One of the worlds most used herbs is now being studied to help combat one of the worlds deadliest killers among children – E Coli. This toxin is said to cause 210 millions cases of diarrhea worldwide, and is the cause of 380,000deaths. They are studying one of the extracts, zingerone, to see its role in blocking the toxin produced by E. Coli.
Ginger is used widely by cooks and herbalists alike. As an herbalist, I use ginger often to “warm” the body if there is a cold condition going on. It is also widely used as a digestive aid for stomach upset, nausea and vomiting due to motion sickness, pregnancy, and cancer chemotherapy, and to used as support with arthritis, heart disease and cancer. When used for motion sickness, it can be taken before travel (in a tea, or more convenient capsule form), and during travel. As a sufferer of motion sickness, this saves me, AND when I was pregnant traveling in Germany, I took my capsules everywhere to help combat motion sickness!
Ortho Evra is a prescription patch used for birth control and releases hormones into the skin into the bloodstream via a patch. Using the patch, women are exposed to 60% higher levels of estrogen than by using the birth control pill. High levels of estrogen have been found to increase the risk of adverse side effects including stroke and blood clots.
It is important to talk with your health care practitioner if you have concern and if you use the patch. There are several options for birth control that you can use that are not reliant on hormone therapy.
It seems as the winter months pass us by and the snow continues to pile up, there has been a rise in snow related knee injuries. There are several ligaments that support the knee and can lay someone up for a long time and if severe enough can lead to surgery for repair. The easiest solution is to be prepared. If you not in shape, start slow – like bunny hill slow, or if cross country or snow shoeing, on the easy paths. Ideally you should start to train 4-6 weeks prior, building up your cardio and core strength. Building your leg strength is crucial as they support you on the twists and turns going down the hills (this is for both skiing and snowboarding). There are several machines in the gyms to help target the correct muscle groups in your legs, ask the physical trainers in your gym to show you the correct way to use them (so not to injure on those). Any cardio machine can help build up your cardio strength, a nordic track being the most obvious in terms of closeness to actual skiing.
If you do get injured during a snow outing, go see a doctor to evaluate the extent of the injury, and if it is not severe, you can seek out acupuncture, physical therapy, chiropractic, or massage to help you heal faster.
Yes, we have all done it, said to ourselves, “starting in the new year I’m going to…” You might start with all the right intentions, then as time goes by old programs set in and we fall back to our old ways, then another year goes by. How do you avoid this? I thought you would never ask
The most important thing to remember to be compassionate and realistic with yourself. Are you ready to do what it takes to accomplish your goals? Be realistic, do not expect to lost 50 pounds in a month, or to change a long-standing pattern over night. Set out a guideline or and outline of realistic mileposts. If it is exercising, look at your week and look at when you can pencil it in and do it. We have this wonderful world of technology, lets put it to good use, set alarms on your cell phone, or in outlook to remind you. Learn to set boundaries. If you are used to saying yes to everyone else and your time is being spread to thin, you are going to have to learn to say no. It hard. I know! However, if your goal is important, then setting aside the time to accomplish it is necessary. Set up priorities. Also, learn to ask for help. You do not need to do everything all the time. If there is something you can parcel out to carve more time, by all means do it! Listen and trust yourself, this is your intuition. You know yourself better than anyone does. You know when your “on” times are, you know, when you are really honest with yourself what holds you back. Start with listening then bring the behaviors to your awareness. When you do that more and more, then you can start changing and incorporating them into daily life. Focus on the positive. If your goal is to lose weight, imagine how that will feel when you reach your goal. Imagine feeling your body fit, healthy, full of energy. When you focus on the positive aspects of your health and goals it motivates you. If you focus on the negative, it brings you down and you will find excuses not to do it. Like the book I read to my daughter, the Little Engine That Could, the engine did not think, oh, wow, that hill is way to steep, i can’t do it. No, that engine said I have never been to the top to the town on the other side, I think I can, I think I can…you can to!
The FDA has recently stated that it is not safe to give cough and cold medicines to children under two because of potentially life-threatening side effects. Last fall the FDA strongly recommended not to use them prompting drug companies and stores to stop selling them. They said that it was questionable if they even worked in children under 6. The FDA has not decided if the OTC medicines are advisable for children from 3-6 and will decide by next fall.
So now what. You have a young child, it has the sniffles, a cold, or a cough. You have traditionally gone to the drug store and gotten one of these OTC medicines. Well, there are options. Alternative medicine has been used for thousands of years to help combat the cold season for people of all ages. The obvious, although sometimes not so obvious is rest and fluids. Rest, meaning stop, stay home, and rest. Sleep as much as needed, and allow your body to restore and repair. Fluids – tons! Drinking fluids for kids will help the mucous thin and soothe sore throats. A tea made of honey and lemon (honey should not be used in children under 1) can also help. This combination is tried and true to help soothe dry and sore throats. A cool mist humidifier while they sleep can help keep their nasal passages and lungs moist during the night. If their noses are completely stuffy, have them try to blow it. If they are not at that stage yet, a nasal aspirator can help. Gently suction out the mucous. A saline spray/drop can also be used to thin out mucous. Have them also sleep slightly propped up in bed. If they sleep on a pillow, then use a rolled up towel underneath, if they are in a crib, you can put the same under the crib mattress. This helps with coughs and stuffy noses. For coughs, sometimes standing in the bathroom with a hot shower going can soothe their cough. If it is croup, going outside in the cold air can help. Hydrotherapy on a little ones chest can help ease symptoms and increase their immune system. This includes alternating a hot and cold washcloth on their chest for a total of three times each. Make sure the child stays warm and does not catch a chill. A mentholated salve with a combo of menthol, eucalyptus and camphor rubbed on the chest can also help. Have them stay away from dairy products, as they can increase the production of phlegm. Stick with “clear” foods, like soups. If there is a fever, keep the child in loose fitting clothing, don’t bundle, or plunge into a cold water bath. Cool washcloths on the forehead are ok. Fevers are pretty “normal” for kids, although you want to contact your primary care if they have a fever over 104 or a fever for more than 3-4 days. Childrens Tylenol or ibuprofin can be used if they seem really uncomfortable. Never use aspirin.
The most important thing for kids is constant hand washing. This will help prevent a cold to start with and help prevent its passage “around the house”. Also, most important is lots of love and cuddle time. A good movie, their favorite blanky, and mom and dad are some of the best remedies a kid could ask for!
I had severe back and hip pain from a work related injury and the pain completely resolved within a couple of months. Whenever you are having a bad day, come see Stephanie and she will definately brightn it!
- Zandrea, Portland, OR