with interest that an attorney, Jim Turner, filed a lawsuit in Washington DC on  Friday 23 October in an urgent effort to halt the distribution of swine flue vaccine in America.  On behalf of the plaintiffs, Dr. Gary Null and other licensed health care workers of New York State, the lawsuit charged that the FDA violated the law in its hasty approval of 4 swine flu vaccines by failing to scientifically determine neither the safety nor efficacy of the vaccines.

Makes you wonder doesn’t it?

In the UK, it has been proposed that all pregnant women should receive a H1N1 vaccine because of the high risk of the virus, according to the Department of Health, to them and their unborn babies. However, the vaccine Pandemrix which makes up the bulk of the NHS supply contains a chemical called an adjuant that has never been tested on mums-to-be.  According to the World Health Organization Strategic Advisory Group, pregnant women should be given adjuvant-free formulations of the vaccine wherever possible.  The same Department of Health has supplies of an alternative vaccine called Celvapan but they do not intend to prioritize this vaccine for pregnant women.  If you are pregnant and you decide to go ahead and have a vaccine, you cannot choose which one you have. It is just a lucky draw.  Many pregnant women already have concerns about the H1N1 vaccination and this latest controversy will do nothing to allay their fears.

I recently watched a UK TV news interview with a spokesman from the Department of Health about this very vaccine who was asked whether pregnant mothers would have a choice of vaccine and I have never before seen such ducking and diving to avoid a straight answer.  Even the interviewer was tearing his hair out in frustration.

It is very obvious from my own research and reading that there are many who are opposed to or wary of the H1N1 vaccines.  Remember that the vaccine has never been tested on children or expectant mothers even though those are the two primary groups being targeted for the vaccine.  If you are thinking of having this vaccination, I do urge you to do your own research first.   Find out everything you possibly can before you make a decision.  There is plenty of information on the internet.

And remember that Vitamin D is the very best way for your immune system to defend you against seasonal flu and swine flu.  There is some Vitamin D present in fish oils and marine omega-3 oils but the two best sources are sunlight and Vitamin D3 supplements.  You can get sunlight by just exposing your skin regularly to the sun.  Your body manufactures Vitamin D while you are exposed to the sun. The lighter your skin, the quicker you manufacture the Vitamin D.  If you are in a very cold climate with little sun, then you need to take a supplement.  It’s as simple as that!

It is said that half of the babies born in the west today will live to be centenarians with huge implications for future generations in terms of pension funds, health schemes and more.  Because of this, experts at Leeds University in England are going to be spending over £50 million over the next five years to look at innovative solutions to ensure that these centenarians will have the bodies of 50 year olds!  The plan is to provide pensioners with own-grown tissues and durable implants.  If the body can grow its own tissues, and even organs, this will get round the problem of rejection and the necessity for all those anti-rejection drugs too.  The research team is confident that technology will eventually lead to such regenerative therapies but it could take 30 to 50 years to complete.  But when you think about what strides have been made in every kind of technology in the past 50 years, anything is possible.  New hips, knees and heart valves are the first areas of research but eventually the research team envisages that most of the body parts that wear out with age could be upgraded.

Meanwhile, researchers from the Bernard O’Brian Institute of Microsurgery and the University of Melbourne in Australia have been able to grow beating heart muscle, insulin producing pancreas tissue that could treat diabetics, and breast tissue that could be used to reconstruct breasts lost to cancer.  This team is the first in the world to grow 3D tissue such as muscle, fat and pancreatic tissue. As the technique enters clinical trials over the next few years and is perfected for humans, it promises to revolutionize organ replacement and plastic surgery.

And in addition, research at Birmingham University (also in England) has found that bacteria that manufacture hydroxyapatite (known as HA) could be used after a long process to make stronger, more durable bone implants.  At the moment this hydroxyapatite is chemically produced but the new bacteria HA has better properties giving a high mechanical strength.  More work and research is now needed so that bacteria HA can be used in biomedicine.

All of this is good news for pensioners and future centenarians.

Okinawa in Japan has not only the longest life expectancy in the world but also, and rather importantly, the longest health expectancy.  Their centenarians have a history of aging slowly and delaying or sometimes escaping the chronic diseases of aging including dementia, cardiovascular disease and cancer.  The Okinawa Centenarian Study has been set up to uncover the genetic and lifestyle factors responsible for this remarkable successful aging phenomenon.  And this will be for the betterment of the health and lives of us all.  While Okinawa leads the world with its long living and healthy inhabitants, Japan itself is second followed by Hong Kong, Sweden and Italy.

A centenarian is a person who has attained the age of 100 years or more and research on this age group is growing as they are the fastest growing demographic in much of the developed world.  By 2030 it is expected that there will be around a million centenarians worldwide.  Research carried out in Italy suggests that healthy centenarians have high levels of vitamin A and vitamin E and that this seems to be important in guaranteeing their extreme longevity.  However each different research in each different country comes up with a different reason.  So we are back to square one.  As yet, no one has the secret of healthy old age.

So what is the real answer to longevity and reaching such a milestone – probably a combination of genetics, a healthy lifestyle and being content?  If I reach that myself one day, I promise to write a blog and reveal all!

diabetes, breast cancer, regenerative therapies, organ transplants

Take a close look at your nails – if you see any of the following nail appearance, it could indicate a possible serious condition which you should have checked out:

-  White nails – liver diseases

-  Half of nail is pink, half is white – kidney diseases

-  Nail bed is red – heart conditions

-  Yellowing and thickening of the nail with slowed down growth rate – lung diseases

-  Pale nail beds – anemia

-  Yellowish nails, with a slight blush at the base – diabetes

There are other signs and symptoms on our finger nails that we need to be aware of too:

A bacterial infection – it can lead to redness, swelling and pain of the skin folds around the nails.  This may be due in the first place to injury to the nail or surrounding skin.  Frequent exposure to water and chemicals is often the culprit while sometimes a green discoloration of the nail occurs.

Tumors and warts – these may be found in any portion of the nail and can even cause the nail plate to change shape.  When a growing tumor or wart interferes with nail growth, it can destroy the nail. Warts are viral infections that affect the skin surrounding or underneath the nail.  As they can be painful and even spread, it is best to treat them early on.  If a wart or tumor extends into the nail folds or is located under the nail plate, it can be more difficult to treat.

Mucinous cysts – these look like clear, jelly filled papules at the base of the nail and can become painful and may even damage or deform the nail.  Treatment means removing the cyst.

Dark spots or streaks – if  a dark spot or streak appears on any nail, and it is not the result of an injury, it must be examined by a dermatologist.  This is because it could be melanoma which is the most lethal form of skin cancer.

Psoriatic nails – Psoriasis is a chronic skin condition that causes red, scaly patches.  Many people who suffer from psoriasis or psoriasis arthritis will also have nail problems especially with their fingernails. The most common signs include pitting, rippling and discoloration of the nail.  The skin beneath the nail may also develop a reddish-brown discoloration.  The nail may separate from the nail bed, crumble, and even split.  Swelling and redness of the skin surrounding the base of the nail are also common.

Onychomycosis – this is a fungal infection that causes thickening of the nails and this infection may well be present at the same time as the nail psoriasis. Because psoriasis affects the nail when it is actually being formed, it is difficult to treat but if left untreated, severe psoriatic nail disease can lead to functional and social impairments.

Nail fungus – this infection occurs when fungus infects one or more of your nails.  A nail fungal infection may begin as a white or yellow spot under the tip of your fingernail or toenail.  As the nail fungus spreads deeper into your nail, it may cause discoloration, thickening and crumbling edges which is an unsightly and potentially painful problem.  Treat nail fungus as quickly as possible.  Diet is very important in helping to treat nail fungus.  You should include more probiotics – that is good bacteria – in your diet which can be in the form of yoghurt and kefir as well as the more unusual Olive leaf extract. At the same time, reduce your intake of refined carbs like sugar, dairy produce and vinegar.

Keep your hands and nails dry as fungus thrives in warm most areas.

When you have a problem with your nails, you should take special care of them and here are some tips:

-  Keep your nails as short as possible by trimming back carefully to the point of firm attachment with manicure scissors.  If you have loose nails, it is important to protect them from damage because trauma will often trigger or worsen any nail condition.  Try to wear gloves when you are working with your hands.

-  Nails should be kept clean and dry.

-  Avoid vigorous cleaning and scraping under the nails as this may break the skin where the nail is attached.  Handle your nails very gently.

-  Use 3 capfuls of tar bath oil in a bowl of warm water to soak your nails for at least 20 minutes.  Then rub moisturizer into each nail.

-  Try to avoid applying any nail hardener or artificial nails until your nail condition has cleared up.

Our nails are very important to our general wellbeing – take note of any change in their condition and treat accordingly or get advice from a medical practitioner.  Our nails are often on show and we want to be proud of them.  I started the habit of biting my nails in my teens and it took me years and years to stop but now it is great to have nails of which I am no longer ashamed.

Although this condition is usually triggered by certain foods, it can be worse when something stressful happens. You can handle IBS by eating a healthy diet, avoiding those foods that seem to trigger the condition and of course find ways to handle your stress.

Once you develop IBS, it will probably recur throughout your life so you need to get to the bottom of what food it is that you are eating that aggravates the problem in the first place and that is not always easy.

The good news is that while IBS recurs, it won’t get worse and it doesn’t cause cancer, require any surgery and definitely won’t shorten your life.  I have had this condition for many years and I still don’t know what brings it on. Recently I thought it was sugar so I gave up the boiled sweets I enjoyed but it did not seem to make any difference and the minute a stressful situation comes along, that horrible bloating of the stomach starts and the pain that goes with it.  And even though I write health articles and blogs, I had never actually researched IBS for my own information.  Isn’t that silly!  So now I have done so and this is what I have found out.

Symptoms of IBS can include:

-  Bloating, gas and mucus in the stool

-  Constipation or diarrhea

-  Feeling like you still need to have a bowel movement even though you have just had one.

-  Abdominal pain and cramping that may go away after having a bowel movement.

Foods don’t actually cause IBS but it is true that some foods may make you feel worse.  In some people, fat and/or caffeine can cause your intestines to contract which may cause cramping.  Alcohol and chocolate may also make you feel worse while if gas is a problem when you are experience IBS, remember the foods that tend to bring on gas such as beans, cabbage and some fruits.

Many people find the best way is to keep a diary for a few weeks (a) of what you eat and (b) what your symptoms are so that you can put the two together and come to a conclusion.  Some women may find more frequent symptoms during their menstrual periods.  Others may notice worse symptoms after eating a big meal or eating an unhealthy meal.  Another interesting fact is that if you are lactose intolerant, then dairy products could definitely be a factor.  Gluten is another possibility.

You can help to control IBS by:

-  Finding out what triggers the condition in your particular case

-  Eating a varied and healthy diet

-  Drinking plenty of water

-  Eating 6 small meals a day rather than 3 larger ones

-  Learning new and better ways to deal with your stress

-  Avoiding the use of laxatives as these may weaken your intestines and cause you to be dependent on them.

In some people, IBS can be regarded as a chronic illness and if severe, can dramatically affect the quality of your life leading to increased medical costs and work absenteeism.  Approximately 15% of the general population in the US suffers from irritable bowel syndrome so it is yet another common condition that we are faced with.  Children can also suffer from IBS but that would be a whole new blog of its own.

With its distinctive color, flavor and aroma, Rooibos tea can taste a bit strange to a first time drinker but once someone gets used to the taste, they very quickly grow to love it.  The flavor can be described as slightly sweet and fruity.  The amber color develops during the post harvest fermentation or oxidation process and is caused by the natural enzymes in the plant.

For those tea drinkers seeking a healthy alternative there are so many benefits:

-  The tea has no kilojoules or calories so great for those worrying about weight gain.

-  It is a high in antioxidants and is the only known source of the antioxidant known as aspalathin.  It is thought that aspalathin could play a role in combating several lifestyle diseases.

-  Researchers say that Rooibos tea has anti-HIV activity, anti-tumor potential and may protect brain cells from damage by toxin.

-  Further research studies have proven cancer fighting properties.  Such research is ongoing.

-  Additional research has pointed to anti-aging properties while Rooibos is purported to assist with nervous tension and digestive problems.

-  The traditional medicinal use of rooibos in South Africa includes alleviating infantile colic, allergies, asthma and dermatological problems.

-  The tea is naturally caffeine free (as opposed to decaffeinated) and is very suitable for children and infants as well as pregnant and breast feeding mothers.

-  The tea has low amounts of tannin.  This is good because tannins interfere with iron absorption in the body.

-  Absolutely no negative side effects of Rooibos have ever been recorded.

And Oprah Winfrey is on record as saying she likes to drink Rooibos tea because it is caffeine free.

You may be wondering what way to drink Rooibos tea.

Well South Africans tend to drink it much the say way as ordinary tea as a hot beverage either with or without milk and if preferred, sweetened with sugar or honey.  Elsewhere Rooibos is drunk as a hot or cold drink without milk but sweetened to taste.  Rooibos has an extensive shelf life so you can buy sufficient quantities to store for long periods without any deterioration in its quality, flavor or taste.

Although Rooibos has been known as an herbal tea for centuries, it has only been grown commercially since the 1930s, started to become known more widely in the 1960s and today this pure and natural product is drunk by many around the world.

Rooibos is particularly unique because it is grown only in a small area 250km north of Cape Town in the Cederberg district and no alternative source of supply of this product is available anywhere else in the world.

If you would like to find out more about this tea, log on to http://www.rooibostea.co.za/

Image via Wikipedia

Most smokers appear to be in denial about all the bad things that smoking does to you and to those around you – they often indicate that they will give up smoking at some date in the future before too much damage has been done.  And although “giving up smoking” can reverse some of the side effects to the body, the longer this is put off, the more damage is done to the body and the more addicted the smoker becomes.

Smoking is bad for you in so many different ways:

More than 700 chemicals are found in cigarettes and these include real poisons like carbon monoxide (which is quickly absorbed into your blood stream reducing its capacity to carry oxygen) and hydrogen cyanide plus some 43 carcinogens which all are absorbed into your body when you smoke.

In addition, nicotine (which is found naturally in tobacco) is also bad for you because it is both physically and psychologically addictive.  When you inhale cigarette smoke, the nicotine spreads to all parts of your body within seconds raising your heart rate and your blood pressure so you instantly feel more alert and relaxed.  The down side is that after 30 minutes when the nicotine leaves your bloodstream, those feelings disappear and you feel more edgy – so you need another cigarette.

Over time, the tar from tobacco smoke accumulates on the bronchial tubes leading to your lungs while the hot smoke itself burns the tiny hairs that are meant to trap any harmful particles before they enter your lungs rendering this cilla (as those hairs are called) ineffective.

What about passive smoking?

Since the 1990s it has become evident that second hand smoke can also lead to dire health problems – children are particularly vulnerable to eczema, asthma, bronchitis pneumonia, ear infections and other respiratory diseases.  As newborn babies they are much more likely to suffer from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome than those babies who are not exposed to second hand smoke.  The toxins that children would breathe in would be nearly the same as the smoker themselves but a child’s airways are smaller than an adult and they breathe faster so they are at significant risk.

Pregnant women smokers send carbon monoxide and nicotine straight through the amniotic fluid to the fetus reducing the amount of oxygen available for fetus growth while reducing the blood flow to the fetus which can result in a still birth or low birth weight.  I know many pregnant mothers do give up smoking while they are pregnant – but why oh why do they start again once they have given birth. It just makes no sense.

What dangers does smoking pose to men?

Apart from all the well known bad things that can happen to men such as cancer, strokes, migraines, heart attacks and emphysema, did you know that impotence can result because smoking restricts the blood flow to the penis which it needs for sexual arousement and activity.  So that might be enough to persuade some young men to give up smoking.

What dangers does smoking pose to women?

Women smokers are at even more risk from all the main bad things that smoking causes plus breast cancer, cervical cancer, infertility, early menopause, blindness and osteoporosis.  Women smokers tend to develop aging wrinkles on their faces at a much younger age than non smoking females, as well as anxiety and stress related complications, cellulite and varicose veins.

Smoking and bad breath

I often wonder what is the point of men and women smokers putting on after-shave or perfume. Even why do they bother to shower or wash their hair?  They will always smell of cigarette smoke, it is on their clothes, in their hair and most of all on their breath.  When you smoke, nicotine builds up on your teeth, gums, tongue and as it has a drying effect in your mouth, your saliva cannot act as a natural mouthwash.

What also worries me is that with the banning of smoking in offices and other public indoor places, smokers are now everywhere to be seen outdoors, making the most of their chance to smoke.

This makes smokers more in your face than ever, providing free advertising for the cigarette companies too!