Natural Health for Life: March 2008

Tea is a favorite beverage for many, but there are many varieties of tea, used for a wide range of purposes. While many people think of black tea when they consider a beverage tea, there are many other options that offer various health benefits. Many types of herbal teas are commonly available on the market to address different health and wellness concerns, often to better effect than the same herbs taken in capsule form. Blended teas are available as well, offering improved flavor as well as carrying the medicinal benefits of their various constituent plants. Another increasingly preferred choice are green teas.

Used for centuries as a wellness and beauty tonic as well as a daily beverage in most Asian countries, green tea has been growing in popularity in the US. Especially in recent years, more and more people are discovering its varied health benefits. Green tea's mild an pleasant flavor lends itself well to different combinations, making it a favorite base of combination teas. Green tea itself provides a large dose of antioxidants, which help promote health in many ways by protecting the body's cells from the damage often associated with aging and cellular metabolism. It is one of the richest sources of catechins (one of which is found in no other source) which may offer a high degree of protection against some cancers (even in the face of other high risk factors). Bioflavenoids are also in abundance in green tea, making vitamin C more complete and helping to boost immunity, protect the skin, and offering a host of other benefits.

A segment of the population has been seeking green tea more widely for its metabolic-boosting ability. Drinking green tea every day has been shown to increase metabolism, and may also be useful to help reduce cravings. This makes green tea a very sought-after diet drink. Sencha, a very high quality green tea, is a good choice for this intended use. Oolong (sometimes spelled Wu-long), while not exactly a green tea, is another popular choice for weight loss.

Also growing in popularity are the number of herbal tea combinations made with green tea. Besides enhancing and complementing the flavors, combining herbs allows the one drinking the tea to experience the increased benefits from other plant sources as well. Acai tea mixed with green tea is a good example. A richer source of antioxidants than other superfruits (such as goji berry and mangosteen), acai is a good choice for preventing free radical damage to cells and improving cellular health. The high availability of antioxidants in acai offers a number of anti-aging benefits. With its complement of nutrients and other vitamins, acai also helps promote healing and boost energy levels. These properties make it a perfect enhancement to green tea for anyone who wishes to improve their health, fight aging, and feel better.

Take advantage of the easy availability of quality herbal teas and combinations available. Find teas you enjoy, and sip your way to increased health and wellness!

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Eczema

Eczema can have a number of causes, and can also be a symptom of an underlying problem, such as hypochlorhydria (low levels of hydrochloric acid in the stomach), leaky gut syndrome, or an overgrowth of candida. Many cases of eczema are allergy-related.

The allergy can be to something external. Finding the cause is an important step in treating the eczema. It may be necessary to change, at least temporarily, to non-allergenic shampoos, lotions, soaps, etc. and avoid contact with various chemicals, nickel, plants, etc. to see if there is any improvement. In some cases where contact cannot be avoided (such as a person who must be exposed to these things in the course of their work), the sufferer can wear nitrile gloves in order to prevent various substances from coming into contact with the skin. These gloves are latex and powder free, an important consideration since latex allergies are common. These can be purchased from a dealer in medical supplies.

Many other eczema cases are related to dietary allergies. You can try eliminating all common allergens at the same time, and adding them back in at the rate of one per week to find the triggers, or cut out one category at a time to try to find the culprit. Foods that commonly produce allergic skin reactions include eggs, peanuts, soy foods, wheat, dairy products, strawberries, processed foods, and chocolate.

Gluten is an especially worth considering. Try eliminating gluten from your diet for 4-6 weeks and see if there is any improvement, and then re-introduce gluten-containing foods back, one food each week.

Helpful herbs include chamomile and pau d'arco. Both can be used either internally or externally. Aloe gel with a few drops of lavender oil applied in a thick coating over the affected skin can produce very good results. If the skin is very badly affected, you can mix goldenseal root powder (open a capsule) with vitamin E oil and apply that. Betaine HCl can be taken as a supplement to increase levels of hydrochloric acid (it should be avoided if your stomach is too acid). Vitamin E is another important supplement, and various EFA supplements - borage oil, flaxseed oil - can benefit the skin as well.

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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."