If you're trying to avoid catching a cold this season, or if you've already been hit by the bug and are looking for natural remedies that don't require taking over-the-counter medicine every day, you may want to consider some common cold natural remedies. Here are a few herbal and alternative treatments that work wonders on the immune system during the cold season that will keep you and your family healthy.
Besides the tried and true remedies like taking in a significant amount of Vitamin C, garlic and Echinacea have been known to boost the immune system. Garlic releases a chemical called acillin, which has antibacterial qualities, and Echinacea is a great natural remedy that can kill viruses in the body that can be caused by the common cold.
Are you anxious or under some serious stress? Using lemon balm is an excellent way to calm yourself. This aromatic herb has several other beneficial medicinal properties besides relaxation. Not only does it pep up your mood and spirits but it relaxes your mind, promotes sleep, improves digestion, reduces flatulence, and heals cuts and injuries on your body too. Its helps seal up wounds and in other words, it can make an excellent surgical dressing. You can rub lemon balm on your skin to repel mosquitoes and it can help heal bites of venomous creatures like scorpions. It even brings down fever, as it induces perspiration. These are just a few of the many of its uses. In fact, you can make a long list of its anti-viral and ant-bacterial properties as also its medicinal and cosmetic uses or its uses in the kitchen.
You have surely heard of opposites. Black and white, night and day, light and dark, pleasure and pain, wealth and poverty and similar innumerable pairs come to mind as opposites. Yin and yang represent, according to ancient Chinese philosophy, two opposing aspects of this entire universe as well as of human life, but with a difference. They not only oppose but also complement each other. Simply put, life is impossible without yin and yang at once opposing and complementing each other on a perennial basis. Yin is feminine, yang is masculine; yin is passive, yang active; yin is death, yang life and so on. If yin is thought to be receptive, cold, winter, moon, night, water, and even, then yang opposes and complements them by being creative, hot, summer, sun, day, fire and odd. They represent the essential parts of a duality. That only means that without either of them, the duality does not, and cannot, exist.
Food can be a natural remedy for many ailments. Unfortunately, many people in the world don't eat right these days, especially Americans and Europeans. Processed foods loose many of the nutrients that they originally had, including vitamins. This leads many people to take supplements, which can be very good for you at times. It also leads people to seek pharmacological solutions to many of their problems. There is a movement in the western world however to seek a natural remedy to a health problem, and often times that natural remedy can revolve around food. Healthy eating can make a world of difference in healthy living.
One of the most poplar herbs to come to light over recent years is wheatgrass, wheatgrass is now thought be the most widely used herbal supplement for many reasons. One of the reasons is that is contains chlorophyll, this is mother natures most amazing health prompting nutrient. Wheatgrass contains no less than 20 amino acids, several hundreds of different enzymes that cannot be found in any other food and over 90 other vitamins, minerals and nutrients. When taking all this into account it is not hard to see why it is fast becoming popular.
Bitter melon or momordica charantia as it is correctly named is a climbing vine that has green leaves and fruits that are very bitter. However, it is the bitter fruit and leaves that has been used and taken advantage of due to their medicinal properties.
Uses of bitter melon
Bitter melon has been used with positive results to treat numerous diseases including cancer, diabetes and many other infectious and potentially dangerous diseases. Since HIV and AIDS came into the spotlight, bitter melon has been used to fight these diseases, as well as being an herb widely used in Chinese medicine. The Chinese regard it as a popular form of vegetable. It is also a very popular remedy when used as an herbal tea.
More and more people are turning towards natural remedies to cure whatever ailment they might have. They've gained enormous popularity in recent years as the side effects of traditional medication are becoming more and more serious.
Walking into a health food store will unveil a multitude of herbs, vitamins, and treatments that can address almost every health concern imaginable. A core staple of the natural remedy arsenal is the weight loss aid. Numerous herbs and natural treatments can aid in a faster, more efficient trimming of body fat. Substances like green tea and apple cider vinegar and derived from natural sources and many people feel much more comfortable taking something supplied by the earth as opposed to a chemical that is produced in a stark, sterile environment.
Does it sound bizarre? Using herbs to improve memory have long been practiced not only by those in the United States, but in other countries as well. The American Indians, Orientals, Egyptians, and Greeks have all used herbs to enhance the mind.
Spicy foods are said to increase the cognitive functions of your brain, and there are several spicy herbs available.
Taking prescription medication has become the norm for many people in today's world. As soon as they feel something is amiss within their bodies they run to the doctor and begin popping pills that contain countless chemicals.
Many are realizing the benefits that a bit of research and a trip to the health food store can afford them. Natural remedies offer an alternative to the medical approach that most of us have been dependent on our entire lives.
For centuries, human beings have turned to traditional medicine in search of a cure for what ailed them. Recently that has changed significantly, as more people are turning toward natural remedies to treat numerous health conditions and medical concerns.
Walking into any health food or natural remedy store and the consumer will find many products that can offer relief or assistance with common medical conditions. There are natural remedies to treat headaches, to aid in weight loss, to treat acne or blemishes, even heartburn and toothaches. These are just a few of the many conditions that natural remedies can effectively cure.
Traditional Chinese medicine or TCM as its many followers call it is a large health care system that consists of Chinese herbal medicine, acupuncture, massage, dietary advice and exercise. TCM is so unlike the health care system that we Westerners are used to; the underlying principle of TCM is to bring back balance to the "Chi".
The "Chi" is said to flow throughout the body when we are healthy through what are called Meridian channels, however sometimes these channels can become blocked and the "Chi" cannot flow and this is when symptoms of illness begin to show.
Some women are lucky and seem to go through the menopause relatively easy with very little interference to their daily lives. However many are unfortunate and find this time of their life particularly hard to deal with and many problems can occur during the transition, changing their life drastically.
While doctors can do a lot to help women who suffer greatly during the menopause, there is an alternative, using natural remedies. Looking around you will find a whole host of products which claim to help during the "change of life", however how well they work isn't really know as herbal remedies are not regulated as are traditional drugs. Also, herbal remedies often only work after a long period of time. However, they are traditionally much more cost effective treatments than prescription medication and are much gentler on your system.
Natural remedies can really work for curing many illnesses, and for relieving the symptoms of many others. Science has in fact been inspired many times by natural remedies to come up with the wonder drugs of our modern age. Penicillin for example began as a natural remedy. The root ingredient of penicillin is a type of mold that forms on bread.
Another natural remedy that most have heard of all their lives is chicken soup to cure, or at least relieve the symptoms of, the common cold. Chicken soup as a natural remedy isn't a wonder drug, but it does contain nutrients that help strengthen the immune system and will help the body fight the cold. Simply gaining some strength through eating will sick makes a person feel better and seems to relieve some symptoms.
Natural remedies have been in existence for as long as we live. Herbal remedies and spiritual healing are old practices that are effective although admittedly this process of healing takes a while before it show signs of improvement.
This is because natural remedies do not merely mask symptoms but cure the illness right into its core.
Natural remedies though as mentioned earlier are an old practice. However, in Sweden the concept of natural remedies only started to take shape in 1993. The government started to recognize the affectivity of natural remedies as medicinal products that contains active ingredients. As documented, the active ingredients come from parts of plants or animals, bacterial cultures, minerals, salts and salt solutions.
Sometimes we don't look after our skin like we should and then problems can start occurring. Sometimes we can have an allergic reaction to something or the skin gets damaged, there can be many and varied reasons why our skin suffers from damage. Most people turn to their doctor for problems with their skin; however you can use another form of medicine to cure your problem, herbal remedies.
Dealing with Eczema
Perhaps the biggest problem that the majority of those suffering from skin problems have to contend with is eczema. This is a persistent reoccurring skin problem that can cause intense itching. Flare-ups of the condition can be made worse by poor diet and stress and your doctor will usually prescribe a steroid cream.
You've heard about people taking natural remedies to either improve their health, or to cope with a chronic illness such as diabetes, or for an acute illness like a cold. It might surprise you to find out that natural remedies are not a new idea. Cultures around the world have used them for thousands of years. So read a little more about the history of treating disease, and the choices you've got in treating yourself with alternative medicines.
There is a wide choice of herbal remedies available over the counter that claim to help you lose weight. The majority of them work by suppressing the appetite or "tricking" your body into thinking it's full. If you feel full then you simply don't want to eat, the less you eat, the more weight you are likely to lose.
However while herbal remedies are usually organic due to them consisting of flower and plant material they are only suitable for helping with weight loss in the short term. Some could even possibly be dangerous. Another factor to take into account is that they are not miracle pills and you will only see results if you eat sensibly and follow a daily exercise regime.
Studies have shown that for us to be at our best we need at least 8 hours sleep per night while the Chinese believe that this should be closer to 10 hours. Sleep rejuvenates us and leaves us feeling refreshed and ready to tackle a new day; however millions of people around the world suffer from problems with sleeping. Common sleep problems range from insomnia, muscle spasms which waken us, random opening of the eyes and tossing and turning all night.
Those who are unfortunate to suffer from irritable bowel syndrome will know how devastating the symptoms of the illness can be and how they can disturb and change your lifestyle totally. While there is much help to be gained from your doctor and many medications available to help calm the symptoms associated with the illness, there are other totally natural alternatives to ease the suffering of irritable bowel syndrome. Here are some of the proven natural remedies that can help to ease the symptoms.
Garlic is not only useful for flavoring your meals when cooking; it is also used in many over-the-counter herbal remedies and old wives concoctions throughout the world. The ancient Egyptians put garlic on a pedestal and worshipped it for its medicinal value, while Greek athletes would chew it to give them vitality and strength. Garlic has even been portrayed as a vampire deterrent.
Today many herbal stores sell garlic in capsule form and it claims to help and ease many illnesses and medical problems when taken on a regular basis. The most common reasons that millions of people pop a garlic pill daily is to help ward off coughs and colds, clearing bacterial infections and keeping the heart healthy. The good news is that you won't get garlic breath when you take garlic in capsule form.
