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There are many spas and alternative health practitioners who offer colonic irrigation as a treatment to help you manage your health. But are you aware of what the process entails and what some of the potential side effects are? It is a good idea to educate yourself about the possible side effects of any medical procedure before you undergo it and colonic irrigation is no different. A colonic irrigation is much like an enema in that both procedures use water or other liquids to clean out the intestinal tract. Enemas are often used to treat constipation and to prepare for other medical procedures such as a colonoscopy. But the theory behind colonic irrigation is to wash away accumulated fecal matter and other wastes and halt the release of toxins that the breakdown of fecal matter can release into the body. The belief that food enters the intestine and rots has been around since the time of the Egyptians, and was expanded on by the ancient Greeks, and again in the 19th century. The belief was that the toxins which are released can cause a variety of unpleasant side effects including irritability and loss of appetite and could ultimately shorten a person’s lifespan. Colonic irrigation is different from an enema since colonic irrigation often uses a much larger amount of liquid. A high colonic can often use up to twenty gallons of liquid. When a large amount of liquid is introduced into the intestinal tract, it causes bloating, intestinal distension and cramping. This results in the contents of the bowels being rapidly expelled. A variety of different substances can be added to the irrigation liquid in order to achieve specific results. They can include coffee, herbs and herbal extracts, wheat grass extract, or even baking soda. One of the main concerns focused around colonic irrigation is that substances can be absorbed quickly and efficiently into the bloodstream through the anal membranes. This can mean that alcohol, caffeine or other drugs can have a stronger and faster effect than normal and that people can overdose as a result. Some herbs can also make prescription medication less effective. Also, if someone is performing the colonic and they lack the proper training, they can actually rupture the intestinal tract. You should do your research and find out exactly what will be added to your colonic irrigation fluid. Herbs can cause problems when they are used at the same time as some prescription medications. IT does not matter if you ingest the herbs orally or anally. Either way, if they end up your bloodstream they can cause bad interactions with medication. Even baking soda can lead to electrolyte imbalances and can cause cardiovascular problems. The body naturally eliminates wastes from the system and unless you are going to undergo a medical procedure that requires your intestinal tract to be clear, you should ultimately let your body do the work itself. Repeated CIs can often cause the body to become unable to eliminate waste on its own. This can lead to a dependence on laxatives or other methods to assist with defecation. If you are considering colonic irrigation you should research the process fully to make sure that you have all the facts. Keeping them in mind can help you make the decisions which are best for you, and keep you in optimal health. April Kerr writes for Leo’s Salons which has information on inexpensive weight loss body wraps and other low cost beauty treatments. |
Posts Tagged ‘herbs’
Discover The Health Benefits Of Colonic Irrigation
Wednesday, September 9th, 2009How To Prepare Cheese Sauce
Monday, September 7th, 2009| Scentsy | Flameless Candles | Wickless Candles |
Cheese sauce can be a very trying sort of sauce to make if you are not vigilant. It’s essential that you follow the directions on any specific recipe you use, as this will be vital in making sure that your cheese does not clump or your milk curdle without combining into your cheese. Basic Ingredients for cheese sauce: Butter Flour Milk Cheese Notes on Ingredients: You may use numerous different types of cheese when you make cheese sauce. Nonetheless, it is proposed that you desist utilising cheeses that have been frozen, as they tend to behave distinctly than fresh cheeses when exposed to high heat. Cheeses that have been frozen likewise have a slightly distinct flavor. Preparation: All of your cheese should be grated prior to heating the butter and flour and boiling in the milk. Failure to do so will result in your cheese sauce being ruined. Cooking Methods: There’re many methods of making cheese sauce. The type you utilize is oftentimes find out by the type of cheese that youre basing your sauce from. See to it you check your recipe on how the cheese requires to be melted into the butter, flour and milk. As a general rule, your milk, butter and flour will require to be moderately thick and at a boil before you add your cheese. This will permit the cheese to blend into your milk without clumping. If you use too low of a heat when you introduce the cheese, you may end with your cheese and milk never adequately combining. There are a good number of cases where you may not want the cheese to fully combine into the sauce. In this case, you will want to utilize a non stick pan and cook your sauce at a lower heat. This will allow the cheese to melt into the sauce, but will thwart the cheese from fully blending into the milk. While it requires a great deal of stirring and care to put a stop to it sticking to the pan, you may get the flavor of the cheese into the milk and clear the excess cheese. This type of sauce tends to be utilised as a base for soups, as its much thinner. Often, the flour will not be used to avoid the sauce from becoming overly thick. Uses: Cheese sauce can be used as a topping for vegetables, a component in soups, and even as a dipping sauce. It can similarly be utilised over tacos and as a part of Mexican cuisines. Learn how to make Gourmet Sauce at home now |
Fomes officinalis (Agarikon) Medicinal Mushroom Saved from Extinction
Monday, August 24th, 2009| Scentsy | Flameless Candles | Wickless Candles |
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Agarikon (Fomes officinalis) is one of the largest and longest living mushrooms in the world, some individual specimens known to be as old as 50 years. This needs to be seen in perspective of the fact that Agarikon starts out growing on already mature trees. It requires old growth forests to survive. The earliest written record of any mushroom used medicinally can be found in the Materia Medica from 65 B.C., where Fomes officinalis was listed by Greek physician Dioscorides as a tuberculosis remedy. [25] Other oral and written traditions from Poland and elsewhere in Europe indicate that Fomes officinalis was the most important medicinal mushroom in ancient Europe. However, Agarikon (Fomes officinalis) is now practically extinct in Europe because of its dependency on old growth forests. Its current habitat in the wild may be entirely limited to unlogged land in Washington State. Fortunately, though, this is one mushroom that can be cultivated. Two companies that grow Fomes officinalis commercially are Paul Stamets’ Fungi Perfecti out of Washington State, and the Ohio based Mushroom Harvest. There is little modern research on the medicinal use of Agarikon extract but traditional use of this medicinal mushroom included tuberculosis (Mycobacterium tuberculosis) and pneumonia (Bacillus pneumoniae and others). It’s also been used topically as a poultice to relieve muscle and skeletal pain. Congruent with this is a report from Poland, listing the historical uses of Agarikon extract to have included lung conditions (coughing, asthma) and rheumatoid arthritis, but also infected wounds and open bleeding. It is said to have been considered an elixir for long life. [147] Native Americans were also aware of the medicinal properties of Fomes officinalis. Oral traditions among certain tribes hold that it was used as a remedy against diseases brought by the Europeans, including smallpox. One such tribe was the Haida of the American Northwest, who even incorporated Agarikon into their spirituality where it was associated with the female creator spirit Raven, and by extension to female sexuality and fertility. Two mentions in modern scientific literature include Agarikon extract with other mushrooms that elicit a strong immune enhancing effect in subjects. [148, 149] Finally, a word of caution: Two of the common name synonyms for Agarikon (Fomes officinalis) are “Quinine Conk” and “Quinine Fungus,” due to the quinine-like bitter taste of the mushroom. However, Fomes officinalis does not actually contain the compound quinine and is not known to be effective against malaria. Note: The statements on this page have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This article is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Always consult a licensed medical practitioner before using any herb (or mushroom) for medicinal purposes. Credit to Paul Stamets for research and source material. About the Author:
Dr. Rafael, an passionate mushroomer since youth, has worked for his entire professional career in the area of natural health. He currently specializes in medicinal fungi, working in particular with the certified organic line of Fungi Perfecti. For scientific references to this article, please visit the Fomes officinalis extract (Stamets) page and click on any number indicating a reference.
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The Extraordinary Siberian Chaga
Friday, August 14th, 2009| Scentsy | Flameless Candles | Wickless Candles |
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If you discover a black, cancerous mass on a birch, you may be looking at a Siberian chaga mushroom. It can also, less commonly, be found growing ash, beech, elm or hornbeam. Eurasians have used it for centuries to treat tuberculosis, digestion, and cancers of the heart and liver. [121] The black “skin” was removed and the lighter inside boiled as tea. Being such a compact natural medicine made it a valuable, portable remedy for healers of old. Today’s scientific focus on chaga extract is primarily as an anti-tumor remedy. In fact, it was approved in Russia as a cancer drug already in 1955, successfully used to treat cancers of the stomach, lungs, breasts and cervix. [122] One modern study from 1998 showed that chaga extract did in fact inhibit growth of cervical cancer cell lines under lab conditions. [123] Another study from 1995 reported that an isolate of the active compound betulin first inhibited growth of melanoma cells in a lab, and then killed them. [124, 25] Additional research has shown cancer cell division to be decreased by some of the active compounds of the chaga mushroom. [125, 126] The black color of chaga is caused by betulin, a medicinally active compound that makes up 30% of the skin. [127] The lighter inside of the mushroom is rich in fungal lanostanes. So chaga tea may be more effective if made with the whole mushroom, including the skin. Better yet are chaga extracts made with both the mycelium (”root”) and the whole mushroom fruit body. The mycelium is richer in medicinally active proteins than the mushroom itself. Other researchers have found chaga extract to be potently anti-viral. Two studies in 1996 found it to have an inhibitory effect on both influenza [127] and HIV. [128] Perhaps it does so by helping to stimulate the body’s natural immune functions, something that was first confirmed in 2002 and then again in 2005, [25, 129] and which may also help explain the historical use of chaga mushroom as an anti-inflammatory. [130] An alcohol extraction of chaga was reported to lower elevated blood sugar levels. [131] Chaga also contains powerful antioxidants. [132, 133] As an amusing aside not related to human health, Siberian chaga may even be used as a tree medicine. Paul Stamets relates a story of a Quebec arborist using a chaga poultice to heal chestnut blight. Not only does it cure the tree, but the tree even becomes resistant to further infections of blight after having been treated. [134] In his book Mycelium Running, Stamets also lists the following areas where research has shown chaga extract to have a beneficial effect: Bacteria; liver conditions; uterine cancer. [134] Note: The statements on this page have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This article is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Always consult a licensed medical practitioner before using any herb (or mushroom) for medicinal purposes. Credits: Thank you, Paul Stamets, for research references. About the Author:
Dr. Markho Rafael has worked with natural health since finishing Chiropractic College in 1996. He currently focuses on medicinal mushrooms in partnership with Cordyceps Reishi Extracts, LLC, a U.S. business offering Siberian Chaga Mushroom Extract and much more. For the research references to this article, go to the Chaga Extract page and click on any number indicating a reference.
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The Flexbility And Benefits Of Essential Oils
Monday, April 13th, 2009| Scentsy | Flameless Candles | Wickless Candles |
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So what is aromatherapy and what exactly are essential oils? Well, essential oils are the final product of a process of extraction from plants. This process distills and concentrates the essences of various plants to make them useful for aromatherapy. There are many ways this extraction process can be done. Usually, it is completed through a process called distillation. So what can essential oils be used for. Many things! It’s uses can vary from basic aromatherapy to perfumes, flavoring of food and anti-aging,etc. For it’s use in aromatherapy, the essential oils are known to contain healing properties which also can help to rejuvenate the mind and body. It can help to relive stress and sooth pain. In the case of being used in perfumes, the essential oils are mixed and blended together with water and alcohol. The flower fragrances are what gives it it’s distinctive smell. By changing the percentage mixture of essential oils, water and alcohol, the strength of the perfume scent changes accordingly. As a frame of reference, a perfume that has a strong scent will usually have only about twenty percent essential oils, seventy five percent alcohol and the remaining five percent consisting of water. For skin-care products, essential oils are used widely in creams, shampoos and moistuizers. Not only that, massagers in spas also used essential oils to apply on their client’s bodies before an actual massage. For uses in food products, essential oils are used to add flavor to the foods. This is most used in foods that are kept in packages for long stretches of time. Besides flavoring, essential oils also supposedly aids in food digestion. They can help in relieving stomachaches and poisoning of food. Lastly, essential oils can also be used as mosquito repellents. Surprised? Well eucalyptus oil does just that. So instead of burning those coils which can be potentially filled with not very healthy smoke, why not just heat up some eucalyptus oil and let it do the trick? You’ll be pleasantly surprised that it does the job of driving away mosquitoes just as well. So there you have it, several benefits and uses of essential oils that can be utilized. And you thought it was only limited for aromatherapy uses? About the Author:
To learn more about how to make aromatherapy oils be sure to check out our site today.
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Pedunculated Fibroid
Tuesday, April 7th, 2009| Scentsy | Flameless Candles | Wickless Candles |
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Pedunculated fibroids are non-cancerous uterine growths attached to the uterine wall by a peduncle, a stalk-like growth. Those that grow inside the uterus are known as pedunculated submucosal fibroids, and those that develop outside the uterus are known as subserous pedunculated fibroids. They even grow big. Last year, I have seen the biggest fibroid case, reported in the East African Medical Journal. A 37 year old woman had an abdominal inflammation due to the large growth of this fibroid. Her surgeons diagnosed nearly 16 centimeters long and one and half a kilogram weighed fibroid. One of the most startling things about this patients condition was that she had no symptoms other than the abdominal swelling. Other women who develop pedunculated fibroids have a much different experience. In some women, submucosal pedunculated fibroids extend into the vaginal canal, which causes distress during sexual intercourse. Two patients treated by the American University of Beirut Medical Center were found to have such fibroids. A full 12 cm of one patients submucosal fibroid had grown into the vaginal canal, while the rest of the growth remained in her uterus. When the stalk gets distorted it causes severe pain but very few faces this problem. It is very risk if the fibroid in the stalk grows. These fibroids comprise uterine cramps and compressed sensation of uterus and other organs. Yet another possible symptom brought on by pedunculated submucosal fibroids is bleeding between periods. This bleeding can range from light spotting, to constant bleeding very similar to that of a light period. Those who have constant bleeding report that the intensity of the bleeding becomes heavier at the arrival of their time of the month. If a pedunculated fibroid becomes twisted, the patient may need emergency surgery. The pain of a twisted peduncle can be so excruciating that the patient requests any possible procedure to alleviate it. Another possibility that can occur when the fibroid becomes twisted is a blockage in the blood and nutrient supply to the fibroid through a kink in the veins. Once this occurs the fibroid will begin to die, which will not only increase the danger of infection, but is also quite painful. When a peduncle is determined to be 2cm or more in width, a process called Uterine Artery Embolization is indicated. This procedure blocks the blood supply to the growths so that they begin to deteriorate and eventually die. This procedure has been found to be more successful with subserousal fibroids than with any other kind of fibroid. Doctors at the Bretonneau Hospital in France have begun recommending for women who have undergone the procedure to undergo it again after 2 years as it has been found that approximately 10% experience growth of the fibroids again within that time. They have also discovered that the procedure does not inhibit fibroids from growing back. Another similar procedure for pedunculated fibroids is Myomectomy. This method is done to remove the fibroid but it is not 100% success and sometimes repairs the uterus. The University of South Dakota diagnosed a patient with bigger fibroid, in which the blood vessel has been ruptured after she gave birth. Since their attempt on Myomectomy failed, an immediate hysterectomy was done. Before hysterectomy surgeries, it is very reasonable to sign papers as an approval, as things may go wrong or sometimes for very few women uterus has to be removed. About the Author:
Surgeries alone do not resolve pedunculated fibroid. There are natural remedies that shrink gradually and no longer cause problems. To know more about these natural remedies please visit http://hubpages.com/hub/Pedunculated-Fibroid
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