Category: Health

Ginger For Arthritic Pain

Benefits of Ginger

Ginger Helps Arthritis: Research has shown that ginger is effective in treating arthritic pain. Just half a teaspoon of powdered ginger taken each day can ease the pain of arthritis. Alternatively, 35g, or about 6 teaspoons, of freshly grated ginger roots can be taken each day to help pain relief.

Ginger increases circulation, which is probably why it has such a beneficial effect in treating arthritis:

More blood circulates to the arthritic joints, and inflammatory poisons are carried away more efficiently when ginger is added to the diet.

How To Take Your Ginger To Help Arthritic Pain:

Take your powdered ginger in ginger tea.

Add ginger to your cooking. Curries and stews and cakes and cookies can be laced with ginger to good effect. Go easy on the ginger cookies, though, as too much sugar is bad for arthritis.

Mix your half teaspoon of powdered ginger with a teaspoon of honey and take as a medicine daily.

Use Olive Oil or Grape Seed Oil:   Use more natural  good quality  oils in the diet. Putting raw olive oil  on at least one meal a day will help to lubricate oil joints and will benefit your brain and nervous system.   Massage your tender joints with olive oil each night to help circulation. Massage with olive oil also has a healing effect on the inner tissues of the area being massaged.

Ginger Footbath: Use a daily ginger footbath to help increase circulation and alleviate arthritic pain. See the post on Ginger footbath, and Footbaths.

Turmeric is related to ginger. It is a traditional herb which is used in Ayurvedic treatment of arthritis. It has an antioxidant effect and can help reduce inflammation and reduce pain in arthritis. Curcumins, the active ingredient in turmeric, is added to some arthritis supplements.

White Willow Bark and Devil’s Claw can also  be helpful in treating arthritic pain.

Prevent osteoarthritis: Use ginger daily. Eat more oily fish in your diet and take extra cod liver oil, or halibut liver oil. The omega-3 fatty acids in fish are essential for preventing arthritis. Omega-3 in fatty fish can help to reverse damage to the cartilage which leads to osteoarthritis.

Diet For Preventing Or Treating Arthritis:

Keep the diet alkaline. Eating alkaline foods will reduce pain and help to remove inflammatory toxins from around those sore achy joints.   That means eating plenty of alkaline green vegetables such as broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, kale, lettuce and especially mung bean sprouts and alfalfa sprouts.  These last two items are especially alkaline.  Start sprouting your own mung bean and alfalfa seeds so that you have a fresh supply to use every day.

Supplements Which May Benefit Arthritis: Niacinamide, glucosamine and chondroitin sulphate supplements can be helpful in treating arthritis. See your doctor or health professional for advice, especially if you are taking medication for any condition.

Pesticides Cause Cancer

Causes Of Cancer
Most pesticides are carcenogenic, which means that they cause cancer.   These chemicals damage the environment and other animals as well as ourselves.   They are damaging to plant life and the health of the ocean.

Look for an alternative to using these harmful chemicals.Unless your product is a natural organic one such as Weleda put out, then chances are that it will contain very  harmful carcenogenic chemicals.

Most pesticides are fat soluble, which means that they can be stored easily in fatty tissues in the body, such as the breasts.  Many pesticides are known to be carcenogenic.  They are also known to interfere with the balance of  hormones and their production.
The plain old fly spray which people spray around the house is damaging to the health.  These sprays  contain poisons which are generally cumulative.  This means that they will build up in your liver and fatty tissues. As they build up in your body, the danger of getting cancer becomes more likely.
Get Rid Of Toxic Household Products: No pesticides  should be used at any time.  There are homeopathic and organic products which will help deter insects.  It is really far better to put up with the insects than risk your health and that of your family by using chemical poisons.
Chemical Scarves Used On Field Workers:  I was alarmed to see on BBC news several weeks ago- late October, 2010 if you want to search BBC news for it –  that a new  chemical, and a new method for deterring mosquitoes has been discovered.  This new method is being trialled in– was it Sri Lanka or Africa –, where the poor field workers are the subjects of the experiment.  Scarves have been soaked in a chemical which will kill mosquitoes and help to repel them.  These scarves are being worn by these poor field workers, who are happy that they will be spared the diseases which are carried by mosquitoes. Unfortunately,  this experiment will most surely result in these poor people succumbing to disease such as cancer, multiple sclerosis and other degenerative disease.

WHO is Sponsoring These Pesticide Scarves: It is an outrage that WHO – World Health Organization – is sponsoring the use of these chemical scarves.  Some chemical company somewhere, who is  ALREADY AWARE  about the toxic side effects of wearing such a toxic scarf,, will be benefitting financially from the sale of these chemical scarves to  WHO.
Harmful chemicals  which can cause cancer and other disease are also found in air fresheners, oven cleaners, and many cosmetics.  Even baby products, such as talcum powder, has added chemicals which can potentially cause cancer.
Read:  Darbre ‘Concentrations of parabens in humen breast tumours.  Journal of Applied Toxicology, 2004;  Vol 24 (1): pp. 5-13

Radiation Causes Bone Loss

Cancer Patients And Bone Loss

Radiation is damaging to the cells of the body.  Radiation can cause cancer, as well as bone loss.

Alternative Cancer Therapies are available.  Consider carefully before you agree to incorporate radiation therapy as part of your cancer treatment.

Intravenous Vitamin C As Cancer Treatment:  Pam Stevens recovered from Breast Cancer, mainly by using high doses of Vitamin C and  an alkaline diet.  Lymphatic drainage  therapy was another important part of her therapy, which helped her to beat the disease.  Pam describes the details of her recovery in her book “Breast Cancer:  Why Women Are Dying Needlessly’. PMS Publications, Albany Auckland, 2007.
In the beginning, when she first discovered that she had cancer, she  had her breast removed.  She began taking Tamoxifen, an alternative to chemotherapy.  She did not want to have either chemotherapy or radiation ‘treatment’, as she was convinced by reading literature on the subjects, that these treatments were going to damage her body and undermine her ability to recover.
She has a chapter in her book on how radiation causes bone loss.
Pam Stevens is not a fan of radiation therapy at all, and says that the  New Zealanders  who could not have radiation therapy because of a radiaographer’s strike were ‘the lucky ones’.
She questions the logic in spending thousands of dollars each year to send people to Australia for specialist radiation treatment.

We have been brain-washed into thinking that radiation is a necessary  and vital part of cancer treatment as a matter of course.  Public perception does not match the reality, that radiation treatment is known to be destructive to body cells  and that 80% of all people who are diagnosed with cancer, die.
Professor Ted Bateman, PhD, and his colleagues at Clemson University, have proved that bone loss results from radiation. Tests were done on mice with just one radiation dose of two Gy.  This resulted in between 29 and 39% of bone loss in the mice, no matter what type of radiation was used. This is a similar dose to what is given in cancer treatment, although some treatments use far higher doses than this, perhaps between 70 and 80 Gy.
Professor Bateman’s experiment shows conclusively that severe bone loss can result from even just one dose of radiation.  Many people report fractures after having had radiation treatment.
Pam quotes the common phrase “Doctors recommend it all the time so it must be alright”
This reminds me of something which happened years ago when I was expecting my first child.  My gums began to bleed somewhere during the second half of the pregnancy.  I was seeing the medical people at St Helen’s Hospital in Auckland.  I told them that my gums were bleeding and asked them what I could do.  The answer from the doctor was “Oh – don’t worry about it.  90% of the women who come in here have bleeding gums’.
I endeavoured to find out what the cause was myself.  The angels were with me, and I was led up to this little fusty old room in Queen street, where an old healer saw patients.  He had some books out on a table for reading there, or for purchase.  As I leafed through one book on natural cures, I came across a remedy for bleeding gums:  Vitamin C was the answer.  What’s more, the book gave a perfectly natural source, which meant I could cure myself without having to even purchase Vitamin C tablets.  Our budget was stretched at this time, as evidenced by the bleeding gums, which meant we were not eating enough raw fruits and vegetables.  Nor could we afford Vitamin C tablets.
The book said to scrape the inside  pith of a grapefruit or a lemon, about two tablespoonsful. It said  that this was  one of the richest sources of Vitamin C and Vitamin K, both of which help to prevent scurvy,  stop haemorrhages, nose bleeds, and gum bleeding.  EAT SOME EVERY DAY was the advice.  I began doing this, and the bleeding stopped immediately.  Natural Vitamin C from the pith of grapefruit, cured my bleeding gums.
Intravenous doses of Vitamin C   Was Used As An Alternative To Radiation and Chemotherapy.  This treatment cured Pam Steven’s breast cancer.

Important References on the adverse effects of radiation treatment are given in the following books and journals:
Morgan, G, Ward, R., & Barton, M.  The contribution of cytotoxic chemotherapy to 5 year survival in adult malignancies.  Clinical Oncology (R Coll Radiology), 2004; 16 (8): pp. 549-60
Braverman, A. M.D. Medical Oncology in the 90’s.  Lancet, August 1991: p.901
Mathe,  G.  scientific Medicine Stymied, Medicines Nouvelles, 1989.
Moss, R. PhD  Questioning Chemotherapy, Equinox Press, 1995

Help Stop Smoking With Baking Soda

Baking Soda is Alkaline. It can help to neutralize toxins in the body and reduce acidity.  A less acid body is less stressful and may help you to recover from addictions.

However, if you are on medications, or low sodium diet, then you should ask your doctor or naturopath before using baking soda.

It is good to be a non-smoker.  Give it up and become more healthy.  Enjoy the fresh air and those lovely walks again, without getting puffed-out.

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Addicts of tobacco and alcohol and other drugs notoriously favour acid-forming foods such as  red meats, pork, coffee, and dairy foods, sugar and wheat-foods such as pasta and bread.

The Best Dietary Measure To help Yourself Stop Smoking Is:

To cut out acid-forming foods and adopt an alkaline diet which avoids the use of dairy foods,  sugar, gluten and all wheat products including bread and pasta.

Eat Alkaline Greens: Eating plenty of raw greens will help to make your body more alkaline. Try to eat brown rice instead of wheat bread. Use more vegetables and fruits in the diet, with easily digested protein such as lentils, beans, free range eggs,  soy products, and sprouted seeds such as mung beans and alfalfa.

Sprouted seeds are especially alkaline and provide many important enzymes which your digestive system needs to function well.  Include plenty of sesame seeds and sunflower seeds in the diet.  These are rich protein and calcium foods and they are more on the alkaline side than acidic flesh foods.  Sesame seeds and sunflower seeds are  dairy-free and calcium-rich foods which will help your frayed nerves to settle.

Diet To Help Your Digestive Function: Eating these foods will take a lot of stress out of your digestive function.  This   will have a beneficial trickle-down effect on your nerves, which will  help you in your goal to stop smoking. You will digest your food better, and have more of a sense of well-being than before, when you were eating more acidic and heavy foods.

I have mentioned baking soda in an earlier post entitled ‘Giving Up Smoking’. In this post, I mention Richard Webster, who is an exponent of the baking soda remedy to help stop smoking.

See Merrilyn’s other postsfor more ideas:

Homeopathic Remedy To Reduce Craving For Tobacco

Giving Up Smoking

Richard Webster has devoted many years to helping people with behavioural problems, including people’s addiction to smoking. He published a booklet which accompanied some tapes  called ‘Ezi-Stop’. This was published by Prestige Marketing 1995.

The alkaline nature of baking soda makes it effective in neutralizing acids in the body.  An acid body can be made alkaline through taking a little baking soda each day.

Baking soda is suggested as a remedy to help stop smoking by  Richard Webster and other experts in the field, because it  can have an immediate effect to stop you taking that cigarette which you imagine you really need. However, baking soda  should never be substituted for eating a healthy alkaline diet.

Two Week Treatment: Also, it is not advisable to keep taking baking soda indefinitely.  Use it for a couple of weeks, then stop for a couple of weeks before you start using the baking soda again,  even if you have not managed to quit smoking yet.   Too much baking soda taken on a regular basis is not good for your kidneys.

The Technique For Using Baking Soda To Stop Smoking: Simply put a touch of baking soda onto the tongue whenever you feel the urge to smoke.  This technique is not recommended for people who are on specific low sodium diets, or who have high blood pressure.

However, considering that smoking can actually GIVE you high blood pressure,  I think that I would rather opt for a touch of baking soda, which might reduce my desire to smoke and do some good to my health in the long run, rather than take another cigarette.

Also look at the post entitled ‘What Happens When You Give Up Smoking’, and ‘Calcium Rich Foods’. ‘Detox Diets’ might also be helpful.

Homeopathic Remedies to consider might be those suggested by Dr John H. Clark in his book ‘The Prescriber’.  Just one remedy should be selected, depending on the symptoms, constitution and habits of the person trying to quit smoking. Read his book for dosage recommendations: Nux vom., Camphor, Stroph., Phos., Plumb. acet., Spigelia, Calc. phos., China, Arsen alb. He says homeopathic medicine can be of great assistance in breaking the habit of tobacco. The appropriate remedy can help break the desire for tobacco.

 

How To Get Calcium From Natural Food

Natural Calcium Supplements

Do you know that you can get enough calcium from your food, even if you do not use dairy products?

As a matter of fact, vegetarians who are strict enough to exclude dairy products  usually have better calcium absorption, and a higher bone density than people who eat meat and dairy foods. That is if they are supplementing their diets with natural, calcium rich foods.

Dairy-Free Calcium Foods: Making dairy free milks out of almonds, or sesame seeds, or sunflower seeds is an excellent way to provide your body with the calcium it requires.   Milk made out of these ingredients nutritious and has a healthy alkaline effect on the body.

You can use any one, or a combination of these seeds.  You can also add the odd chopped Brazil nuts, hazelnuts,  or a few cashews to enrich the milk.  Brazil nuts are high in selenium, so they are a good addition to your home-made, dairy-free milk.

Sesame Seeds Are Calcium Food:  Sesame seeds are one of the richest calcium foods.  One good handful is supposed to supply 1200mg of calcium and magnesium, which is more than you get in a glass of milk. Sesame seeds are also rich in essential fatty acids, which help brain and nerve function, and keep the skin and other organs healthy.

Put some in your dairy-free milk mix, and add to your home-made smoothies.  You can use the whole, or ground seed on your porridge each morning.  Get into the habit of adding  a  sprinkle over salads and cooked food.

You need to chew up the sesame seeds well to get the maximum benefit from them.  If your teeth are not so good, then you can grind your sesame seeds up in a coffee grinder, or blend them into a banana smoothie.

Sesame seeds are a wonderful food to add to your daily diet:  They will complement a vegetarian diet and are an excellent supplement for those in need of extra calcium nourishment.  Using just one generous handful per day will surely benefit your health

Sunflower Seeds Are Calcium Food: Sunflower seeds are also rich in calcium, as well as essential fatty acids. To get the best out of sunflower seeds, it is best to eat them raw. You can grind your sunflower seeds up into a meal to put on porridge, or to sprinkle over a salad or cooked food.

They are great to add to a smoothie for extra calcium.  If you are making a smoothie, then soak your sunflower seeds for 15 minutes before blending them up.

If you are making sunflower seed milk, then soak them for 15 minutes before blending.

Coconut and Coconut Milk: Coconut is extremely rich in calcium, protein,  and essential fatty acids.  Have you thought just how the Pacific Island people have grown into such a healthy, tall, strong people without the traditional cow which Europeans have relied  on as a calcium and protein source?  Pacific Island people eat a lot of fish, which supplies calcium and other nutrients, but the daily component of the diet is coconut milk.

Sardines and Mackerel: Small fish which are eaten with the bones are very good for their calcium value.  Try to eat some every day, unless you are on a strict vegetarian diet which excludes fish, in which case you will eat more of the alternative calcium foods such as sesame seeds and sunflower seeds

Broccoli, Brussels Sprouts and Cabbage:  All the brassica family are very high in calcium.  These are very healthy, not just because of their high calcium content, but because  they are alkaline foods, and they provide your system with lots of healthy fiber. Other brassicas are cauliflower and kale.