Archive for December, 2006

A Simple Detox Diet

Sunday, December 31st, 2006

Does it matter if you will try detoxification today if you are
religiously maintaining a healthy body? At one time,
nutritionists and health experts believed that healthy people
do not need to use detoxification procedures as long as they
maintain and eat a well- balanced diet.

Of course, with the growth rate of population in the
environment and the alarming effects of technology in food and
water, it is imperative that you start taking detox diets.

It is relatively important for the human body to detoxify to
get rid of the toxins that uncontrollably enter into the
system.

In essence, people can naturally detoxify toxic substances
without support. Yet, with the growing amount of toxins that
are being ingested into the body through water consumption,
environment, and the food that people eat, can build up.

Eventually, when these things accumulate more than what the
body can accommodate, it can crush the bodys ability to
naturally detoxify. In time, this will lead to nutritional
deficiency, hormonal imbalance, and disorganized metabolism.

Prolonged effects of these cases will lead to diseases, that
will readily wear out the body and may even cause death. Hence,
it is important to create an alternative that will promptly help
the body to gain back its detoxification capacity and fight back
imminent diseases.

It is also important to understand that detoxification do not
work in isolation. It requires careful understanding of the
different substances that will help the body recuperate and
fight back diseases. Wrong consumption of substances that other
people may claim that these things can help in detoxification
can impact the overall process.

Hence, a simple detox diet will do. It does not necessarily
mean that detox diets have to be super technical or
complicated, in that, only the people who have background in
health and medicine can understand.

Detoxification experts contend that detox diets should be
appetizing and enjoyable as well. The point here is that if
your detox diet tastes better, you will definitely stick to it.

What is a Simple Detox Diet?

A simple detox diet merely refers to the removal of elements or
foods that are triggering problems with your physical condition
and fitness. By eliminating foods that build up toxins in your
body, you initiate your body to discharge accumulated
obstructions and let your body nurse back to health naturally.

Simple detox diets concentrate more on fresh, simple foods.
These things will enable you to generate simpler time
detoxifying your body.

Making simple detox diets are relatively uncomplicated, but you
may need some time to see perfect it. To get you started, here
are some easy guidelines in making simple detox diet.

1. Create a plan

Planning is important if you want to achieve something.
Creating simple detox diets require simple planning. You just
have to set up the list of foods that you should be eating.

After that, it is best to shop in advance so that you can
budget your time in preparing your meals.

2. Go for real!

Simple detox diets do not necessarily mean focusing more on
health supplements or herbs. To make a simple detox diet, you
just have to concentrate on authentic, whole foods.

This would mean cutting back foods that are chemically and
commercially packed such as instant meals, canned foods, and
preserved items. These things make use of chemicals to preserve
foods, that, in turn, build up in the body creating more toxins.

3. Go for green and leafy vegetables

Vegetables are one of the best detoxifying agents. Hence, it is
best to create a meal plan that has no less than 50% leafy,
green vegetables. Vegetables will help your body get rid of
toxins brought about by pollution, smoking, and other
environmental stress.

4. An apple a day keeps the doctor away

This old adage should never be underrated. There is more truth
in it than you can imagine. What most people do not know is
that apples are one of the best choices for a cleansing and
detoxifying program. Besides, apples do not put in substances
that may bring about dental caries.

5. Wash it out!

Always consume plenty of water a day. Eight glasses of water
will do, however, it is best to drink more if possible.

Aside from being the worlds universal solvent, water washes
away unwanted toxic wastes in the body. Keep in mind that
detoxification works as it tries to get rid of toxic materials
out from the body through the so- called ?organs of
elimination? such as the skin and kidneys.

This goes to show that if you drink plenty of water, you will
have more liquid in the body that can wash away harmful
chemicals in it and excrete them through the skin as you
perspire.

A simple detox diet should always be easy to start with.
Otherwise, your detoxification program will never work out. In
fact, detoxification just has to be simple.

About The Author: For more great detox related articles and
resources check out http://detoxhaven.info

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What Are The Side Effects Of Acupuncture?

Sunday, December 31st, 2006

Although the incidences of serious side effects from the
practice of acupuncture are rare, they do exist. Many of the
side effects are minor, but since acupuncture involves
puncturing the skin with needles, the potential does exist for
harmful effects to occur.

But first of all, let?s define what acupuncture is. Acupuncture
is a form of traditional Chinese medicine which has been
practiced for centuries in China and has spread around the
globe in modern times. It is widely practiced in many countries
including the United States. Acupuncture involves piercing the
skin with needles along the energy meridians of the body in an
attempt to heal illness or treat addictions.

Now let?s look at some of the minor side effects which may
occur. These are harmless and should clear up on their own
without further treatment and include bruising, bleeding after
removal of the needle, and psychological effects which might
cause dizziness and fainting. These side effects are similar to
what one would experience with a shot or having blood work
drawn.

We will now examine the rare but serious side effects of
Acupuncture.

Infection

Since the needles pierce the skin, there is the potential for
introducing bacteria into the bloodstream and causing an
infection at the puncture site or elsewhere in the body. An
important consideration is the sterilization process of the
needles to be used so that the chance of the needles being
contaminated is reduced. Also improperly sterilized needles can
transmit AIDS/HIV as well as other deadly diseases such as
hepatitis and encephalopathy (mad cow disease.)

Nerve damage

Nerve damage can occur as a result of a nerve being pierced or
nicked when inserting the Acupuncture needle.

Organ punctures

Inserting the needle deep into the lung can cause a
pneumothorax to develop which means air will escape out of the
lung and be trapped there causing the lung to collapse. The
same potential exists for the other vital organs of the body.
There is the chance a kidney or the protective sac around the
heart could be punctured. There is also a risk of stroke
induced by Acupuncture if the needle is inserted improperly at
the base of the skull.

Luckily, acupuncturists are highly trained to avoid the above
harmful consequences of acupuncture and indeed they are quite
rare. To reduce your risks make sure you go to a licensed
qualified practitioner and ask about their procedures for
sterilizing needles.

About The Author: Karina Jacobsen is a staff writer at
http://www.alternativehealthadvisor.com and is an occasional
contributor to several other websites, including
http://www.wellness-digest.com.

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5 Reasons Why To Use Acupuncture?

Sunday, December 31st, 2006

Acupuncture is an ancient form of natural Chinese healing. It
continues to be practiced in modern times in countries all
around the globe to treat a wide variety of conditions and
illnesses.

Acupuncture involves using extremely thin long needles, often
described as ?hair thin?. These needles are inserted in various
points on the body to simulate the body?s own healing abilities.

Below are five of the common reasons that acupuncture is used
today:

Acupuncture Controls Allergies

Allergic reactions occur when the immune system reacts to a
substance that is normally harmless to most people. These
substances can be environmental such as pollen and dust, or
they can be from foods such as mild, peanuts, or shellfish.
Allergies can cause mild reactions such as itchy, watery eyes
and runny nose. Sometimes, more severe reactions occur as a
result of an allergic reaction and these can be kidney failure,
heart palpitations, depression, and joint pain. Acupuncture
helps to detoxify the body so the immune system can be
strengthened to the point that allergic reactions no longer
occur.

Acupuncture Strengthens The Immune System

Studies have shown that acupuncture improves the body’s natural
resistance to disease and infection by strengthening the immune
system. Acupuncture increases the level of white blood cells as
well as alpha, beta, and gamma globulins. Gamma globulin helps
the body produce immune antibodies and alpha and beta globulin
assist the white blood cells in fighting infection.

Acupuncture Provides Pain Relief

Acupuncture triggers the release of the body’s feel good
chemicals, the endorphins. An increase in the level of
endorphins helps to alleviate pain. Acupuncture further helps
to provide pain relief by balancing the nerve impulses along
the central nervous system.

Acupuncture Assists in Drug Recovery

Chemical dependency can be treated with acupuncture by helping
to reduce the withdrawal symptoms from drugs and alcohol.
Acupuncture helps to reduce cravings, relieves tension, and
generally helps people relax. Acupuncture is used extensively
in drug recovery due to these desirable benefits.

Acupuncture Relieves Stress

Traditional Chinese medicine teaches that stress is related to
liver imbalance, so therefore the treatment for stress is using
acupuncture to restore the energy balance in the liver. Once
this is done, the muscles relax and the patient is stress free.
Stress can lead to many serious life threatening diseases, so
alleviating stress is an important benefit of having an
acupuncture treatment.

The five reasons above are just a few of the many indications
for using acupuncture. If you have a chronic condition, you
should consider this alternative treatment.

About The Author: Karina Jacobsen is a staff writer at
http://www.alternativehealthadvisor.com and is an occasional
contributor to several other websites, including
http://www.wellness-digest.com.

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Natural Home Remedy, How To Heal Naturally

Sunday, December 31st, 2006

For every ailment, there are natural home remedies to apply as
treatment. Millions of people around the world already
discovered and realized this simple and easy way of treatment.

There can be no reason why you should not try the natural home
remedy. After all, there are no side effects. Your health will
not be at risk. In addition, no natural home remedy can cause
harmful consequences in your body. It works fast and prompt,
and the most important and imperative reason is that you will
save money. For thousands of years, people have been using home remedy
treatment and cures, the simple, effective and not complicated
way. It is also a natural way of giving a solution in the
simple health ailments.

For ages, they relied on the natural herbs and plants together
with foods that have a natural way of healing those ailments.
It must have worked. By the time that men discovered the
natural way, they use it as nothing else. Man learns to
experiment because of curiosity. Natural home remedy is as old
as human history.

Did you know that taking drugs and medicines like Zantac,
Nexium, Tagament, and Prevacid should only last until eight
weeks? There is a bad effect if you continue taking it past the
maximum time.

Applying natural home remedy is the correct way to release
yourself from the burden of the ailments that keeps on
bothering you physically and mentally. If you follow some of
the natural home remedy tips correctly, you will find that it
is effective.

You may prefer natural home remedy treatment because it is
simple, effective, useful, and cheaper way of cure. Rather than
visiting the doctor and paying expensive bills, taking many
medicines prescribed for you to take.

Because of man?s inquisitiveness, would you believe that
somehow, they have discovered that thru aromatic plants and
charcoal can be use against arthritis? In fact, it is now use
as a massage supplement in hospital, hotels and massage spa.

Here is a sample of natural home remedy:

If what is ailing you is Nail Fungus ? if you find that, your
nail changes its shade and become yellowish, a fungus called
tinea may be contaminating it. Seeking the doctor?s advice may
give you prescription for expensive ointments for its
treatment.

Now, here is a safe and accurate treatment for this. All you
need is vinegar, Tea Tree Oil, Colloidal Silver, and Vapor Rub
Brand.

Mix the element that you will need in the medication of nail
fungus until it become ointments slowly apply it above your
fingernails.

Apply this kind of solution daily as your nail grows. Make sure
to do this constantly. You can apply it after you take a bath or
before you sleep at night. Make sure to wash your nail before
applying the ointment. This may help you solve your problem.

Study the result of the medication treatment.

Take note that if your nails continue to thicken, changes color
become chalky, become wet, and turn into a chalky and beginning
to crumble away, please be able to seek medical treatment.

As an advice

Before starting a home remedy always, check with your general
practitioner or health provider or any one knowledgeable enough
about the natural home remedies. Do not take it for granted.
Remember that any action taken by you will not be blamed to any
one else. It is you and yourself alone. As much as possible, do
it with extra care and caution.

About The Author: Burt Cotton
http://www.alternative-health-gadgets.com

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Acne Treatment Using Aromatherapy

Sunday, December 31st, 2006

Acne is something that every one of us has probably faced
during the onset of puberty. However, in the case of an unlucky
few, this condition persists well into adulthood. Left
untreated, severe acne can lead to disfiguring scarring; this
can then lead to decreased self-esteem, social withdrawal and
even depression.

What causes acne?

Acne is caused primarily due to the blockages of pores on the
skin. These blockages stop the oil (sebum) from draining to the
surface of the skin. Bacteria grow in these blockages, which
lead to an infectious inflammation of that area; this is known
as acne. Several factors contribute to the development of acne.
These may include hormones, diet, evolutionary biology, vitamin
deficiency, and stress, among others.

What can I do to cure my acne?

There are a number of remedies for acne available in the
market. However, since the causes of acne are so myriad, not
every type of treatment works for every individual. It is
usually through a system of trial and error that the
appropriate remedy is found, especially in the more severe
cases of acne. The problem with some of the new systems of
treatment is that if they don?t work, they may actually
exacerbate the symptoms of this infection. This is why people
are looking more and more towards more natural and organic
remedies for acne as a starting point.

Aromatherapy treatment for acne

Aromatherapy has had a reputation as a natural treatment for
acne for many years. Of the aromatherapy oils, tea tree is
probably the best-known as an acne remedy, though other oils
such as lavender have been anecdotally reported effective. The
advantantage with using essential oils such as tea tree for
treatment is that these oils are a natural organic cosmetic.
Thus, there are no side effects to this kind of treatment.

What is tea tree oil?

Tea tree oil is an essential oil obtained from the Melaleuca
tree of Australia. Tea tree has anti-septic and anti-fungal
properties. Before the advent of modern medicine, this oil was
an essential part of the First-Aid kits of the Australian army.

How do I use it?

Tea tree oil should be applied on the skin and never taken
internally. For treating acne, mix tea tree oil with aloe vera
gel in the ratio of five per cent tea tree oil to ninety five
percent aloe vera gel. Apply this solution to clean skin.

What are other aromatherapy treatments for acne?

Several other aromatherapy remedies have been shown to inhibit
the growth of acne causing bacteria. Some of the popular
essential oils used for acne treatment are Jasmine, Lavender,
Myrrh, Palma Rosa, Sandalwood and Ylang Ylang.

What are natural, organic cosmetics?

A further contributor to the increase of acne and skin diseases
among our generation is the increased proliferation and usage of
skin care products. Many of these products contain harmful
chemicals that adversely affect the skin and result in
irritation of the skin and acne. Natural, organic cosmetics
contain fully natural ingredients including essential
aromatherapy oils such as tea tree. The use of these cosmetics
helps our skin retain its balance and stay healthy. Healthy
skin is better able to combat and withstand skin infections,
such as acne and eczema.

About The Author: Sharon Hopkins, webmaster of
http://www.aromatherapies.net site writes about alternative
healing methods to treat acne naturally using aromatherapy. She
also writes for other sites on Massage Therapy, Yoga,
Hair-n-Skin-Care site and several other health sites.

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How Do I Know If I?m Drinking Enough Water?

Sunday, December 31st, 2006

Drinking enough water is really important, because a large part
of our physical bodies is made up of water. Water is critical to
our health: we can survive much longer without food than we can
without water. Water is a coolant, a lubricant and a solvent. A
large part of what I call ?me? is simply water.

If we do not drink enough water, the body will do various
things to conserve water. These conservation strategies can
lead to various unpleasant symptoms, but from the body?s
viewpoint these are less harmful than being depleted further of
water.

For example, simply drinking more water can relieve many cases
of constipation. If the body is short of water, it will extract
water from the faeces, making them hard and difficult to pass.
The end result is constipation. An abundant intake of water can
quickly solve this problem for many people. Many years ago when
my children were small I had a nanny to look after them for a
few months. Every Sunday she would disappear into the bathroom
and appear several hours later looking white faced. Eventually
I asked her what was going on, and she told me that she had
been severely constipated all her life. She managed to go once
a week but it was extremely painful. I suggested that she
should try drinking more water. After a few days she was amazed
that she was no longer constipated. She told me that as a child
she had been taken to various specialists, who could not find
anything wrong, but no one had suggested that she should drink
more water. What a simple solution to an excruciatingly painful
problem.

Dr F Batmanghelidj in his excellent book ?Your Body?s Many
Cries For Water? documents how he has helped people suffering
from a wide range of illnesses including asthma, headaches,
depression, colitis and hypertension, just by getting them to
drink more water.

For many years top models have been fanatical about drinking
water to maintain a clear skin. No wonder – water helps to
flush out toxins and plump out the skin making it look more
youthful. If you want to lose weight, try drinking a large
glass of water whenever you feel peckish. Wait ten minutes, and
then decide if you still need that food.

A study by Dr David Lewis sponsored by Brita, the UK water
filter company, shows that water plays a vital role in our
immune systems ability to fight infection, making those who
drink sufficient less likely to suffer from flu and colds. This
study also showed that those who drank enough water were less
likely to suffer from the winter blues and recovered from
stress more easily.

Athletes know that, if they wait till they are thirsty before
drinking, they are probably already dehydrated, and that means
that their performance will be affected. Even if you are not an
athlete your performance at work, at home and at school can be
affected by insufficient water.

How do you know if you are drinking enough water? Most experts
think we should be drinking at least 2 litres (approximately
4.25 US pints) of water a day ? not as tea, coffee, cola or
beer ? but as water. You will need even more if you are
exercising or if it is hot.

To begin with you may find this difficult, because you don?t
feel thirsty. It seems that the body damps down the thirst
reflex when it goes unanswered for so many years. Initially you
may find you need to go to the toilet more, but gradually your
system gets used to the extra intake.

Try this: for several days commit yourself to drinking 2 litres
of water per day. Put it into a jug or bottle and drink it
whether you are thirsty or not. After a few days you will
probably find that your body starts to indicate that it is
thirsty, and you will wonder how you managed to drink so little
in the past.

Of course, the two litres a day is a guide. Probably a more
accurate way is to check your urine. Ideally your urine should
be very pale (straw coloured). Darker urine is usually telling
you that you are not drinking enough water, although B vitamins
will colour your urine as will some medication. (It can also be
a sign of health problems, so if it is still dark after you
have upped your water intake consult an appropriate health
practitioner or doctor.)

Want to look younger and feel better quickly? Checking you are
drinking enough water could do just this. Think about how lank
and miserable plants look when they don’t get enough water.
Pretend you’re a plant and perk yourself up with more water.

About The Author: Jane Thurnell-Read is a writer on health. Her
health and happiness web site http://www.healthandgoodness.com
has lots more articles and information on good health. There’s
also an international therapist listing service, so you can
find a caring complementary/alternative medicine practitioner.

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Jnana Yoga � Yoga For The Intelligent

Sunday, December 31st, 2006

Jnana means the knowledge. This yoga is the yoga for the intelligent and selected people. This yoga is the ultimate goal of all the other varieties of yoga. This yoga teaches you to look at the world as it is without any ignorance and bias. You can achieve this state by practicing rigorous mental discipline and virtue. This yoga is also called Raja Yoga or the king of all the yogas, since it is of the highest variety and rules over all the other varieties. This is the Yoga that Patanjali has described in his Yoga Sutras.

This yoga is made up of eight parts of which five are external and the other three are internal. Two of its parts, viz yama and niyama deal with types of behaviour that the student of yoga should avoid like lying, cheating, stealing etc. and those behaviours that he should cultivate like cleanliness, non-collection etc. Asanas and Pranayama are the next two parts of this yoga. Asanas are the physical movements that help in developing the suppleness of the body and thus cure any diseases. You can control your breath by using pranayama which increases the capacity of the lungs to take in air and thus increases the vitality of the body. The next part Pratyahara denotes the withdrawal of the sense organs from objects of enjoyment. The remaining three parts deal with intense mental concentration.

Patanjali maintained that practicing these eight parts of yoga faithfully and intensely will, over a period of time, erase all the impurities of the body and mind and thus attain knowledge that will liberate the person from bondage and ignorance. This yoga is called Ashtanga Yoga since it is made of eight parts. It is also called as Dhyana yoga due to its stress on mental concentration. Hence, whenever there is any mention of yoga, it is usually implied that the person is talking about Jnana Yogap.

About The Author: Sharon Hopkins is the webmaster of Yogawiz (< a xhref="http://www.yogawiz.com" mce_href="http://www.yogawiz.com" title="http://www.yogawiz.com">http://www.yogawiz.coma>) that provides loads of information on basics of yoga, yoga bags, office yoga, asanas and poses that aim towards harmonizing your mind, body and soul. Jnana Yoga is the science of knowledge and helps one unite with the Supreme.

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