Category: Disease & Prevention

8 Things That Will Happen to Your Body if You Drink Almond Milk With Honey Everyday

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With dairy products these days not being what they used to be, almond milk is becoming a better alternative to regular milk. The good news about that is the fact that almond milk has its own special health benefits, especially when coupled with honey.

Stirring a teaspoon of honey into a glass of almond milk is not only delicious, it’s extremely good for you. Here is what happens when you mix raw honey into a glass of almond milk:

1. You’ll Sleep Better
Almond milk and honey promote glucose production. That glucose helps your brain stop production of orexin, which is a chemical in your brain that keeps you awake.

2. You’ll have more Energy
Drinking a glass of almond milk mixed with a couple of teaspoons of raw honey can help you maintain healthy, natural energy levels.

3. You’ll Age Slower
Almond milk and honey are both loaded with antioxidants that help prevent the damage done by free radical in the body. The vitamins and nutrients in almond milk also help keep your body healthy.

 4. You’ll Get Sick Less Often
Honey especially has very strong antibacterial properties that help boost your immune system and fights off infection in the body. Almond milk also has immune boosting compounds, so mixed together they double the immune system benefits.

5. You’ll Have Better Digestion
Almond milk promotes digestion, and helps treat bloating, constipation, and other digestive issues.

6. You’ll Breathe Easier
Because of honey’s natural healing abilities, and almond milk’s nutritional value, the combination of the two can help ease the effects of respiratory conditions like coughs and colds.

7. You’ll Lose Weight
Almond milk is extremely low in calories and only has trace amounts of fat when compared to regular milk.

8. You’ll have Better Skin
Again, the high nutritional value of almond milk combined with honey has a great effect on your skin. Healthy skin requires a high amount of available vitamin in the blood stream, so this mixture is great for skin.

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Still Believe Nature Got It Wrong? Top 10 Health Benefits of Marijuana

There is no plant on Earth more condemned than marijuana. We’re talking about a living organism which governments have taken upon themselves to designate as an illegal substance. Despite no existing evidence of anyone ever dying of a marijuana overdose, possession of this plant is still illegal in many parts. Marijuana has been found to suppress cancer, reduce blood pressure, treat glaucoma, alleviate pain and even inhibit HIV. It is an antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective. Can you understand more now why it’s illegal?

No Independent Study Has Ever Linked Marijuana To Psychosocial Problems

Cannabis is one of the most powerful healing plants on the planet. Dozens of studies have made pseudoscientific attempts to indicate that young people who use cannabis tend to experience psychological, social problems and mental decline. However, there is no evidence that marijuana use is directly linked with such problems, according to the results of a study published in The Lancet.“Currently, there is no strong evidence that use of cannabis of itself causes psychological or social problems,” such as mental illness or school failure, lead study author Dr. John Macleod of the University of Birmingham in the UK told Reuters Health.

“There is a great deal of evidence that cannabis use is associated with these things, but this association could have several explanations,” he said, citing factors such as adversity in early life, which may itself be associated with cannabis use and psychosocial problems.

Macleod and his team reviewed 48 long-term studies, 16 of which provided the highest quality information about the association between illicit drug use reported by people 25 years old or younger and later psychological or social problems. Most of the drug-specific results involved cannabis use.

Cannabis use was not consistently associated with violent or antisocial behavior, or with psychological problems.

In another study, Scientists from King’s College, London, found occasional pot use could actually improve concentration levels.

The study, carried in the American Journal of Epidemiology, tested the mental function and memory of nearly 9,000 Britons at age 50 and found that those who had used illegal drugs as recently as in their 40s did just as well, or slightly better, on the tests than peers who had never used drugs.

‘Overall, at the population level, the results seem to suggest that past or even current illicit drug use is not necessarily associated with impaired cognitive functioning in early middle age,’ said lead researcher Dr Alex Dregan.
Dr Dregan’s team used data on 8,992 42-year-olds participating in a UK national health study, who were asked if they had ever used any of 12 illegal drugs. Then, at the age of 50, they took standard tests of memory, attention and other cognitive abilities.

Overall, the study found, there was no evidence that current or past drug users had poorer mental performance. In fact, when current and past users were lumped together, their test scores tended to be higher.

The Age of Deception is Ending

In 2003, the U.S. Government as represented by the Department of Health and Human Services filed for, and was awarded a patent on cannabinoids. The reason? Because research into cannabinoids allowed pharmaceutical companies to acquire practical knowledge on one of the most powerful antioxidants and neuroprotectants known to the natural world.

The U.S. Patent 6630507 was specifically initiated when researchers found that cannabinoids had specific antioxidant properties making them useful in the treatment and prophylaxis of wide variety of oxidation associated diseases, such as ischemic, age-related, inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. The cannabinoids are found to have particular application as neuroprotectants, for example in limiting neurological damage following ischemic insults, such as stroke and trauma, or in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and HIV dementia. Nonpsychoactive cannabinoids, such as cannabidoil, are particularly advantageous to use because they avoid toxicity that is encountered with psychoactive cannabinoids at high doses useful in the method of the present invention.

In a historic and significant moment in American history, last November, Colorado became the first US state to legalize marijuana for recreational use. The impact of the decision could ripple across the entire country with vast opportunities to educate millions on the top health benefits of marijuana.

With the passage of I-502 in the 2012 Washington State election, marijuana also became legal in Washington–not just for medical use, but also for recreational use. Weed is still illegal as far as the United States government is concerned, but Washington and Colorado both have yet to figure out how that will work. It’s certain that this issue will continue to evolve and smooth out as time goes by, but the remaining states will eventually follow suit or be left behind with outdated laws.

Top Health Benefits

It’s no surprise that the United States has decreed that marijuana has no accepted medical use use and should remain classified as a highly dangerous drug like heroin. Accepting and promoting the powerful health benefits of marijuana would instantly cut huge profits geared towards cancer treatment and the U.S. would have to admit it imprisons the population for no cause. Nearly half of all drug arrests in the United States are for marijuana.

According to MarijuanaNews.com editor Richard Cowan, the answer is because it is a threat to cannabis prohibition “…there really is massive proof that the suppression of medical cannabis represents the greatest failure of the institutions of a free society, medicine, journalism, science, and our fundamental values,” Cowan notes.

Besides the top 10 health benefits below, findings published in the journal PLoS ONE, researchers have now have now discovered that marijuana-like chemicals trigger receptors on human immune cells that can directly inhibit a type of human immuno-deficiency virus (HIV) found in late-stage AIDS.

Recent studies have even shown it to be an effective atypical anti-psychotic in treating schizophrenia, a disease many other studies have inconsistently found it causing.

1. Cancer
Cannabinoids, the active components of marijuana, inhibit tumor growth in laboratory animals and also kill cancer cells. Western governments have known this for a long time yet they continued to suppress the information so that cannabis prohibition and the profits generated by the drug industry proliferated.

THC that targets cannabinoid receptors CB1 and CB2 is similar in function to endocannabinoids, which are cannabinoids that are naturally produced in the body and activate these receptors. The researchers suggest that THC or other designer agents that activate these receptors might be used in a targeted fashion to treat lung cancer.

2. Tourette’s Syndrome
Tourette’s syndrome is a neurological condition characterized by uncontrollable facial grimaces, tics, and involuntary grunts, snorts and shouts.

Dr. Kirsten Mueller-Vahl of the Hanover Medical College in Germany led a team that investigated the effects of chemicals called cannabinols in 12 adult Tourette’s patients. A single dose of the cannabinol produced a significant reduction in symptoms for several hours compared to placebo, the researchers reported.

3. Seizures
Marijuana is a muscle relaxant and has “antispasmodic” qualities that have proven to be a very effective treatment for seizures. There are actually countless cases of people suffering from seizures that have only been able to function better through the use of marijuana.

4. Migraines
Since medicinal marijuana was legalized in California, doctors have reported that they have been able to treat more than 300,000 cases of migraines that conventional medicine couldn’t through marijuana.

5. Glaucoma
Marijuana’s treatment of glaucoma has been one of the best documented. There isn’t a single valid study that exists that disproves marijuana’s very powerful and popular effects on glaucoma patients.

6. Multiple Sclerosis
Marijuana’s effects on multiple sclerosis patients became better documented when former talk-show host, Montel Williams began to use pot to treat his MS. Marijuana works to stop the neurological effects and muscle spasms that come from the fatal disease.

7. ADD and ADHD
A well documented USC study done about a year ago showed that marijuana is not only a perfect alternative for Ritalin but treats the disorder without any of the negative side effects of the pharmaceutical.

8. IBS and Crohn’s
Marijuana has shown that it can help with symptoms of the chronic diseases as it stops nausea, abdominal pain, and diarrhea.

9. Alzheimer’s
Despite what you may have heard about marijuana’s effects on the brain, the Scripps Institute, in 2006, proved that the THC found in marijuana works to prevent Alzheimer’s by blocking the deposits in the brain that cause the disease.

10. Premenstrual Syndrome
Just like marijuana is used to treat IBS, it can be used to treat the cramps and discomfort that causes PMS symptoms. Using marijuana for PMS actually goes all the way back to Queen Victoria.

Mounting Evidence Suggests Raw Cannabis is Best

Cannabinoids can prevent cancer, reduce heart attacks by 66% and insulin dependent diabetes by 58%. Cannabis clinician Dr. William Courtney recommends drinking 4 – 8 ounces of raw flower and leaf juice from any Hemp plant, 5 mg of Cannabidiol (CBD) per kg of body weight, a salad of Hemp seed sprouts and 50 mg of THC taken in 5 daily doses.

Why raw? Heat destroys certain enzymes and nutrients in plants. Incorporating raw cannabis allows for a greater availability of those elements. Those who require large amounts of cannabinoids without the psychoactive effects need to look no further than raw cannabis. In this capacity, it can be used at 60 times more tolerance than if it were heated.
Raw cannabis is considered by many experts as a dietary essential. As a powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant, raw cannabis may be right u there with garlic and tumeric.

Marco Torres is a research specialist, writer and consumer advocate for healthy lifestyles. He holds degrees in Public Health and Environmental Science and is a professional speaker on topics such as disease prevention, environmental toxins and health policy.

Sources:
scribd.com
bigbudsmag.com
berkeleypatientscare.com
washingtonpost.com
about.com
safeaccess.ca

 

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Natural Cures for Skin Tags, Moles, Warts, Blackheads & Age Spots

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 Common skin blemishes like skin tags, moles, warts, blackheads, and age spots can not only damage the appearance of your skin, they can be extremely expensive to deal with. Here is a comprehensive guide to naturally treating all of these common skin conditions.

WARTS
Warts are commonly cause by the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV), and can effect people in many different ways. There are over 100 different types of warts that people can develop based on their immune systems. Of all of the natural cures available for warts, it is important to remember that none of these cures are an overnight treatment, and all will take some time. Apple cider vinegar is an extremely effective treatment for warts. All you have to do is dab some ACV on the wart and cover with a Band-Aid, and leave it on all day. Wash the area and replace the Band-Aid once a day. You can do the same treatment with crushed garlic as well. Another surprisingly effective wart treatment is duct tape. All you have to do is cut a small piece of duct tape that covers the wart and place the duct tape over it. replace the tap as needed, but keep the wart covered continuously for at least 6 days. At the end of 6 days, soak the wart in water, and use a pumice board to rub away at the dead skin, and repeat the process until the wart is completely gone.

SKIN TAGS
Skin tags develop anywhere where there are folds of skin and friction from clothing, like along the neck or armpits. Obesity can be a factor in skin tags because there is more friction and more skin folds. Apple Cider Vinegar, again is a great treatment for skin tags. All you have to do is apply ACV with a cotton ball a couple of times a day, and eventually the skin tags will fall off. You can also make a paste with equal parts castor oil and baking soda, apply it to the skin tag, and cover with a bandage. Continue the process until the skin is smooth and tag free. Teas tree oil can be used in the same manner, and only takes about 10 days to get rid of a skin tag.

 MOLES
While most moles are not harmful, they can be unsightly. Moles can develop throughout our lives as we age, but they can all be treated naturally. Garlic can be used just like it is used for warts, by crushing garlic, applying it to the mole, and covering with a bandage for at least 4 hours a day. Apple Cider Vinegar can also be used for moles in the same way, just dab some ACV on the mole and cover with a bandage until it falls off. The same castor oil and baking soda paste the works for skin tags, also works for moles.

BLACKHEADS
The key to getting rid of blackheads is to get your pores as clean as possible. The most effective way to get your pores clean is to first open them up with steam. All you need to do is get a few cups of water up to a quick boil, and pour the hot water into a bowl. Place the bowl on a sturdy, level surface, and place your face close to the water, and cover your head with a towel to trap the steam from the water. Allow your face to steam for 5-10 minutes, being careful not to scald your face in the steam. Once you are done, pat your face dry and apply a natural astringent like Apple cider vinegar, and a moisturizer like coconut oil. Another important way to clean pours is exfoliation. Exfoliation is best done with a dry brush made from natural fibers, and you can simply just brush the areas where your pours are clogged, and gently clean them out. Another effective method is to take a couple of tablespoons of sugar, the juice from 1/2 of a lemon, and a little water mixed together to make a face scrub. Just crush the sugar into a fine powder, mix in the lemon juice and a couple of ounces of water until you have a paste. Use the paste to scrub the areas where your pores are clogged, and rinse with warm water.

AGE SPOTS
Imbalances in skin tone can be treated naturally instead of trying to cover them with more makeup. Dark spots can be from too much exposure to the sun, scarring, or just aging. Lemon juice acts as a natural bleaching agent for skin, so you can apply lemon juice to dark spots a couple of times a day to naturally fade them. Just make sure to use natural lemon juice, not artificial alternatives. Another simple treatment is Aloe Vera. Simple rub some natural aloe vera gel onto the dark spots on your skin, leave it on for 20 minutes and rinse. One of the most effective natural treatments for hyperpigmentation (dark spots) is sandalwood oil. Making a mixture of sandalwood powder, rosewater, glycerine and lemon juice can quickly balance out skin tones. You need 2 tablespoons of the sandalwood powder and rosewater, and 1 tablespoon of the glycerine and lemon juice. Combine all of the ingredients and mix will. Apply the mixture to your skin, and leave it on for 30 minutes before rinsing off.

Sources:
Natural Home Remedies
How Stuff Works
Homeveda.com

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Can We Say Good-Bye to Reading Glasses?

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When it comes to signs of aging, different people have different pet peeves. Some of us really don’t like those gray hairs…others sigh over a lost silhouette…still others (like me) hate needing reading glasses to see what’s on the menu.

Since exercise improves the strength, flexibility and function of our bodies, it makes sense that eye exercises could improve our ability to see close up. Yet this is a controversial topic. Though various studies have found no clear benefit from eye exercises, many holistic practitioners and their patients say that vision can indeed be improved.

The challenge with aging eyes: Many people first become farsighted—meaning that nearby objects look blurry even though more distant objects are clear—starting in their 40s. This is due to presbyopia, a condition in which the aging lens of the eye becomes too stiff to focus clearly up close.

Detractors of eye exercise say that it won’t restore lens elasticity. But supporters say that’s not the point. Marc Grossman, OD, LAc, a holistic developmental/behavioral optometrist in New Paltz, New York, and coauthor of Greater Vision, explained to me, “Eye exercises can improve the strength, flexibility and adaptability of muscles that control eye movement and encourage a mental focus that helps the brain and eyes work better together. This can slow the progression of farsightedness and possibly improve vision.”

 So the answer to the question, “Can eye exercises help us say good riddance to reading glasses?” seems to be yes for some people—and it certainly can’t hurt to try.

Dr. Grossman recommended four exercises for improving close-up vision. “While you do the exercises, remember to keep breathing and keep blinking. And smile! Smiling reduces tension, which helps your muscles work optimally and your brain focus on what’s around you,” he said.

Try to do the exercises while not wearing any reading glasses—or if your close-up vision is not good enough for that, wear weaker reading glasses than you normally do. If you usually wear glasses or contacts for distance vision, it is OK to wear those while doing the exercises.

How long to practice: Do each exercise for three to four minutes, for a total practice time of about 15 minutes per session, at least three times weekly. If you get headaches while exercising your eyes, reduce the time spent on each exercise—and see your eye doctor if the problem persists.

LETTER READING—for better scanning accuracy and conscious eye control when reading or using a computer.Preparation: Type up a chart with four rows of random letters, just large enough that you can read them while holding the page at a typical reading distance (type size will vary depending on an individual’s vision). Leave space between each row. In row one, type all capitals, one space in between each letter…row two, all lowercase, one space in between each letter…row three, all lowercase, no spaces…row four, wordlike groups of random letters arranged as if in a sentence.

Exercise: Hold the chart with both hands. Looking at row one, read each letter aloud left to right, then right to left. Then read every second letter…then every third letter. If your mind wanders, start over. Over time: When you master row one, try the same techniques with row two…then row three…then row four. If you find that you have memorized parts of the chart, make a new one using different letters.

NEAR AND FAR—for improved focus and focusing speed when switching your gaze from close objects to distant objects (such as when checking gauges on a car as you drive). Preparation: Type a chart with six to eight rows of random capital letters, each letter about one-half inch tall (or as tall as necessary for you to read them from 10 feet away). Tack the chart to a wall and stand back 10 feet.

Exercise: Hold a pencil horizontally, with its embossed letters facing you, about six inches from your nose (or as close as possible without it looking blurry). Read any letter on the pencil, then read any letter on the chart. Keep doing this, switching back and forth as fast as you can without letting the letters blur. Over time: Do this with one eye covered, then the other.

PENCIL PUSHUPS—to promote eye teamwork. All you need is a pencil.

Exercise: Hold a pencil horizontally at eye level 12 inches from your face (or as far as necessary to see the pencil clearly). With both eyes, look at one particular letter on the pencil…keep looking while bringing the pencil closer to your face. If the letter blurs or doubles, it means that one eye is no longer accurately on target—so move the pencil back until the letter is clear once more…then try again to slowly bring the pencil closer while keeping the letter in focus.

THE “HOT DOG”—for improved flexibility of the muscles within the eye that allow the lens to change shape. No props are needed.

Exercise: With your hands at chest height about eight inches in front of you, point your index fingers and touch the tips together, so that your index fingers are horizontal. Gaze at any target in the distance and, without changing your focus, raise your fingers into your line of sight. Notice that a “mini hot dog” has appeared between the tips of your fingers. Still gazing at the distant object, pull your fingertips apart slightly—and observe that the hot dog is now floating in the air. Keep the hot dog there for two breaths…then look directly at your fingers for two breaths, noticing that the hot dog disappears. Look again at the distant object and find the hot dog once again. Continue switching your gaze back and forth every two breaths.

As your close-up vision improves, you may find that you need less-powerful reading glasses—or none at all—for your day-to-day activities.

For more information about your eye health click the link below:

Guide to Eye Health—How to Save Your Eyes

 

Source: Marc Grossman, OD, LAc, is a holistic developmental/behavioral optometrist and licensed acupuncturist and medical director of Natural Eye Care in New Paltz, New York. He is the coauthor of Greater Vision and Natural Eye Care(both from McGraw-Hill). www.NaturalEyeCare.com
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Kawasaki Disease – Topic Overview

Kawasaki Disease Guide

What is Kawasaki disease?

Kawasaki disease is a rare childhood illness that affects the bloodvessels. The symptoms can be severe for several days and can look scary to parents. But then most children return to normal activities.

Kawasaki disease can harm the coronary arteries, which carry blood to the heart muscle. Most children who are treated recover from the disease without long-term problems. Your doctor will watch your child for heart problems for a few weeks to a few months after treatment.

The disease is most common in children ages 1 to 2 years and is less common in children older than age 8. It does not spread from child to child (is not contagious).

What causes Kawasaki disease?

Experts don’t know what causes the disease. The disease happens most often in the late winter and early spring.

What are the symptoms?

Symptoms of Kawasaki disease include:

Get medical help right away if your child has symptoms of Kawasaki disease. Early diagnosis and treatment can often prevent future heart problems.

How is Kawasaki disease diagnosed?

Kawasaki disease can be hard to diagnose, because there is not a test for it. Your doctor may diagnose Kawasaki disease if both of these things are true:

  • Your child has a fever that lasts at least 5 days.
  • Your child has a few of the other five symptoms listed above.

Your child may also have routine lab tests. And the doctor may order anechocardiogram to check for heart problems.

After your child gets better, he or she will need checkups to watch for heart problems.

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