General Herbal Care

Archive for January, 2010

Herbs have been used for a wide variety of health care remedies since the beginning of time. Using elements that occur naturally can effectively treat acne and other skin conditions. Herbal skin care is affordable, accessible and less like to cause skin irritation and sensitivity than traditional medications. When certain herbs are applied to your skin topically, they can be a healthy alternative solution to prescription medications.

Eucalyptus:- This essential oil comes from the eucalyptus tree, which is one of the tallest known trees in the world and can be found in Australia, Africa, North America, India and Southern Europe. Eucalyptus is the most powerful antiseptic in its class and has outstanding astringent qualities, which aid in the treatment of acne-prone skin.

Papaya Enzyme: The papaya is a tropical fruit that has a nutrient-rich enzyme called papin. This enzyme is used to dissolve unwanted proteins and other dead materials on the surface of your skin. The papaya enzyme works to open pores, exfoliate, promote the turnover of skin cells, soften and smooth skin and improve your overall skin tone.

Sage:- This silvery-green plant has fragrant leaves and is found growing in the Mediterranean and North America. Sage oil contains chemical substances and other constituents, such as as camphor, cineole, rosmarinic acid, tannins and others. The substances found in sage oil have antifungal, antibacterial and antiviral effects, which make it an outstanding medicinal skin treatment.

Tea Tree Oil:- Tea tree oil is obtained from the leaves of the native Australian Melaleuca alternifolia tree. This oil has natural antibacterial qualities, contains antiseptic compounds and is proven to be a very good skin disinfectant. When used to treat acne, it is just as effective as 5% benzoyl peroxide and less drying. However, the results of treatment with tea tree oil take just a little bit longer to see than with benzoyl peroxide.

Thyme:- Thyme is the general name for herbs of the Thymus species, which are native to the western Mediterranean region. The essential thyme oil is located in the small glands on the leaves and contains thymol, linalol and paracymene. Thyme is effective in treating acne-prone skin because of its multiple actions, including antibacterial, antioxidant, antiseptic and astringent.

Witch Hazel:- Witch hazel is the common name for a genus of shrubs known as Hamamelis and is rich in natural astringents such as volatile oils and tannins. Witch hazel has antiseptic capabilities that tone the skin and blood vessels, as well as draw out clogged pores.

One disadvantage of modern lifestyles is that they are so fast paced that we often do not get the vital nutrients that our body regularly needs. There are two consequences of this deprivation. First, the body is unable to function properly. For example, the lack of nutrients like amino acids, essential fatty acids, chromium, and vanadium lead to excessive fatigue. Second, we miss out certain vitamins and minerals are essential for the prevention of diseases. For instance, plant derived colloidal minerals and Omega 3 oil is required to prevent high cholesterol. An article published in Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) shows that adequate intake of nutrients can prevent many diseases.

It is difficult for everyone to arrange for the kind of food that contains all the crucial nutrients. Often people have busy schedules and do have the time to prepare green vegetables in such a way that the natural nutrients are retained. Thus it is important to ensure that the body gets what it needs by having herbal health supplements.

There are several advantages of consuming herbal health supplements that contain the following ingredients:

• Bone and joint problems like arthritis and osteoporosis can be reduced by consuming supplements that have Cetyl Myristoleate, chondroitin, and glucosamine.
• Vitamin A as beta carotene, zinc, and essential acids help in the maintenance of healthy skin.
• The antioxidant Lutein that is present in leafy, green vegetable like spinach and kale improves eyesight and aids in the reduction of macular degeneration.
• Selenium and Lycopene is said to have anti-cancer properties.

Special herbal health supplements are required by pregnant or nursing mothers. For instance, studies have revealed that folic acid reduces the chances of neural tube defects and may also prevent Down’s syndrome. Supplementing the diet of such women is necessary because they have to absorb nutrients for two persons.

Meditation can be a mystery. It brings up questions. How do I meditate? Am I meditating correctly? What is the purpose of meditation? This article will answer those question in a direct and concise manner.

I would like to begin this article with a story. The story takes place each morning when I am on my way to work. I drive to the end of my road, take a left onto another road and then take a right onto a highway that brings me to work. Very often, in the evening, I drive to the end of my road, take a left onto another road, and take a right onto the highway when, actually, I should take a left to go to the grocery store. When I do this, I am on automatic pilot.

Have you ever been on automatic pilot while driving or when thinking? Each time we are on automatic pilot, we act in habitual ways and those habits become more and more ingrained — more fixed. We may sit down for meditation, and rather than focusing on our breath, or observing our thoughts, we start making a list of things to do — or we start thinking about what someone said or did that we reacted to with annoyance or irritability. We spend a lot of time thinking about the past and/or worrying about the future. So, what is like to be in the present moment and how can we be present? We can practice being in the present moment by meditating — by sitting quietly and observing what is happening right here, right now.