Natural Remedies for Healthy Living

The Low Glycemic Diet and Its Health Benefits

2010-04-21T19:54:00.000-07:00

What you eat has a huge role in helping maintain your health. I have in the past tried out a diet whose principles I still put into practice to maintain a healthy weight. This diet is based on the glycemic index, a measure of the amount of increase in blood sugar levels caused by different types of foods. When blood sugar levels spike, there are many physiological changes in the body that can cause disease and weight gain. Some popular diets that can be place in this category are The New Glucose Revolution Diet and The South Beach Diet.

Some of the basics of this diet are the avoidance of foods like desserts laden with sugar, breads, including whole wheat, potatoes and certain fats. These are examples of the foods that cause deleterious health effects and weight gain. If you do eat them, it is best that you don't eat them on a regular basis and don't eat large portions.

In a sense, this way of approaching nutrition and dieting consists of choosing the "correct carbohydrates." (1) It is a process of self-education, knowing the data on how foods change with overcooking and which foods are the best for your health. Studies have shown that this nutritional approach decrease hunger and can have the effect of decreasing cholesterol, as well as the risk of heart disease and diabetes. (2)

Regarding whole wheat breads, almost all of the commercial brands have a high glycemic index. Why? Well, they really don't have a 100% whole wheat content. They are a mixture of white flour, molasses for color and some whole wheat flour. Whole wheat flour that is made from the grain directly has a low glycemic index, and if you make breads from freshly ground wheat, you get two bonuses: bread that has a great, nutty flavor and it is healthy regarding the glycemic index. The bread has a heavier texture than commercial breads and when making it, you may want to add a little white flour to help lighten the final product. You can also further reduce the glycemic index by mixing in some fresh-ground rye flour. Experiment with what works with you.

If you need further guidance and wish to embark on this healthy approach to nutrition, there is a helpful video that discusses elements of this diet program. Click here to view the video. In the third reference below, you will also find the listing of the glycemic index of foods.

References

1. http://www.health.harvard.edu/newsweek/The_skinny_on_popular_diets.htm
2. http://www.med.nyu.edu/cec/treatment/diet/glycemic.html
3. http://www.glycemicindex.com/

Natural Home Remedies

2010-03-01T23:20:00.000-08:00

Home remedies can be used for a variety of ailments that do not require a visit to the doctor or pharmacy. For instance, for headaches you can rub your temples with clove essential oil for relief. Chewing fennel seeds can reduce bloating (2). Green tea has been found to help with gastritis (1) and peppermint tea also helps with digestion (3). A variety of resources can be found on the internet. A large number of videos have been collected on the Mahalo Home remedies site, including recipes for coughs, acne, hangovers, menstrual cramps, teeth whitening and more. A total of 17 videos are featured. Other resources on this site include the address for the International Home Remedies Project, the U.S. Government Medline site, and the names of valuable reference books.
Many people take herbal tinctures for various reasons. Common tinctures include ginseng for improving energy and sexual drive and feverfew for migraine headache relief. If you are interested in making your own, a useful guide for learning how to make herbal tinctures is found on this link. You can save a lot of money by making your own, and the process is not that difficult. This how-to demonstrates a method that does not need a scale, so the equipment that you need for the project is very simple.

Resources:

1. http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/gastritis-000067.htm

2. http://www.nwhealth.edu/healthyU/liveNaturally/herbs.html

3. http://myhealth.ucsd.edu/library/healthguide/en-us/CAM/topic.asp?HWID=hn-1037005

Acupressure Points as Natural Remedies

2010-02-16T13:53:00.000-08:00

There are several acupressure points that you can use to help with various disorders or to boost your energy. A standard measure for distances to locate point is the cun, which is equal to the width of the thumb at the crease of the second knuckle. Alternatively, a cun can be measured by the interphalageal distance between the first and second knuckle of the middle finger.

Sometimes relief from conditions can be observed through the use of single points. However, if you have an energetic blockage at one point and relieve that, it may help to lead the energy out of the body by following the appropriate meridian to the extremity of the body that is associated with that point, as is done in jin shin do acupressure practice.

To help you with various remedies for different conditions, here is a list of points which can help for various situations:

Asthma - Lung 1 point (Central Palace, or Zhong Fu), located on the chest 6 cun from the midline of the chest and 1 cun below the lateral extremity of the clavicle between the first two ribs. Beneficial point also for coughing and bronchitis.

Headaches - There are several points that help for headache relief, including the K 1 (Kidney meridian 1) point, or bubbling well, on the bottom of the foot about a third the distance to the heel between the second and third metatarsal bones. This point also helps in calming, diarrhea, anxiety, hypertension and insomnia.

Also helpful is the large intestine 4 point (He gu), located on the top of the hand just before the web meets the bone. You can find this point easily by pressing the thumb against the side of the forefinger, and where the flesh of the web is the highest, you can find this point. This point helps with other maladies that affect the face, head, throat and jaw. Here is the location of the He gu point:

A Morning Self-Massage - A Chi Exercise which Balances Your Energy Meridians

2010-01-03T02:18:00.000-08:00

Here is a self massage that I learned from my Tai Chi and qigong teacher, who learned it from an old master, that you can do early in the morning when you first get up. It works on all the major acupoints of the body and most of the meridians to wake you up and boost your energy naturally so that you are very alert when you finish. I recommend that you use this in place of coffee to get you going in the morning.

Tips. While you are doing most of these steps, the exception being part of step 7, keep the tip of the tongue on the roof of your mouth to connect your du and ren meridians. In massages with your palms, place the center of the palm, where you emit energy, correctly over the places that are recommended. You can do most of the massages sitting down, but I recommend standing for step 10. Do all of the massages and movements, where required, in a relaxed fashion and do not rush through. As with all qigong methods, mindfulness of what you are doing helps connect the mind and body.

1. Starting at the forehead with both palms of your hands using light pressure, go over the top of the head, and then behind, below and in front of the ears and returning to the forehead. This circular massage, which begins going over the top of the head, traces the bladder and gall bladder meridians. Do it 20 times in one direction and 20 times in the other direction.

2. Place the first knuckle of both of your thumbs at the bridge of your nose at the corner of the eye socket, and with light pressure, move the knuckles under the eye brow to the outside corner of the eye. Do this eight times. You can also trace the lower part of the eye socket in the same manner eight times.

3. Roll your eyes circularly eight times in one direction and then eight times in the other direction.

4. With the back of the thumbs, between the second and third knuckle, rub up and down on both sides of the nose 100 times. When you have sinus problems, you can use the tips of your first two fingers to do this massage to help get more energy moving in this area.

5. Place the palms of the hands on each ear, with the fingers touching the occipital area, where your neck meets the back of your head. Thump the back of the head with each of the fingers in sequence: 1, 2, 3, 4 for 8 times and then press the palms of the hand onto the ears and then quickly release, moving the palms outward. This is repeated eight times.

6. Place the index finger in each ear canal and rotate forward for eight times and then quickly pull the fingers outward. Do this eight times.

7. Click the teeth together 8 times gently and then roll the tongue 3 times in one direction and then three times in the other direction. Then inflate the cheeks rapidly eight times like you are rinsing your mouth with mouthwash. Take and in-breath and swallow the accumulated saliva on the out-breath, following the swallow down to your belly, or lower dantien as it is known in Traditional Chinese Medicine.

8. Place your right palm in the shoulder depression above your left nipple and trace the left channel of the body, passing over the left nipple to the left hip in a straight line. Do this 20 times and then do the other side of the body in the same fashion.

9. Rub your lower back in the kidney area up and down with the palms of your hands up and down for 36 times, warming your lower back area, the site where the Chinese believe most of your energy lies. This region is called the ming men.

10. This exercise, which is good for your digestion, is done a little differently for women than men, in that the hand placements are opposite. For men, place your left palm on your lower belly, about 1-2" below the navel and then place the right palm over the left hand so that the palms are on top of each other. Move the hands in a circular direction 36 times around the navel making the circle larger with each rotation, so that at the end your hands should be moving at your lower rib cage to the lower belly. When you have completed the 36 times, change your hands so that the right palm is down and the left hand is above it, and then rotate around your belly in the opposite direction so the circles become smaller and smaller with each rotation. I recommend standing for doing this exercise.

The rest of the massages are done seated.

11. Place the palms of the hands at both sides of the hips so that the thumbs rest on top of the thigh. Here, you trace the outside the thigh from the hip to the knee with your palms. Do this 20 times, massaging only on the downward stroke, applying light pressure with your thumbs.

12. Place both palms on top of the knees and rotate around each knee 20 times clockwise and then 20 times counterclockwise.

13. With the palms on the outside of the upper calves below the knee and the thumbs on the outside of the shin, massage downward to the ankles 20 times on each side.

14. Place the palms on the inside of the legs just above the ankles and massage up to the crotch area and down 20 times.

15. Raise one of your feet and rub the bottom of it with the palm of your hand 100 times, going from the toes to the heel. Then massage the other. With your thumb, you can also massage the K1 point which is a depression that is in the middle of the foot that is located just before the point where the toe bones are. This is the point where energy moves in and out of the foot.

If you have time at the end of this, you can sit quietly and meditate for 15 minutes to help the energy settle. You can meditate on your breath, an exercise that was given early in this blog for improving diaphragmatic breathing.

Enjoy this. I do every morning!

Alternative Medicine Information

2009-12-12T17:42:00.000-08:00

The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, which is part of the United States National Institutes of Health is a useful source for finding information about alternative medicine. I have used it to find statistics on what are the popular forms of alternative medicine, scientific study reviews, and general information as per their views. As it is defined on the site, complementary medicine is alternative medicine when it is used in conjunction with Western medicine approaches. Alternative medicine is when you use a practice to improve your health in place of Western medicine.

I support the efforts that NCCAM is putting into research, data which can help doctors make informed decisions in their practice to help people heal. However, I do believe that there are a lot of practices in alternative medicine that are way ahead of the science, so justification of their use should not wait for the approval seal of a government panel. Testimonials and many years of use of certain practices that are not within the purview of Western Medicine thinking and tradition, provide enough evidence for many to go ahead with such treatments.

Another site which I have found particularly helpful in finding out information is the University of Maryland Medical Center Alternative Medicine site. From this page, you can find a list of conditions, treatments, supplements and herbs that are available for almost every condition. The science behind the treatments is discussed in an open manner.

Qigong Exercises for Alleviating Pain and Increasing Flexibility

2009-11-19T17:04:00.000-08:00

This how to outlines a gentle and gradual means of helping relieve neck muscle pain that will also help you develop flexibility of the upper body and improve your breathing. Instructions are given on use of the diaphragm muscles to breathe and release chest tension, shoulder exercises, and neck stretches. These instructions are for people with mild neck pain and stiffness. If you have severe inflammation, you should not do these exercises. It is best to see your doctor for medical care.

These neck stretches are done in coordination with your in-breath and out-breath to facilitate the release of tight muscles. Breath coordination with stretches are frequently done with various qigong exercises. If you have neck pain, it is likely that you are breathing with your chest muscles. In contrast, breathing in the qigong manner is done using the diaphragm. Breathing in this manner help relieves stress in the upper part of the body. If you do not know how to breathe in this way here are simple instructions:

Breathing with your diaphragm

First, place one hand on your chest and one on your belly. Notice which hand moves. If you are breathing with your diaphragm, allowing it to drop on the inbreath, then the belly will expand outward and the lower hand will move. If you are breathing with your chest muscles, then the lower hand will remain in place. The idea is to allow the belly to expand naturally on the inbreath as the diaphragm moves downward towards your abdominal area. You do not force movement. Allow the chest to relax and drop. Allow movement to occur and do not apply effort.

You can begin practice of this breathing method lying down, with a book on your belly if that helps at first. However, after you get the hang of it, you should practice sitting or standing. Practice periods of 10-15 minutes daily will help you embody this relaxing breathing method which you can use to coordinate with the stretches to alleviate neck pain and increase flexibility. It takes from 30-60 days of practice for a transition of full chest breathing to diaphragmatic breathing to be fully realized.

The Neck and Shoulder Exercises

You should do these exercises standing, in a relaxed posture with your feet parallel and shoulder-width apart. The knees are relaxed and bent, and the hips and lower back are relaxed downward. Stand still for a few moments and progressively relax your muscles from your head to your toes, letting your tension melt away. Get a sense of grounding.

Pointers on the stretches:

Do not force your movement to the full extent, go only 70% into your full range of movement. Over time your range of movement will increase with regular practice.
Balance your movements, do not move to one side more than on the other side. Use the side on which you are the tightest to be your guide for how far to move on your most flexible side.
As you are exhaling, you can say to yourself "let go" or "relax" to help with the release of tension.
Follow the guideline of doing the stretches for 2 seconds (counting 1001, 1002) and no more. This type of stretching, known as active-isolated stretching, is the best type of stretching for increasing flexibility quickly.
First stretch: Starting with the head upright and facing forward, exhale and slowly drop the head forward, chin to the chest. Hold for 2 seconds and inhale coming up. Repeat 4-6 times.
Second stretch: While exhaling, turn you head to right shoulder, hold for 2 seconds and then inhale as the head moves to the forward position. Turn your head to the other shoulder and hold for 2 seconds and return to the forward position. Repeat 4-6 times on each side.
Third stretch: While exhaling, slowly drop you left ear to the shoulder, hold for 2 seconds and inhale when your head goes to the upright position. Do the same on the other side. Repeat 4-6 times on each side.
Fourth stretch: Drop you chin to your chest and roll the neck and head in a full rotation 3 times counterclockwise and then 3 times clockwise. Breathe normally. Do the rotation slowly and pause at points where you feel tension for 2 seconds and then move on. Hint: It may help to feel as if a string is pulling you from the top of the head while your are doing these neck rotations, the sense of extension can help loosen up the neck vertebrae and prevent compression.
Fifth Stretch: This is sometimes called the "Turtle Neck" exercise: Allow your neck to relax forward, relaxing the upper neck vertebrae first, down to the lower vertebrae, so that your head drops. Then move your head up with your chin, straightening the lower neck vertebrae up to the top so that your head moves up. Do this three times. Exhale with the down movement and inhale with the up movement.
Sixth Stretch: In this stretch, the neck moves in the opposite way from the "Turtle Neck Stretch. "It is sometimes called the "Crane Neck" exercise. In this exercise, the lower neck vertebrae are opened up first and then it goes to the top, so it looks like your neck and head are moving upward, the head moves up and forward and then the chin drops as the upper vertebrae release in the neck. This exercise and the previous one should be done in one continuous circular motion, without any neck strain. Exhale with the down movement and inhale with the up movement.
Shoulder rolls. This exercises all of the muscles attached to the neck muscles in the upper back and chest. First, both shoulders are moved in a forward circular motion for 10 times, and then backwards for 10 times. For all shoulder rolls, you should breathe diaphragmatically but do not coordinate your breathing with the movement.
Alternating shoulder rolls. In this exercise, first the right and then the left shoulders are rolled, with both rolling alternately at the same time to a count of 20, and then the shoulders are rolled backwards alternately for a count of 20. Maintain circularity of movement.
Shoulder raises. Raise the right shoulder to the right ear and then let it drop gently, relaxing downward. Do this 10 times and another 10 times for the other shoulder. Inhale on the up movement and exhale on the down movement.
When you are done, stand still for a moment and notice how you feel, allowing your self to take a few relaxing breaths, keeping your attention on the area in your lower abdomen (the dantien) and then go about with your day.

Vitamin B12 for An Energy Boost

2009-11-10T19:04:00.000-08:00

Vitamin B12 is an energy booster that you can take in the morning in place of your coffee. There is a commercial product now available from Dr. Mercola (B-12 Energy Booster) that has the vitamin formulated to deliver nanodroplets that you spray underneath your tongue. One bottle of this product can last for a month or so. If you are not a fan of injections, and you don't have a doctor's prescription for them, you should consider this product. Taking B-complex vitamins can work to help boost your energy as well, but in some individuals there is a lack of production of "intrinsic factor" in the stomach, so it is not metabolized, which can be a cause of anemia and the associated symptom fatigue. Vegetarians cannot get enough of this vitamin through plant sources, and need either supplements or foods which are fortified with B12. There are other benefits associated with B12: improved digestion and food absorption, boost of carbohydrate and fat metabolism, boosting of the immune system and strengthening the nervous system.

Overcome Stress and Increase Energy with Ginseng

2009-11-05T12:11:00.000-08:00

Panax ginseng has been used in China for at least 3,000 years as a natural remedy to help improve health and energy. Also known as Asian ginseng, it is one of the most understood and utilized species of ginseng. Demand for the herb in China almost wiped out the naturally occurring ginseng in China and in the United States, where the species Panax quinqefolius is found. American ginseng was discovered by settlers 1716. American ginseng was known many centuries earlier as a traditional herbal remedy for healers in several Native American tribes, including the Cherokee, Iroqouis, and Creek.

Today, the ginseng you can find in the health food store is cultivated on farms. Traditional Chinese Medicine has mainly used it as an herbal remedy to combat fatigue and weakness. Herbalists consider it to be an adaptogen, which means it increases the body's resistance to stress. Clinical trials have demonstrated a significant effect of ginseng in helping with heart disease recovery, type 2 diabetes (helps balance blood sugar swings), mental alertness and performance, and in boosting the immune system and testosterone (which explains its aphrodisiac effect).

Clinical trials are being done in many other areas where it shows promise, including:
* Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
* Birth outcomes (anoxemic encephalopathy)
* Bronchodilation
* Cancer chemotherapy
* Cancer prevention
* Cardiovascular risk reduction
* Chronic hepatitis B
* Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
* Congestive heart failure
* Coronary artery disease
* Dementia
* Diabetic complications (kidney damage)
* Erectile dysfunction
* Exercise performance
* Fatigue
* Fistula (anal)
* Heart damage (cardiac bypass complications)
* High blood pressure
* High cholesterol
* Idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (refractory)
* Intracranial pressure (ICP)
* Kidney dysfunction (hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome)
* Liver protection
* Lung conditions
* Male infertility
* Menopausal symptoms
* Mental performance
* Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)
* Neurological disorders
* Pregnancy problems (intrauterine growth retardation)
* Premature ejaculation (there is a commercial cream available)
* Quality of life
* Radiation therapy side effects
* Respiratory infections
* Sexual arousal (in women)
* Viral myocarditis
* Well-being

The dose recommendations are that you not take more than the equivalent of 1 gram of dried root per day, or 300 mg per day of a standardized extract containing 1.5 to 7% ginsenosides. A tea can be made by steeping 3 g fresh root or 1.5 g dried root in 5 ounces of boiling water in 5 ounces of water, steep in boiling water for up to 15 minutes and strain. In this form, you may take it 3-4 times daily for up to 4 weeks. You should take a break of 1-2 weeks is after taking the herb for a 4 week period.

Recommended video on YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y1vqY7M-kl0&feature=related

References:
Mayo Clinic
American Family Physician

Qigong for Health Improvement

2009-11-04T17:37:00.000-08:00

Many clinical trails that have been done with Tai Chi, a choreographed form of qigong. Much of the research, and that included in this blog,has been performed using older adults as trial participants. These studies have demonstrated that Tai Chi practice improves posture, balance, flexibility, muscle mass and tone, stamina, and strength. When Tai chi practice groups are compared to groups who use stretching therapy, there is improved balance and fewer falls in the Tai Chi Group. Tai Chi practice also leads to a sense of improved well-being and increased motivation to continue exercising. Improvements have also been seen for chronic diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia, osteoporosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and peripheral artery disease. Research has also found that Tai Chi can reduce stress, improve sleep and provide the same cardiovascular benefits as moderate exercise, benefits such as reduced heart rates and blood pressure. Evidence also suggests that tai chi is helpful when used with conventional treatments for cancer. There is an active research program for the use of qigong and tai chi at the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas. A listing of abstracts of current scientific research on the effects of qigong, tai chi and meditation can be found on the current medical research site.

About Natural Remedies

2009-11-01T17:52:00.000-08:00

The purpose of this blog is to advocate for health solutions that have been termed as "alternative medicine," however the most appropriate term for this field in my estimation is "complementary medicine." Complementary medicine gives people who suffer from a disease condition, options for getting involved in creating opportunities for wellness in their lives. To this purpose, there will be reviews of available information on strategies that people can use to assist in healing.