Colored cotton agriculture started in the eastern areas of Pakistan, Indonesia, Egypt and Peru around 2700 B.C. It continued steadily until the advent of the Industrial Revolution and the invention of the cotton gin. Colored cotton had shorter fibers that made it hard to spin on mechanical looms, so white cotton with longer fibers was preferred. In the American south, African slaves were forbidden from growing white cotton in their gardens, lest they actually profit from it, but they were allowed to grow colored cotton strains for personal use, because the short fibers still worked when weaving by hand.

As industrial dyes became less expensive and use of the cotton gin increased, the tradition of growing colored cotton all but vanished from the American farmscape. Colored cottons made a brief reappearance during World War II when they used green and brown plants because the dyes were unavailable. Once things returned to normal, the practice was again abandoned, except in traditional communities like Guatemala, Mexico and Peru.

Cotton is one of the most pesticide dependent plants in the world! 23 percent of the world’s insecticides and 10 percent of the world’s pesticides are used to spray cotton! Once this cotton is grown, it is then dyed with harsh harmful chemicals to make it flame retardant and for color.

An entomologist by the name of Sally Fox has been experimenting with naturally colored cotton seeds she discovered in the last few decades. She was able to breed the plants to have stronger fibers, which enabled the cotton to be mechanically spun. Through her desire to make children’s clothes that are fire resistant and not soaked in chemicals to color them, she bred some of the varieties of naturally colored cotton to have natural fire resistance. Ms. Fox now has two patented colors that are fire resistant: Coyote and Buffalo Fox Fibre. She also has six other shades: Coyote and New Brown, which are reddish browns, Buffalo, which is milk chocolate colored in appearance, sage-colored Palo Verde, Green Fox Fibre, and a dark forest green color called New Green.

It is a fairly new trend for consumers to desire that their cotton be grown organically. In 1988 there was only one acre of cotton in America that was organically grown. By 2001, there was more than 11,000 acres and now the number is at only 5,000 acres as the competition from the global market increases. Colored cotton is not only easy to grow organically, but is far more resistant to pests than white cotton. It also saves on bleaching and dying with harsh chemicals through its natural coloring. The possibilities for safe and healthy colored cotton seem endless. This new phenomena of organically grown chemical free cotton clothing is not over, so keep on the lookout at the latest “green” fashion shows!

Of course, the food (and the massive quantity of it) tends to become the focal point of the holiday. Unfortunately, a lot of the food is not exactly healthy, let alone the large portions offered in a single sitting.

While there are so many ways to make your Thanksgiving healthier with completely new dishes, we’re going to try to offer new twists on your favorite Thanksgiving classics:

Turkey
Turkey is a relatively healthy meat. It is lower in fat than most other meats, and packs lots of nutrition, so no need to replace it!

Before anything else, trim as much of the fat as you can from the body (a previous soak in brine can help to make up for the juiciness lost). Rather than slathering your turkey in salt and butter, or using a sugary glaze, use a rub of herbs and spices to add flavor. The following ingredients make a great turkey rub:

• minced shallots
• minced garlic
• fresh sage
• thyme leaves
• fresh ground black pepper
• fresh ground sea salt optional

Leave the skin on for moisture, but peel it away before serving the bird. A slow roast will help the turkey retain moisture. Carve portions small enough so that no one has to take a piece larger than a deck of cards.

In the roasting pan, surround the outside of the bird with chopped carrots, celery and other veggies to add to your stuffing later.

Stuffing
Stuffing is the perfect place to combine good carbohydrates, fruits, and vegetables. To keep it healthy, reduce the amount of bread you use, and substitute quality whole grain bread for the traditional white bread.

Once you take out some of the bread, throw in onion, carrot, celery, nuts, dried cranberries, apples, and parsnips. This will boost the flavor and nutrition of the stuffing.

As with the turkey, use very little or no salt (watch out for those bouillon cubes!) and maximize flavor with herbs.

Mashed Potatoes
Ah, the ultimate comfort food. For some, it’s hard to imagine mashed potatoes without pools of butter and sour cream. But you can get creative with potatoes and keep the taste. If you use brown or red skins, leave the peel on for nutritious value. To make the potatoes creamy, add a low fat milk or Neufchâtel cheese (a low fat version of cream cheese).

As an alternative, try using nutrient laden sweet potatoes rather than regular white potatoes. Be sure not to load them up with sugar and marshmallows! Instead, use cinnamon and apple sauce to keep them moist and appealing to the kids.

No matter what type of potato you use, opt for herbs and spices rather than fats and table salt. If you must use white potatoes for your Thanksgiving feast, add some garlic, fresh ground pepper and basil for an excellent flavor combination.

Squash
The easiest way to prepare squash is to roast it. After roasting, mashed squash can be used in place of added sweetener and butter.

Try roasting cubes of squash in the broiler in a baking pan with an inch of water. Toss the roasted squash with olive oil and herbs, and then add in an unpeeled chopped carrot, other types of squash and sweet onion to add color, taste and vitamins and minerals.

Green Bean Casserole
Mom always made her green bean casserole with canned goods, but there is a healthier way to approach this Thanksgiving staple. This dish might take a bit more time to prepare, but the added health benefits and reduced sodium will be worth the extra effort.

Use fresh green beans that you can soften in heated water on the stove-make sure not to overcook.

In place of the traditional canned condensed mushroom soup, make your own sauce with a low fat cream or milk and fresh mushrooms. If you must use canned, make sure to get the “low sodium” variety.

To make your dish more interesting and get that crunch, replace the traditional fried onions with slivers of almonds, or substitute some of the onions with almonds.

Gravy
Don’t waste your drippings, skip the packaged gravy and make it fresh! Use turkey drippings, water and either flour or corn starch to thicken. This should reduce sodium and be lower in fat and calories than store bought gravy.

Cranberry Sauce
Cranberries are a nutritious fruit found on most every Thanksgiving table, but they are not always prepared to optimize their health benefits. This year, go easy on the sugar in your cranberry sauce, zest an orange to add to the flavor, or incorporate cranberries into other parts of the Thanksgiving menu.

Autumn Salad
A green salad is an easy way to work fresh vegetables into the menu, and is one dish that doesn’t take up space on the stove top. Start with a bed of fresh spinach, head lettuce, hearts of romaine and other greens, and build a colorful autumn salad. Top the greens with dried cranberries, walnuts, carrots, boiled potatoes and eggs, and green beans. Finish it off with a simple citrus orange vinaigrette.

Dessert
You don’t have to make the whole meal a sacrifice to healthy eating, dessert is a staple of Thanksgiving! Try a new pie and the people bored with tradition will thank you. Autumn pies like cranberry apple or sweet potato pie may earn as many fans in your house as plain old pumpkin or gooey pecan pie. Carrot or zucchini cake prepared with whole wheat flour and Neufchâtel instead of cream cheese will earn you rave reviews from the dessert lovers, and keep the calories in check.

General tips to keep in mind on Turkey Day are to eat slowly, start with a small portion, limit wine and beer drinking, and go for a family walk after dinner.

Its fine to indulge every now and then, and the holidays are no exception, but don’t ruin your healthy eating efforts from the past months. You don’t want to volunteer for uncomfortable fullness, heartburn, and weight gain. Following this plan should leave you feeling trim and energized come Black Friday!

SOURCE:
HTTP://EZINEARTICLES.COM/?8-STEPS-TO-A-HEALTHY-THANKSGIVING&ID=88226
HTTP://WWW.MAYOCLINIC.COM/HEALTH/TURKEY-GRAVY/MM00720
HTTP://WWW.WELLTRAINEDMIND.COM/FORUMS/SHOWTHREAD.PHP?T=2217
HTTP://URBANEXT.ILLINOIS.EDU/TURKEY/NUTRITION.CFM
HTTP://WWW.RD.COM/LIVING-HEALTHY/FOODS-TO-LOWER-YOUR-BLOOD-SUGAR-SWEET-POTATOES/ARTICLE36625-1.HTML

There are new studies pointing to even further benefits from probiotic supplementation. One area of scientific research is targeting building the immune system to fight allergies that affect the skin. One example of the immune system attacking allergens and causing discomfort is eczema, which is more common in toddlers and infants.

A recent study in the Netherlands used 150 pregnant women with history of allergic disease in their family. During the final six weeks of their pregnancy, they were given either three strains of probiotics in a pill form, or a placebo pill. The doctors were not told who was given the probiotics in order to prevent bias.

After the women gave birth, most of the children were monitored by the Dutch researchers, and the children continued to receive probiotics or placebos for the first 12 months of their life. After only three months, the rate of eczema showing in the probiotics subjects was less than half of those who were given the placebo pills.

The researchers did not give any of the children probiotics or placebo pills after 12 months, but many of the children were observed by the researchers until the age of two. As they approached two years old, the gap between those with eczema occurring and those without narrowed somewhat.

However, there was still a substantial difference in occurrence of eczema between the treated and untreated children, which points to evidence that probiotics can have an effect on offspring from allergy prone mothers, and the report was written up in the Journal of Allergy.

Another recent study published in the Journal of Nutrition involved probiotics given to mice, with the focus on the effects on food allergies. The mice all had whey intolerances, and they were fed probiotics and prebiotics while drinking milk (which contains whey proteins). With the addition of probiotics, the mice intolerances to whey proteins showed considerable improvement with almost no skin reactions to the allergen.

Today, up to eight percent of children have various chronic food allergies. Extending a probiotics study to children with food allergies may be a way to naturally treat food allergies in the future, and safely reduce suffering.

New research published in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery by Bahman Guyuron, a plastic surgeon in Cleveland, and colleagues at Cleveland’s Case Western Reserve University followed twin siblings who made different life choices and now look significantly different from each other.

Researchers concluded that lifestyle choices have a greater effect on appearance than most people think. Even people with identical DNA can end up looking ages dramatically different from their twin, if they have lead a life of less healthy habits. The study was conducted using identical twins with identical DNA so there could be no other explanation for the way a person looks other than environmental factors.

Researchers discussed a point in women’s lives when they “need to choose between their face and their behind”, meaning that in a woman over 40 years old, a lean body can give a face a sharp gaunt look. In this case, additional weight fills in and softens wrinkles, making a heavier twin appear younger than her sister.

For women under 40, the effect is exactly the opposite: extra pounds obscure youthful features like a smooth jaw line and cause the facial skin to sag prematurely. The weight effect is generally seen when a twin had a body mass index of 4 or more points higher than her twin.

Though we do not recommend either practice, the longer a woman takes birth control or hormone replacement-therapy, and the higher the dose, the younger she will likely look compared to her twin. Estrogen helps to increase water retention, and helps to smooth out the skin.

Estrogen is not recommended for all women, but there is no doubt that estrogen helps to improve skin elasticity. One case in point is a 69 year old twin who used hormone replacement therapy for four years longer than her twin, and was judged to look three and a third years younger, despite having more exposure to the sun in her lifetime.

Taking antidepressants is typically associated with an older appearance. Depressed people’s sadder facial expressions made twins appear older, but the antidepressant medication can also affect looks. Certain depression-relieving drugs can weaken eye muscles, causing the eye area to look droopier.

Though the study didn’t track alcohol consumption amongst the twins, they did note that in general twins who drank less did look younger. Research has shown that resveratrol, a substance found in red-wine grapes, can delay aging. In general, however, alcohol consumption can damage blood vessels in the skin, and the liver plays a major role in the quantity and quality of the collagen fibers within the skin layers. Because of the toxic burden it places on the liver, heavy drinking can harm the liver’s function to prevent wrinkles and keep you looking younger.

Cigarettes have many health hazards associated with them, and here is one more: premature aging. The longer a woman smokes, the older she tends to look, with deeper and more plentiful wrinkles and more uneven skin tone. The research analysis found that for every ten years of smoking brings the perception of two and a half more years of age.

Divorce aged people more than marriage. On average, women who were divorced looked 1.7 years older than their married or single twin sister. This is most likely to blame on higher stress levels and depression that usually follow a divorce.

On the flip side, widows actually looked two years younger. There was no difference found in twin’s appearance with increasing numbers of divorce, possibly because after a woman goes through this troubling situation once, a second or third time would not take as much of a toll on her face.

Sun exposure was another environmental factor found to help speed aging. Many of the twins who had higher sun exposure had more wrinkled skin and age spots in their face, resulting in perceived older ages than their sun-smart twin sisters.

Most of these habits that age us are not surprising – we have been told for years to stop worshipping the sun, drink in moderation and curb stress. The biggest lesson of all from these findings should confirm our level of control over our aging and overall health. We may not be as subject to genetics as we think, as more and more research reveals the choices we make today can directly affect our health tomorrow.

It’s not a joke; the body really does have the ability to heal itself. Prescription drug companies might want you to believe otherwise, and they encourage your belief by investing millions of dollars into advertisements, partnering with “trusted” government agencies who declare their drugs “safe”, and paying doctors who are highly educated in only drugs. But before you go reaching for that prescription or OTC drug, consider giving your body a chance to heal.

Think of winter time when everyone has a cold, and runny noses abound. What is that gooey discharge leaking from your nose? The nasal discharge is made up of dead viruses that your body’s defense system, the immune system, has killed. The dead viruses are accompanied by dead white blood cells that were a casualty of viral warfare, and mucous is the vehicle your body uses to remove this dead matter from your body.

When you take an over the counter (OTC) medication for the common cold, the drug works by reducing the body’s ability to make mucous, and stops the body from using its own efforts to kill and dispose of viruses in the body.

These chemicals may stop the nasal discharge temporarily, but not only do they impede the body’s natural healing process, they can also lead to side effects like headache, bronchial congestion, and fatigue, which can be more miserable than the original problem of nasal discharge or common cold.

The point here is that just because a drug can effectively reduce symptoms, doesn’t mean that the treatment has cured the problem, or that its benefits outweigh the riks.

Natural medicine holds one basic assumption about health: the body has the natural ability to heal itself and inherent wisdom to defend itself and to survive. Symptoms of illness are not just something “wrong”, they are mechanisms of the organism to defend and heal itself against infection and stress. As Han Selye, MD, PhD, and the father of stress theory once stated, “Disease is not mere surrender to attack but also the fight for health; unless there is a fight, there is no disease”.

The human body has been able to survive a changing landscape over thousands of years because it is able to adapt, and one adaptation that is especially useful is the creation of symptoms. It could be fever and inflammation, coughing and phlegm, vomiting and nausea, fainting and comatose states, and even the myriad of mental and emotional states; each symptom represents the best efforts of the body-mind in its struggle to fight infection and adapt to physiological and physical stressors.

Symptoms may be the best effort of the organism to defend itself at the time, but in the long run, it is not always most effective to let the body try to heal itself. It is best to provide some treatments to help nourish, nurture and augment the body’s own wisdom. The challenge of healers, physicians, and patients is to determine when to help aid this inner wisdom of the body and when to intervene to ensure that the body doesn’t hurt itself.

The term “symptom” stems from a Greek word and refers to “something that falls together with something else”. Symptoms are a sign of other more serious problems, and treating the symptom doesn’t change the underlying cause, or even treat it. Symptoms are becoming recognized for their defensive and healing properties:

• Fever is vital to defend against infection

• Tears help to wash and cleanse the eyes, as well as having calming properties for emotional crying

• The respiratory system is bathed in antibody and enzyme-rich secretions that are pushed up and down the throat so bronchial pathogens are killed

• Ears secrete an antibacterial wax which aids in fighting infection

• Saliva in the mouth kills some pathogens and dislodges others so that the stomach’s acid and enzymes can destroy them

Homeopathic medicine recognizes that the symptoms of the body are the body’s attempt to defend itself. Conventional drugs work by suppressing symptoms, and though they provide temporary relief, they can lead to other new and more serious problems by inhibiting the body’s defense and immune system processes. Conventional medication should generally be avoided unless in extreme pain or discomfort, or if more natural alternative methods are not working fast enough.

Homeopathic medicine is a well-known therapeutic method that honors the wisdom of the body by mimicking the wisdom of defense mechanisms like symptoms. Homeopathy is a type of “medical biomimicry” that uses various plant, mineral, and animal substances based on their ability to cause in overdose the similar symptoms that the sick person is undergoing. The main homeopathic principle to “treat like with like”.

Naturopathy is another route to go for safe, natural treatment of illness. Naturopathy is an alternative medical system that focuses on natural remedies and the body’s vital ability to heal and maintain itself. Naturopathic philosophy favors a holistic approach and minimal use of surgery and conventional drugs.

Despite their respect of the healing power of the body, neither homeopaths nor naturopaths believe it effective to let the body heal itself. Usually, it is necessary to give the body specific tools and treatment to help with the healing process. Natural treatments that nourish and nurture the body’s own wisdom are good first steps to initiate a true healing beyond just symptomatic relief.

Remember Hippocrates’ first rule of healing is “First, do no harm”, so it seems even he was instructing us to try safer, natural methods of healing before turning to more dangerous conventional medicine. Ironically enough, every doctor must swear to this in the Hippocratic Oath before they can begin practicing – routinely with drugs that do, in fact, harm.

Sources:

http://www.naturalnews.com/027269_medicine_symptoms_homeopathic.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naturopathy

The first thing to note is that the best source of vitamin D is the sun. The sun’s rays activate your body to produce vitamin D, and no matter how long you stay outdoors, you can’t “overdose” on vitamin D in the sun. When your skin is exposed to the sun, UVB rays cause vitamin D to be produced in your skin, while the UVA rays tend to destroy excessive levels of vitamin D circulating in your body.

Another important point to understand, you may want to take more – much more – vitamin D than what the FDA tells you. The FDA’s current recommended daily allowance (RDA) for vitamin D is:

• 400 international units (IU) for infants, children and adolescents

• 200 IU for adults up to age 50

• 400 IU for adults aged 51 to 70

• 600 IU for seniors over 70

These official RDA guidelines may be outdated, as the most recent research indicates that 35 IU’s per pound of body weight would be adequate vitamin D levels for any age group. That means a typical 170 pound adult should be getting 5,950 IU’s of vitamin D a day, obviously quite a bit more than the FDA’s RDA of 200-400 IU’s per day.

To calculate how much vitamin D is right for you, just calculate your body weight in pounds by 35. The resulting number will be the amount of vitamin D in IU’s that you should get every day.

How do you know how much vitamin D you are currently getting? A blood test is really the only way to be certain, specifically a 25 (OH) D test. You can order home tests online, or call your doctor’s office and find out if they can test the level of vitamin D in your blood. Normal ranges are 20-56 ng (nanograms) per milliliter, but optimal vitamin D levels are 50-65 ng/ml. This range applies to everyone; adults, children, adolescents and seniors.

The best times to check your vitamin D levels are in March when the average person is at their lowest point, and August, when at your highest. This can give you an idea if you are getting enough vitamin D, and if not, how much more you need.

The best source of vitamin D is not through supplementation, but good old fashioned sunshine. If you can’t get your sunshine because you work indoors or live in a cloudy location, a safe tanning bed is your next best alternative (yes, some tanning beds can be safe, despite what sunscreen/self tanner/bronzer lotion companies would like you to believe). Make sure you choose a tanning bed that uses electric ballasts rather than magnetic (ask the manager), and that the bulbs produce both UVB and UVA rays (most do these days).

If you choose to orally supplement vitamin D, read the label closely so you are getting the right kind. The natural vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) is the kind your body makes when exposed to sunshine. The synthetic option is vitamin D2 (ergocalciferol).  When you take a vitamin D supplement, both forms (natural and synthetic) will need to be converted into a more active form in the body. Vitamin D3 is converted 500 times faster than vitamin D2, so is clearly the better choice.

Why is it so important to get optimal levels of vitamin D? Your health depends on it! Studies are ongoing but vitamin D deficiency is now linked to a host of cancers and debilitating conditions. To mitigate your risk and enjoy the full health benefits of vitamin D, get your vitamin D levels checked and start getting adequate vitamin D today!

The Environmental Protection Agency held their first ever bed bug conference in April in reaction to the United State’s largest outbreak of creepy crawlies since World War II.

Bedbugs are insects from the Cimicidae family that live by hematophagy (feeding on the blood of humans and other warm-blooded hosts). The name comes from the insect’s favorite habitat: mattresses, sofas and other furniture. They are not strictly nocturnal, but have an aversion to sunlight so are mostly active at night. The common bedbug (cimex lectularius) is the species best adapted to human environments, found in temperate climates throughout the world feeding on human blood. Other species found mostly in tropical regions also infest bats and poultry.

Adult bedbugs are reddish-brown, flattened, oval and wingless, with microscopic hairs that give them a banded appearance. They grow to 4-5 mm in length and do not move quickly, so they are visible to the naked eye of an attentive observer. To give you an idea of their size, they are similar in size to a lentil or an apple seed. Newly hatched nymphs are translucent, lighter in color and become browner as they molt and reach maturity.

Bedbugs generally stay concealed and sleep during the day, and prefer to feed at night, but given the chance, they can feed any time. Fortunately the insects do not transmit any disease, but their bites do swell and itch, much like mosquito bites. Because they feed exclusively on blood they can not be exterminated through baited traps like roaches or ants.

Traditional bedbug extermination is expensive, between $400 and $900 on average, and the effectiveness is questionable, partly due to the bedbug’s ability to hide in tiny crevices and escape death. Generally complete extermination means disposal of infested furniture. This means that the poor who can’t afford to throw their furniture away are hit hardest by outbreaks. Some people even take to sleeping in their bath tubs because they are so terrified of these creepy crawly blood suckers.

Many of the insecticides that have been used in the past to eradicate bedbugs are now banned by the EPA due to their dangerous effects on human health and the environment. These banned chemicals are infrequent here in the US but the bedbugs are developing resistance to them as they are still used in other countries.

The EPA is currently searching for safe methods to eradicate these nasty pests, but have not had success thus far. The best way to avoid contracting bed bugs is to avoid picking up “free” furniture that is so plentiful at the beginning and end of academic years, as well as on trash day sitting by the road. Carefully scrutinize “refurbished” mattresses before purchasing, as these may contain bedbugs, ask what methods the company takes to rid the frame of bed bugs (or just go ahead and buy a new mattress from a reputable dealer). Also keep in mind that bedbugs can live for months without feeding, so an apparently clean vacant apartment may be infested. Talking to the neighbors may give you an idea if a building is infested (if the neighbors have it, so will you, as bedbugs can pass through voids in walls as well as holes where pipes and wires pass).

Emerging natural solutions use enzymes to break down the exoskeleton so the insect dries out and dies. Some formulas contain oils that actually kill the insect after the exoskeleton is dissolved. This news is encouraging, as there are no “safe” chemical filled compounds approved by the EPA – and even if there were, what a bureaucratic agency considers safe may be drastically different than what’s safe for you and your family. Whatever way you decide to treat bedbugs, remain vigilant and remember that prevention is the easiest cure.

Sources:

http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/bedbugs/

http://www.naturalnews.com/027261_outbreak_bedbugs_EPA.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bedbug

Type I diabetes is a disease that occurs when the pancreas doesn’t produce enough insulin. Insulin is a hormone that helps cells to open up and receive glucose for energy. If the cells are unable to receive glucose, they can starve to death, and tissues and organs begin to degenerate. Because the body lacks sufficient insulin in type 1 diabetes, this is a serious danger to millions of Americans living with the disease.

Symptoms of type 1 diabetes include:

• Abdominal pain
• Absence of menstruation
• Fatigue
• Increased thirst
• Increased urination
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Weight loss despite increased appetite

People living with type 1 diabetes need to test their blood sugar often to see how their lifestyle choices are working together to control diabetes. Testing usually takes place before meals and at bed time.

To properly manage type 1 diabetes, diet and exercise are key. Regular exercise helps to control the amount of sugar in the blood, and helps to burn excess calories and fat to achieve and maintain a healthy weight.

Meal planning for type 1 diabetics should be consistent to allow food and insulin to work together to help regulate blood sugar levels. Frequent snacking and small meals can help to keep blood sugar at a constant level, resulting in fewer symptoms for the diabetic.

Several natural remedies can also help to heal some type 1 diabetics. So far no single remedy has worked for all diabetics, because of differences in body and lifestyles, but you may find one of these eight remedies works for you.

Fig Leaves are well known for treating diabetes, and can work to treat other issues like bronchitis, liver cirrhosis, high blood pressure, ulcers and skin problems. When people with diabetes have used fig leaf extract, they needed less insulin, indicating that fig leaves contain anti-diabetic properties.

It is best for a diabetic to take the fig leaf extract in the morning with breakfast. An additional remedy is to boil leaves of the fig tree in fresh filtered water and drink it as a tea.

Black seed, also know as Nigella Sativa, is a cure all that has been used for over 2,000 years and has been used to treat everything from acne to pancreatic cancers. It contains over 100 chemical compounds and has vitamins such as calcium, potassium, zinc, magnesium and vitamins A, B, C, D and E. You can purchase black seed oil that can be used both internally and topically.
To take internally, mix the oil with fruit juice. To start on the black seed treatment, take 6 teaspoons of the oil a day (3 times per day at 2 ounces per serving) for seven days. Then cut down to 2 teaspoons in the morning and 2 in the evening for four days. Follow by taking two teaspoons of oil for two days. Make sure you get plenty of water in the morning and you can also rub the oil all over the body for ten days during the treatment time. If you do not see any improvement, you can repeat this treatment.

Fenugreek is an herb you may find on your spice rack at home. Fenugreek contains the antioxidant and alkaloid choline along with vitamins A, B, C, iron and fiber, as well as protein. It helps the body to regulate blood sugar and can also be used to treat irritations of the skin, lungs and colon.
To use fenugreek, take 5-30 grams with each meal, up to 90 grams per day. Do not exceed 100 grams per day as it will cause stomach upset and nausea. Do not take with other medicines; wait at least two hours before taking fenugreek. Common side effects are diarrhea and gas. Consult your doctor before taking if pregnant, if you experience difficulty in breathing, tightness in chest, and rash, swollen or itchy skin, stop taking right away.

Cinnamon is another handy herb found in spice racks throughout the country. Cinnamon contains antioxidants and provides manganese, fiber, iron and calcium. Cinnamon has been reported as a good treatment to help regulate diabetes following a study conducted in 2003 by Khan and Associates. 60 people were tested and one third of the group was given a placebo. The end results were improved overall health of the group and glucose was down 18 percent: LDL (bad) cholesterol and triglyceride levels were also reduced.

Take a half a teaspoon a day to soften cell membranes, and because cinnamon mimics insulin, it may reduce your need for injected insulin immediately.

Grape seed extract has been the focus of several studies, and has been shown to improve the conditions associated with Type 1 diabetes. Grape seed has success in protecting the liver cells and setting up defense mechanisms against reactive oxygen species produced by hyperglycemic conditions.

Grape seed comes in capsules of 50 mg to 100 mg, and it is suggested to take 50 mg per 50 pounds of body weight, not to exceed 300 mg in a day. Spread your grape seed intake to three times a day. You can also grind whole grape seeds and place them in vegetarian capsules as an alternative to purchasing them as a supplement.

Olive oil is the focus of new research suggesting that diets rich in some monounsaturated fats such as olive oil may prevent diabetes, and ingesting olive oil can reduce LDL and triglycerides levels in the blood. By reducing cholesterol levels, you can prevent such diseases as cardiovascular, atherosclerosis and diabetes. Type 1 diabetics may benefit from taking olive oil daily, before bed time.

Bitter melon contains insulin like properties and has been shown to work well in the treatment of diabetes. It can help to lower blood and urine levels and is suggested to use frequently.
Bitter melon should be juiced and then taken on an empty stomach first thing in the morning. The seeds can be ground into a fine powder and eaten, or used to make a tea.

Vitamin C has been found in research to normalize sugar levels when taking 100-600 mg daily, in as little as a month. By regulating blood sugar, diabetics can avoid eventual eye and nerve damage from too much sugar.

Though no one diet has been shown to work for all diabetics because of differences in bodies and genetics, it does give a nice place to start. By eating a diet of raw whole foods (including raw milk) and avoiding processed junk foods, and making some simple life changes like adding in exercise, you too can experience relief from this debilitating disease.

Sources:

http://www.naturalnews.com/027252_diabetes_health_olive_oil.html

https://www.google.com/health/ref/Type+1+diabetes

http://www.naturalnews.com/026299_thyme_health_antioxidant.html

Tens of thousands of people die every year from over the counter and prescription pain medications. Unless you would like to join the statistics, it’s advisable to explore all of your natural options first.

Pain is your body’s way of saying that something desperately needs your attention. The best attention you can give is natural methods that care for the whole body, rather than toxic and harsh chemicals that mask pain. You need to help treat the underlying cause of pain if you don’t want it to continue or get worse. Taking over the counter pain relievers is like putting a band aid on a bleeding ulcer. It might mask the problem, but it won’t heal it.

There are four basic types of pain: nerve pain, muscle pain, bone pain and inflammatory pain. You should try to identify where your pain is stemming from so you can find a natural treatment that is most effective for you.

Sleep is important in pain relief, specifically deep REM sleep. In the United States, the average night’s sleep a hundred years ago was over nine hours, and today is less than seven. Every adult should get eight to nine hours of quality sleep per night because that is when the body can devote full attention to healing, producing growth hormones that heal tissues and rid the body of pain.

Quality of sleep can be just as important as quantity. Make sure your mattress is comfortable to sleep on, and practice sleeping on your back to promote good posture and reduce back pain. Buying an orthopedic pillow can also help people who suffer from back and neck pain to regain their correct posture while sleeping, and start down the path of a pain free life.

Nutritional support is also important to healing. Make sure to get enough vitamins and minerals in your diet or through supplements. Inflammatory pain can be caused by deficiencies and reactions to environmental stressors, both of which can be treated through proper vitamin and mineral supplementation.

Your doctor can test your blood to see if you have any deficiencies, such as a vitamin D deficiency which is common in the United States and can have serious health consequences such as chronic back pain, nerve pain or neuropathy, “bone pain”, musculoskeletal pain, and inflammatory pain such as IBS and Crohn’s Disease.

Many herbal remedies and plant based foods have anti-inflammatory nutrients, such as beta-carotene, found in parsley, broccoli, and spinach and copper which is found in carrots, apples and ginger. Basil is another plant with strong anti-inflammatory properties. Celery is a versatile plant that is rich in minerals and contains anti-inflammatory as well as antispasmodic properties.

Red pepper and cayenne pepper have a chemical compound called capsaicin that interferes with pain perception and triggers the body to release endorphins. Omega-3 fatty acids found in fish may also hold promise to decrease chronic pain while promoting the body’s natural healing powers.

Joint pain is usually caused by inflammatory pain and can be aided by taking the nutritional supplement glucosamine. Glucosamine is naturally synthesized in the human body and is a basic building block of connective tissue. Though you have an ample amount of glucosamine when you are young, you lose it with age, which leads to the thinning of cartilage and progresses to conditions such as osteoarthritis.

Taking supplemental glucosamine can’t rebuild lost cartilage, but it can reduce symptoms of pain, swelling, and stiffness or noise in joints. Glucosamine supplements are often paired with chondroitin sulfate, another building block of connective tissue that stimulates the cartilage cells. Chondroitin can decrease pain and slow the rate of cartilage loss in people with osteoarthritis. If you suffer from joint pain, these supplements may help to naturally ease your life from pain.

Alternative methods such as acupuncture and Reiki light touch have been used to alleviate pain for thousands of years. Other methods like reflexology and chiropractic treatment also hold promise in relieving pain naturally and effectively. These methods can help to ease pain, but exercise should accompany natural healing treatments to fully utilize the benefits.

Exercise strengthens your body and can reduce neuropathic pain and help regenerate nerve fibers in patients with impaired glucose tolerance (pre-diabetics). Exercise creates muscles and soft tissues that are stronger and better conditioned, and can help stabilize knees, protect joints and allow people with pain to move with less discomfort. Regular exercise also reduces anxiety and depression, which can worsen perceived pain and grow worse when experiencing pain.

The idea behind natural pain management is to build health, not hide the symptoms or poor health like some traditional medications do. There are many avenues to explore in the arena of natural pain management, so try some out and start down the path to a naturally pain free life!

Natural remedies for pain are looked down upon by members of the American Medical Association. They are much more likely to recommend using a prescription drug or an over the counter drug such as Tylenol. Why?

Are they swayed by the millions of dollars brands like Tylenol spend on television advertising to prove their pain reliever is the best? Or is it simply the support drug companies offer when they sponsor AMA continuing education seminars, send members on trips and provide their offices with goods that they would prefer not to pay for? The answer is unclear, but one startling fact is clear: Tylenol is not safe. In fact, it can even kill you.

Tylenol is currently shown to damage 10% of the people who use it on a long term basis by decreasing kidney function over time. Tylenol (acetaminophen) and aspirin are killing 40,000 people each year. Anti-inflammatory drugs such as Bayer aspirin and Tylenol are called NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) and have been shown to cause severe liver damage when consumed with alcohol, and can lead to liver cancer and/or liver failure.

Despite these risks, Bayer created an ad campaign recommending an aspirin a day to help prevent heart attacks or stroke. Though this may be true, there is evidence that it may also increase a person’s risk of dangerous gastric bleeding as much as it decreases their risk of heart attack and stroke, especially in people who are healthy.

Based on this evidence, it seems there is no reason to justify recommending an aspirin regimen for healthy individuals above a moderate level of risk for coronary heart disease. It has also been found through research that aspirin does not prevent cardiovascular issues and mortality in people with diabetes. The benefits of an aspirin regimen may outweigh the risk for people who have already had a heart attack, so aspirin isn’t all bad, but it is not as “versatile” as Bayer might lead you to believe.

The dangers of aspirin don’t stop there. “Buffered” aspirin means the pills are coated with a chemical that neutralizes stomach acid and is supposed to help prevent the risk of gastrointestinal (GI) problems. It was tested in people who suffer from GI bleeding, and those who took 325 mg of buffered aspirin were seven times more likely to suffer from other GI problems.

When NSAIDs were combined with SSRIs (Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors – routinely prescribed for depression) the risk of gastric hemorrhage was 6.3 times more likely than for people who took neither. People in this study who took only NSAIDs (without SSRIs) were 3.2 times more likely to have gastric hemorrhages.

Aspirin has been linked to GI harm such as bleeding of the gastrointestinal tract and ulcers of the GI in numbers ranging from 20,000 American deaths per year to 100,000 hospitalizations due to GI injury. A large study of almost 90,000 women found that women who took more than two aspirin per week had a 58% increased risk of pancreatic cancer. When they took more than 14 per week, the risk became 86% higher.

Advil (ibuprofen) may not be causing the serious harm that aspirin and acetaminophen are, but this over the counter drug is by no means harmless. One study found that taking ibuprofen or acetaminophen regularly may double a woman’s risk of developing high blood pressure.

It seems that serious risks are associated with these mass produced and consumed “pain relievers”, an especially sobering fact when so many natural methods can be safer to try first. Research how changing your diet, sleep patterns and exercise can help to relieve pain before you turn to over the counter medications that may cause you to feel worse than the problem you are treating.

Sources:

1) http://www.naturalnews.com/001523_painkillers_kidney_damage_acetaminophen.html

2) http://www.naturalnews.com/027023_aspirin_stroke_disease.html

news.bbc.co.uk; www.sciencedaily.com.

3) http://www.naturalnews.com/011787.html

4) http://www.naturalnews.com/023280_aspirin_cancer_brst_cancer.html