Striving4Zen

Before you reach into your medicine cabinet to take care of a headache, stuffy nose, or upset stomach, you might want to consider treating your everyday ailments with natural remedies.

They take a little longer to work than their conventional counterparts, but may prove more effective, according to Body + Soul magazine Senior Editor Terri Trespicio.

She looked into Mother Nature's medicine cabinet on "The Early Show Saturday Edition," noting the surprising healing power of herbal remedies. They could be just what the doctor ordered.

PAIN RELIEF

Mild headaches: Tiger balm. Chinese ointment contains menthol and can ease pain when rubbed into neck or temples.

Arthritis pain: Turmeric, fish oil. All show promise in helping ease pain. Talk to your healthcare professional for dosage.

COLD CURES

Elderberry syrup: Research suggests it can fight the flu and may ease symptoms of cold.

Garlic: What you eat matters! Get plenty of raw or lightly cooked garlic, which contains antiviral compounds. Add thyme to soups and salad dressing.

COUGH

Eucalyptus oil in a pot of boiling water can help loosen phlegm. Just tent a towel over your head and breathe deeply.

Licorice root and marshmallow root can also help calm a cough - look for teas containing these herbs and sip throughout the day. For example, a tea called Organic Throat Coat combines several herbs.

CONSTIPATION

High fiber foods: Eat plenty of fruits, veggies, whole grains and beans. Sprinkle some ground flaxseed on cereal or in smoothies. Also, drink plenty of room-temperature water.

Triphala: Herbal supplement from the Ayurvedic tradition that can get things moving. Take supplement as noted on bottle.

ALLERGY

Quercetin: This flavonoid compound, found in apples and onions, can also help fight allergy symptoms. It's preventive, though, so allow 6-8 weeks to build it up in your system. Typical dose: 400 mg twice a day between meals.

Stinging nettle: In tincture, teas or freeze-dried capsules. Consume half teaspoon of tincture three times a day, a month before allergy season. Drink 2-3 cups of nettle tea, or follow directions on capsule bottle.

Source

Labels: alternative treatments, arthritis, garlic, herbs, holistic healing, Holistic Health, natural therapy, nettles, quercetin, tiger balm

The Pentagon is seeking new ways to treat troops suffering from combat stress or brain damage by researching such alternative methods as acupuncture, meditation, yoga and the use of animals as therapy, military officials said.

"This new theme is a big departure for our cautious culture," Dr. S. Ward Casscells, the Pentagon's assistant secretary for health affairs, told USA TODAY.

So far this year, the Pentagon is spending $5 million to study the therapies. In the previous two years, the Pentagon had not spent any money on similar research, records show.

Some military hospitals and installations already use alternative therapies, such as acupuncture as stress relievers for patients. The research will see whether the alternatives work so the Pentagon can use them more, said Army Brig. Gen. Loree Sutton, head of the Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury. Many of the treatments have been used for centuries, Sutton said, "so it just makes sense to bring all potential therapies to bear."

Her office issued a request for research proposals this year on therapies ranging from art and dance, to the ancient Chinese healing art of qigong or a therapy of hands-on touching known as Reiki.

Friedl said research will include how meditation can improve emotional resilience; how holding and petting an animal can treat PTSD and how acupuncture pain relief can relieve headaches created by mild brain damage from blasts.

Some soldiers who suffer from PTSD are reluctant to share their experiences in traditional psychiatric therapy, said Col. Charles Engel, an Army psychiatric epidemiologist. He said those soldiers may be more willing to use acupuncture and other alternatives if they are effective.

Initial research this summer with combat veterans showed that acupuncture relieved PTSD symptoms and eased pain and depression, Engel said. "Improvements were relatively rapid and clinically significant," he said.

About one third of sailors and Marines use some types of alternative therapies, mostly herbal remedies, according to a survey conducted last year. A recent Army study shows that one in four soldiers with combat-caused PTSD turned to herbs, chiropractors, acupuncture or megavitamins for relief.

Full article...

Labels: acupuncture, alternative treatments, benefits of yoga, Pentagon, PTSD, Reiki, stress, study

Long part of traditional Chinese medicine, “auricular therapy,” as it is called, entails stimulating key points of the outer ear (corresponding to body parts and functions) with seeds or needles as in traditional acupuncture. The practice is now increasingly being used nationwide to treat an array of ailments.

Ear seeds have long been used stateside for addiction treatment. But today, with the growing demand for alternative therapies, there has been an increase in the practice of using ear seeds (or their metallurgic equivalents, acubeads and ear magnets) for health issues from anxiety to pain to insomnia.

Source

Read more in the NY Times...

Labels: alternative treatments, auricular therapy, ear seeds, living holistically, NY Times, Traditional Chinese Medicine

Recently at an onsen in Tokyo, an IG staffer loved her live fish therapy, and recommends it, but not to the squeamish. Imported from Turkey and used as a cure for skin ailments such as psoriasis, Garra rufa (aka Doctor Fish) are the latest trend in Japanese spa treatments.

But be warned, this treatment is not for the squeamish: the fish feed off of the dead and affected areas of skin and leaves healthy skin to grow. Basically, you stick your feet in a small tank where hundreds of fish swarm and nibble and suck at your dead skin. The first few minutes certainly feel freaky and it takes time to get used to the sucking feeling. But after you grow accustomed to the sensation, it actually feels relaxing. While your feet do feel somewhat smoother afterwards, it is definitely more for the experience than it is for the beauty benefits.

Thanks!

Labels: alternative treatments, fish farming, Garra Rufa, psoriasis, skin, Spa