08.31.08
Vacation From Blog
I’ll be taking a little vacation from the blog for a few weeks. My father-in-law isn’t doing so well and we’d like to spend some quality time with him.
Keep up the good work on your healthy changes and I’ll be back before you know it.
Alexa
Premenstrual Syndrome Essential Oils
Use the synergistic blends in your bath and as a body oil. To add to your bath – mix the essential oils and then drop 7-9 drops into bath water after bath water has been drawn.
To add to you oil – mix the essential oils and add 7-9 drops to 2 tablespoons base vegetable oil and rub over abdomen, hips, lower back to the lower end of the backbone, between cleavage of the buttocks but not as far as the anus.
Violent/Aggressive PMS
10 drops Palma rosa
10 drops Bergamot
10 drops Geranium
Weeping/Depression PMS
9 drops Rose
12 drops Clary-sage
9 drops Bergamot
Irritable/disagreeable PMS
10 drops Nutmeg
5 drops Geranium
15 drops Bergamot
Apathetic/Tired/Listless PMS
10 drops Clary-sage
18 drops Grapefruit
2 drops Jonquil
08.30.08
7 Possible Symptoms Of Drug Involvement And What To Look For
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Change in school or work attendance or performance.
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Alteration of personal appearance.
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Mood swings or attitude changes.
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Withdrawal from responsibilities/family contact.
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Association with drug-using peers.
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Unusual patterns of behavior.
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Defensive attitude concerning drugs.
Alcohol (beer, wine, liquor)
Physical Symptoms
Intoxication, slurred speech, unsteady walk, relaxation, relaxed inhibitions, impaired coordination, slowed reflexes
Look For
Smell of alcohol on clothes or breath, intoxicated behavior, hangover, glazed eyes
Dangers
Addiction, accidents due to impaired ability and judgment, overdose when mixed with other depressants, heart and liver damage
Cocaine (coke, rock, crack, base)
Physical Symptoms
Brief euphoria, elevated blood pressure and heart rate, restlessness, excitement, feeling of well-being followed by depression
Look For
Glass vials, glass pipe, white crystalline powder, razor blades, syringes, needle marks
Dangers
Addiction, heart attack, seizures, lung damage, severe depression, paranoia
Marijuana (pot, dope, weed, grass, hash, joint, blunt)
Physical Symptoms
Altered perceptions, red eyes, dry mouth, reduces concentration, and coordination, euphoria, laughing, hunger
Look For
Rolling papers, pipes, dried plant material, odor of burnt hemp rope, roach clips
Dangers
Anxiety, loss of motivation, impaired short-term memory and learning, slowed thinking and reactions, addiction
Hallucinogens (acid, LSD, PCP, MDMA, Ecstasy, E, Ketamine, psilocybin mushrooms, peyote)
Physical Symptoms
Altered mood and perceptions, focus on detail, anxiety, panic, nausea, synesthesia (ex: smell colors, see sounds)
Look For
Capsules, tablets, “microdots”, blotter squares
Dangers
Unpredictable behavior, emotional instability, violent behavior (with PCP)
Inhalants (gas, aerosols, glue, nitrites, Rush, correction fluid, paint)
Physical Symptoms
Nausea, dizziness, headaches, lack of coordination and control
Look For
Odor of substance on clothing and breath, intoxication, drowsiness, poor muscular control, flushed skin
Dangers
Unconsciousness, suffocation, nausea and vomiting, damage to brain and central nervous system, sudden death
Narcotics (heroin, junk, dope, black tar, OxyContin, Demerol, morphine, codeine)
Physical Symptoms
Euphoria, drowsiness, insensitivity to pain, nausea, vomiting, watery eyes, runny nose
Look For
Needle marks on arms, needles, syringes, spoons, pipes, pinpoint pupils, cold moist skin
Dangers
Addiction, lethargy, weight loss, contamination from unsterile needles (hepatitis, AIDS), accidental overdose
Stimulants (speed, uppers, crack, ice, Ritalin, crystal, meth, amphetamines, caffeine, nicotine, cocaine)
Physical Symptoms
Alertness, talkativeness, wakefulness, increased blood pressure, loss of appetite, mood elevation
Look For
Pills and capsules, loss of sleep and appetite, irritability or anxiety, weight loss, hyperactivity
Dangers
Fatigue leading to exhaustion, addiction, paranoia, depression, confusion, possible hallucinations
Depressants (sedatives, tranquilizers, downers, ludes, Valium, alcohol)
Physical Symptoms
Depressed breathing and heartbeat, intoxication, drowsiness, uncoordinated movements
Look For
Capsules and pills, confused behavior, longer periods of sleep, slurred speech
Dangers
Possible overdose, especially with alcohol, muscle rigidity, addiction, withdrawal and overdose require medical treatment
08.29.08
Grilled Sweet Potatoes
4 sweet potatoes, cut into 1 – inch rounds
1 cup miso-walnut sauce
Steam potatoes until tender.
Arrange pieces on skewers and baste with sauce.
Broil 1-2 minutes or place on grill.
Baste again and turn over. Broil 1-2 minutes more.
Serves 4-6.
Miso-Walnut Sauce
1 tablespoon oil
2 tablespoons flour (rice or whole wheat)
1 tablespoon walnut butter
1 cup nut milk
Miso – the amount depends on the thickness of your sauce
Dash of nutmeg
Heat oils in saucepan. Stir in flour. Whisk 1-2 minutes over low heat. Remove from heat. Add heated liquid and stir briskly until smooth. Return to heat. Add miso. Bring almost to a boil. Turn down to low heat and simmer until thickened. Yields about 1 cup.
08.28.08
Food For The Road
Whenever you are traveling, you’re at the mercy of the food industry. Their job is to get you to buy, and eat, more than you planned. Your responsibility is to your health. Advertising is seductive, and your resolve may be weak. But you can win the battle for your dinner dollars if you follow these suggestions.
Control your portions. Go for the children’s menus at fast food chains. The portions are small but as filling if you eat slowly. One caveat: Don’t drink even the kid’s-size regular soda: It’s too much – 15 oz of juice or water is better and are allowed with kid’s meals. Add a salad if available.
Stick to your regular meal schedule. If you normally have lunch at 1:00 p.m., then pull over at that time and get something to eat. This is particularly important when you’re traveling with kids. Hungry children quickly become cranky children. Also, by not letting yourself get completely famished, you’ll be better able to make smart food choices.
Get out of the car to eat. You will pay more attention to what you’re eating and have more healthy foods to choose from if you skip the drive-through and sit down at a table for lunch. If you eat too quickly, overeating is easy to do.
Eat with a fork and a spoon. Order foods that force you slow down. You can’t eat salad or chunky soup easily with your hands.
Travel with plenty of water. The air conditioning in the cars and plane cabins is really dehydrating. Bring plenty of water for you (and your kids) to drink along the way.
Pack plenty of fruits and vegetables. Eating in the car can easily become a bad habit if food is a way to occupy bored children. If you must pack snacks because you’re traveling at snack or mealtime and can’t stop, make them fruit and vegetables. It’s much better to keep your hands and mouth busy with apples and baby carrots than crackers and potato chips.
08.27.08
Understanding B Vitamins: What Happened To B4, B8, B10, and B11
The first B vitamin to be discovered was called “water-soluble B.” That meant only that it was the second vitamin ever identified (the first was fat-soluble A). Riboflavin was discovered next, so water-soluble B became B1, and riboflavin became B2. The system began to get confusing in 1926, when researches realized that vitamin B1, was actually two vitamins, thiamin and niacin. Thiamin kept the B1 name. B2 was already taken, so niacin got B3. As vitamin research continued, scientists found a number of substances they thought at first were new B vitamins. Some turned out to be the same B’s that had already been discovered, while others turned out not to be vitamins at all. These phantom B’s are the missing numbers. To avoid confusion, scientists now prefer to use the B vitamin names instead of the numbers.
08.26.08
Gas Pain
There are times when overindulgence, eating foods that don’t agree with us, or other factors that cause us to have gas pain. The easiest thing to do is reach for allspice in the cupboard. You can make it into a tea, sprinkle it on a piece of toast or other food and wait for the magic to happen.
Another way to help gas pain is to add certo to 1/2 glass of apple juice and drink as needed.
Making a cup of rue tea with meals helps to prevent gas pain ( Do not use rue during pregnancy).
08.25.08
Glaucoma Finally Explained
Having glaucoma means that the fibers of your optic nerve are beginning to die off, most likely due to excessive fluid pressure inside your eye. This problem, called intraocular pressure (IOP), is caused by a watery fluid (aqueous humor), which normally fills your eyeball and produces IOP in the same way that air from a pump creates pressure in a tire. To keep the pressure at a safe level, some fluid constantly drains out through a sievelike network of connective tissues called the trabecular meshwork pathway or through an alternate drainage system called the uveoscleral pathway. It then empties into a d drainage channel, located where the iris and the cornea meet; this area of the eye is known as the drainage angle.
When anything prevents the aqueous fluid from draining, pressure increases in your eye and eventually kills nerve cells. If the condition isn’t treated, your peripheral vision – your ability to see objects at the very edge of the visual field – will begin to disappear. As even more cells die, your central vision will go as well. The final result: total, irreversible blindness.
In the United States, the most common type of glaucoma is open-angle glaucoma, which occurs when the trabecular meshwork becomes partially blocked for reasons that are unknown. Although the drainage angle remains open, the aqueous humor drains out too slowly, leading to fluid backup and gradual but persistent elevation in pressure. You can have this condition for years before it becomes noticeable.
Another, far rarer variation is called closed-angle glaucoma. This condition, which causes intense pain and other symptoms, can happen suddenly; it is a medical emergency, and you need to get to immediate treatment.
Exactly which biological mechanism actually triggers glaucoma remains a mystery, but there are a few suspects. One is a natural body process called apoptosis, during which cells actually commit suicide. This may contribute to the pressure in open-angle glaucoma by reducing the number and activity of the cells in the eye’s drainage channel. Another possibility is low blood pressure or other circulatory problems, which reduces blood flow to the optic nerve.
Natural Remedies
Bilberry may have a protective effect by improving the strength of the eye tissues.
One study showed that a dose of 141.5 mg of magnesium taken twice daily for one month improved the visual fields of people with glaucoma.
Vitamin C is one of the supplements that has been shown to help decrease the pressure.
Try vitamin E. Although there is no study to show that it works directly on glaucoma, this nutrient is often recommended by doctors for its ability to clean up the destructive oxygen molecules known as free radicals, which roam through your circulatory system. Vitamin E may also improve your visual field. The standard dosage, in capsule form, is 400 IU a day.
Sit still and relax. Meditation, biofeedback, and other approaches to relaxation seem to have some therapeutic effects on glaucoma, although no one knows why.
Keep your head up. Anything that requires you to be in a head-down position, such as bending over to tie your shoes or practicing certain yoga poses like head or shoulder stands, may increase your IOP. Try to keep your forehead from dropping lower than your chin for any extended length of time.
08.24.08
Diaper Rash
Diaper rash is, of course, the most common of baby problems and although thought of as a minor inconvenience it is actually very painful for the baby and worrying for the mother. Essential oils provide an easy solution to the problem. There are actually two combinations that work equally well – make your choice according to which oils you happen to have in the home:
German Chamomile and Lavender
Yarrow and Lavender
When you wash the baby’s bottom, use cotton wool dipped in a bowl of warm water to which you have added 1 drop each of your chosen two-part combination of essential oils per pint of water (swish the water around well first). Use clean cotton wool each time and avoid chemically perfumed “baby wipes”. Now dry the baby thoroughly and apply a mixture of zinc and castor oil cream to which you have added your chosen combination of essential oils: 1 drop of each to 4 teaspoons of cream.
08.23.08
Essential Fiber: One Reason Not To Refine Foods
What product doesn’t stimulate insulin production? All unrefined complex carbohydrates (whole, unprocessed plant food). Fiber in complex carbohydrates has been found to moderate and even correct insulin levels in the bloodstream. Eating an orange with a certain amount of fruit sugar in it causes less of a rise in insulin levels than consuming the same amount of fruit sugar in orange juice.
From the time it enters the mouth to the time it leaves the body, dietary fiber play a role in helping to keep the body trim in a number of ways. Food high in dietary fiber helps us to naturally limit the number of calories we consume. Since the foods high in dietary fiber are unprocessed plant foods (whole grains, legumes, vegetables, and fruit), we can also be assured that the calories are packed with nutrition (not empty calories).
