Natural Health Remedies

The first day of summer is less than three weeks away and after such a long winter I’m ready for it and with a little exercise my body will be ready for it too.

I’m not an exercise junky – in fact I am just the opposite. Exercising to me is really hard work. So once the winter left and spring is here I have settled into my version of exercise. It’s quite easy and everyone can do it and I get a great start on my suntan too.

My work-out is my garden. A little bit every day – even in the evenings after I come home from work during the week -works wonders! The great thing about my exercise regime is that I don’t need any fancy equipment I just need a garden trowel, a bucket, a shovel and earth - and a bottle of sun tan lotion and a hat for my head if it really is too hot.

I’m not a great gardener but I find is relaxing and have to admit that the results are really lovely. But, how does this hobby count as exercise. Well, gardening includes, amongst other things:

• walking around nurseries and gardening centers picking out the plants that will be part of my garden. I have a lot of walking going backwards and forwards from each of the flower beds when I planting the flowers
• bending and stretching when I’m planting the flowers, reaching for my tools, digging holes for the flowers
• weight-lifting – the bags of earth are really quite heavy and getting them out of the trunk of my car is quite an effort. I have bought four so far!

And all of this is really good for me and I enjoy far better than going to a gym to do exactly the same kind of things. I don’t lose too much weight but some of the winter flab gets toned down.

Being out in the fresh air is a wonderful feeling too even on the dull overcast days. The real bonus comes when the efforts really start to take hold and the garden starts to grow and flowers bloom. Now that makes it all worth it and what a boost to my self-esteem to look around my garden and be able to say, hey I did that!

It’s that time of year again - spring-time. Spring is a little late this year but yesterday I heard the geese flying over – and that’s a very good sign. Also, the snow that has completely covered our front lawn in five foot drifts for the last two months has now receded enough to show the crocus’ poking their heads through the ground. I planted them close to the house so they get the warmth from the afternoon sun.

This brings me to the subject of my blog – the sun and its natural health benefits in the supply of vitamin D.

Although there have had some really sunny days this winter the sun’s strength during these months is not strong enough to give us the amount of natural vitamin D we all need.  

In recent years a number of studies have been made on vitamin D: how much should be taken and how often, etc. Some conclusions seem to be that more vitamin D may be better than less - and that though the sun is a great provider of natural vitamin D…it’s not enough.

So where else can we get natural vitamin D that we so urgently need besides from the sun – and what happens if we don’t get enough? Are there any foods that can help in supplying vitamin D naturally?

Which foods contain natural vitamin D?

Unfortunately, not many foods contain significant sources of natural vitamin D. Sources, after natural sunlight, include:

• dairy products - D-fortified fat-free milk;
• oily fish including salmon, tuna and sardines are also good sources,
• ready-to eat-cereals fortified with 10% of the daily value for vitamin D are also good,
• margarine, vitamin D fortified
• Vitamin D is found in the yokes of eggs, and,
• liver and beef.

Be careful of products made from milk, even though milk is vitamin D fortified it does not mean cheese and ice creams also are fortified. It’s always best to check the labeling.

What happens if you don’t get enough vitamin D?

One of the obvious problems was seen in the 1930s when rickets was a major health problem especially in children and older adults. Nowadays the lack of vitamin D can lead to osteomalacia, which results in muscular weakness in addition to weak bones.

Research also suggests that vitamin D may help maintain a healthy immune system and help regulate cell growth and be beneficial for some forms of cancer.

As in all cases before starting to increase your intake of vitamin D it is always best to check the requirement levels which differ depending on your age and gender. The Internet has all the information you need – just type Vitamin D into any search engine. Always make sure there is no interaction between any medications you are presently taking and vitamin D.

The sun is the best source of vitamin D. It is beneficial for us if we can get a maximum of ten minutes exposure without sun-screen about twice a week. However, once the ten minutes is over we have to put on the sun-screen or there will be other problems!

According to the British a good cuppa tea is the answer to any of life’s problems. I’ve always drunk tea. I love tea! I started drinking tea when I was young and have continued ever since. Little did I know that by following such a tea drinking tradition I was also benefiting myself with one of histories most beneficial drinks!

According to legend the first cup of tea was an accident – in China leaves dropped or flew into a cup of hot water and the rest is history. Can you imagine an industry and empire was built on such a small quirk of fate?

Once tea had been “discovered” the Chinese quickly figured out the medicinal benefits and these were in great demand before it became a popular drink. When tea arrived in Japan the Japanese took tea-drinking one step further and made it into an art-form with tea houses and tea ceremonies.

Fortunately for us the Chinese and Japanese secret did not stay a secret for long (only about 900 years or so!). According to history Europeans eventually were introduced to tea as an exotic medicinal drink by the Dutch East India Company in 1610.

Popularity of tea in Britain began about 40 years later with tea being advertised as a health beverage and that’s where my interest comes in now. The claims were and still are true - tea contains powerful antioxidants needed by our bodies to help fight the famous “free radicals” that are in the body just ready to mess things up and harm our healthy cells causing heart disease and cancer among other things.

Is one kind of tea better than another? The answer to this will depend on who you talk to. All true teas (those made from the tea plant) are rich sources of antioxidants. The richest is Green tea mainly because of the way it is prepared – it is the least processed of the three. It is made solely with the leaves of the tea plant that has undergone minimal oxidation during processing whereas the more popular black tea is partially dried, crushed and fermented. For more information about Green tea and its multiple benefits go to http://jema2014.cggreentea.hop.clickbank.net/ and check out the Complete Guide to Green Tea. Recently scientific and medical studies have been conducted on tea, (of any kind so long as it is from the tea plant), to find the benefits of the drink as it pertains to our health. Among some of its “medicinal” benefits tea may: lower blood pressure, lower cholesterol, slow down the spread of prostrate cancer, lower risk of some skin cancers, reduce risk of hypertension, and boost the body’s defenses. 

Who would have thought that lovely cuppa that I have been drinking for most of my life actually was a good thing for me? A cup of tea nowadays is far more reasonably priced than when it first appeared in the coffee-houses of England but the natural health benefits are still worth their weight in gold!  

The internet contains many interesting sites on tea, its history and its medicinal benefits. For more information on this and lots more check out www.essortment.com or www.2basnob.com and follow the links.

So grab your favorite cup, your favorite choice of tea,  boil the kettle and sit back, relax and enjoy! 

And for those going to Britain on holidays this year, make sure you pop into a tea house for afternoon tea!

No one can argue that the winter of 2007/2008 has been one long hard winter. The snow storms, the record low temperatures, followed by record high some weeks have taken a toll on every one. And to make matters worse the latest rumor is that the cold and flu season is just about beginning. Its seems to me I’ve met a lot of people with colds already and the emergency room of our local hospital was filled last week with lots of patients wearing face masks! So because I meant most of the week there with my father – not because of colds – I figured there was a good chance that I would a cold too! So far I’m still cold free, which brings me to the purpose of this blog…how can I prevent a cold when I’m surrounded by suffering souls like those in the emergency room?

Well, believe it or not, natural cold prevention hinges on the usual three simple steps that seem to be a common thread in all my blogs: good nutrition, regular exercise and good sleep. And, if one of these is missing there’s a good chance of infection. The main goal is to keep the immune system up and running so that at the first sign of infection it can fight it immediately.

Maintain a good daily diet - including soups in winter, (don’t forget chicken soup even if you think the stories you’ve heard are just stories, they aren’t), include high protein foods in your diet example eggs especially the Omega-3 kind where available – they may cost more but are worth the extra. Fruits and vegetables should be part of your diet at all times but never more so than at this time of year.

Sleep is very important – an eight hour uninterrupted sleep for adults and more for children. If you’re tired and run down while still trying to maintain a busy schedule at home and the office then it’s harder for your body to fight off infections.

Exercise is needed at anytime of the year and definitely when the cold season arrives. If you can’t get to the gym (I don’t even belong to a gym!) then be creative. The walk to the office from the bus or subway is good exercise, park your cars further away from the office, walk around the house … etc. Also, drink lots of fluids especially water.

What happens if you do catch a cold? Get lots of rest, take natural medicines rather than over-the-counter cold medicines (these tend to mask symptoms and can have negative side effects), and if you have lost your appetite then make sure you keep nourished by drinking juices such as fresh juices or water. And as I said above, don’t forget the chicken soup it really does help. Specific home-made natural remedies in dealing with colds can be found in Home Remedies for Better Health http://jema2014.optinmag.hop.clickbank.net/

A healthy weight level is essential if we want to prevent major health problems.

Weight problems are the major cause and indication of such illnesses as heart disease, cholesterol, type II diabetes. It’s in everyone’s best interest to reduce weight if your over-weight and to maintain a sensible weight at all times.

Personally, I don’t have a problem with over-weight; my problem is more maintaining a good weight level. My weight is my main indicator for any health problems. Ten years ago, my immediate loss of weight signaled that I had a health problem. If I had not taken any notice of this signal it would have been too late to do anything about my kidney cancer. After my operation, when I was on the mend I continued (and still do) to monitor my weight for any more warning signs -  and believe me I take notice immediately!

Maintaining natural health is a personal thing. Only I can prevent health problems. I can listen, I can read, I can nod my head and agree with all kinds of advice but in the final analysis only I can do what is necessary to stay healthy. Common sense is all part of our make up and its there to use – and its free!

The main objective is to make sure that we are maintaining a sensible nutritious diet that contains all the necessary food groups in order to stay healthy. Monitoring your weight is something only you can do and it should be done at least once a week. Any changes see your doctor. If you do have to lose weight check out the Mediterranean Diet link shown in Helpful Information.

Nowadays, besides selling their products the major food companies are providing ways to stay healthy. For instance, a really interesting booklet arrived the other day in one of the magazines entitled Managing Cholesterol from Quaker which included articles on cholesterol and weight control. It also included a neat Quaker Cholesterol Challenge. For more information go to www.quakerchallenge.ca

Some say there is really no reason why anyone these days should be over-weight. There are books, clubs, piles of advice and diets readily available. The internet is also a fantastic source of information on everything including it’s all there waiting to be found. Take notes, start clubs – bottom line – be healthy!

Exercise if one of the few ways you can naturally keep healthy. I for one am not an “exercise means join-the-gym” type of person. I’m not exactly a couch potato – more like a computer potato! So if you’re like me what do you do for exercise?

Be creative – that’s what you do! And make sure you keep moving!

I work in an office and do not have the luxury of getting up and walking around all the time – if I did I’d never get my work done then I’d have to work late and … etc. But I do move around as often as possible and not just to get a coffee! Meetings are held on the floor above mine so I use the stairs instead of the elevator.

During the summer the patio on the roof of our building is available for lunch and again the stairs are used to get to it. Also, I believe it is important to get moving right after lunch in order to digest my food properly and not be sleepy and lethargic for the rest of the afternoon.

At home, we have lots of stairs, stairs to the basement, stairs to the bedrooms, and stairs to even get into the house. So I can get lots of exercise just by doing the washing because the laundry room is in the basement!

I have a huge garden where there are lots of chances for exercise – there are steps to get to the garden too!

Going out on the weekend to a club can also be a kind of exercise if you do more dancing than drinking! Think about it and you’ll find that not only will you enjoy the atmosphere but it’s healthy too! Make sure it’s a smoke free club though.

My challenge to myself this year is to get out into the fresh air more – for instance, on weekends leave my car in the driveway and walk down to the shops.

I live near a lake and park – it should not be hard to take a picnic and enjoy the outdoors. A few years ago I looked after one of my nieces during the summer and we would go down to the lake and paint – it was quite an experience and lots of fun. It’s amazing how many people came to check out our “masterpieces”!

The main thing is to stop procrastinating about exercise and to start doing it. The amazing thing is that once started it can be quite addictive and lots of fun.

There are many web-sites that provide information and tips on how to take steps to improve your health naturally. If you want to see an interesting 15 minute daily exercise program go to http://jema2014.fitdaily.hop.clickbank.net/

Natural health is really a matter of keeping healthy by prevention. Did you know that if everyone took the steps necessary to ensure good health we would save governments (which ultimately means us tax payers) millions of dollars a year in medical costs?

So what steps are necessary?

I believe the primary steps include: maintain a healthy diet, exercise, sensible number of hours sleep and keep a positive outlook on life. The last one this is very important. You can easily achieve the first three in this list but without a positive outlook it makes the job harder.

And that is exactly what keeping healthy by natural means is about – it’s a job! And it’s not a nine-to-five job - (if you’re lucky enough to have a job like that nowadays). It’s a 24/7 job, and only you can do it yourself.

I find that I can get lots of advice and read lots of books and really be gung-ho about doing all the right things but then I don’t do anything - to paraphrase Scarlett O’Hara in Gone with the wind – “I’ll worry about that tomorrow!” Not a good attitude!

How can I change this kind of thinking? I think it’s done by habit. It’s not easy to begin with but if I schedule things daily then after a while it becomes a normal occurrence. After all eating three meals a day becomes even more of a habit if eaten at exactly the same time each day!

Let’s be honest, I’m not the kind of person that likes a regimented, schedule driven life that is timed to the minute so I go slowly – yes – I still worry about things tomorrow but at least I am doing something positive about my health without the need for doctors’ prescriptions and the like.

Information about natural prevention can be found at www.prevention.com

I am a fan of the Brother Cadfael mystery series. It’s a great series and the part I most love is when he goes down to his herb garden and shed. I like to see the herbs he is growing. I envy him the space to be able to hang the herbs from the rafters for drying in the sun – if I take a deep breath I feel I can smell the delicious scents surrounding me in his garden an apothecary shed.

What intrigues me are the many healing tinctures and poultices he makes with his herbs. Everything he grows has a reason for being grown – to be used in the healing of a human’s aches, pains or injuries. There were no pharmacies in those days – only nature’s pharmacy.

Brother Cadfael is set in by-gone times, however, herbal remedies are still going strong today! Herbs have not been replaced with modern medicine, in fact, herbs can be used with the modern medicines.

Most of us use herbs everyday in our cooking to add flavor to our dishes and do not realize the wonderful healing and/or preventative powers that these plants possess.

A few of my favorite herbs are:

• Basil: I love the scent of Basil. They say when it’s brewed in tea it can help leave stomach cramps and constipation. This I could not say because I have never tried it in teas.
• Rosemary: Another scent I love. It’s a well known herb used in cooking – don’t use too much. In the past it was used to treat upset stomachs amongst other things.
• Cranberry (I never know if this is an herb or a fruit): besides going great with turkey at Christmas, cranberry is also a wonderful fighter of urinary tract infections. You have to drink it!
• Peppermint: Love the scent! Peppermint is well known to have a soothing effect on the stomach. Taken as a tea it is good for headaches – the tea is also quite tasty

There are lots more herbs that I really like and as you can see besides been effective in natural healing and in cooking I find the scent of each refreshing. I love to crush a basil or rosemary leaf and inhale the wonderful aromas.

Natural healing through the use of herbs and many other natural products is an extremely popular subject these days.  There are lots of books available that give you more information on these, do a search on the internet and you’ll see lots of sites dedicated to this subject.

 “Home Made Medicine E-Book” by Charles Silverman N.D. is available for downloading on the internet. It’s packed with natural remedies for just about any circumstance: headaches, acne, sore throats, immune system booster to name just a few. You can find information on the book at http://jema2014.optinmag.hop.clickbank.net/

Visualization is not new but it is becoming increasingly popular.

In the best-selling book “The Secret” visualization was one of the important methods to bring about life changing experiences. Personally, I have found visualization to work miracles in my own life. It’s very easy to have negative thoughts about everything. Negative thoughts attract negative happenings. I found that I didn’t think positively about a lot of things I undertook because if they didn’t turn out right then no-one would say “I told you so!” It seemed easier than being embarrassed. It was also a blue-print for disaster.

Circumstances over the last few years and the last months in particular have brought about drastic changes in my life and outlook. Visualization has become part of my everyday life. At first it was difficult because the little negative thoughts would keep sneaking in and making me feel what I was doing was a waste of time! Now I welcome the half hour of relaxation and focusing on my wellness each day. And it works!

How do I visualize?

I make sure I am comfortable– lying down, sitting, it does not matter it’s what ever makes me feel relaxed.

Be in a quiet area – I usually do my visualization first thing in the morning when I am more relaxed

Close my eyes and breathe slowly – I find my breathing will become normal after a few minutes once I am really relaxed

Focus on what it is I want - see the image before me of actually having what I want. It can be anything – in my case mostly good health - but I focus on really achieving this goal  

It also helps to be surrounded by as many positive minded people as possible - their positivity will “rub off” on you and in turn make you a more positive person.

For a lot of people it’s not easy to change their outlook on life, but for peace of mind and good health it is necessary. Help is out there. Check out the peace of mind and self improvement books at http://jema2014.powerbooks.hop.clickbank.net/

Did you know that women are more likely to die from a heart attack than they are of any single other cause, including breast cancer? In fact, women are five times more likely to die from a heart attack than to die from breast cancer.

 For women 65 or older, the risk of a heart attack is about the same as it is for men of the same age.

Is there a natural way to prevent and/or reduce heart disease? Yes there is but it means a little effort, however, the benefits gained from a few life-style changes can mean the difference between life and death. Changes include the following:

·         Most important is if you smoke then stop

·         Exercise regularly. You don’t have to go all out and join a club but 30 minutes physical activity most days is recommended.

·         Heart-healthy diet – Eat as many natural foods as possible. There is lots of information and recipes at www.foodnetwork.com

·         Be careful of depression, anxiety and stress. If these are problems then seek help.

·         Maintain a sensible weight but don’t go on crazy “hip” diets. If you’re looking for a heart-healthy eating plan one interesting diet is the Mediterranean diet for those serious about losing weight and improving their health.

The following information is cited on www.mayoclinic.com and gives more information on the benefits of the Mediterranean diet:

 The Mediterranean eating style significantly reduces the risk of further heart disease in individuals who had already had a heart attack. Remarkably, this benefit was not related to any significant difference in cholesterol levels — rather other components of the diet seem to work in concert to protect the body.Key components of the Mediterranean diet include:·         Eating a generous amount of fruits and vegetables ·         Consuming healthy fats such as olive oil and canola oil ·         Eating small portions of nuts ·         Drinking red wine, in moderation, for some ·         Consuming very little red meat ·         Eating fish on a regular basis

Check out the Mediterranean Diet web site, www.mediterraneandiet.com and also for information and recipes at http://jema2014.roybarker2.hop.clickbank.net

So, yes there is a natural way to prevent and/or reduce the risk of heart attacks and still enjoy a healthy natural life.

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