Friday, June 19, 2009

How to Reduce Stress


How to reduce Stress : How it can make your allergies even more miserable

Have you ever noticed that sometimes when you're having a really tough day, you sneeze a lot and your skin feels itchier?

It's not a coincidence, your emotions may have been the trigger.

Researchers are now finding that certain allergic disorders like hay fever, eczema and asthma are regulated, in part, by hormones and brain chemicals released into the bloodstream in response to stress.

When it rains, it really does pour.

The nervous system is the interpreter of which events are "stressful" and determines how the body responds to the stress.

Negative emotional responses disturb the carefully constructed equilibrium of the brain systems, putting some parts into overdrive and others into underdrive.

The body produces a number of factors including hormones (e.g., cortisol) and neurotransmitters (e.g., adrenalin) which, in turn, can influence other systems in the body such as the immune system.

If this imbalance goes on unchecked and becomes persistent, long-term damage, allergies and disease can result.


In other words, it is the wear-and-tear from chronic overactivity or underactivity that is potentially damaging

Most information about allergies discuss what the specific allergen is and how once found out what needs to be avoided.

Information about the emotions and the psychology of an allergy sufferer is often left out of the picture.

Allergic reactions occur when the immune system reacts to stress in an inappropriate way.


Instead of digesting properly or cleaning the air that has been inhaled it reacts in a different manner.

Alarm Reaction Adrenaline and a variety of hormones is released to combat the stress and to stay in control.


The muscles tense, the heart beats faster, the breathing and perspiration increases, the eyes dilate, the stomach may clench.

Once the cause of the stress is removed, the body will go back to normal.

Resistance or Adaptation occurs when the stress isn’t resolved.


Hormones that increase blood sugar levels to sustain energy and raise blood pressure are released.

The adrenal cortex produces hormones to continue battling the stress.

Should there be a prolonged period of time with no relief, sufferers become prone to fatigue, concentration lapses, irritability and lethargy as the effort to sustain arousal slides into negative stress.

Exhaustion, Finally, the body has run out of its reserve of body energy and immunity.


Mental, physical and emotional resources suffer heavily. The body experiences “adrenal exhaustion”.

The blood sugar levels decrease as the adrenals become depleted, leading to decreased stress tolerance, progressive mental and physical exhaustion, illness and collapse.


All of this can lead to many kinds of symptoms, here are a few for example :

Skin symptoms : Dermatitis, hives, eczema, burning lips, dry skin patches, itching, swelling and blisters, red weals, sores on face, ulcers, perspiration, dandruff.

Cardiovascular symptoms : Pain around heart, racing heart, palpitations and irregularities, flushes, erratic pulse.

When the total stress load is more than the body and the adrenal glands can cope with, that is when allergic symptoms appear.


If the stress load can be lightened, they will tend to disappear. In other words, if the total body load of stress is high, the threshold at which allergic symptoms appear will be low, and vice versa.

So one of the basic treatments for allergic disease is this one ; lower the total stress load.


Ways of Reducing the body's toxic load to reduce stress

Avoid Negative emotions :
Hormones generated by negative emotions such as fear and resentment are very potent, and toxic in excess.

Eat clean foods : Buy as organically as possible and learn to cook in a healthy style. Avoid processed foods.

There are many ways you can reduce stress, you might want to consider some of the following : taking time to relax, following a healthy diet, exercising, distancing yourself from stressful people and stressful situations.






Saturday, June 13, 2009

Hay fever and Energy


Sneezing?

Runny nose?

Itchy eyes?

Spring is the time of year for allergic rhinitis, also known as hay fever.

This is caused by an allergic reaction to pollen floating through the air.

The common understanding is that this is caused by a disorder in the immune system.

According to Chinese medicine :


“It's caused by the weakness of "defense qi," which is defense energy.”

There is a remarkable similarity in these two understandings, if the function of defense qi in Chinese medicine can be likened to the function of the immune system.

There are different kinds of qi.


In treating hay fever, a Chinese medicine practitioner will tonify the defense qi with herbal medicine and unblock the nose through acupuncture.

According to Chinese medicine what causes defense qi to be lower in the first place is firstly, it's improper diet because … the [source] of energy comes from nutrition.


This can be understood in the same way that power is needed to operate anything. Just like power, our power is from the food we eat—and sleeping.

Chinese medicine understands that different foods have different “temperatures”, which is different from the understanding of nutritional content in Western medicine.


Foods may range from hot to cold to neutral. Different foods have different effects on the body, depending on their “temperature.”

The idea is to restore balance to the body.


Thus, if an illness is said to be “cold” ,such as a cough or runny nose, “warmer” foods should be taken, such as ginger and shallot soup.

Conversely, if an illness is “hot”, such as a dry, sore throat and sweating, “cooler” food should be taken, such as a banana, cucumber, and tofu.

Impaired digestion can also lower defense qi.


People with absorption problems would find that their energy is lower because poor absorption of food means that food cannot be broken down adequately to provide energy.

Treatments are tailored to the patients, who are diagnosed by recording the symptoms, and every detail needed to be known, including the sweating conditions or energy level, tiredness or digestive function.

Herbs are thus prescribed according to multiple factors.


There are hundreds of different kinds of herbs, and any one prescription may be a combination of up to 10 different kinds.

Chinese herbal medicines, including bupleurum, Chinese skullcap, ginger, licorice, and ginseng, have a history of use in China and Japan for the treatment of hay fever. Other products may contain magnolia derivatives.

Chinese herbal remedies have been used to combat hay fever and other allergies for centuries.


Studies on the efficacy of herbal and acupuncture treatments of Chinese medicine in treating hay fever have been published in medical journals.

A German study published in the journal Allergy found that hay fever sufferers who received weekly acupuncture treatments and took three daily doses of Chinese medicinal herbs showed fewer symptoms and were less likely to say their hay fever was infringing on their daily activities than people who received placebo treatment.

After six weeks, it was found that 85 percent of patients showed overall improvements in their hay fever, compared with only 40 percent of the placebo group.

Usually, patients tend to see the difference, sometimes after one session, sometimes after a week.

Sunday, May 31, 2009

Herbal Remedies for the Common Cold and Flu

The reasons many of us get winter colds and flu are numerous. Viruses causing most respiratory infections are always mutating, and our immune systems have trouble handling these ever-changing germs.

Viruses can survive on non-porous surfaces for hours. If you turn a door handle recently touched by a sneezing, sniffling person, then lift a hand to your nose, you’ve infected yourself. some respiratory viruses, notably influenza, become airborne when someone coughs.
You only need to inhale three tiny viruses to become sick.

The symptoms are usually runny nose, sneezing, sore throat and cough.

Influenza is not as common as colds. Two main types of influenza viruses — A and B — cause most cases of the flu. Influenza viruses spread in the air and via direct contact. Flu symptoms are usually dramatic, with sudden onset of chills, fever and muscle aches. Nasal congestion may not be as marked, but the cough can take weeks or even months to resolve.

Another thing to consider is that the flu may cause a worsening of underlying chronic medical conditions.

There are some natural herbal remedies which work against common cold and flu

Remedies for the common Cold and Flu:

Elderberry - Elderberry is a traditional herbal remedy for upper respiratory infections. It’s has been shown to reduce the severity and length of flu symptoms. The constituents in Elderberry have a specific action against flu viruses.

Echinacea: A natural remedy that is popular for boosting the immune system. Its antiviral and antioxidant properties make it popular for treating the common cold and flu.

Astragalus: A natural remedy that is widely used in China for boosting the immune system. It is traditionally used as an energy tonic but is popular for treating common colds, respiratory infections and the flu.

Goldenseal: A natural remedy with powerful anti-inflammatory, antibiotic and astringent properties. The root is used for reducing colds, flu, fevers and other respiratory problems.

Ginger: A natural remedy with powerful healing properties. It is used as a diaphoretic to fight off cold and flu. Ginger is well known for treating motion and morning sickness, migraines, nausea, arthritis, respiratory infections. Because of these features, it is popular for treating the flu.

Vitamin C: Eating food high in vitamin C or taking natural vitamin C supplement may help fight off the flu.

Vitamin D: Plays an important role for aiding the immune system to fight microorganisms. Some experts believed that the reason why people are more vulnerable to the flu during winter is because of the lack of sunlight. The shorter days equal to less sunlight which prevents the skin from producing sufficient levels of vitamin D. Taking natural vitamin D supplement during the winter time is recommended by many health experts.

Other ways to fight the flu:

Eating a healthy diet is one of the best ways to reduce your risk of getting the flu. Organic food such as fruit and vegetable are loaded with antioxidants, phytochemicals and many other nutrients that are designed to fight off bacteria and virus. No matter how deadly the microorganism, if you provide your body with the right nutrients, it has a very good chance of destroying it.

Drink herbal teas such as ginger and rosehip, add lemon juiceor cinnamon to give it an extra boost. These are high in antioxidants and full of antiviral properties.

Drink plenty of water to prevent dehydration. Being dehydrated can cause the mucous membranes around your eyes, mouth and nose to shrink which increases the chance of microorganisms getting through these barriers.

Your body needs about 8 hours of sleep per day. Getting enough rest will help boost your immune system.

Monday, November 24, 2008

Fight Stress With Healthy Herbs and Healthy Eating

Whenever we get too busy or stressed, we all tend to make poor food choices that will actually increase stress and cause other problems. To get the most of your healthy eating and avoid stress, follow these simple tips.

Always eat breakfast

Even though you may think you aren't hungry, you need to eat something. Skipping breakfast makes it harder to maintain the proper blood and sugar levels during the day, so you should always eat something.

Carry a snack

Keeping some protein rich snacks in your car, office, or pocket book will help you avoid bloodsugar level dips, the accompanying mood swings, andthe fatigue. Herbal supplements like Ginseng, Cayenne Pepper and Garlic have all have the nutrients you need.

Healthy munchies

If you like to munch when you're stressed out, you can replace chips or other non healthy foodswith carrot sticks, celery sticks, or even sunflower seeds.

Bring your lunch

Although a lot of people prefer to eat fast foodfor lunch, you can save a lot of money and actually eat healthier if you take a few minutes and pack a lunch at home. Even if you only do this a few times a week, you'll see a much better improvementover eating out.

Stock your home

As important as it is to get the bad food out of your house, it's even more important to get the good food in! The best way to do this is to plan a menu of healthy meals at snacks at the beginning of theweek, list the ingedients you need, then go shop for it. This way, you'll know what you want when you need it and you won't have to stress over what to eat.

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Healthy Skin Secrets Revealed !

(6 tips to get rid of your itchy skin, acne, and other skin conditions !)

Many people with itchy skin and other skin conditions attempt to treat their irritated skin with external face washes, soaps, lotions and treatments. However, there better ways. One of them is by changing your diet a little.

1 A healthful diet rich in natural whole foods like vegetables, fruits, whole grains and beans is recommend for treating skin conditions. Americans tend to eat fried foods in large quantities, usually cooked in the most harmful of fats and oils. Not all fats are bad, but the fats that typical families eat make them more prone to develop acne, itchy skin and other skin problems, such as what’s in ice cream, cheese, bacon, and milk.

2 Acne cannot really be treated using creams and soaps because the root of the condition lies beneath the skin. Pimples and blemishes are caused by bacteria and other irritants embedded underneath the skin's oil glands and hair follicles, which are generally caused as a result of improper hygiene and poor diet – such as too much processed, fatty, fried and sugary foods.

3 A skin-healthy diet emphasizes raw and lightly cooked vegetables, especially green leafy vegetables that contain valuable trace minerals and are rich in fiber. Fresh green vegetables are essential.

4 Also include in your diet lean protein sources and complex carbohydrates, such as rice, whole-grain bread, and potatoes. These fiber-rich foods help ensure a clean gastrointestinal tract, which is especially important in the management of skin problems.

5 Eat three healthy meals daily to provide important nutrients and to decrease your appetite for sugary or greasy fried foods.

6 Foods rich in vitamin A, like apricots, watermelon, and broccoli, as well as foods like lean beef, nuts, beans and whole grains that are rich in zinc can also be helpful in reducing itchy skin, acne and other skin problems.

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Eczema, and what to do about extremely dry itchy skin

Characterised by extremely dry, inflamed and itchy skin, eczema is a very common problem that affects one in ten of us.
When eczema ( itchy skin) develops early in life, it is mainly referred to as atopic and usually runs in families with a history of allergies such as hayfever and asthma.

Certain household allergens such as dust, house-mites and animal danders seem to provoke flare-ups. Outbreaks of eczema can also be triggered by viral infections and stress.

Eczema (itchy skin) usually appears on the inner arms, especially elbows, backs of knees and wrists but in severe cases may affect the whole body.

Sometimes tiny itchy blisters appear and the skin can be weepy. Scratching itchy skin can allow germs to pass into the skin which leads to infection.

Eczema also occurs when the skin reacts to certain irritants such as nickel in jewellery, perfumes and plastics. This may also be referred to as contact dermatitis. Long-term use of hydro-cortisone creams makes the skin thinner and more easily damaged.

Here are some better natural alternatives :

Try applying a compress, made with an infusion of chamomile, to itchy skin and inflamed areas. Apply some aloe vera gel to the skin .

• The omega-3 and -6 fatty acids are particularly helpful for eczema sufferers. As well as moisturising skin from within, they also reduce inflammation. It is well worth supplementing your diet with a combination of cod liver oil and borage oil capsules. Zinc, vitamin C and B6 are also important nutrients for promoting skin healing.

• As stress aggravates eczema, finding a way to stay calm and composed helps keep flare-ups at bay. Be sure your diet is rich in anti-stress B vitamins.

• Chinese herbal medicine is often successful at treating skin problems such as eczema. Treatment is specially tailored to each individual.

• Reduce exposure to dust and house-mites as well as any known allergens. Investing in anti-dust-mite bedding often reduces eczema flare-ups.
Wear pure cotton, silk and soft natural fibres next to your skin – avoid prickly wool.

Food allergies can also trigger and exacerbate eczema.

The above remedies take a lot of patience and time.

There is a much faster and effective natural remedy for eczema ( itchy skin ) which is detailed in my book How To Blast Your Allergies Away Forever ! You can check it out here http://www.thenaturalremedies.com

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Time Tested Herbal Skin Care Tips

Glowing and healthy skin is an asset, it’s about beauty and it’s also about health.


Skin care has been important since the dawn of humans. In ancient times, herbal skin care was the only way to take care of skin.

So what are the ways herbal skin care helps your skin ?

Aloe vera, which is an extract from the Aloe plant, is one of the best examples of an herbal skin care product. Freshly extracted aloe vera is a natural hydrant that helps in soothing skin. It also helps in healing cuts and treating sun burns. This I know this from personal experience when I had a serious sunburn. Aloe is an amazing skin healer.

A number of herbs are known to possess cleansing properties. Dandelion, chamomile, lime flowers and rosemary herbs, are a few examples of such cleansers. Their herbal skin care properties are enhanced when they are combined with other herbs like tea.

Antiseptics are another important part of Herbal skin care. Lavender, marigold, thyme and fennel are good examples of herbs that are known to possess antiseptic properties. Lavender water and rose water also form good toners.

Tea plays an important part in herbal skin care. Tea extracts are used for treatment of skin that has been damaged by UV radiation.

Oils prepared from herbal extracts present another means of herbal skin care. Tea tree oil, Lavender oil, borage oil and primrose oil are some popular oils used in herbal skin care. Some fruit oils (e.g. extracts from fruits like banana, apple and melon) find use in shower gels (as a hydrating mix)

Homeopathic treatments and aromatherapies also come under the umbrella of herbal skin care remedies.

Herbal skin care is good not only for the routine nourishing of skin but also for treatment of itchy skin and skin disorders like eczema and psorasis. Most herbal skin care products don’t have any side effects (one of the most important reason for preferring them over synthetic products).

Moreover, herbal skin care products can be easily made at home, hence making them even more attractive. Try the healing power of herbal skin care, it will help keep it youthful and healthful. And if you suffer from a skin condition, it will get you on the road to recovery.