flowersophy

Healing The Skin

2012-01-30T17:38:00.003+01:00

IMPETIGO - ICHTHYOSIS - DERMATITIS - PSORIARIS - ECZEMA - LEPROSY

Dermatitis Tea

- ½ teaspoon each licorice root, burdock root, sarsaparilla root, pau d'arco bark and bupleurum root ( if available)

- 3 cups water

- Gently simmer the herbs in water for 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and let steep for another 10 minutes. Strain and drink a cup of tea 3 or 4 times daily. This same combination of herbs can also be taken as a tincture, using the same proportions as the tea. Take half a dropperful 3 or 4 times daily.

Internal remedies for dermatitis start with the herb sarsaparilla. This herb aids people with psoriasis by binding toxins in the intestine and stops the production of polyamines. For ages sarsaparilla was regarded as an important "blood purifier." Doctors used it to treat all sorts of serious skin problems.
Psyllium and berberine, found in barberry and goldenseal, also halt production of polyamines. Bitter melon, a Chinese relative of cucumber, also interferes with the production of this chemical.
Psoriasis and eczema tend to respond to herbs used to enhance the immune system's function and to herbs that support the liver. Outbreaks of eczema may lower immunity, making people who have this skin condition more likely to get viral diseases like herpes and warts. Burdock root and the Chinese herb bupleurum are recommended to treat dermatitis, especially eczema.
The popular liver herb milk thistle also helps combat psoriasis. One herb that is potent against both liver and skin problems is the Indian plant gotu kola. Compounds in gotu kola, which is used to treat leprosy, rapidly heals broken skin. Salves and also an injection of these compounds will help wounds heal faster.
An immunity-enhancing herb is pau d'arco, the bark of a South American tree.
Licorice root is a surprising choice for helping the skin, as it combats many types of dermatitis, improves liver health, reduces skin inflammation and is useful in treating symptoms of stress and allergies.
Gamma linoleic acid (GLA), which is found in evening primrose oil, and compounds in licorice and chamomile will reduce skin inflammation even better than cortisone. Evening primrose oil significantly reduces the itching, redness and severity of the problem within three months. GLA also helps in treating impetigo, a crusty outbreak of pustules that usually occurs around the mouth and nose and is caused by a bacterial infection. GLA may also fight ichthyosis, a condition that makes the skin dry and scaly, resembling that of a fish.
Stress plays a big role in many skin disorders. People who have psoriasis say that their initial outbreak happened within a month of a very stressful event.

Headaches & Migraines

2012-01-30T17:17:00.001+01:00

Headache - Migraine

Headache Tincture

- 1 teaspoon each tinctures of ginkgo leaves, valerian rhizome, feverfew leaves, ginger rhizome and peppermint leaves

- Combine the ingredients. Take a dropperful as needed and up to 8 times a day.

Lavender Headache Compress

- 5 drops lavender essential oil

- 1 cup cold water

- Add essential oil to water to swish a soft cloth in it. Then wring out the cloth, lie down, close your eyes and place the cloth over your forehead and eyes. Repeat throughout the day, as often as you can.

Recurring headaches can be symptoms or indications of serious disorders such as tumors, meningitis, blood poisoning or infection in or near the brain; you must consult your doctor in this case.
The majority of headaches, however, are tension headaches tightening up muscles in your head, which are triggered by stress, illness, bright lights, food sensitivities or changes in the weather. It can be eased with relaxation techniques, gentle massage of the back of the neck and sedative herbs.
Hangover, hunger, migraine, cluster and ice cream headaches, caused by sudden cold, such as eating ice cream too quickly, are examples of circulation or vascular headaches are helped by taking herbs that promote relaxation, along with those that dilate blood vessels in the head.
Try ginger tea! It relaxes the blood vessels in the head and diminishes swelling in the brain. It even activates natural opiates in the brain that relieve pain, and it reduces prostaglandins, which cause inflammation.
Other headache teas are made with chamomile, lemon balm and linden, the flowers of the lime tree, which is is popular in Europe. Linden is listed as a sedative for treating nervous tension and headaches by improving blood circulation.
Other ways to ease tension headaches deal with natural aspirins and muscle relaxants used for pain and inflammation and with herbs known to reduce stress.
The essential oils of peppermint and eucalyptus relaxes both mind and muscles. When these herbs are diluted in alcohol, then sponged on the forehead, both greatly reduce sensitivity to headaches.
A tincture of lavender called Palsy Drops relieves muscle spasms, nervousness and headaches.
Essential oils of any of these herbs—peppermint, eucalyptus and lavender—can be used to make an excellent compress to place on your forehead whenever a headache comes. Headaches respond best to a cold compress, but you may find that a warm or hot compress, or alternating cold and hot compresses, works even better. A second compress on the back of the neck is especially helpful.
Bathing can also be helpful, although for some people it makes their heads pound more. But if for you bathing does help, add a few drops of a relaxing essential oil (you can use lavender) to your bath water.
A technique that short-circuits a vascular headache like a migraine is to regulate circulation by raising the temperature of the hands by 15 degrees. Place your hands in hot (but not too hot) water and add some drops of lavender, eucalyptus or peppermint essential oil to the water to increase the effect.
For cluster headaches, a cream made from capsaicin, the compound that makes cayenne and chili peppers hot, will provide some relief. After two weeks of regularly rubbing this cream onto your temples, the capsaicin cream will make a difference. Capsaicin works by blocking a neurotransmitter called substance P (for pain) - it stops pain impulses from registering in the brain. For a full effect, capsaicin must be applied four or five times daily for four weeks.
Migraines are a nasty and common type of headache. When you have a migraine, the pain often lasts all day and is usually felt on only one side of the head. It can also be accompanied by nausea, distortion in vision and a peculiar visual sensation, called an aura, that precedes the headache with light flashes, tunnel vision or blind spots. These headaches occur when arteries in the brain constrict and then suddenly relax. Twice as many women experience migraines as men, often before or during menstruation.
Treat migraines with ginger. When the migraine aura first starts, mix 500 to 600 milligrams of powdered ginger into a glass of water and drink it. Only 30 minutes later, the pain subsides. Take ginger again that day, and for several more days in order to ward off future attacks. Add fresh, uncooked ginger to your meals and you may get far fewer attacks. If you suffer frequent migraines do not leave the house without carrying a little crystallized candy ginger or a piece of raw ginger root in your pockets.
Ginkgo is wonderful for improving blood circulation and for this reason, it is a great choice for a remedy to treat circulation headaches and effective for reducing vascular headaches (migraines, cluster headaches, hangovers). Ginkgo should be considered one of the most effective remedies for migraines, dizziness and tinnitus, or ringing in the ear, often associated with headaches.

Feverfew is also a good choice for the treatment of migraines and other vascular headaches with an unexpected side effect as well—an increased sense of well-being. One way the herb appears to reduce migraines is by inhibiting the release of serotonin in the brain. It will also decrease swelling in the brain by reducing the amounts of prostaglandins, histamines and other substances that cause inflammation. Fresh leaves of feverfew are more potent than the dried.
If you suffer from migraines, you should avoid certain foods known to trigger migraines: ripened cheese (Cheddar, Gruyère, Brie and Camembert, among others), onions, pickles, cured meats, avocados, fresh bread, red wine, sour cream, nuts, chocolate, coffee, tea, cola and alcohol.

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Ooops! I Did It Again

2012-01-30T16:38:00.001+01:00

STD, HPV: Genital Rash Infections and Irritations

Herbal Genital Soak

- 2 cups boiling water

- 1 teaspoon each lavender flowers and goldenseal rhizome (or Oregon grape root), yarrow flowers

- Pour boiling water over the herbs and let steep 20 minutes minimum. Strain out the herbs and let cool to a comfortable temperature. Fill a large drinking glass half way with the soak and then submerge the afflicted area. Soak twice every or as often as possible for at least 5 minutes.

Oil for Genital Infection/Irritation

- 1/8 teaspoon each tea tree essentials oil and lavender

- 1 ounce vegetable oil

- Combine the ingredients. Apply to the infected and irritated area at least twice a day. It will works even if the irritation is not caused by infection.
The Oil for Genital Infection and Irritation will also work on rashes and other irritations that occur on the genitals, including jock itch, which is a fungal infection. A measure to cure and prevent this is to keep the area dry. You can also apply the herbs as a dusting powder, which dries more than the oil. Also try wearing loose-fitting pants that allow air to circulate.
To completely get rid of an infection, you may also need to treat it internally. Try taking immune system stimulants such as echinacea and pau d'arco, which work especially well for skin infections. These herbs are effective in treating genital infections. You can take them as a tea or in pill form, although most men find a tincture most convenient. When you think the infection is gone, get checked by a doctor in a clinic.

Dusting Powder for Fungal Infections

- 4 ounces cornstarch or powdered cosmetic clay from natural food stores

- ½ teaspoon each tea tree essential oils and lavender

- Put the cornstarch in a plastic bag and add the essential oils drop by drop, redistribute the cornstarch as you go to disperse the oils evenly. Break up clumps with your fingers on the outside of the bag. Let it sit for 2 days. Use it a few times every day, and always after bathing or swimming. This same powder works on athlete's foot too!

Infection-Fighting Extract

- ½ ounce each tinctures of goldenseal root, echinacea root, pau d'arco bark (and Siberian ginseng root)

- Combine the ingredients. Take half a dropperful 5 times daily during a current infection. You can find the individual tinctures in a natural food store.

Wart Oil

- ½ ounce castor oil

- 800 International Units vitamin E oil

- ¼ teaspoon each tea tree essential oils and thuja

- Combine the ingredients. First, protect the skin around the wart with some salve and leave the wart itself exposed. Apply the mixture carefully with a glass rod applicator or a cotton swab 2 to 4 times a day. Apply it only to the wart itself— thuja oil is extremely strong and this formula burns sensitive skin.

- Increase your immunity with herbs, which will help keep this virus from taking hold. If necessary improve your diet. Periodically take echinacea and other immunity-enhancing herbs to kill the virus permanently.

- Herbal treatments will not make everyone's genital warts disappear and if you don't see results in about a week, go see a doctor. The solution often used by dermatologists to burn off warts is a derivative of a substance found in an herb called mayapple. It is poisonous and therefore inappropriate for home use, so leave its use to a professional.

Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) are reproductive-system infections that can cause severe damage in your reproductive organs and eventually impair your general health.
Before antibiotics came to keep them under control, gonorrhea and syphilis were the most widespread STDs, until chlamydia and HIV joined their ranks. These newcomers are especially tricky. 25% of men carrying chlamydia, now the most common STD, have no symptoms at all. If you suspect you've picked up a sexually transmitted disease, be sure to get checked by your doctor. Sexually transmitted diseases always require professional help. That doesn't mean that herbs can't help.

Genital Warts

Genital warts are caused by a virus, the human papillomavirus (HPV). They're difficult to detect, but a vinegar wash makes them more obvious. If you suspect having warts, soak a cloth with a mixture of one-quarter vinegar and three-quarters water and apply it to the suspected area. After two minutes, genital warts will turn white on top. But have a health professional examine any questionable bumps, even tiny ones, to be sure.
Genital warts put women at higher risk for cervical cancer and here is evidence that these warts, especially if left untreated, also increase the risk of male cancers.
A person with genital warts should always seek medical attention. Herbs can be used for at least part of the treatment. The essential oils of thuja and tea tree will help eliminate genital warts. These oils are quite potent - as are warts - use them carefully. Dilute them in vegetable oil, or castor oil, which is a folk remedy for removing warts, then apply them directly to the wart.
Use castor oil with the essential oils to make them more effective.

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Unfortunately, The Very Foods That We Like The Most Are The Ones To Which We Are Allergic

2012-01-30T15:46:00.000+01:00

Food Allergy

Allergy Tea

- 2 cups water

- 1 teaspoon chamomile flowers

- ½ teaspoon peppermint leaf

- ½ teaspoon each echinacea root and marshmallow root

- ¼ teaspoon ginger rhizome

- Combine the water and echinacea and marshmallow roots in a saucepan and simmer for 5 minutes. Turn off heat and add the next ingredients. Steep for 15 minutes and strain out herbs. For a 50-pound child, give 1 to 2 cups every day. The herbs can also be used as tinctures; for a 50-pound child, give ½ to 1 dropperful (3060 drops) each day.

Hives Skin Wash

- 1 cup boiling water

- 3 tablespoons baking soda

- 1 teaspoon each chamomile flowers, calendula flowers, elder flowers, echinacea root and yarrow flowers

- Pour the boiling water over the herbs and steep for 15 minutes and strain out the herbs. Stir in baking soda and apply to the irritated skin with a soft cloth or a sponge until the itching is reduced.

Hives Skin Poultice

- ¼ cup Hives Skin Wash

- 3 tablespoons bentonite clay

- 1 tablespoon slippery elm bark powder

- Stir all ingredients into one paste and let set 5 minutes to thicken. Apply to the irritated skin with fingers or a tongue depressor. Let it dry on skin and do not remove for at least 30 minutes. Then wash off.

Be aware that hives and rashes that appear shortly after consuming a substance to which you are allergic can mean the beginning of a serious medical emergency. If a child's allergic reaction rapidly looks like a total body response, with redness and difficulty breathing, call medical help immediately.

The allergic cause is most likely undigested proteins, such as those in milk, eggs, processed foods and even wheat. The more someone eats foods to which he is allergic, the worse the allergy may become. A food allergy can produce various symptoms like digestive disturbances such as upset stomach, constipation and diarrhea. But unrelated problems like sinus congestion, hives, headaches, earaches and bedwetting can also be caused by allergies. As stress and fatigue both encourage allergic reactions, they can also be symptoms of allergic reactions. Some include "growing pains" and even some learning and attention deficit disorders like Hyperactivity.
Children who suffer frequent headaches show that they experience fewer and less severe headaches when they stop eating certain foods, particularly eggs, dairy products and wheat. Food allergies are also responsible for many children's ear problems. Most children with chronic ear infections also have food allergies. The allergies usually clear up when the toxic foods become eliminated from the children's diets, and the ear problems return when the children start eating these foods again.
The first step is to remove the foods responsible for the allergic reaction. A blood test provided by nutritionally oriented doctors checks sensitivities to 96 commonly eaten foods. But you can also try to figure out the suspect foods yourself. Eliminate suspect foods from your child's meals, then add them back one at a time and watch for adverse reactions. Symptoms can reappear in a few hours, but allergic reactions to food can be delayed for several hours or even until the following day. That´s why you should wait a day or two after reintroducing each food item into the meal. It is difficult to imagine that yesterday's candy is causing today's headache.
Nursing mothers who are seeking to reduce a baby's digestive problems start by avoiding chocolate, hot spices, peanuts, sugar and foods such as cabbage, which are high in sulfur.
Also reduce the likelihood of your child having future allergic reactions and give him herbs to balance the immune system, decrease inflammation and soothe indigestion: chamomile and marshmallow perform all three of these roles, peppermint and ginger aid digestion and decrease inflammation, and echinacea aides the immune system in dealing with foreign substances. You will not see the effects of these herbs immediately, since it takes time to correct food allergies, but they are effective for long-term use.

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Fever

2012-01-30T14:54:00.004+01:00

Fever - Flu - Cold

Fever Tea

- 2 cups water

- ½ teaspoon each yarrow flowers, elder flowers, peppermint hyssop leaves, if the fever is accompanied by a cold, flu or cough

- Pour boiling water over the herbs, steep for 10 minutes, then strain out the herbs. Give your child as much hot tea as she will drink. The tea can be mixed with an equal amount of fruit juice or lemon water, which also reduce fever.

Natural Ginger Ale

- 3 cups water

- 1 teaspoon thinly sliced fresh ginger rhizome or ½ teaspoon ginger powder

- 1 teaspoon red raspberry leaves

- 1 lemon slice

- 1 cup carbonated water

- Combine the herbs and plain water in a saucepan and boil. Turn down the heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Then remove from heat and steep for 10 minutes and strain out the herbs. Add lemon and carbonated water before serving.

Fevers account for one-third of all visits to doctors. Most of them are due to a simple cold or flu, but do not be too quick to lower your child's temperature, because the body is wiser than we; we shouldn't interfere to illness just because we can. Many doctors recommend staying calm and force a fever down only if the thermometer reaches 103°F - 102°F for toddlers or 101°F for babies -, or if the kid becomes too uncomfortable and exhausted.
Although a child's rising temperature can scare, a child's fever, unlike it is the case with adults, is not always an indication of the severity of the problem. A parent's biggest concern is that a high fever will produce seizures, which are estimated to occur in only 4 percent of children who experience a very high fever and rarely occur in over five years old children. They are caused by how quickly the fever rises. High fever in an infant warrants a call to a doctor, who will tell you whether the fever is cause for concern.
In order to reduce your child's temperature, serve a tea of elder and yarrow with peppermint added for flavor. This blend will also relieve the sinus and lung congestion that may join colds and flus. The skin will feel hotter temporarily as these herbs increase circulation, but the child soon begins to sweat and her fever will break. Do not be surprised if her temperature rises back in the evening. In this case, give your child more tea. If you use a tincture of these herbs, dilute it in hot water, make an instant tea and have the child drink it hot. If your child will not drink tea, cool the tea and apply it as a cold wash to her skin, which is not nearly as effective as having the child drink it.
One advantage of herbs to reduce fever is that you do not have to worry about Reye's Syndrome, an often deadly illness that occurs from simply giving a child with the flu aspirin to bring down the fever. Reye's Syndrome does not develope from the use of herbs that contain natural aspirins - salicylates - such as willow and meadowsweet.
A feverish child should drink plenty of liquids to keep from becoming dehydrated. Ginger ale is good. Besides reducing fever, ginger also fights the germs that cause a cold and flu, and relieves cold and flu symptoms as a queasy stomach and congestion. It also eliminates toxins produced in the body during a cold or flu.

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Prepare For Fewer Feelings Of Being Worthless

2012-01-30T14:18:00.001+01:00

Anxiety - Depression

Antidepressant Tincture

- ½ teaspoon tinctures of ginseng root, licorice root, lemon balm leaf and ashwaganda leaf (if available)

- 1 teaspoon tincture of Saint-John's-wort leaf

- Combine the ingredients - if you do not drink alcohol, use glycerites instead of tinctures. Take 1 dropperful 3 times daily.

Depression has been on a steady rise since the early twentieth century. So is anxiety, associated with nervousness and fear, causing sudden hyperventilation, a pounding heart and feelings of suffocation.
Herbal antidepressants do exist. Many affected find that they need to continue taking at least a minimal maintenance dose of prescribed chemical antidepressants, but they have switched almost completely to a natural alternative. Keep in mind, though, that organic antidepressant herbs are not as fast-acting or effective as their pharmaceutical counterparts. Do not switch to herbal treatments for serious emotional disorders without consulting a doctor.
Because depression is often a symptom of some other condition, you must attempt to eliminate its source instead of just looking for a quick fix from a drug or an herb. A single cup of caffeine-laden coffee or coke produces anxiety attacks in susceptible individuals; ten cups cause almost anyone to have an attack.
Allergies to food, as well as low blood sugar levels - hypoglycemia - can also make you feel low. Some prescription drugs are known for causing depression, especially when combined with certain other medicines; ask your doctor about bad combinations.
Prescribed antidepressants work by keeping the neurotransmitter serotonin circulating in the brain. You have probably already heard of tricyclic drugs, MAO (monoamine oxidase) inhibitors and serotonin uptake reinhibitors such as Prozac. What you may not have heard is that Siberian ginseng, licorice and Saint-John's-wort also increase the availability of serotonin in the brain. Siberian ginseng has proved helpful for people who are depressed or have serious emotional problems while licorice is more effective than one of the commonly prescribed MAO inhibitors.
Saint-John's-wort help you if you are mildly to moderately depressed. In less than a month of taking this herb, the depression, disturbed sleep and fatigue generally improves.
Taking a tincture of Saint-John's-wort, symptoms including anxiety, anorexia, lack of interest in life and psychomotor problems, will change for the better. Prepare for fewer feelings of being worthless.
A major advantage of Saint-John's-wort is that, unlike many antidepressant drugs, it will not impair your attention, concentration or reaction time.

Anxiety

Anxiety often accompanies depression. It brings a feeling of impending disaster and an inability to deal with the pressures of everyday life. If your anxiety is stress-caused, try ginseng or the Ayurvedic herb ashwaganda. You will feel less moody and much more steady emotionally. Ashwaganda, also known as Indian ginseng, improves the mental condition in only three months.
China recommends herbs as zizyphi seed and ligustrum. Ligustrum is a herb commonly used to support the adrenal glands when someone is under stress. Both herbs are even more potent when combined with licorice and the Chinese herbs poria and bunge root. This ancient Chinese combination is known as Suanzaorentang, almost as effective as the anti-anxiety drug diazepam (Valium) in dealing with anxiety, weakness, irritability and insomnia. Taken three times a day, the herbal combination, unlike the drug, improved psychomotor skills and produced no side effects. This same combination also helps people whose anxiety attacks are so severe that they often experience heart palpitations, chest pains and shortness of breath.
In Polynesia, a drink made of the root of kava makes people feel relaxed and friendly, reducing both depression and high anxiety levels after only one week. Given to women suffering from anxiety, depression and other symptoms associated with menopause, the symptoms relieve, and women will report an increased sense of well-being.
Kava has been as effective in treating some forms of anxiety as powerful tranquilizers known as benzodiazepines. And unlike this drug and others used for similar purposes, kava will not dampen alertness or lead to addiction. Contrary, it will improves alertness, vigilance and memory. Kava is available in tincture and pill form at natural food stores as part of a formula with other herbs used to treat the nervous system.
Valerian affects the same nerve receptors as benzodiazepines. The most popular of these tranquilizers is Valium, prescribed to relieve symptoms of anxiety and lessen the anxiety, agitation and tremors that occur during alcohol withdrawal.
For mild and even moderate cases of anxiety a recommend fairly large dose makes up to two teaspoons of the tincture at least twice a day. Many need to take this much for the first few weeks after they stopped taking their antidepressant drugs. For most, a dosage of this size will not harm, but for a few it leads to upset stomachs or headaches. If you take Valium, Xanax or related drugs on the advice of a physician, do not discontinue them without your doctor's approval. No prescription drug must be discontinued before the prescribed stop date without consulting a doctor.
Valerian and hops are calming the central nervous system. These herbs work faster than prescription drugs — hops and valerian work in only two weeks, as opposed to the six weeks required for drugs. The herbs cause far fewer side effects. But if you are used to strong prescription sedatives, herbs such as valerian need a harder time taking effect.
Finally, take lemon balm "to make your heart merry." In Europe, lemon balm was sipped in cordials.
Motherwort, whicht also increases blood circulation in the brain, prevents melancholy, treating anxiety and sleep disorders.
Both lemon balm and motherwort help alleviate depression, especially when combined with other antidepressant herbs.
Capsules of GLA, which is found in evening primrose, borage and black currant seed oils will reduce depression and nightmares in children.

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Baldness

2012-01-30T12:54:00.002+01:00

Baldness

Rosemary Hair Oil

- ½ teaspoon rosemary essential oil

- ½ ounce jojoba oil or castor oil

- Combine the ingredients. Dab it on your fingertips and rub it into your scalp, making circular motions. This treatment will make your hair oily, use it twice a week and leave it on your hair a few hours minimum before washing it off.

Hair Formula

- 4 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

- 1 cup aloe vera gel

- ½ teaspoon vitamin E oil

- 1 tablespoon nettle tincture

- ½ teaspoon rosemary essential oil

- Combine the ingredients in a blender and process until smooth. Massage a small amount of the formula into your scalp daily, whenever you wash your hair. If you can't find nettle tincture, make the recipe without it.

It's very hard for a man to go bald, losing their symbol of virility.
Hair grows in a cyclical pattern: a strand of hair grows for a while, it falls out and its root takes a rest before sprouting again. Balding occurs when hair roots won´t sprout again. This is "male pattern baldness", especially common when hair growth slows around age 50 or 60. It is the male hormone testosterone, encouraged by certain genes, that shut down hair roots. Certain enzymes in balding scalps double testosterone's potency and thus stop hair growth. Over half of Men are destined to go bald.
If you are worried, you better feed the hair from within with a healthy diet to improve your blood circulation. Try to keep your cholesterol level low. Use herbs that cut cholesterol and generally improve the functioning of the circulatory system.
A diet for your hair is the same as one for your general health. Get plenty of nutrients from fresh fruits and vegetables and whole grains and keep away from saturated fats. Hair needs a steady supply of protein. Malnutrition and even heavy dieting may cause hair loss, but don't plan a high-protein diet to save your scalp. Although hair requires protein, it is actually more likely to fall out when your diet is more than 20 percent protein.
Herbs will not bring hair back once it is gone, but a some herbs will slow hair loss, namely aloe vera gel, nettle and rosemary. Both men and women massage rosemary in olive oil into their scalps to keep their hair healthy and lush for ages. The massage itself stimulates circulation and encourages hair roots to grow. French men splash an old folk remedy of nettles extracted in apple cider vinegar on their heads. Also known as stinging nettles, this wild weed actually stings a person when touched. It loses this characteristic when processed. Aloe vera not only is healthy for hair, but also protects against sun and wind for hair that is exposed and begins to thin.
Hair itself is dead like your bones. Some types of hair conditioners can make it look thicker or smooth it down, but little else can be done. The scalp, however, is very much alive and responds to herbal treatments.
Testosterone, genes and poor circulation are not the only causes for men to lose their locks. The body considers hair one of its least important "organs". Hair is one of the first things to go when a serious illness, nervous-system disease or age demand their share of limited nutrients. Some drugs, especially ones for arthritis, gout, depression, high blood pressure and heart problems, may also slow down hair growth. So does radiation therapy and the scalp problems that come with dermatitis.

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'To Cease Alcohol & Smoking Is The Easiest thing. I Ought To Know. I Have Done It Thousands Of Times'

2012-01-30T12:42:00.000+01:00

Alcoholism

Withdrawal Tincture

- ½ teaspoon each tinctures of skullcap leaves and valerian rhizome

- 1 teaspoon tincture or glycerite of fresh oat berries

- ½ teaspoon each tinctures of passionflower and Saint-John's-wort leaves

- Combine the ingredients. Take 2 to 5 dropperfuls daily. If you are recover from alcohol, use a glycerite instead of a tincture, which is alcohol-based.

While an emotional problem or crisis may lead people to drink alcohol, smoke cigarettes or other drugs, a chemical imbalance in the brain is actually responsible for addiction. After a few consumptions of drugs, the brain responds only to the drug instead of to pleasurable events in life. This leads to addiction, an intense physical need for the drug. Breaking an addiction is hard work. Cigarette smokers, for instance, often quit, start again, quit, start again—they are caught in a vicious cycle.
But additionally drugs can cause the addict a variety of other physical problems. Smoking damages the lungs and can cause lung cancer, drinking destroys brain cells and your liver. Nicotine and caffeine stimulate the production of too much cortisone and adrenaline, which trigger anxiety, panic attacks, depression, nervousness and heart palpitations.
Herbs do make a difference, but by themselves they usually offer little help for someone surrendering addiction. Addicts find that they also need to make lifestyle changes that bring new understandings to their lives. Sports, even walking three times a week for 20 minutes can change brain chemistry enough to help fight addiction or depression.
Here are the herbs that often prove helpful. Capsules of gamma linoleic acid (GLA) from evening primrose, borage or currant seed oils are among the most helpful herbal aids for fighting alcoholism: supplements of this herb not only help recovering alcoholics to stay sober, but also slow down the damage that alcohol is known to cause to brain cells.
The relaxant herb valerian may also slow brain cell damage that results from excessive alcohol consumption. If you are in Europe, use valerian in tea, tincture or pill form to help overcome and lessen alcohol withdrawal symptoms. In Brazil, passionflower is preferred.
Another sedative, skullcap, could be used to reduce anxiety and nervousness resulting from emotional or physical exhaustion. The key to the addiction-surrendering effects of valerian, passionflower and possibly skullcap may lie in the effects these herbs make in brain chemistry by changing the levels of neurotransmitters. Another explanation could be their roles as bitter digestive aids. Bitters used to be recommended to overcome drunkenness, especially a formula that included the extremely bitter quassia and gentian, which diminishes the desire for alcohol. And bitters are also good for getting rid of a hangover—bartenders recommend Angostura bitters, with gentian as an ingredient.
For ages, Asian herbalists suggest kudzu to reduce alcoholism and drunkenness, which is a perennial vine from Japan.
The Chinese use shizandra to enhance both mental and physical balance. It has been used for over a decade to treat mental disorders cause by alcoholism.

Back to smoking smoking, fresh oats are indeed useful, especially during nicotine withdrawal.
An Ayurvedic remedy lets you sniff the essential oil of black pepper (you can also just sniff raw peppercorns—if they don't make you sneeze). This treatment takes away the anxiety and other symptoms that usually accompany nicotine withdrawal.

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Mix Your Herbal Dermatitis Skin Salve

2012-01-28T21:31:00.000+01:00

Dermatitis - Eczema - Psoriasis

- ½ teaspoon each tinctures of goldenseal root and pau d'arco bark or barberry bark

- 8 drops each chamomile essential oils and tea tree oil

- 2 ounces comfrey skin salve

- Use a toothpick and stir the tinctures with essential oils into a salve. This makes the salve semi-liquid. Apply throughout the day.

Many types of dermatitis result in inflamed, red skin that is itchy and could develop into lesions. Eczema may include crusty sores, scabs, thickened skin, pimplelike eruptions and even lesions. Your skin can be either oozing or crusty and easily become infected. Psoriasis will produce reddish lesions with a silvery scaling that flakes off, making the skin underneath bleed.

The cause of these skin conditions is difficult to determine. We know that you are more likely to get them if you have thin and dry skin. According to doctors, dermatitis is often caused by allergies to particular foods.

Most people with eczema often do not have enough stomach acid. People with psoriasis have high levels of polyamine, a toxic type of amino acid that forms during poor protein digestion, one cause of food sensitivities.

To cure psoriasis and eczema, first try a Cleanser for Dry Complexion. Do not use soap, because it will irritate your skin. One natural way to treat psoriasis is exposure to direct sunlight and heat. Secondary skin infections, which may come with eczema, need to be treated with antiseptic herbs such as those suggested for acne. To mix your salve for eczema or psoriasis, you should start with a standard salve and add a few essential oils.

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Mix Your (Heavy) Menstrual Bleeding Tincture & Sage Massage Oil

2012-01-28T20:19:00.000+01:00

Heavy Menstrual Bleeding

Menstrual Bleeding Tincture

- 1 teaspoon each tinctures of yarrow flower and shepherd's purse leaf

- ½ teaspoon each tinctures of vitex berry and red raspberry leaf

- Combine the ingredients. Take half a dropperful each 15 to 30 minutes. This formula works best when made with fresh shepherd's purse. When dried, shepherd's purse loses a bit of its strength.

Sage Massage Oil

- 2 ounces vegetable oil

- 12 drops sage essential oil

- Combine the ingredients. Massage into lower belly a couple of times a day.

Heavy menstrual periods - or menorrhagia - are blamed on a list of imbalances, as too much of the hormones estrogen and prolactin, as well as an excess of the hormonelike substance prostaglandin 2. A sluggish thyroid too increases menstruation. So do endometriosis, uterine fibroids, the presence of an IUD, and drugs based on blood coagulation. Some believe that an iron deficiency stimulates bleeding, which leads to an even greater deficiency of iron.
Weakness and inconvenience often accompany heavy menstruation. Menstruation causes a decrease in physical energy, and if you bleed heavily your respiration may be impaired and blood pressure lowered - some women become lightheaded and exhausted. As excessive bleeding indicates several serious problems, be sure to contact a physician before daring a self-treatment.
Nettles, yarrow and especially shepherd's purse reduce menstrual bleeding by redirecting blood away from the pelvis. Agrimony, used by the Chinese, lady's mantle, vervain and red raspberry, are thought to strengthen the uterus. One herbal treatment is to rub on the lower belly a massage oil containing sage essential oil.
If you are suffering from anemia and if you experience cramping along with heavy bleeding, use the same herbs that target alleviating menstrual cramps—wild yam root, false unicorn root, cramp bark and American spikenard, which reduce the severity of both of the problems.

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