Natural Health for Life: February 2007

An old one, but if you don't know it can be very helpful ...

For an ear infection, nothing beats garlic oil.

The easiest way is to keep softgels of garlic oil. When one is needed, pierce with a needle and squeeze the oil into the ear. (Usually only 1 softgel is enough.) If needed, clean cotton balls can be used to "pack" the ear and keep the garlic from coming out.

Warmed olive oil is also helpful for the paid, but the garlic will help kill bacteria.

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General Health

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Exercise

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Essential Oils

All posts about essential oils will appear here, in order to create a clickable category. Oldest posts will appear at the top. Scroll down to see newer posts.

Aromatherapy We wanted to introduce first a few of our favorite essential oils.

Lavender is a wonderful relaxant. You can add 5 - 10 drops to a warm bath to induce relaxation and improve sleep. A drop on the pillow (or on a cloth laid inside the pillowcase) near the face will help induce a relaxing sleep. It can be used topically on wounds or burns (many essential oils are too strong and will burn the skin, but lavender can be applied without mixing in a carrier oil). Added with water in a spray bottle or sponge bath it can help repel fleas and ticks on dogs (or humans!).

Eucalyptus is great used as an inhalant to treat congestion. (Camphor may be added.) Boil a couple of cups of water and add 3-5 drops of essential oil, then inhale the vapors for 5-10 minutes. It can also be used as a massage for muscle soreness.

Peppermint can "wake you up" if you are drowsing, and make you more mentally alert while at the same time relaxing you. It is good to use in classroom or test environments. Dabbed on the temples, it can relieve headaches. If you have a "food grade" peppermint oil, a drop added to water can help settle the stomach and freshen breath. Mixed in strong solution and sprayed near windows and doors, it helps repel insects and mice.

Clove oil is excellent for toothaches. The easiest way to apply it is to soak a pinch of cotton in the oil and apply it directly to the sore area. Unfortunately, it DOES generate a lot of saliva, especially the first time you use it, so be prepared. Leave in place until you feel relief from the pain.

Sweet Orange is helpful for cleansing the air from molds. It can be added to an air conditioning filter directly, or applied to a gauzy cloth that is placed over the filter, and will help remove some of the spores and improve respiratory health.

Rose oil is an especially nice touch for a romantic setting.

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Other Supplements

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Herbs

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Thursday, February 8, 2007
Ear infections

An old one, but if you don't know it can be very helpful ...

For an ear infection, nothing beats garlic oil.

The easiest way is to keep softgels of garlic oil. When one is needed, pierce with a needle and squeeze the oil into the ear. (Usually only 1 softgel is enough.) If needed, clean cotton balls can be used to "pack" the ear and keep the garlic from coming out.

Warmed olive oil is also helpful for the paid, but the garlic will help kill bacteria.

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Vitamins, Minerals

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Nutrition

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Thursday, February 1, 2007
Healthy chocolate???

February is the month of decorated hearts and giving chocolates, so we wanted to offer you some GOOD news about chocolate for a change, and how it can help YOUR heart.

Did you know that dark chocolate contains the most flavenoids (antioxidant compounds) of any food?

Some of the benefits of flavenoids are: they can improve the performance of blood vessels, help prevent formation of blood clots, lower blood pressure, and reduce LDL or "bad cholesterol."

Testing reveals the antioxidant strength of dark chocolate to be nearly twice as high as red wines, up to three times the amount found in green teas, almost 5.5 times as high as blueberries, more than 8.5 times as high as strawberries, and an amazing almost 15 times as strong as broccoli florets.

Antioxidants are healthful for your body in other ways as well. They may help destroy free radicals, which can cause damage on a cellular level and possibly lead to cancer. Additionally, cocoa contains a compound (pentameric procyanidin) which helps to counteract the proteins that cause the continual division of cancer cells.

Dark chocolate can also help your body to better utilize insulin, helping to protect against diabetes.

Chocolate is also beneficial on an emotional level. Eating chocolate triggers the release of endorphins, which can produce an instant feeling of euphoria.

Have you heard that chocolate has lots of caffeine, and has that made you concerned? Relax ... one and one half ounces of dark chocolate is roughly equivalent to the caffeine in a cup of DEcaffeinated coffee.

All of this information isn't carte blanche to eat all the chocolate you want, however. It is recommended to consume small amounts (some researches used 45 – 50 gm) daily of DARK chocolate. For the best results, your chosen treat should have at least 85% cocoa content and be rich in polyphenols.

If you are interested in making sure that your dark chocolate of choice is as healthful for your body as possible, look for a product with no chemical stabilizers or emulsifiers, and no hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils.

And ... ENJOY !!!

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Why Organic Produce?

The biggest reason most consumers purchase organic produce has to do with toxins found in conventionally grown fruits and vegetables. However, organic produce costs from 50% to 300% more than conventionally grown, depending on the particular fruit or vegetable and the place it is purchased. Most of us can't afford to purchase ALL organic foods (nor are they often available in a wide variety) so it pays to know which ones are the most important ones to consider when trying to avoid toxins. Not all produce is equal in terms of increased toxicity.

The most important commonly purchased produce to avoid in conventional form is peaches. Conventionally grown peaches contain more toxins relative to organically grown than any other fruit or vegetable. Second most important organic purchase is apples, followed by bell peppers, celery, nectarines, strawberries, cherries, pears, grapes, and spinach (in that order).

If you can't buy all organic, consider purchasing these in organic form before spending your money on organic broccoli, for example, which provides less benefit than the produce mentioned above. (Note: this applies only to fruits and vegetables, and does not consider comparisons to meat, eggs, and dairy products.)

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Healthy chocolate???

February is the month of decorated hearts and giving chocolates, so we wanted to offer you some GOOD news about chocolate for a change, and how it can help YOUR heart.

Did you know that dark chocolate contains the most flavenoids (antioxidant compounds) of any food?

Some of the benefits of flavenoids are: they can improve the performance of blood vessels, help prevent formation of blood clots, lower blood pressure, and reduce LDL or "bad cholesterol."

Testing reveals the antioxidant strength of dark chocolate to be nearly twice as high as red wines, up to three times the amount found in green teas, almost 5.5 times as high as blueberries, more than 8.5 times as high as strawberries, and an amazing almost 15 times as strong as broccoli florets.

Antioxidants are healthful for your body in other ways as well. They may help destroy free radicals, which can cause damage on a cellular level and possibly lead to cancer. Additionally, cocoa contains a compound (pentameric procyanidin) which helps to counteract the proteins that cause the continual division of cancer cells.

Dark chocolate can also help your body to better utilize insulin, helping to protect against diabetes.

Chocolate is also beneficial on an emotional level. Eating chocolate triggers the release of endorphins, which can produce an instant feeling of euphoria.

Have you heard that chocolate has lots of caffeine, and has that made you concerned? Relax ... one and one half ounces of dark chocolate is roughly equivalent to the caffeine in a cup of DEcaffeinated coffee.

All of this information isn't carte blanche to eat all the chocolate you want, however. It is recommended to consume small amounts (some researches used 45 – 50 gm) daily of DARK chocolate. For the best results, your chosen treat should have at least 85% cocoa content and be rich in polyphenols.

If you are interested in making sure that your dark chocolate of choice is as healthful for your body as possible, look for a product with no chemical stabilizers or emulsifiers, and no hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils.

And ... ENJOY !!!

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Natural Health for Life

Information for increasing and maintaining health through the use of natural supplements, natural products, holistic services, sound nutrition and physical excercise. The usual FDA required disclaimer: "The information on this site has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and is not intended to treat, diagnose, cure, or prevent any disease."