We are all under stress the majority of the time and a lot of people like to think that they understand stress and can use it to get a piece of work done to the best of their ability, but do you really know what the symptoms of stress are and what it can do to your body? When we are piling the stress onto ourselves, we just assume that our bodies will adapt and get on with it, but is that actually true?

The fact is that we all have our own point at which stress is reasonable. This is because stress can be emotional, physical and mental and if you go beyond your capacity for any length of time in any of these fields, you can cause short-term or even longer term harm, which could require professional medical help.

If you do not take measures to recover your equilibrium, you will soon find that the apposite role in your life will deteriorate: that is, your relationships will fail, your physical health will crumble or your ability to do your job in the right manner will vanish.

The physical indications of stress are aches and pains, including headaches, general tiredness and lethargy. Unchecked, these symptoms can lead to migraine, muscle tension and stiffness.

These prime alterations to how your body operates can then result in other issues such as diarrhea or constipation, nausea and dizziness. These symptoms of stress, in turn, can lead to sleepless nights or insomnia.

When it gets this bad, individuals normally turn to medication, but medication can merely give temporary relief such as sleeping tablets. This can lead to dependence.

If the sufferer already has a weak heart, this combination of indications of stress can lead to chest pains, palpitations and erratic heart beat, which in turn can be precursors of heart disease. Please note that this chain of activities is not guaranteed.

People are different and some doctors are better than others, but stress and heart disease have been shown to be connected.

Symptoms of stress can also show themselves in behavioural problems. These indications of stress frequently begin with insomnia or only problems getting to sleep and waking up still tired. However, feeling continually dog-tired has a knock-on impact on our emotions – we tend to become more emotional, but usually in a negative way. Often this means over-reacting, like snapping at someone who has asked a perfectly reasonable question.

This sort of response can lead to the sufferer shunning society. Self-pity, isolation, loss of job and depression can soon follow.

So, you have to learn how to get off that slippery slope, the downward spiral of everyday stress. The place to begin is the mind. You need to learn how to recognize that ‘things are getting on top of you’ and learn how to unwind.

There are several successful techniques including meditation, breathing exercises, aromatherapy and playing soothing music in order to bring about a condition of relaxation in your mind.

When you are learning to take the symptoms of stress head-on with your mind, take some time to pamper your body too. There are also numerous ways of doing this, but popular methods are taking a sauna or having a massage or pedicure, facial or manicure. Having your hair done.

Physical exercise is a great reliever of stress as well and it does not have to be arduous. A thirty minute walk, two times a day is sufficient for most people, but you might grow to like it and then it is the more the better.

Finally, you could take a good look at your diet. You do not have to go overboard, but do you drink too much coke, coffee or tea? Do you consume a lot of rubbish? Are you getting enough fruit?

by Marita Reynolds

Diabetes is a metabolic disorder where the body is unable to regulate blood sugar levels properly.

We use sugar as energy fuel for our bodies. So when a person with diabetes is unable to use sugar energy over a period of time the high sugar levels can damage blood vessels and nerves.

There are 2 types of Diabetes. Type 1 is usually apparent in childhood or adolescence and relates to approximately 10-15% of the cases.

Type 2 diabetes presents itself later in life and is related to lifestyle and is more common and relates to approximately 80-85% of cases.

If type 2 diabetes is left untreated or unmanaged complications with in the body due to poor circulation from damaged blood vessels and nerves can occur resulting in heart disease such as heart attack and stroke, kidney disease, eye problems such as Diabetic Retinopathy causing blindness or visual impairment and leg and feet problems often resulting in loss of these limbs due to poor blood supply.

So what can you do to help yourself avoid Diabetes or if you have Diabetes how to manage it? There are many people that can help.  However people with diabetes should be aware of the importance of maintaining good health care. Keeping blood sugar levels to a maintenance level recommended by your health care professional. A regular attendance to the podiatrist to check that circulation to the feet and that proper footwear is maintained. A session with Diabetic Advisor and a dietician to check that your diet is working for you is also important.

How can reflexology help, Reflexology is a non-invasive therapy. The Reflexologist uses a combination of gentle stretching and massage techniques on the reflex points on the feet and hands to promote circulation to ALL body parts. This will help the to boost lymphatic function and help to improve the immune system helping to reduce the risk of infection which may lead to ulceration on the legs and feet which may result in possible loss of the limb. Reflexology can also help to reduce the risk of complications such as heart disease, stroke and diabetic neuropathy.

An initial 1-hour session is recommended where we work the feet and discuss how best we can promote improved circulation by using regular reflexology.

I have just completed reading a book written by Eunice Ingham Stopfel, the book was titled “Stories the feet have told”. Eunice was the founder and developer of the Ingham method of Reflexology. This was the method of reflexology that I had been trained in. There was a quaint phrase in the book that I think says it all.

“ If you’re feeling out of kilter,

Don’t know why or what about.

Let your feet reveal the answer find the sore spot and work it out.”

This describes perfectly how the reflexologist works. Looking at your whole body system and in conjunction with the client looking for areas of sensitivity and congestion indicating lack of circulation in the area. It’s particularly important that we look at the glands (our Endocrine system) and how it is functioning. It’s often where much of the story can be told as congestion in one gland may indicate where the health problem is coming from. Once discovered, the reflexologist can work this area to improve circulation and therefore function to that part of the body.

Depending on the individual and their health concern or concerns and how the client relates to the reflexology will depend on how effective the treatment will be. It is important to know that you will need to allow 4-6 appointments and then review your progress from there.

Our feet are our support system, yet we rarely associate our feet with other areas of our body. Often we look at a localised area where we feel pain or discomfort. We concentrate on that area thinking that is where problem is. However by looking at the whole body and parts of the body that are not functioning correctly, we can assist the body to get back in balance, helping to restore normal flow, and allow the body to  heal itself.

If your reflexes are under pressure hence the related body part will be experiencing it. The feet and your body are telling you a story, indicating that something is happening.

Don’t ignore it, let a reflexologist find the sore spot and help you work it out

As we make our way through life, we can often accumulate negative emotional baggage. Our subconscious mind will store many of our experiences in order to protect us from future harm. Imagine that from birth, everything that happens to us is written down internally on our Script. This script has no other function other than to keep you alive and to protect you from danger.

Every experience you have ever had will be stored on your script, some of which will be good, but mostly, bad experiences tend to be stored, along with every time anyone has insulted you etc. Your inner script is very powerful and if you let it, it will rule the decisions you make for the rest of your life. Your script is the reason behind low self esteem as it holds on to every bad experience you’ve had rather than remembering the positive.

Do you know any babies with low self esteem? Of course not, it is something that builds throughout life based on the outcomes of our negative experiences.

Would you choose to remember a criticism or a complement? Of course we would choose to remember a compliment, but we dont have a choice in the matter while we let our scripts control us. Our minds hold on to the negative things that have been said about us and it can become fairly depressing.

The good news is that you are not your script, you are not the sum of your past experiences as many people think. You are separate from your script and do not have to follow its misguided instruction. It is possible to separate yourself from your script, to operate without referring to it. You can free yourself from the constraints that your script incurs, doing so will change your life.

There are many self-help programs around, but most of them only last for the duration of your payments. Freeing yourself from your script is a life-long change that will make you believe in yourself as you never have done before.

Dry skin is very frequently sensitive as well, which only makes it more difficult to care for. Dry sensitive skin is tight because of the lack of natural oils and has a tendency to develop small expression lines that will eventually become wrinkles. Furthermore, this kind of skin makes one more liable to allergic reactions, rashes, capillaries breaking and sudden flushes. Therefore, taking care of dry sensitive skin can be a real challenge sometimes. It is worth mentioning that it afflicts people of all ages, colours and genders.

You have to follow stringent rules in your choice of cleansing, moisturising and make-up products when you have dry sensitive skin to take care of. Firstly, you need to minimize the amount of products you put on your face. The fact is, the more chemicals you use, the bigger the chance of developing rashes. The products have to be fragrance-free and hypo-allergenic so that you don’t get red, irritation blotches. Blusher and foundation can pose some difficulties for dry sensitive skin.

Try not to put on too much make-up in order to allow your skin to breathe adequately. When you are shopping for make up, other than looking for the hypo-allergenic label, you should also try to make sure that they are oil-free. Foundation and blusher should be water-based because they won’t clog your pores. Furthermore, oil-absorbing foundations are not recommended for dry sensitive skin, because they will make your epidermis even drier.

It is also not to be recommended that you use exfoliants or astringent products on dry sensitive skin because they can irritate the thin upper layers of skin. The same thing must be said in relation to cleansing – too frequent washing of the face means removing the natural oils that oil the skin, which will result in an increased dryness.

Furthermore, your day-time moisturiser should have a sun-protection factor (SPF) of at least 15 built-in. However, however much you may enjoy sunbathing, dry sensitive skin does not really permit you to enjoy such outdoor, skin-parching pleasures.

Don’t expose dry sensitive skin to the sun only to tan it, because you will only achieve early ageing and maybe even fairly serious health problems. And last but not least, a warning must be given that you should change some of your cosmetic products for others.

If you decide that you want to change to another skincare brand, it is very important that you test the product on a small piece of skin in order to check whether it triggers any allergic reactions.

According to a recent study, the number of people visiting complementary health practitioners has risen by fifty percent in the last ten years. What is a complementary health practitioner? Do they work well with “regular” doctors? Why would someone choose to visit a complementary health practitioner”isn’t a “regular” doctor enough? This article will answer all of these questions.

Who are Complementary Health Practitioners?

A complementary health practitioner is someone who offers medical/health services that can be used to compliment the treatment a person is already receiving from a “regular” medical professional. These professionals practice things like chiropractic medicine, osteopathy, physiotherapy, alternative medicine, acupuncture”things of that nature. Usually these treatments are meant to help the treatments prescribed by a “regular” doctor.

Why do Patients Choose Complementary Health Practitioners?

Readers might not believe this but “regular” doctors do sometimes tell their patients to find a complementary health practitioner to help them keep their recovery progressing at a rapid pace. A physiotherapist can work in the same office or hospital as “regular” doctors and will often work alongside the medical team to make sure a patient recovers from his/her injury. Patients can also be sent to Chiropractors and Osteopaths for additional help.

Sometimes, however, a person will choose to visit a complementary health practitioner before visiting a “regular” doctor and this is why there are rumours of animosity between the two types of medical professionals. There are a number of reasons that a person would choose an osteopath or alternative medicine professional instead of a traditional western medicine doctor.

There are a lot of people out there who simply do not trust or are afraid of going to see “regular” doctors. Some people find it easier to trust alternative medicine. Still other patients will choose a complementary health practitioner because his services are more affordable than the services of a “regular” doctor.

How Could the Relationship Between Complementary Health Practitioners and Regular Doctors Be Described?

Most people think that “regular” doctors and complementary health practitioners are rivals and do not get along. This could not be more false! Complementary health practitioners and regular doctors have a wonderful working relationship! This article has already mentioned that regular doctors will often refer their patients to a complementary health practitioner for extra therapy or additional treatment.

The same can be said of the complementary health practitioners. Many osteopaths, chiropractors and physiotherapists will refer their patients to “traditional” medical professionals when they find that their patients are in need of specific treatments that only a “regular” doctor is licensed to provide.

The cholesterol in blood comes from two main sources: the foods we eat and what we manufacture. Cholesterol levels that are too high or too low in the blood can be a very dangerous factor, often leading to a heart attack or a stroke. There are many people who take statin drugs to reduce their cholesterol. However, there are many natural foods that you can eat to help lower cholesterol safely and naturally without the use of dangerous statin drugs. You may notice a substantial improvement in your cholesterol level once you begin consuming these whole foods on a daily basis.

Here is a list of the top 10 natural foods to help maintain a healthy cholesterol level in the body.

Oat bran and brown rice bran are the best foods for reducing cholesterol. They are rich in soluble fiber, thereby lowers cholesterol levels by binding fats and heavy metals.

Blueberries (organic) alone may help lower cholesterol as effectively as statin drugs! Berries, in general, help prevent oxidation of bad cholesterol and they are super abundant in antioxidants.
Fish is a good source of protein and omega 3 fatty acids, which has been shown to lower LDL cholesterol and raise HDL cholesterol. Omega 3 fatty acids also help to lower triglyceride levels.
Garlic contains allicin and can have a powerful antioxidant effect. Lowers cholesterol levels and blood pressure.
Apples contain both soluble and insoluble fiber. Apple’s two kinds of fiber are useful for reducing cholesterol levels and for decreasing your risk of hardening of the arteries, stroke, and heart attack. Apple’s insoluble fiber works to remove LDL from the body, while apple’s fiber pectin reduces the amount of LDL cholesterol made in the liver.
Nuts are abundant in fiber, phytonutrients and antioxidants such as vitamin E and selenium. Nuts also contain plant sterols and the healthy fats (mono-and polyunsaturated).
Beans are high in soluble fiber; lowers the bad cholesterol and raises the good cholesterol. Other foods high in soluble fiber include lentils, peas, and ground flaxseeds.
Foods with Plant Sterols (or stanols) are powerful phytosterols found in plant membranes that may block cholesterol absorption. Sterols are found naturally in several kinds of fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, cereals, legumes, and vegetable oils.
Olive oil has been known to reduce LDLs, raise HDLs, and is rich in antioxidants.

Soy protein -studies show that a total daily intake of 25 grams of soy protein significantly lowers LDL cholesterol levels. Soy has a high amount of polyunsaturated fats, fiber, vitamins and minerals. Soy products are also a great replacement for animal products.

Last but not least, it’s important to keep in mind that cholesterol is found only in animal products, not plant foods. Therefore, eating fewer animal foods and more plant foods will lower the blood cholesterol. If you already have high cholesterol, temporarily changing to a vegetarian diet with fish and non-fat dairy products, such as yogurt may help lower your levels quickly.

Robin Reichert is a natural health writer, AFPA Certified Nutrition and Wellness Consultant, and is currently a graduate student of natural health at Clayton College. Lifelong learning and educating others about natural health is her passion.

For more natural health and wellness information, please go to Robin’s Wellness Resource Center at http://www.wellness-bee.com

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Chinese people have known of the health benefits of raw garlic for thousands of years. In China, apart from being used to flavor food, garlic is also traditionally used in teas and folk remedies. Why? Garlic is one of nature’s strongest immune system boosters, and a powerful antibiotic, digestive aid and libido enhancer. As you’ll see below, these are just some of the health benefits of raw garlic.

However, while the health and medicinal benefits of garlic are numerous, it can also overheat your system if you eat too much. According to Traditional Chinese Dietary Therapy, garlic is warm in nature and a strong stimulant. Therefore, people who have excess heat in their body should first balance their system. Excessive internal heat comes from eating too many heating foods and drinks, e.g. meat, fried foods, coffee and alcohol. This causes symptoms like red eyes, bad breath, constipation, yellow urine, a yellow tongue moss and acne. If you have these kinds of symptoms, eliminate or greatly reduce the above items from your diet for a few weeks before you start eating garlic regularly, or it will just make your body hotter and your symptoms worse.

Below are some main health and medicinal benefits of garlic. Note: To get the full health benefits of raw garlic, you have to do just that – take it raw! Commercial garlic pills, tablets, oils and capsules, especially the odorless ones, are often devoid of the active enzymes that provide the benefits. Crushed, raw garlic may be mixed into virtually any meal, or put in gelatin capsules for easy swallowing, or drunk as a tea by simply crushing 1 or 2 cloves and adding hot water. These methods may not be very appealing, but do you want the benefits or not?

Health & Medicinal Benefits of Garlic

Powerful immune system enhancer

Antibacterial, antiviral Antifungal – effective remedy for yeast infections & candida

Clears boils & infected sores

Improves appetite Digestive aid – especially good if eaten with meat

Increases libido – take several raw cloves a day

Expells intestinal parasites & worms

Reduces high cholesterol

Health Remedies Using Garlic Cloves

Below are some Chinese health remedies using garlic cloves as the main ingredient. These are common, traditional ways that Chinese people make use of the health benefits of raw garlic.

Garlic Tea: Put 1 or 2 cloves of crushed garlic and 1 or 2 grams of loose-leaf green tea in a teapot. Add a teaspoon or two of unrefined brown sugar if you wish. Pour in boiling water that has been left to cool slightly. Stir the mixture and let it steep for several minutes before drinking. Afterwards, leave the ingredients in the pot, as you can top it up with more water once or twice throughout the day. This is a common folk remedy for killing germs and resolving toxins in the body.

Garlic Nose Drops: This is a preventative for the common cold and sinus problems. Crush several cloves of garlic to obtain the juice. Mix with warm water at a ratio of two parts water to one part garlic juice. Lie down and use an eye-dropper to place a couple of drops into each nostril as soon as you feel any symptoms coming on. Continue for as long as necessary. If the drops overly irritate your nostrils, stop, or reduce the number of drops.

Garlic Paste: Crush 2 garlic cloves and mix with several drops of pure sesame oil to make a paste for external application to boils,carbuncles and infected sores. Cover then reapply when the paste becomes dry and falls off. If the skin becomes overly irritated discontinue use or wait for a day or two and try again.

Maximizing the Health Benefits of Raw Garlic

To get the full health benefits of raw garlic, whether in salads, as tea, or in capsules, it’s important you eat less refined, processed and canned foods, and more foods in as close to their natural state as possible. Afterall, what’s the point in taking fresh, raw garlic to improve your health while, for instance, continuing to eat nutritionally-dead, toxin-producing junk foods?

Matthew Scott is a professionally trained Chinese medicine practitioner from Australia, now living in China. Matthew offers [http://www.chinese-herbal-remedies.com/online-herbal-remedies-advice.html]online herbal remedies advice at his website, Chinese-herbal-remedies.com

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Do you know what your Vitamin D level is? Chances are you don’t and chances are it’s low. Research seems to be coming out almost daily about the effects of Vitamin D deficiency and how many people are deficient. Estimates range from about 35% in young people to 100% in the elderly.

There is a growing awareness of how critical Vitamin D is to our health. There have been many studies on various diseases and conditions which point to Vitamin D deficiency as playing a relevant role. Recent research indicates that the following may be associated with Vitamin D deficiency:

• rheumatoid arthritis
• cognitive impairment and dementia.
• hypertension which may cause high blood pressure
• metabolic syndrome, a precursor to type II diabetes
• heart disease

As you can see most of the above are related to inflammation. People with higher levels of Vitamin D also have better lung capacity, something that could be important to asthma sufferers.In fact, in the May 1, 2009 issue of American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, researchers at Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston report a link between insufficient levels of vitamin D and increased severity of asthma in children.

There is now increasing evidence that Vitamin D deficiency plays an important role in the increase in autism. Vitamin D goes through two biochemical processes which ultimately produces calcitriol, which affects brain cell development. Some research indicates that a low Vitamin D level in a pregnant mother will affect brain development in the baby. The research while not conclusive, at this time, gives hope for a solution to the increasing incidence of autism.

Vitamin D is also essential for the absorption of calcium which children need to grow health bones and adults need to prevent osteoporosis.

Vitamin D is not something we get in large quantities from food but rather something we absorb from sunshine. As we have become a society who spends more and more time indoors or covered up when we’re outdoors, our Vitamin D levels have dropped. And many of us live in northern climes where, at least in the winter months, there may not be a lot of sunshine. Although surprisingly, there is a large number of people in states like Florida and Texas with below normal Vitamin D levels. Taking Vitamin D3 supplements is an inexpensive and simple solution which scientists believe will give us more protection against many diseases that are on the rise.

The daily recommended dosage of Vitamin D3 has changed drastically recently as more data becomes available. Cancer prevention specialists at the University of California are now recommending as much as 1000 IU/day. There are actual studies which show Vitamin D3 is effective in treating and preventing prostate and colon cancer and new studies are indicating the same may be true for many other types of cancer.

Remember the blood test for Vitamin D levels is inexpensive and can be easily added on to any blood test you may have. The recommended level of Vitamin D is 75-125 nmol/L. Check with your doctor before beginning any new supplementation.

Karen Davison helps people live a healthier, longer, more energetic life. Karen’s passion is helping others discover and realize their dreams, so they too can choose the lifestyle they desire. Learn more about health and nutrition at http://www.metabolicplan.wordpress.com

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Vital detoxifying organs such as the kidneys and liver are adversely affected by dehydration and do not clear toxins from the body efficiently. As a result, these toxins accumulate in the tissues and over time, can cause degeneration and disease.

Some conditions associated with inadequate hydration include:

• Headaches
• Poor digestion and constipation
• Reduced immune function
• Inflammation and joint pain
• Allergies, asthma, skin conditions
• Disturbed lipid/cholesterol metabolism
• Decreased energy levels

Adults should aim to drink around 2 to 3 litres of water per day, depending on their diet, size and level of physical activity. Drinking other liquids such as tea, coffee, soft drinks, alcohol etc DOES NOT count as water, since they actually put a metabolic load on the body and may even have a diuretic effect. Pure filtered water is the best option as it is free of most pollutants, additives and chemicals. Bottled water is a more expensive option. Tap water is acceptable and better than nothing.

 The thirst response in humans is not very efficient and by the time we realise we are thirsty, the body is already quite dehydrated. Get into the habit of drinking water on a regular basis, preferably between meals, as excessive water intake with a meal can reduce digestive enzyme activity.

Simply becoming more aware of the importance of water and increasing your water intake is one of the cheapest and most beneficial things you can do for your health.

Good health !!

Marita Reynolds.

Marita Reynolds. © Copyright 2009