Aromatherapy and Health Benefits – the Natural Healing Power

May 10, 2011 by admin  
Filed under Medical Information

Nick Mutt asked:


Aromatherapy is a complimentary therapy that helps to restore the body and mind to a balanced, healthy state, using healing essences extracted from plants, shrubs and trees.

In aromatherapy these essences are usually applied to the body by way of a gentle massage, although they can be used effectively in many other ways. Apart from their healing powers, these aromatherapy plant essences exude powerful scents which have an effect on the memory and sensory nerves. As a result, aromatherapy treats the whole person, both mind and body. It is a very helpful way of treating the stress-related problems that many of us seem to suffer now that our lives have become so pressured.

Health benefits of aromatherapy –

Aromatherapy helps us to keep healthy by improving the circulation, soothing the nervous system, reducing waste products and lessening the effects of stress. It can to help chronic conditions such as migraine, eczema, rheumatism and sinus problems, offering more relief to some sufferers than others. Obviously, there are acute conditions which you wouldn’t treat with aromatherapy, such as heart attacks and appendicitis.

Aromatherapy oils which are safe to use if used with care are – benzoin, bergamot, black peeper, clary sage, camomile, sweet funnel, frankincense, jasmine, lavender, ginger, marjoram, geranium, eucalyptus, grapefruit, tea tree, lemongrass.

Four common aromatherapy oils –

Lavender – Lavender is one of the most versatile aromatherapy oils of all and is even safe to use neat on the skin. It helps all sorts of problems, from burns to headaches, is great for relieving tension and is naturally antiseptic and soothing.

Eucalyptus – This is very helpful oil for all respiratory problems – coughs, colds, catarrh and flu. If used in a vaporizer or burner it keeps germs at bay, so can protect other members of your family from common viruses.

Camomile – This is calming, soothing oil. It is helpful for itchy rashes and dry skin conditions, and because it is sedative, it is useful for encouraging sleep and relaxation.

Tea tree – This is a fantastic antiseptic and anti-fungal treatment. Use it to clean up cuts and grazes and to treat such irritating problems as thrush and athlete’s foot.

Disclaimer: This article is not meant to provide health advice and is for general information only. Always seek the insights of a qualified health professional before embarking on any health program.

Read more about aromatherapy, ayurveda, yoga and massage therapy at Natural cures website – a health guide to make you and your family live better, fit and healthy. Also read the benefits of anti-aging herb Shilajit and stress relieving herb Ashwagandha.



Natural Health Tips and Advice For Greater Well Being

May 10, 2011 by admin  
Filed under Health

Carlito Johnsons asked:


Taking good care of your physical and mental health can be a great challenge for anyone. There are certain things you must consider if you want to maintain good health long term and live with more energy and vitality. Proper diet and exercise are the first things to consider however one must not forget the importance of learning to manage mental stress. Here are some simple tips anyone can follow to attain better levels of health and fitness:

Tip 1: Eat more whole foods

It can be very difficult for most people to completely avoid processed and junk foods however do your best to minimize your consumption of these. Also most restaurants and fast food places have a healthy choices menu option so go for that once in a while as it is usually better in nutritional value than the other items on the menu. Bring a packed lunch to work whenever you can and use whole food ingredients that you cooked yourself that are free from preservatives and other chemicals that most processed foods come with.

Tip 2: Exercise properly

There is no doubt that exercise is critical in order to maintain optimal health. You need both cardiovascular and aerobic exercise in order to burn calories effectively and keep good muscle mass which is essential to maintain strength levels. Aerobic exercise can be done many ways including joining a gym, taking a one hour walk or using a treadmill or bike at home. It is always a good idea to have some fitness equipment at home as this will make it very easy and convenient to exercise which makes it more likely you will stick with it and see better results.

Weight training helps to build and maintain muscle mass, keep in mind that muscles are very effective at burning calories constantly so even women should weight train to add some muscle so that they can maintain a healthy weight for as long as possible. If you have never trained with weights before then it is important that you consider taking a few personal training sessions at a local gym to familiarize yourself with the exercises and the equipment so as to avoid unnecessary injury.

Tip 3: Manage Stress

Mental stress can also affect your overall health in a very negative way. Your mind can release chemicals into your body based on how you think and if you constantly worry or are always angry then your mind will release potentially harmful chemicals into your system.

Learn to control your mind through meditation and calm your thoughts as this will provide you with great stress relief and will also help you solve problems in your life faster as a calm mind can often see solutions more quickly than if you are worrying too much and have a ton of thoughts racing through your head. There are many ways to learn meditation, the simplest approach is to just get a book or take a local yoga class. Make it a habit to spend some time each day doing some meditation and apply the principles you learn even when you are not meditating. Consider applying some of these natural health tips to help you become healthier and stronger.



Top Three Consideration for Preconception Health

May 10, 2011 by admin  
Filed under Relationships

Francis Githinji asked:


The available wealth of information concerning preconception health should enable you to enrich your baby’s life as well as yours. Years back women were ignorant about preconception health. Conception and child birth was best learn through experience or in other words through severe mistakes. Our generation is lucky enough to be able to take sexual responsibilities in their lives. It is possible to plan when to get that wanted pregnancy. There is information about safe days, contraception and the prime time when a woman can conceive. In this day and age, an unwanted pregnancy shows that the woman is careless with her sexual life.



A female’s age is a big point to consider while planning about your reproductive life. According to theory, the reproductive age is said be between 15 to 45 years of age. Preconception health advises that a woman should not conceive at the two extremes of this range. If the woman is too young, her body is not in a full capacity to cater for the pregnancy. There will be an emotional and physical dissatisfaction in the pregnancy. Teenage pregnancies subject the mother to great harm. If you are a man, do not sire babies with young girls because you are harming their body’s health. On the other hand, women over 35 years are not reproductively suit to produce healthy babies. Chances are the babies born of these older mothers will have a problem with congenital abnormalities for example Downs’s syndrome and others.

If you have had problems with past pregnancies, you should be keen when you want to conceive yet another time. What affected the previous pregnancy might as well rear its ugly head on the one you are planning. May be it is a miscarriage. You aborted before it was due. This is very painful to any woman. It is such pain to lose a life you had started to develop a connection with. To avoid a repeat of the same, visit your doctor for some preconception health advice. If you were a victim of serial abortions you might be in real hot soup too. Medics say that if you had aborted once or twice you might be lucky to carry your pregnancy until its due. If you have a habit of aborting the fetus when they are two or three months in the womb, you might have a problem with carrying the pregnancy to its full time. It is worse if the frequency of abortions exceeds five times. If the baby previously born had a birth defect, you should see the doctor to establish the cause before you conceive again.

Preconception health advises that you have to look in to your lifestyle and nutrition if you are planning to have a healthy baby. Everything good comes with a price so you have to watch what you consume and what you do. Stress reduces the chances of conceiving. You might think you are infertile while actually you are undergoing stress. For the sake of your unborn baby eliminate stress. Diet is a key issue during preconception planning. As the pregnancy advances, the requirement in terms of nutrition increase too. While pregnant, make it a habit to visit your doctor in order to get a prescription of a well balanced diet. The diet should provide enough minerals, vitamins, proteins and energy for the mother and the fetus. If you want to make healthy babies abstain from alcohol, cigarettes and any form of drugs.



Focus on Your Health, Your Weight Will Take Care of Itself

May 10, 2011 by admin  
Filed under Health

Dorianne Schwaiger asked:


, unhealthy eating habits and lack of exercise are the three major contributing factors to the diseases that plague most Americans today. If people would focus their attention on the list of right things to do that I have included in this article, they would enjoy good health and lose unwanted pounds naturally.

Hypertension ( stress), Bad Cholesterol, Obesity, High Blood Pressure.

Do these words sounds all too familiar?

These are the buzz words of our time…listen to the news or read a magazine, its all that we hear these days. This is the legacy we pass on to our future generation. These are the words that describe poor health.

Unfortunately, all of our focus these days is on Diet and body image when it should stress the importance of good health. Society dictates that thin is in! The advertising industry invests billions of dollars in the marketing of miracle fat burners and quick loss schemes that promise amazing overnight results. The fact is that most fad diets are developed by people with little to no scientific or health background.Most quick weight loss diets may produce short term results that in turn prove harmful with long term side effects for the very people who suffer from the health problems I have listed above

Your body weight and clothes size is not a reliable indication of a healthy person. No two people have the same body composition. Ask any doctor or nutritionist and they will likely state that the true measure of health and longevity has mainly to do with proper diet,healthy eating habits, a high degree of exercise and most of all a sound mental outlook on life.

Good health is not hard to achieve. Below is a complete list of healthy habits to practice throughout your life and I can almost guarantee that when you focus on your health, the excess weight will naturally take care of itself

Check List For A Healthy Lifestyle

1. Eat a well rounded diet each day consisting of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean protein and calcium rich foods.

2. Replace large meals with 5 small low fat, high fiber meals.

3. Drink plenty of water. Make sure to drink at least 15 oz. of water in the morning to start your day. This will hydrate your organs and body and get your system off to a good start.

4. Cut back on your alcohol intake.

5. Limit caffeine intake and all other beverages that contain fat or high amounts of sugar.

6. Practice deep breathing exercises. When you breathe deep through your diaphragm and exhale slowly, this will reduce daily stress and stimulate your lymph nodes to help cleans and flush toxins from your body

7. Do at least 30-45 minutof strenuous exercise per day. This will burn calories, rev up your metabolism, tone your muscles and also reduce stress levels.

8. Take a good multi-vitamin along with certain natural supplements that will enhance your energy level and replace important nutrients not absorbed with your meals. * Note: Consult with your doctor or a licensed nutritionist before setting up your dietary plan.

9. Be good to yourself! Do something each day that brings you personal joy. Read a good book, travel, meditate, garden, enjoy your pets,spend quality time with your spouse, get together with friends. All of these are good suggestions that will relieve stress and create a healthy & positive state of mind.

To Your Good Health & Healthy Weight!