Surviving Mesothelioma For Better Life

Mesothelioma is a usually rare form of cancer, almost always caused by previous exposure to asbestos. In this disease, cancer cells develop in the mesothelium, a protective lining that covers most of the body's internal organs. The most common site is the pleura (outer lining of the lungs and internal chest wall), but it may also occur in the peritoneum (the lining of the abdominal cavity), the heart, the pericardium (a sac that surrounds the heart) or tunica vaginalis (the serous covering of the testis.)

Most people who develop mesothelioma have worked on jobs where they inhaled asbestos particles, or they have been exposed to asbestos dust and fiber in some way. Washing the clothes of a family member who worked with asbestos can also put a person at risk for developing mesothelioma. There is generally no association with smoking.

People who are found to have mesothelioma are most often told that the only treatment is surgery, chemotherapy and radiation. They are also offered a very limited life expectancy.

But what if you were given this diagnosis and you believed enough in your self to want to find a better way of care and a longer life.

Paul Kraus was just a person who said no to orthodox treatment, and now, some 12 years later has released his book, Surviving Mesothelioma, and Other Cancers to be a guide for people facing a diagnosis of cancer.

Having worked with people who have mesothelioma from time to time over the many years I have been working with natural healing I found the best outcomes came to people whose will to live was the strongest.

Paul Kraus is just one who held to this belief and now he shares this with you.

One of the best features of Kraus’s book is the format; He chose a format I use in my “Road to Health” series of books. I was pleased to see this format because I have had such positive feedback about it and how easy it is to get right to the information in the books.

A chapter about patient’s rights is included, which I cannot stress enough how important this is in today’s mainstream medical venue.

Reading each page in each chapter is uplifting, as well as providing good information. This is a book for patients and families, but I highly recommend it for all health care providers.

The core of this book, Surviving Mesothelioma and Other Cancers, is that it addresses the four key points for healing: physical, mental emotional and spiritual.

With these, and Kraus’s book as a guide, you have a way to find your healing path.

Coconut Oil: Heart Disease Medicine?

Scientists recently discovered a powerful new weapon in the fight against heart disease. As surprising as it seems, this new weapon is coconut oil. Yes, ordinary coconut. Food coconut on a regular basis can reduce your chances of suffering a heart attack!

Coconut consists of a unique group of fat molecules known as medium-chain fatty acids (MCFA). Although they are technically classified as saturated fats this fat may actually protect you from getting hit by a heart attack or stroke.

Although coconut oil is a saturated fat, it does not have a negative effect on cholesterol. Natural, nonhydrogenated coconut oil to an increase in HDL-cholesterol and improve the cholesterol profile. Is it good HDL cholesterol that helps protect against cardiovascular diseases. The total cholesterol in the blood, which consists of HDL (good) and LDL (bad) cholesterol, is a very inaccurate indicator of heart-disease risk. A much precise way assessing Heart Disease risk by separating two types of cholesterol. Therefore, the ratio of bad to good cholesterol (LDL / HDL) is widely recognized as a much more accurate indicator of heart-disease risk. As a result of coconut oil tend to HDL, the cholesterol ratio and thus enhances the risk of cardiovascular disease.

People who traditionally consume large quantities of coconut oil as part of their normal diet have a very low incidence of heart disease and have normal cholesterol in the blood. This is well supported by numerous studies population. The study shows that people who consume large quantities of coconut oil are remarkably good cardiovascular health.

At first, this remark confused many researchers. She did not recognize the difference between the MCFA in coconut oil and other saturated fats. New research has shown, however, that medium-chain fat in coconut oil protect against cardiovascular diseases may and be at a day treatment used as a cure.

Studies in the years 1970 and 1980 indicated that coconut oil is heart friendly, even though saturated fat at the time was accused of promoting cardiovascular diseases. Coconut oil consumption was revealed that many factors associated with a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease compared with other oils, namely through diet, improved cholesterol readings, less body fat deposition, higher survival rate, reduced tendency to blood clots, less uncontrolled free radicals in cells, Low levels of blood cholesterol and liver, higher antioxidant reserves in the cells, and a lower incidence of cardiovascular disease in the population studies.1

From this evidence only coconut oil should be seen as a healthy heart, or at least as much favorable cardiovascular disease. But there is another factor, that is, more importantly, shows that coconut oil as not only a benign bystander but a very important player in the fight against cardiovascular diseases. So it is remarkable that it may soon become a powerful new weapon used against cardiovascular diseases.

Heart disease is caused by atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries), apparently by the formation of plaque in the arteries. Under the current initially thought atherosclerosis develops as a result of damage to the inside of the arterial wall. The damage may result from a number of factors, such as toxins, free radicals, viruses or bacteria. If causation further damage is not removed can lead. As long as irritation and inflammation persist scar tissue continues to develop.

Special blood clotting protein called platelet released into the blood. Whenever they are confronted with injuries they sticky and adhere to each other and to the damaged tissue acting somewhat as a link to facilitate healing. This is how blood clots are formed. Damage from any source triggers platelets to clump together or clot and arterial cells to protein growth factors that stimulate the growth of muscle cells in the artery walls. A complex mixture of scar tissue, platelets, calcium, cholesterol, triglycerides, and are included in the site for the damage. This mass of tissue forms arterial plaque. When this process occurs in the coronary artery, which gives food to the heart, there is coronary heart disease-the most common cause of death in the United States.

One area of research that is the acquisition of one large section of interest is the relation between chronic infection and atherosclerosis. It appears that there is a cause and effect relationship in connection with persistent low-grade infections and heart disease. Recent research has shown that certain micro-organisms can cause or at least be involved in the development of arterial plaque, leading to cardiovascular diseases.

A large number of studies have reported associations between cardiovascular diseases and chronic bacterial and viral infections.2 Already in the years 1970 researchers who develop atherosclerosis in the arteries of the chickens when they were experimentally infected with a herpes virus. In the years 1980 similar associations were reported in people infected with certain bacteria (eg Helicobacter pylori and Chlamydia pneumoniae) and certain herpesviruses (especially cytomegalovirus). In one study, for example Petra Saikku and colleagues at the University of Helsinki in Finland found that 27 of the 40 heart attack patients to 15 of the 30 men with heart disease carried antibodies in connection with Chlamydia, which is better known to cause gum disease and lung. Compared with persons who were free of cardiovascular disease and only seven of the 41 had these antibodies. In another study at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas researchers found that 70 percent of patients undergoing surgery for atherosclerosis carry antibodies against cytomegalovirus (CMV), a common respiratory infections, while only 43 percent of controls.

More evidence supporting the link between infection and cardiovascular disease appeared in early 1990 when investigators found fragments of bacteria in arterial plaque. One of the first to micro-organisms in atherosclerotic plaques was Brent Muhlestein, a cardiologist at the LDS Hospital in Salt Lake City and the University of Utah. Muhlestein and colleagues found evidence of Chlamydia in 79 percent of plaque samples of the coronary arteries of 90 heart disease patients. By comparison, in less than four percent of normal people, showed a Chlamydia in the artery walls. Animal studies that more direct evidence that bacteria could contribute to chronic inflammation and plaque formation. Muhlestein showed that infect rabbits with Chlamydia measurable thickens the arterial walls of the animals. When the animals were given an antibiotic for the killing of the Chlamydia the arteries was more normal in size.3

At least one in two adults in the developed countries have antibodies against Helicobacter pylori, Chlamydia pneumoniae, or cytomegalovirus ( CMV). The presence of antibodies does not necessarily indicate an active infection or the presence of atherosclerosis, but is a sign that the infection took place at a particular time. It is for infections from these organisms to continue for an indefinite period. Once infected with herpes, for example, the virus remains for life. The effectiveness of the immune system determines the extent of problems with the virus can cause. The weaker the immune system the greater the chance that an infection hangs on and cause problems. When these micro-organisms into the bloodstream, they can attack on the artery wall caused chronic low-grade infections that no noticeable symptoms. If micro-organisms colonize an artery wall damage they cause to arterial cells. In an attempt to damage the platelets, cholesterol, protein and reconciliation in the artery wall down the stage for the formation of plaque and atherosclerosis. Until the infection and inflammation persists plaque continues to develop. Infection can both initiate and promote the growth of atherosclerosis in the arteries, which in turn leads to cardiovascular disease.4, 5

You or someone else can a chronic low-grade infection without reality. This is apparently what happens to many people who think that they are healthy, but suddenly drop dead of a heart attack.

So far, the researchers are not yet ready to say infection is responsible for all cases of cardiovascular diseases. Other factors (such as free radicals, high blood pressure, diabetes, etc.) can also lead to injuries to the arterial wall and initiate plaque. Also, not all infections promote atherosclerosis. Only when the immune system is unable to control the infection, there is reason for concern. Anything that lower immune efficiency as a serious disease, poor nutrition, exposure to tobacco smoke, stress and lack of exercise (typical of many risk factors associated with heart disease) opens body that chronic low-grade infections can promote atherosclerosis.

The above findings suggest that, at least in part, cardiovascular disease may be treated with antibiotics. Antibiotics are limited because they are good only against bacteria. Infections caused by viruses would remain unaffected. But there is something that will destroy both the bacterium (Helicobacter pylori and Chlamydia pneumonia) and viruses (CMV) that are most commonly associated with atherosclerosis and that is MCFA or coconut oil. The MCFA know a coconut for the killing of all three of the most important forms of atherogenic organisms. MCFA are powerful germ fighters and are known to dozens of deaths from the disease causing organisms. Not only coconut oil can help protect you against the bacteria that causes ulcers, lung infections, herpes, etc., but also heart disease and strokes. If you want to avoid dying of heart disease you have to eat coconut!

Cardiovascular disease, stroke and atherosclerosis accounted for nearly half of all deaths in the United States. Statistically, one in two people who you know will die from one of these heart conditions. In countries where people eat a lot of coconut products cardiovascular diseases is much less frequent. In Sri Lanka, for example, where coconut oil is the primary fat in the diet, the mortality rate from cardiovascular disease is one of the lowest in the world.6 In areas of India, where coconut oil has been largely replaced by other vegetable oils, heart -- Sickness is on the rise. People encouraged from to switch from traditional cuisine oils as coconut implement for vegetable oils consumed advertised as cardiovascular vriendelijk. Researchers involved in studies diet and cardiovascular in India now recommend the return to coconut oil to the risk of cardiovascular disease. This recommendation is based on their findings show an increase in the incidence of cardiovascular diseases, such as coconut oil, will be replaced by other vegetable oils.7

It seems that simply by the use of coconut oil in your daily diet instead of other oils you can achieve a remarkable degree of protection against heart disease and strokes.

Sources:

1. Kaunitz, H. 1986. Medium chain triglycerides (MCT) in aging and arteriosclerosis. J Environ Pathol Toxicol Oncol 6(3-4):115.
2. Danesh, J. and Collins, R., 1997. Chronic infections and coronary heart disease: Is there a link? Lancet 350:430.
3. Gura, T. 1998. Infections: A cause of artery-clogging plaques? Science 281:35.
4. Leinonen, M., 1993. Pathogenic mechanisms and epidemiology of Chlamydia pneaumoniae. Eur Heart J 14(suppl K):57.
5. Gaydos, C.A., 1996. Replication of Chlamydia pneumoniae in vitro in human macrophages, endothelial cells, and aortic artery smooth muscle cells. Infect Immunity 64:1614).
6. Kaunitz, H. 1986. Medium chain triglycerides (MCT) in aging and arteriosclerosis. J Environ Pathol Toxicol Oncol 6(3-4):115.
7. Sircar, S. and Kansra, U 1998. Choice of cooking oils-myths and realities. J Indian Med Assoc 96(10):304.

Natural Health Fruit: Pinky Guava

Guava (from Arawak via Spanish guayaba), is a genus of about 100 species of tropical bushes and small plants in the myrtle family Myrtaceae, inhabitant to Mexico, the Caribbean, Central America and northern South America. In Urdu they are identified as amrood . The Bengali name peyara and the Tagalog name bayabas are almost certainly local renditions of guayaba.

This natural health fruits are refined in many tropical and subtropical nations for their ripe fruit. a Number of species are grown commercially; Apple Guava (P. guajava) and its cultivars are those most frequently traded globally. Adult trees of most species are literally cold-hardy and can endure as low as 5°C for short periods of time, but younger vegetations will not survive. They are recognized to survive in Northern Pakistan where they can get down to 5°C or lower throughout the night. Guavas are also of attention to home growers in moderate areas, being one of the very not many tropical fruits that can be grown to fruiting size in pots insides.

The guava fruit is suitable for eating, round to pear-shaped, from 3-10 cm in diameter (up to 12 cm in some selected cultivars). This natural health fruit has a thin slight rind, pale green to yellow at ripeness in some species, pink to red in others, a creamy white or orange-salmon flesh with many small hard seeds, and a strong, characteristic aroma that is hard to describe but normally suggestive of refreshing fruit like apples, passionfruit or strawberries, with an inoffensive sharpness and a delicate scent reminiscent of rose petals. Guavas are often considered "superfruits", being tremendously rich in vitamins A, B, and C. A single guava fruit holds more vitamin C than a typical citrus fruit; the rind alone contains over five times more vitamin C than an orange. It also contains high quantity of calcium – which is remarkable in a fruit.

Medicinal Uses For Natural Health

The roots, bark, leaves and young fruits, because of their astringency, are usually employed to halt gastroenteritis, diarrhea and dysentery, during the tropics. Compressed leaves are applied on wounds, ulcers and rheumatic places, and leaves are chewed to relieve toothache. The leaf decoction is taken as a therapy for coughs, throat and chest ailments, gargled to relieve oral ulcers and inflamed gums; and also taken as an emmenagogue and vermifuge, and treatment for leucorrhea. It has been efficient in halting queasiness and diarrhea in cholera patients. It is also applied on skin diseases. A decoction of the new shoots is taken as a febrifuge. The leaf infusion is prescribed in India in cerebral ailments, nephritis and cachexia. An extract is given in epilepsy and chorea and a tincture is rubbed on the spine of children in convulsions. A combined decoction of leaves and bark is given to expel the placenta after childbirth.

Source: www.wikipedia.org
Photo: www.tropicalfruitnursery.com

Great Natural Health Root: Carrot

The carrot (Daucus carota subsp. sativus) is a root vegetable, regularly orange or white, or red-white blend in color, with a crisp texture when fresh. The edible part of a carrot is a taproot. It is a cultivated form of the untamed carrot Daucus carota, native to Europe and southwestern Asia. It has been bred for its significantly inflamed and more edible, less woody-textured edible taproot, but is still the similar species.

It is a biennial plant which grows a rosette of leaves in the spring and summer, while building up the stout taproot, which stores huge amounts of sugars for the plant to flower in the second year. The flowering stem grows to about 1 m tall, with an umbel of white flowers.

Carrots are dietetic heroes, they store a success of nutrients. No other vegetable or fruit restrains as much carotene as carrots, which the body adapts to vitamin A. This is a really adaptable vegetable and an outstanding source of vitamins B and C as well as calcium pectate, an amazing pectin fibre that has been found to have cholesterol-lowering properties. The carrot is an herbaceous plant containing about 87% water, rich in mineral salts and vitamins (B,C,D,E).

Raw carrots are an tremendous source of vitamin A and potassium; they contain vitamin C, vitamin B6, thiamine, folic acid, and magnesium. Cooked carrots are an excellent source of vitamin A, a good source of potassium, and contain vitamin B6, copper, folic acid, and magnesium. The high level of beta-carotene is very essential and gives carrots their distinguishing orange colour. Carrots also hold, in smaller amounts, essential oils, carbohydrates and nitrogenous composites. They are well-known for their sweetening, antianaemic, healing, diuretic, remineralizing and tranquilizing properties.

Medicinal Uses

Just for your information, herbs (including carrots) do not heal, they feed. Herbs do not force the body to maintain and repair itself. They basically sustain the body in these natural functions.

Carrots are endorsed with many medicinal properties; they are said to purify the intestines and to be diuretic, remineralizing, antidiarrheal, an overall tonic and antianemic. Carrot is rich in alkaline elements which purify and rejuvenate the blood. They nourish the entire system and help in the preservation of acid-alkaline balance in the body. The carrot also has a reputation as a vegetable that helps to preserve good eyesight. Raw grated carrot can be applied as a reduce to burns for a soothing effect. Its highly revitalizing juice has a mainly beneficial effect on the liver. Consumed in unwarranted quantities, carrots can cause the skin to turn yellow; this phenomenon, which is called Carotenemia and caused by the carotene contained in carrots, is regularly seen in young children but is not at all dangerous.

Source: http://www.wikipedia.org, http://www.carrotmuseum.co.uk
Photo: www.sustainweb.org

Natural Health Fruit: Kiwi

The kiwifruit is the cooked fruit of a cultivar group of the woody vine Actinidia deliciosa and hybrids between this and other species in the genus Actinidia. The fruit was developed in New Zealand. The Actinidia is inhabitant to southern China. The most common cultivars of kiwifruit are elliptical, about the size of a large hen's egg (5–8 cm / 2–3 in long and 4.5–5.5 cm / 1¾–2 in diameter). It has a gristly, dull green-brown skin and dazzling green or golden flesh with rows of small, black, edible seeds. The fruit has a pliable texture and a unique flavour.

In North America, South America, Europe, and East Asia most community refer to the fruit basically as "kiwi." Initially known as the Chinese Gooseberry, the natural health fruit was renamed for marketing reasons in the mid-20th century, first to melonette, and then to kiwifruit. The final name was selected for the aboriginal New Zealand bird, kiwi, which is one of the country's national symbols. The second renaming was done in order to evade a tariff on imported melons.

The familiar cultivar Actinidia deliciosa 'Hayward' was developed by Hayward Wright in Avondale, New Zealand about 1924. It was initially grown in domestic precincts, but commercial planting started in the 1940s. Italy is now the foremost producer of kiwifruit in the world, followed by New Zealand, Chile, France, Greece, Japan and the United States. Kiwifruit is still produced in its birthplace China, but China has never completed it to the top 10 list of kiwifruit producing countries. In China, this natural health fruit is grown mainly in the precipitous area upstream of the Yangtze River. It is also grown in other areas of China, including Sichuan.

New Zealand exported the fruit to the US in the 1950s. In the middle of the exporters was the prominent make company Turners and Growers, who were calling the berries melonettes, because the name Chinese gooseberry had political connotations due to the Cold War. An American importer, Norman Sondag of San Francisco, complained that melonettes was as bad as Chinese gooseberry because melons and berries were both subject to high import tariffs. In June 1959, during a convention of Turners and Growers management in Auckland, Jack Turner suggested the name kiwifruit which was adopted and later became the industry-wide name.

Fruit Values

Kiwifruit is a wealthy source of vitamin C, 1.5 times the DRI scale in the US. Its potassium content by weight is slightly less than that of a banana. It also restrains vitamins A and E. The skin is a high-quality source of flavonoid antioxidants. The kiwifruit seed oil contains on average 62% alpha-linolenic acid, an omega-3 fatty acid. Kiwifruit is often reported to have mild laxative effects, possibly because of the high level of dietary fibre.

Raw kiwifruit is also rich in the protein-dissolving enzyme actinidin, (in the same family of thiol proteases as papain), which is commercially valuable as a meat tenderizer but can be an allergen for some individuals. Particularly, people allergic to latex, papayas or pineapples are likely to be allergic to kiwifruit also. Reactions include tingling and sore mouth; swelling of the lips, tongue and face; rash; vomiting and abdominal pain; and, in the most severe cases, breathing difficulties, wheezing and collapse. The most common symptoms were unlikable itching and soreness of the mouth, with the most common severe symptom being wheezing. Rigorous symptoms were most likely to occur in young children.

This enzyme makes raw kiwifruit inappropriate for use in desserts containing milk or any other dairy products which are not going to be served within hours, because it soon starts to digest milk proteins. This applies to gelatin-based desserts as well, as the actinidin will dissolve the collagen proteins in gelatin very quickly, either liquifying the dessert, or preventing it from solidifying. However, the U.S. Department of Agriculture advises that cooking the fruit for a few minutes before adding it to the gelatin will overcome this effect. Pieces kiwifruit has long been repeatedly used as a garnish atop beated cream on one of New Zealand and Australia's favourite desserts, the pavlova.

Source: http://www.wikipedia.org
Photo: http://homecooking.about.com

Maitake: Dancing Mushroom For Natural Health

Maitake or Grifola frondosa, referring to a mythical griffin, commonly known as Sheep’s Head, Ram’s Head and Hen of the Woods or Maitake ( (IPA /maitake/), is an edible polypore mushroom. It grows in clusters at the foot of trees, especially oak. The Japanese named it "maitake", literally meaning "dancing mushroom." Hen of the woods should not be confused with the similarly named edible bracket fungi, chicken of the woods (Laetiporus sulphureus), also known as "sulphur shelf".

Grifola frondosa is a very good edible, but one should be careful to gather only very young specimens, or trim the softer, outer portions of the caps for the table. Use caution when trying this species for the first time; it is one of those for which "allergies" in some individuals are reported. I am one of those individuals, and I can tell you that the experience is not pleasant. The words "human faucet" come to mind. Try only a bite or two if you have never eaten it before--and, if things go well, the sturdy mushrooms will definitely last a day or two in the refrigerator for further consumption.

The fungus is native to the northeastern part of Japan and North America, and is prized in traditional Chinese and Japanese herbology as an adaptogen, an aid to balance out altered body systems to a normal level. Most people find its taste and texture enormously appealing, though the mushroom has been alleged to cause allergic reactions in rare cases.

Like the sulphur shelf mushroom, hen of the woods is a perennial fungus that often grows in the same place for a number of years in succession. It occurs most prolifically in the northeastern regions of the United States, but has been found as far west as Idaho.

Hen of the woods grows from an underground tuber-like structure, about the size of a potato. The fruiting body, occurring as large as 60 cm, is a cluster consisting of multiple grayish-brown caps which are often curled or spoon-shaped, with wavy margins and 2-7 cm broad. The undersurface of each cap bears approximately one to three pores per millimeter, with the tubes rarely deeper than 3 mm. The milky-white stipe (stalk) has a branchy structure and becomes tough as the mushroom matures.

Maitake, an edible mushroom of the (Polyporaceae) family, can grow up to over 50 pounds (20 kilograms), earning this giant mushroom the title "King of Mushrooms."

Benefits and Uses

The underground tubers from which hen of the woods arises has been used in traditional Chinese and Japanese medicine to enhance the immune system. Researchers have also indicated that whole maitake has the ability to regulate blood pressure, glucose, insulin, and both serum and liver lipids, such as cholesterol, triglycerides, and phospholipids, and may also be useful for weight loss.

Maitake is rich in minerals (such as potassium, calcium, and magnesium), various vitamins (B2, D2 and Niacin), fibers and amino acids. The active constituent in maitake for enhancing the immune actively has been identified in the late 1980s to be the protein-bound polysaccharide compound, beta-glucan, an ingredient found especially in the family of polyporaceae.

Maitake can be used as a food or tea and is also available as a capsule or tablet containing the entire fruiting body of the mushroom. For maitake, the fruit body is higher in polysaccharides than the mycelium, which is why it is recommended. Whole-mushroom maitake supplements, 3–7 grams per day, can be taken. Liquid maitake extracts with variable concentrations of polysaccharides are available, and should be taken as directed.

Source: http://www.wikipedia.org/

Photo: http://www.mushroomthejournal.com/

Tasty Natural Health Fruit: Strawberry, Yummy!

The strawberry (Fragaria) (plural strawberries) is a genus of floras in the family Rosaceae and the fruit of these flora. There are more than 20 named species and many hybrids and cultivars. The most regular strawberries grown commercially are cultivars of the Garden strawberry, Fragaria ×ananassa. The strawberry is an gloves fruit; that is, the fleshy part is resultant not from the ovaries which are the "seeds" (actually achenes) but from the peg at the bottom of the hypanthium that held the ovaries. So from a technical viewpoint, the seeds are the actual fruits of the plant, and the flesh of the strawberry is customized receptacle tissue. It is whitish-green as it extends and in most species turns red when ripe.

The characteristic modern strawberry, of the genus Fragaria, comes from the Americas, and is a hybrid of both North and South American varieties. Fascinatingly, the crossbreeding was done in Europe to proper a mistake; the European horticulturists had only carried female South American plants, and were required to cross them with the North American variety in order to obtain fruit and seeds. Fragaria comes from "fragans", meaning odorous, referring to the aromatic flesh of the fruit. Madam Tallien, a great figure of the French Revolution, who was nicknamed Our Lady of Thermidor, used to take baths full of strawberries to remain the full radiance of her skin. Fontenelle, centenarian writer and gourmet of the 18th century, measured his long life was due to the strawberries he used to eat. Strawberries were considered toxic in Argentina until the mid-nineteenth century. Strawberries are sometimes sour and sometimes sweet and sometimes tastes both sweet and sour.

In addition to being consumed fresh, strawberries are frozen or made into conserve. Strawberries are a fashionable addition to dairy products, as in strawberry flavored ice cream, milkshakes and yoghurts. Strawberry pie is also popular. Strawberries can also be used as a innate acid/base indicator. Popular etymology has it that it comes from gardeners' practice of mulching strawberries with straw to defend the fruits from rot (a pseudoetymology that can be found in non-linguistic sources such as the Old Farmer's Almanac 2005). Nevertheless, there is no proof that the Anglo-Saxons ever breeded strawberries, and even less that they knew of this practice.

There is an another theory that the name originates from the Anglo-Saxon verb for "strew" (meaning to spread around) which was streabergen (Strea means "strew" and Bergen means "berry" or "fruit") and thence to streberie, straiberie, strauberie, straubery, strauberry, and finally, "strawberry", the word which we use today. The name might have come from the truth that the fruit and a variety of runners appear "strewn" along the ground.

Natural Health Benefits

We all know strawberries are tasty, but they are also healthful, and superlatively should be a part of everyone's daily diet. You'll enjoy some health advantages by eating strawberries frequently, and the best part is strawberries are one of the most delicious fruits. The USDA recommends that every American eat at least five servings of fresh fruits and vegetables daily, but unluckily, most people don't even come close to that. Adding fresh strawberries to your diet, whether they are in salads, smoothies, or on their own, is a great way to get the servings of fruit you require for a well-rounded body and a well immune system.

Strawberries hold a range of nutrients, with vitamin C heading the group. They also contain significant levels of phytonutrients and antioxidants, which fight free radicals. These antioxidant properties are supposed to be linked to what makes the strawberry bright red. Free radicals are elements that can injure cells, and they are thought to donate to the formation of many kinds of cancer.

In addition to vitamin C, strawberries also offer an excellent source of vitamin K and manganese, as well as folic acid, potassium, riboflavin, vitamin B5, vitamin B6, copper, magnesium, and omega-3 fatty acids.

Strawberries are among the most adaptable of fresh fruits. Sadly, they are quite unpreserved as well. So acquire fresh strawberries only a few days before they are to be eaten. When strawberries are in season nearby this is rarely a problem. But at other times of the year, it may be necessary to make due with frozen strawberries, which misplace much if not all of their nutrition.

At the produce section decide strawberries that are plump firm and free of mold and have a deep red color. Unlike other fruits, strawberries do not continue to ripen after they are picked, so be sure to prefer the ripest, reddest strawberries, as they will provide the best taste and the highest nutrient concentration. Many people find that medium sized strawberries are sweeter and more flavorful than larger ones. When buying pre-packaged strawberries, be sure that the berries have not been packed too tightly, as this could cause them to be crushed or otherwise damaged.

Handle strawberries properly and store them well after they have been bought. Like all fruit, strawberries should be cleaned thoroughly prior to consumption or storage. Any strawberries that show signs of mold should be superfluous at once, as they will pollute the remaining strawberries. The strawberries should be placed in a bowl, covered with plastic wrap, and kept in the refrigerator. Fresh strawberries will maintain in the fridge for a few days.

Source: www.wikipedia.org and many more
Photo: www.arabidopsisthaliana.com

Fresh Orange For Natural Health

Orange (fruit), general name for citrus crop of numerous trees. Dissimilar varieties include the sweet orange, the sour orange, and the mandarin orange, or tangerine. The fruit is strictly a hesperidium, a kind of berry. It consists of a number of easily separated carpels, or parts, each containing several seeds and many juice cells, covered by a leathery exocarp, or skin, containing various oil glands. Orange trees are evergreens, rarely exceeding 9 m (30 ft) in height. The leaves are oval and glossy and the flowers are white and perfumed. Three essential oils are gained from oranges: oil of orange, obtained from the rind of the fruit and used primarily as a flavoring agent; oil of petigrain, obtained from the leaves and twigs and used in perfumery; and oil of neroli, obtained from the blossoms and used in flavorings and perfumes.

The orange—specifically, the sweet orange—is the citrus tree Citrus sinensis (syn. Citrus aurantium L. var. dulcis L., or Citrus aurantium Risso) and its fruit. The orange is a hybrid of ancient cultivated origin, probably between pomelo (Citrus maxima) and tangerine (Citrus reticulata). It is a tiny flowering tree growing to about 10 m tall with evergreen leaves, which are agreed alternately, of ovate shape with crenulate margins and 4–10 cm long. The orange fruit is a hesperidium, a type of berry.

Oranges originated in southeast Asia, in either India, Vietnam or southern China. The fruit of Citrus sinensis is called sweet orange to discriminate it from Citrus aurantium, the bitter orange. The English name originates from the Sanskrit naranga-s ("orange tree"). In a number of languages, it is recognized as a "Chinese apple" (e.g. Dutch Sinaasappel, "China's apple").

All citrus trees are of the single genus Citrus, and remain fundamentally interbreedable; that is, there is only one "superspecies" which includes lemons, limes and oranges. However, names have been prearranged to the a variety of members of the citrus family, oranges often being referred to as Citrus sinensis and Citrus aurantium. Fruits of all members of the genus Citrus are measured berries for the reason that they have many seeds, are fleshy and soft, and derive from a single ovary. An orange seed is called a pip.

Oranges are broadly grown in humid climates worldwide, and the flavors of oranges differ from sweet to bitter. The fruit is regularly peeled and consumed fresh, or squeezed for its juice. It has a thick bitter rind that is habitually discarded, but can be processed into animal feed by removing water, using stress and temperature. It is also used in certain recipes as flavoring or a garnish. The outer-most layer of the rind is irritated or lightly veneered with a instrument called a zester, to produce orange zest, popular in cookery because it has a flavor related to the fleshy inner part of the orange. The white part of the rind, called the pericarp or albedo and including the pith, is a source of pectin and has nearly the same amount of vitamin C as the flesh.

Benefits of This Natural Health Fruit
Epidemiologic studies specify that a high consumption of fruits and vegetables reduces the risk of coronary heart disease. It is reflection that this benefit may be due to the minor components, falvonoids, which have been proposed to inhibit LDL oxidation and platelet aggregation as well as to vitamins C, E, and [Beta]-carotene, which act as antioxidants. In addition, folic acid and natural folate found in citrus fruit and green vegetables has been shown to reduce plasma total homocysteine. Citrus juices, namely orange juice and grapefruit juice, are high in flavonoids, folate, and vitamin C, leading them to be potentially beneficial in reducing the risk of heart disease. Animal studies have found orange juice to promote decreases in cholesterol.

A study to determine whether orange juice beneficially alters blood lipids in individuals with hypercholesterolemia was conducted. Sixteen healthy men and nine healthy women with elevated plasma total and LDL-cholesterol levels and normal plasma triacylglycerol concentrations served as subjects. Subjects included one, two, or three cups (250 mL each) of orange juice into their diets. Each dose was included for a four-week period. After the intervention period, subjects took part in a five-week washout period. Plasma lipid, olate, homocysteine, and vitamin C concentrations were measured at baseline, after each treatment and following the washout period.

It was found that intake of 750 mL of orange juice per day increased HDL-cholesterol concentrations by 21%, triacylglycerol concentrations by 30%, and folate concentrations by 18%. This amount of orange juice also decreased the LDL-HDL cholesterol ratio by 16% and did not impact homocysteine concentrations. There were no significant effects seen with less than 750 mL of orange juice daily.

Three cups of orange juice per day appears to improve blood lipid profiles in individuals with hypercholesterolemia. This serves as evidence to the importance of consuming greater than five servings of fruits and vegetables each day.

Photo: http://www.miarose.com/

Shiitake: The Incredible Natural Health Herb From The East

The Shiitake mushroom is the most widely cultivated specialty mushroom in the world and is both a prized medicine as well as a culinary delight. Because of its traditional use in folk medicine and its availability, it has been the subject of intense research. Cochran's review of medicinal mushrooms, "Medical Effects" (Biology and Cultivation of Edible Mushrooms, Academic Press, 1978), list Shiitake as having antifungal, anti-tumor, and antiviral effects.

The shiitake (Lentinula edodes) is an edible mushroom native to East Asia. It is generally known in the English-speaking world by its Japanese name, shiitake listen (literally "shii mushroom", from the Japanese name of the tree that provides the dead logs on which it is typically cultivated). In Chinese, it is called xiānggū (literally "fragrant mushroom"). Two Chinese variant names for high grades of shiitake are dōnggū ("winter mushroom") and huāgū ("flower mushroom", which has a flower-like cracking pattern on the mushroom's upper surface); both are produced at colder temperatures. Other names by which the mushroom is known in English include Chinese black mushroom and black forest mushroom. In Korean it is called pyogo, in Thai they are called hed hom ("fragrant mushroom"), and in Vietnamese they are called nấm hương ("fragrant mushroom").

The species was formerly known as Lentinus edodes and Agaricus edodes. The latter name was first applied by the English botanist Miles Joseph Berkeley in 1878. Shiitake are native to China but have been grown in both Japan and China since prehistoric times. They have been cultivated for over 1000 years; the first written record of shiitake cultivation can be traced to Wu Sang Kwuang, born during the Song Dynasty (960-1127 A.D.). However, some documents record the uncultivated mushroom being eaten as early as 199 A.D.

During the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 A.D.), physician Wu Juei wrote that the mushroom could be used not only as a food but was taken as a remedy for upper respiratory diseases, poor blood circulation, liver trouble, exhaustion and weakness, and to boost qi, or life energy. It was also believed to prevent premature aging.

Before 1982 the Japanese variety of these mushooms could only be grown in traditional locations using ancient methods. In the late '70s, Gary F. Leatham published a doctoral thesis based on his research on the budding and growth of the Japan Islands variety; the work helped make commercial cultivation possible world-wide, and Dr. Leatham is now known in the industry as the "Father of Shiitake farming in the USA."

Benefits From This Natural Health Herb
Shiitake is now one of the most popular sources of protein in Japan, and a major staple in China, and other parts of the Pacific Rim. As a food source, it has the combined attributes of being appetizing, nourishing, dietetic and healthful. Shiitake has adequate nutritional qualities to serve as a main dish. It adapts well to recipes as a meat substitute.

The antiviral effects are believed to be caused by Shiitake's ability to produce interferon. Researchers have reported that consumption of Shiitake mushrooms lowers blood cholesterol levels by as much as 45 percent. The most dramatic results occurred when high-cholesterol foods were eaten simultaneously with Shiitake . In two human studies, cholesterol dropped 6 to 15 percent when the amount of Shiitake consumed was nine grams per day or approximately 10 dried medium-sized mushrooms.

Additionally, the ability of shiitake to accelerate the metabolism and excretion of cholesterol was first reported in 1966 by Kaneda and Tokuda. The Donko and Koshin varieties of shiitake produced a 45% and 36% reduction in total plasma cholesterol respectively. The active principle is an amino acid named eritadenine. Eritadenine lowers all lipid components of serum lipoproteins in both animals and man. It exhibits very low toxicity and is effective when administered orally. One hundred twenty-four derivatives of eritadenine have been synthesized and tested. Patents for consumable products capitalizing on shiitake hypocholesterolemic effect have been issued. Lowering plasma lipids by a method as simple as consuming a food or beverage is very appealing to the health-conscious public.

Shiitake has also shown the capacity to lower high blood pressure in laboratory animals. Lentinan, which is the name given a highly purified polysaccharide fraction extracted from Shiitake mushrooms, is an approved drug in Japan. It is generally administered by injection and has been used as an agent to prolong survival of patients in conventional cancer therapy as well as in AIDS research. Lentinan is commercially available for clinical use. "In Japan, mushroom extracts have become the leading prescription treatment for cancer" . Lentinan is not only useful for cancer treatment, but may also prevent the increase of chromosomal damage induced by anti-cancer drugs. With lentinan there are no known side effects of any serious nature. In Japan treatment of mice with lentinan prior to radiation provided complete protection from a reduction in white blood cell counts.

But in the west, we are still in the dark ages; making immunopotentiators available to patients undergoing radiative therapy has yet to be accepted here. There are also documented cases of greatly reduced side-effects from radiation and chemotherapy in patients who took herbal immunopotentiators at the same time. The noncytotoxic nature of polysaccharides offer a way to destroy unwanted cells without damaging the host. Chihara writes that "The leading principles of the function of lentinan resides in the fact that it can cure patients by restoring their homeostasis, and through enhancement of their intrinsic resistance against diseases." As a functional food, Shiitake contains all eight essential amino acids in better proportions than soy beans, meat, milk, or eggs as well as a good blend of vitamins and minerals including vitamins A, B, B12, C, D and Niacin. Shiitake produces a fat-absorbing compound which aids in weight reduction.

Photo: http://www.germes-online.com/

Aloe Vera For Natural Health

It is stem less or has a short – stemmed plant which can produce up to a height of about 80 cm to 100 cm that spreads for root sprouts and balancing. These natural health plants leave is fleshy, lance-shaped and thick and it is forever gray – green and green in color. That’s Aloe Vera. Aloe vera (syn. A. barbadensis Mill., A. vulgaris Lam.) is a species of Aloe, native to northern Africa. The flowers are shaped on a spike up to 90 cm tall, each flower pendulous, with a yellow tubular corolla 2-3 cm long.

Aloe vera is fairly easy to care for in agriculture in frost-free climates. The species requires well-drained sandy potting soil in moderate light. If planted in pot or other containers guarantee sufficient drainage with drainage holes.The use of a good quality commercial potting mix to which extra perlite, granite grit, or coarse sand are added is suggested. Qn the other hand, pre-packaged 'cacti and succulent mixes' may also be used. Potted plants should be permitted to completely dry prior to re-watering. During winter, A. vera may become dormant, during which little moisture is required. In areas that obtain frost or snow the species is best kept indoors or in heated glasshouses.

Benefits From This Natural Health Herb
Researchers at the University of Miguel Hernández in Alicante, Spain, have developed a gel based on A. vera that prolongs the conservation of fresh produce, such as fresh fruit and legumes. This gel is flavorless, colorless and unscented. This natural health product is a safe and environmentally responsive option to synthetic preservatives such as sulfur dioxide. The study showed that grapes at 1°C coated with this gel could be preserved for 35 days against 7 days for untreated grapes. According to the researchers, this gel operates during a combination of mechanics (Serrano et al., 2006), forming a protective layer against the oxygen and moisture of the air and inhibiting, through its a variety of antibiotic and antifungal compounds, the action of micro-organisms that cause foodborne illnesses.

A vast research has been done on aloe vera and confirmed to be very effective and considerable in the treatment of various ailments, skin disorders, hairs, cosmetics and beauty. Aloe vera research completed in 1996 at the Mahidol University of Bangkok proved that aloe vera has abridged the blood sugar levels of about 72 patients misery from high fasting blood sugar. Several research has been done for aloe vera which helps in combating against the cancer. It has also been proved that aloe vera offers relief to the people suffering from liver injure, gastric problems and inflammatory bowel disease.

Various tests have been taken to prove that whether aloe vera gel has influenced wound healing or not. Research has also proved a excellent improvement in the wound healing of mice and other animals with the help of aloe vera. Research has showed positive results of reducing risk factors in people suffering from heart disease.

The research also proved that when aloe vera gel is added to the diet, then there is a marked reduction in blood sugar levels in case of diabetes, total lipids, serum triglycerides and increase in HDL. Some of the researchers like Dr Peter Atherton have done research on the aloe vera and proved effective in the following areas such as wound healing, the treatment of eczema and psoriasis, the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome and inflammatory bowel disease, and positive effects on the peptic ulcers.

Aloe vera's beneficial properties may be qualified to mucopolysaccharides present in the inner gel of the leaf, particularly acemannan (acetylated mannans). An injectable form of acemannan manufactured and marketed by Carrington Laboratories as Acemannan Immunostimulant has been accepted in the USA for treatment of fibrosarcoma (a type of cancer) in dogs and cats after clinical trials. It has not been approved for use by humans, and, although it is not a drug, its sale is controlled and it can only be achieved through a veterinary doctor.

Cosmetic companies insert sap or other derivatives from Aloe vera to products such as makeup,tissues, moisturisers, soaps, sunscreens, shampoos and lotions, though the effectiveness of Aloe vera in these products remains unidentified. Aloe vera gel is also suspected to be useful for dry skin conditions, especially eczema around the eyes and sensitive facial skin.

Photo: http://www.aloe-vera-juice.net/

Natural Health Plant: Ginkgo

Ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba) is one of the oldest existing tree species and its plants are among the most broadly studied botanicals in use these days. Unlike many other natural health herbs, ginkgo leaves are not habitually used in their crude state, but rather, in the form of a concentrated, standardized ginkgo biloba extract (GBE). In Europe and the United States, ginkgo supplements are among the best-selling herbal drugs and it constantly ranks as a top medicine approved in France and Germany.

The Ginkgo, often misspelled as "Gingko", and also acknowledged as the Maidenhair Tree, is a unique tree with no close living relatives. It is confidential in its own separation, the Ginkgophyta, containing the single class Ginkgoopsida, order Ginkgoales, family Ginkgoaceae, genus Ginkgo and is the only present species within this group. It is one of the best recognized examples of a living fossil. Ginkgoales are not known in the fossil record after the Pliocene, making Ginkgo biloba a living fossil.

For centuries it was deliberation to be extinct in the in their natural habitat, but is now known to breed in at least two small areas in Zhejiang province in Eastern China, in the Tian Mu Shan Reserve. Ginkgo trees in these regions may have been leaned and sealed by Chinese monks for over 1000 years. Therefore, whether native ginkgo populations still survive is tentative.

Medicinal Uses for Natural Health

Ginkgo has been used in traditional natural health medicine to indulgence circulatory disorders and improve memory. Scientific studies during the years provide support to these traditional applies. Promising evidence recommends that GBE may be mostly effective in treating ailments related with diminished blood flow to the brain, particularly in old individuals. Laboratory studies have revealed that GBE advances blood circulation by expanding blood vessels and dropping the stickiness of blood platelets.

In 2002, a long-anticipated paper emerged in JAMA (Journal of the American Medical Association) titled "Ginkgo for memory enhancement: a randomized controlled trial." This Williams College study, supported by the National Institute on Aging rather than Schwabe, observed the effects of ginkgo consumption on healthy volunteers older than 60. The conclusion, now cited in the National Institutes of Health's ginkgo fact sheet, said: "When taken following the manufacturer's instructions, ginkgo provides no measurable benefit in memory or related cognitive function to adults with healthy cognitive function." A 2004 discussion paper reviews how a variety of trials indicate that Ginkgo proves pledge in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease, even though advance study is required.

A clinical study initiated that a standardized this natural health plant extract may diminish the side effects of menopause as well as risk factors for osteoporosis and cardiovascular disease. Women are flattering more reluctant to use pharmaceutical hormone replacement therapy (HRT) due to its unwanted side effects, such as irregular bleeding and an augmented risk of breast cancer. Several human studies have reported that a standardized ginkgo extract has estrogenic action and might be appropriate as an alternative to HRT. A standardized ginkgo extract was reported to extensively recover functional measures (such as coordination, energy level, strength, mental performance, mood, and sensation) in 22 individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS).

Ginkgo may have some unwanted effects, particularly for individuals with blood circulation disorders and those taking anti-coagulants for example aspirin and warfarin, although current studies have originate that ginkgo has slight or no effect on the anticoagulant properties or pharmacodynamics of warfarin. Ginkgo should also not be used by people who are captivating monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOI) or by pregnant women with no first consulting a doctor. Ginkgo side effects and cautions include: possible enlarged risk of bleeding, gastrointestinal anxiety, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headaches, dizziness, heart palpitations, and restlessness. If any side effects are knowledgeable, consumption should be stopped immediately.

Photo: http://universe-review.ca/

Learning Meditation For Natural Health

Learning how to meditate correctly for natural health can certainly help a person to reduce their stress levels as well as help to rejuvenate both their body and soul. In fact many scientific studies now carried out have proved that by reducing our stress levels we can then help to increase the quality of the life's that we lead. In some cases it may help to prevent a person from suffering a heartache or having cancer.

Through the use of meditation a person can learn techniques which will help them to relax and learn to cope with the stresses and strains that our environment now puts upon us. However many people still consider that meditation is closely related to certain religious beliefs and this is not so.

However in order to learn the correct way to meditate a person needs to understand three certain principles associated with this. You need to learn about the way you breath, your posture and that you have the right attitude towards meditation. Below we will take a closer look at the needs for learning about these three particular principles when it comes to learning about the correct ways to meditate.

Posture

This is a very important part of any meditation session and in order for a person to learn to relax properly they need to learn about how to keep their spine straight. When the spine is straight a person will find that the circulation of blood etc., around the body is much improved to their nerves etc., which in turn results in them remaining much more alert than before.

Breathing

Also a crucial element when learning how to meditate. It is important that any one who is taking up meditation learns how to take slow even breaths which comes through down in their diaphragm. Although it takes some practice once achieved a person will find that they are soon able to relax more quickly.

Attitude

In order to feel the full benefits when it comes to learning how to meditate correctly you need to have a the correct and positive attitude. This means that you will need to clear your mind of everything except for learning on how to concentrate your mind so that your body becomes relaxed. In the beginning you may well find that your mind will wander and you start to worry about daily issues or you may even find yourself starting to day dream instead. When this occurs then you need to start learning how to refocus your mind back on to your meditation.

Photo: http://www.holisticmindz1.com/

Another Controversial Natural Health: Ginseng

Ginseng is a plump rooted herb, inhabitant to well shattered, breezy, sheltered hardwood forests. This natural health herb does not grow in full daylight, so the ordinary place to plant it is in hardwood forests, where the trees give the needed shade. Ginseng is a perennial sow, but unlike other perennials, lies latent some years and does not grow new tops every year. The root does not pass away, but lies dormant until the next year. Ginseng is one of the most required after herbs on the market. The prospect for growing ginseng looks shows potential for many years as more and more is being used at the present in the United States in adding to the Orient. All Health Food supplies, medicine stores, and even the small gas stations now trade it in capsules, powdered, etc. The demand keeps going up every time.

Ginseng refers to species within Panax, a genus of 11 species of slow-growing perennial plants among fleshy roots, in the family Araliaceae. Natural health roots grow up in the Northern Hemisphere in eastern Asia (frequently northern China, Korea, and eastern Siberia), naturally in cooler climates; Panax vietnamensis, revealed in Vietnam, is the southernmost ginseng found.

Both American and Panax (Asian) ginseng rhizomes are taken orally as adaptogens, aphrodisiacs, healthful stimulants, and in the healing of type II diabetes, including sexual dysfunction in men. The rhizome is most regularly accessible in dried form, either in whole or sliced form. Ginseng leaf, although not as greatly prized, is at times also used; as with the rhizome it is most often available in dried appearance.

As with herbalism in common, ginseng's medical usefulness remains controversial. It has been complicated to confirm the medicinal benefits of ginseng using contemporary science, as there are paradoxical results from dissimilar studies, probably due to the broad variety and excellence of this natural health root used in studies. An additional issue is the profit latent of corporate research since ginseng cannot be unproved. As an outcome, high-quality studies of the effects of ginseng are odd. By the way, one of the improved studies relating ginseng essentially uses a proprietary ginseng extract.

There are references in the literature, including apparently authoritative compendiums that emerge to show relations with ginseng. Herbalist Jonathan Treasure of the United States National Institute of Mental Health traces the growth of half truths on an alleged undesirable herb-drug interaction between the monoamine oxidase inhibitor phenelzine and Asian ginseng (Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer). This initially was mentioned in a 1985 editorial by Shader and Greenblatt in the Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology. Shader and Greenblatt committed a couple of lines to the case of 64 year-old woman who took an undisclosed quantity for an private time of a dietary supplement product called “Natrol High” while concurrently taking phenelzine 60 mg qd. She experienced symptoms of “insomnia, headache, and tremulousness”. Treasure called Natrol by email and discovered within ten minutes that there was no Panax ginseng in the formula, but instead eleutherococcus which was then called by the trendy name "Siberian ginseng" and it was prearranged in a subclinical dosage mixed with a diversity of other herbs. The professed interaction effects are well-known side effects of phenelzine alone, which had been known in a high dosage and are not at all indicative of eleutherococcus. However this deceived article with a misidentified herb has been picked up in literature explorations, megastudies and is now acknowledged by conventional medical authorities such as Stockley’s, and is repeated in several botanical monographs e.g. World Health Organization (WHO 1999).

Notice: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration does not strictly make conform herbs and supplements. There is no warranty of strength, purity or safety of products, and effects may differ. You should constantly read product labels. If you have a medical circumstance, or are taking other drugs, herbs, or supplements, you should tell to a qualified healthcare provider before starting a new therapy. Consult a healthcare provider instantly if you experience side effects.

Photo: http://www.wpr.org/

Garlic: The Death of Natural Health Onion?

Small, white, and slight ‘hot’. That’s garlic. Allium sativum L., Latin name of garlic, is a species in the onion family Alliaceae. Their close families include the onion, shallot, and leek. Garlic has been used during recorded history for both culinary and medicinal functions. It has a distinctive bitter, 'hot', flavor that smoothes and sweetens considerably with cuisine

A rhizome of garlic, the most generally used plant element, is separated into frequent discrete fleshy sectors called cloves which are used for eating or for cooking and remedial purposes. The leaves, stems (scape) and flowers (bulbils) on the head (spathe) are also suitable for eating and most regularly consumed while young and still tender. The papery, protective layers of 'skin' over a variety of parts of the plant and the roots emotionally involved to the bulb are the only parts not measured edible.

Allium sativum produces in the untamed in areas where it has become grew wild; it perhaps moved down from the species Allium longicuspis, which grows wild in south-western Asia. The 'wild garlic', 'crow garlic' and 'field garlic' of Britain are the species Allium ursinum, Allium vineale and Aleum oleraceum, correspondingly. In North America, 'Allium vineale, identified as 'wild-' or 'crow garlic', and Allium candadensis, recognized as 'meadow-' or 'wild garlic', are ordinary weeds in fields.

Garlic is extensively used around the world for its pungent flavor, as a flavor or condiment. Depending on the shape of cookery, the flavor is either mellow or intense. It is habitually matching with onion, tomato, or ginger. The parchment-like membrane is much like the skin of an onion, and is normally uninvolved before using in rare or cooked appearance. An option is to slash the crown off the bulb, coat cloves of that natural health stuff by dribbling olive oil (or other oil based seasoning) above them and cook them in the oven. The garlic softens and can be extracted from the cloves by pressing the (root) end of the bulb or separately by pressing one end of the clove.

Young scapes are gentle and edible. They are also acknowledged as 'garlic spears', 'stems', or 'tops'. Scapes normally have a milder flavor than cloves. They are habitually used in stir frying or arranged like asparagus. This wonderful natural health onion leaves are a popular vegetable in various parts of Asia, particularly Chinese, Vietnamese, Cambodian, Indonesia and Korean cuisines. The leaves are cut, hygienic and then stir-fried with eggs, meat, or vegetables. Garlic is crucial to numerous Mediterranean dishes. Combination garlic with eggs and olive oil creates aioli ("garlic and oil" in Provençal). The Spanish variation does not use eggs. Garlic, oil, and a chunky base make skordalia (from the Greek and Italian names of garlic). Blending garlic, almond, oil and soaked bread produces ajoblanco (ajo blanco is Spanish for "white garlic").

Medicinal use and natural health benefits: Myth?

Garlic has been used as both cooking and remedy in numerous cultures for thousands of years, dating as far back as the time that the Egyptian pyramids were made. Garlic is declared to aid prevent heart disease plus atherosclerosis, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and cancer. But Allium sativum does not possess, as many people think it does, cancer-fighting properties due to the presence of allylic sulfur compounds such as diallyl disulfide (DADs), supposed not to be an anticarcinogen.

Animal studies, and some early tentative studies in bacteria, have recommended promising cardiovascular disadvantages of garlic. A Czech study found garlic supplementation improved accumulation of cholesterol on vascular walls of animals. Another study had related outcome, with garlic supplementation radically rising the amounts of placque in the aortas of cholesterol-fed rabbits. In a different study proved that supplementation with garlic extract enlarged vascular calcification in human patients with high blood cholesterol. Nevertheless, a NIH-funded randomized clinical trial published in Archives of Internal Medicine in 2007 found that eating of garlic, in any form, did not decrease cholesterol levels in patients with fairly high baseline stages.

However, in 1858, Louis Pasteur observed garlic's antibacterial activity, and it was used as an antiseptic to avert gangrene throughout World War I and World War II. In contemporary naturopathy, garlic is used as a healing for intestinal worms and other intestinal parasites, both orally and as an anal suppository. Garlic cloves are used as a medicine for infections (especially chest problems), digestive disorders, and fungal infections such as thrush. When crushed, Allium sativum yields allicin, a powerful antibiotic and anti-fungal composite (phytoncide). It also holds alliin, ajoene, enzymes, vitamin B, minerals, and flavonoids.

Generally, I think that this white tiny onion regarded natural healthiness herb still has to be used on a doctor requirement.

Source: http://www.wikipedia.org

Photo: http://www.garlicbreakthrough.com

Apples Health Benefits For Natural Health

I believe that everybody loves apple. In entire of the World, apple can be met in every regions and countries. This beautiful fruit is the promiscuous crop of the apple tree, species Malus domestica in the rose family Rosaceae. It is one of the most widely sophisticated tree fruits. The tree is tiny and deciduous, getting 5-12 m tall, with a large, frequently closely twiggy crown.

The leaves are alternately approved simple ovals 5-12 cm long and 3-6 cm broad on a 2-5 cm petiole with an acute tip, notched margin and a somewhat velvety bottom. Flowers are formed in spring concurrent with the promising of the leaves. The flowers are white with a pink dash that steadily fades five petaled, 2.5-3.5 cm in width. This natural health fruit matures in autumn, and is naturally 5-9 cm diameter. The centre of the fruit contains five carpels prearranged in a five-point star, each carpel containing one to three seeds.

The undomesticated forebear of Malus domestica is Malus sieversii. It has no frequent name in English, but is identified in Kazakhstan, where it is local, as 'alma'; in reality, the region where it is consideration to invent is called Alma-Ata, or 'father of the apples'. This tree is still found wild in the mountains of Central Asia in southern Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Xinjiang, China.

There are more than 7,500 recognized cultivars of apples. Dissimilar cultivars are presented for moderate and subtropical climates. Supposedly the world's biggest compilation of apple cultivars is housed at the National Fruit Collection in England. This natural health fruit does not blossom in tropical climates because they have a chilling condition.

Commercially trendy apple cultivars are soft but crunchy. Other most wanted qualities in modern profitable apple reproduction are a multihued skin, lack of russeting, easiness of distribution, extensive storage capability, high yields, disease struggle, distinctive "Red Delicious" apple form, long twig (to tolerate pesticides to penetrate the crown of the fruit), and well-liked flavor.

Even though most cultivars are breed for consumption fresh (dessert apples), some are cultivated exclusively for cookery (cooking apples) or producing cider. Cider apples are naturally too sharp-tasting and severe to consume fresh, but they provide the brew a rich flavor that dessert apples cannot.

Like most persistent fruits, apples usually spread asexually by grafting. Plantlet apples are dissimilar from their parents, sometimes drastically. Most new apple cultivars create as seedlings, which either occur by likelihood or are bred by intentionally crossing cultivars with talented character. The vocabulary 'seedling', 'pippin', and 'kernel' in the name of an apple cultivar recommend that this natural health fruit originated as a seedling. Apples preserve also form bud sports (mutations on a single branch). Some bud sports churn out to be enhanced strains of the parent cultivar. Some vary adequately from the parent tree to be considered new cultivars.

Food and Health profits For Natural Health
Diverse cultivars of apples have a separate different flavor, and this can be divided into two separate aspects of flavour and texture. Apples are a vital ingredient in numerous winter desserts, for example apple pie, apple crumble, apple crisp and apple cake. They are habitually eaten baked or stewed, and they can also be desiccated and eaten or re-constituted (soaked in water, alcohol or some other liquid) for later utilize. Puréed apples are commonly acknowledged as apple sauce. Apples are also made into apple butter and apple jelly. They are also applied cooked in beef dishware.

In other side, research recommends that apples may decrease the possibility of colon cancer, prostate cancer and lung cancer. Like numerous fruits, this natural health fruit holds Vitamin C as well as a host of other antioxidant compounds, which may reduce the risk of cancer by avoiding DNA dent. The fiber content, while less than in mainly other fruits, assists normalize bowel activities and may thus reduce the risk of colon cancer. They could also aid with heart disease, weight loss and controlling cholesterol, as they do not contain any cholesterol, have fibre (which diminishes cholesterol by preventing reabsorption), and are bulky for their caloric content like most this natural health fruits and vegetables.

A cluster of chemicals in apples might defend the brain from the type of harm that starts such neurodegenerative diseases as Alzheimer's and Parkinsonism. Chang Y. 'Cy' Lee of the Cornell University found that the natural health fruit phenolics, which are obviously happening antioxidants originated in fresh apples, preserve protect nerve cells from neurotoxicity encouraged by oxidative stress. The researchers used red tasty apples from New York State to offer the extracts to study the effects of phytochemicals. Lee believed that all apples are high in the serious phytonutrients and that the sum of phenolic composites in the apple flesh and in the skin differ from year to year, season to season and from rising region to rising region (November/December 2004 issue of the Journal of Food Science). The main phenolic phytochemicals in apples are quercetin, epicatechin, and procyanidin B2 (PMID 14558772). Apple consumption preserve aids eradicate trapped food and hygienic between the teeth, but the malic acid enclosed inside this natural health fruit is also accomplished of corroding tooth enamel over time, and during excess eating.

So, jus eat one apple for a day, and you’ll get healthy benefits. It’s a simple way to keep your body from diseases and to prevent from degeneration process that can raise risk of heart attack and other degeneration diseases.

Source and photo: http://www.wikipedia.org

Natural Health Lifestyle: Laughter May Be The Best Medicine

Humor - one of the best of natural health lifestyle - has always been an expression of the freedom of the human spirit; the ability to stand outside of life’s flow and view the whole scene—the incongruities, the tragedies outside of our control, the unexpected. I am personally convinced that humor is a part of our lives that is becoming more and more important. If we cannot see the humor in the changing, serious world around us, we are doomed to internalize it and that can bedamaging to us mentally as well as physically.
Here are some results of research into the relationship between stress, work and wellness.

• Forty five percent of a sample of coronary patients spent more than 60 hours per week on their job.
• Job stress has been associated with high cholesterol levels, increased heart rate and increased smoking.
• Blood pressure was higher among employees who said they "did not understand" what was expected of them.
• "Responsibility for people" on a job is more likely to lead to heart disease than having responsibility for things.
• Executives who are poor delegators have 8 times as many ulcers as good delegators.
• White-collar workers reporting job dissatisfaction are 5 times as likely to use tranquilizers.
• High stress occupations have suicide rates 2-6 times higher then the general population.

Many of these statistics are sobering at best. Yet with the present recession, the current trend toward company downsizing and the rising costs of doing business, what can theaverage Joe or Jane Employee do? One solution may be to "lighten" up your work environment. That doesn’t mean taking your job less seriously; jobs are very serious right now. The idea is to take yourself less seriously. Don’t be afraid to let yourself laugh a little every day. It will improve yourface value.

Interestingly enough, when a comedian uses humor you ask "Is it funny?" When you use humor in the business world, you ask, "Does it work?" There is growing recognition today that something as seemingly frivolous as this natural health lifestyle can actually promote productivity and cohesion within an organization. Many companies are beginning to take a serious interest in humor as it is used in speeches, training, employee relations, and managing stress. The value of humor also reaches into the boardroom. Executives who incorporate a sense of humor into their management styles find that it pays off in increased employee morale, decreased employee absenteeism, higher employee productivity and improvedcommunication within the organization as a whole.The role of humor as a stress reducer cannot be overestimated given today's climate of corporate calamity. Stress interferes with your objectivity and clouds your business judgment. Humor, used judiciously, can help you maintain the perspective necessary for successful decision-making and problem solving. Humor can be taught and workplacehealth is likely to improve as a result.

The positive emotions such as hope, faith, love and laughter have a direct effect on your health. Laughter is not only good medicine, it is also good business. Because laughter and play have been shown to relax tense individuals, this natural health lifestyle may be the ultimate weaponfor combating stress and preventing burnout.Laughing seems to work in relieving stress and even physical pain. Stress experts believelaughter does so by:

1. Distracting attention
2. Reducing tension
3. Changing expectations
4. And increasing the production of endorphins, the body’s natural painkillers

Laughter also produces physiological effects, which, in total, act as an internal organ massage. When the spasm of laughter subsides, the pulse rate drops below normal and the muscles relax deeply. The effect can last as long as 45 minutes.

Here are some quotes about various aspects of daily living that might give you a chuckle:

Stress

"The secret of living with frustration and worry is to avoid becoming personally involved with your own life."
Ziggy

"Relax…otherwise you might die all tensed up."
Unknown

Work

"How would you like a job where if you make a mistake, a big red light goes on and 18,000 people boo?"
Jaques Plante, former hockey goalie

"My father taught me to work, but not to love it. I never did like to work, and I don’t deny it. I’d rather read, tell stories, crack jokes, talk, laugh…anything but work."
Abraham Lincoln

"To love what you do, and to feel that it matters…how could anything be more fun?"
Katherine Graham, newspaper publisher

Goals

"Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goals."
Unknown

"Don’t wait for your ship to come in, swim out to it."
Unknown

"The greatest of all mistakes is to do nothing because you can only do a little. Do what you can."
Sydney Smith

Health

"This is serious, some things suppose to last the rest of my life are already wearing out."
Ashleigh Brilliant

"To avoid delay, please have all of your symptoms ready."
Notice in an English doctor’s waiting room

Laughter

"You can turn painful situations around through laughter. If you can find humor in something, you can survive it."
Bill Cosby

"Laughter is the shortest distance between two individuals."
Victor Borge

The most helpful humor involves the good-natured contemplation of life’s ups and downs. Good humor is related to a healthy self esteem, especially one’s ability to laugh at him or herself.

"When people have the ability to laugh at themselves, they start to develop a different attitude. They stop believing that life owes them certain things. They know that they have to work for what they get. They become more effective in life. It’s a kind of paradox. Until they can really accept their shortcomings, they can’t go out and do what they are capable of doing." (Dr. Frank Prevost, Psychotherapist, Western University)

Humor is important, but always remember the following tips when using this natural health lifestyle withothers:

1. Adopt an attitude of playfulness
2. See the funny side or the flip side of every situation.
3. Learn to take yourself lightly, to laugh at yourself.
4. Laugh with others for what they do, NOT what they are.
5. The key to successfully using humor is "laughing with," never "laughing at."
6. Be sensitive to the right time, the right place and the right amount.
7. Know your audience and be appropriate.
8. Consider age, level of education, values and culture. Remember, it is embarrassing tobe the one not to get the joke!

Bear in mind, in this negative world we live in, don't leave the positives to chance! Build humor into your daily work environment and reap the benefits!

Correct attribution for this article is:

Cheryl Nason, BS, MEd.
Author, Speaker and Trainer http://thepurplebrain.com

Photo: http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com