Hahnemann claimed that quinine, a medicine widely used for successful treatment of malaria, produced symptoms of malaria in a healthy person. The patients of malaria were treated with a medicine which created the same symptoms as those created by the disease. The observations with quinine and other medicines led Hahnemann to his “Law of Similars”.

Four years later Hahnemann advanced his doctrine of “potentization of dynamization” which stated that medicines in small doses effectively exerted their curative power.

The homeopathic system of treatment is based on these two principles – Law of Similars and Potentization.

Potentization is a process by which medicine is diluted in precise steps and subjected to “succussion” (a vigorous shaking action). This process brings about an energetic change that gives medicines a deeper curative effect. Repeated dilution ensures that the medicine has no toxic effect. This allows homeopathic use of many substances which would be unsafe under normal conditions.

Traditionally homeopathic treatment is done to cure the disorders, not just the symptoms. Any physical and emotional disorder produces certain symptoms in the body. In many cases different ailments produce similar symptoms. As a part of the treatment the medicines are prescribed to eliminate the causes of disease or discomfort. If two patients have similar problems, they may still require different medicines depending upon their habits and many other factors. Medicines of higher potency are generally given only after the cause of the disease is established.

Homeopathy is relatively young – just over 200 years old. New medicines and treatments are constantly being evolved and documented. Such research studies are called “provings”. As a result of these research studies, Homeopathy is used in a wide variety of health conditions.

Homeopathic medicines do not work strictly by chemical action. At higher potency the medicine is diluted so much that concentration of original medicine reduces to insignificant level. Yet the medicines not only work, they are more effective at higher potency. “Potentization” process brings energetic change in the medicine. In turn the medicine stimulates the body’s defense mechanism to fight the cause of disorder. This approach produces more stable cure as compared to treatment with drugs. Direct chemical action of the drugs often produces harmful side effects. Homeopathic medicines on the other hand have no or little side effects. They are safe and non-toxic.

Two centuries of existence has firmly established homeopathy. It is accepted form of treatment in many parts of the world. However, the theory of homeopathy is inconsistent with known laws of science; therefore the critics often dismiss it as pseudoscience and quackery.

Homeopathy has thrived on the basis of its results. Its medicines have relatively slow but lasting effects. It is not trusted to meet emergency situations, but it is extremely useful in many other situations.

There is an old saying that if you treat a cold it will last a week and if left untreated it will last seven days. There is some truth in that saying, colds are what we call a self-limiting illness, usually a cold will go on its own after seven to ten days. But that doesn’t mean that you have to suffer if you do get a cold, or resort to drugs to get some relief.

Will a cure be found for the common cold? Is there ever going to be a magic bullet that will zap a cold at the first sign? Who knows. Scientists have been researching the common cold for a very long time and they are no nearer to finding a cure. That said there are things you can do to help yourself.

There are herbal remedies that are able to boost your immune system so that it is able to fight off the hundreds of different cold viruses that are lurking about just waiting for the opportunity to invade your body. Once a cold develops, the viruses very quickly reproduce until you have billions in your nose, throat and lungs.

Herbal remedies fight colds in a few different ways, the first is to actually help your body to fight these viruses before they ever get a chance to multiply and develop into a cold.

You may have noticed that you often come into contact with people who have colds but you didn’t develop one, why is that?. How is it that one time you seem to be immune to colds and another time, Wham! you get a cold but don’t remember coming into contact with anyone who had a cold. This is all down to your immune system.

There are a lot of factors involved in having a healthy immune system, one common culprit for suppressing the immune system is stress. So what can you do to try to keep your immune system in top form, some things are just common sense. Eating a healthy diet, getting plenty of rest and exercising regularly, all of these things will help reduce stress and boost your immune system.

There are several remedies that are worth keeping in your medicine cupboard, one of these is Echinacea purpurea. You want to make sure you get the Echinacea root which has the highest concentration of active ingredients, rather than the leaf. Echinacea can be taken as a tea, capsules, tinctures or tablets, the dose is dependant on the product you take. Do not exceed the recommended dose for the make you are using. Also do not take Echinacea daily as it looses its immune boosting power if taken too often. To help prevent colds take Echinacea for five to six days then have two or three days off, this way you will still get the immune boosting power of this herb.

When you have a cold the strategy is very different. If you are unfortunate enough to develop a cold then take Echinacea every hour or two for at least two days. Depending on the severity of your cold you can take this dose for four days. Then drop the dose down to three times a day until your cold has gone.

So what else can you take to fight your cold. If you have a cough then there is nothing better than garlic, garlic has antiviral, antibiotic and antifungal properties. Unfortunately it is the allicin (the part that makes garlic small) in the garlic that has most of the medicinal properties.

The reason garlic is so good for any chest problems is the fact that the allicin is excreted out of the body via the lungs, therefore taking all of the antiviral and antibiotic properties where it is needed. Don’t worry if you don’t like the taste of garlic, just rub a couple of cloves onto the bottom of your feet, and hey presto in a short time your breath will smell of garlic, wonderful isn’t it.

The mucus membranes of the respiratory tract can get very inflamed when you have a cold, drink ginger tea for this, it will reduce the inflammation and help open up the nasal passages.

There are several supplements that are worth a mention, they are vitamin C, zinc, vitamin B complex and a really good multivitamin can all help you fight your cold. After your cold has gone it is a good idea to carry on with these supplements to help build your immune system back up.

Headaches can start in many different places. A prescription from your doctor or an over the counter pill is not always the only option. Headaches can be caused by many different factors. Some of these include, but are not limited to, tension, stress, eyestrain, dehydration, low blood sugar, and sinusitis. Finding the remedy for your headache will be easier if you know what is causing them. There are many home remedies that you can use to treat headaches, such as: aromatherapy, exercise, and massage.

Aromatherapy is known as one of the most powerful home remedies for headaches. This works though scents and works differently for everyone. This is because people relate different smells with different things. There are some scents that are known to work out for many people. They are sandalwood, peppermint, eucalyptus, and lavender. These scents can be used alone or mixed together. You can try these scents in candles, essential massage oils, or soaps. However, when buying these you may want to buy higher quality products. With the cheaper products you may make your headache worsen.

Regular exercise can help you be able to cope with the pain easier. This method is especially effective for those of you that suffer from migraines. You may even try doing some exercise while you are suffering from a migraine. This may help to ease the pain. You can begin by starting to walk half an hour a day.

If you are in the middle of a headache you can try taking a brisk walk outside. This seems to work because the exercise helps your body release endorphins. Endorphins are the bodyís natural painkillers. You will do well with this remedy if you ease into it. By starting something suddenly, you run the risk of making your headache worse, so start slow.

You can try using massage as a home remedy for headaches too. You may want to use your essential oils with the massage. If you have help you can ask someone to massage your shoulders and the back of your neck. You will then ask them to press their fingers on the base of your skull. They will need to slowly release the pressure when done. This can be done repeatedly. It seems to feel better when you have someone else doing it for you.

You may want to find a masseuse in your area that specializes in this. If you do not have help, you can do the massaging yourself. You can begin by rotating your fingers over your scalp. You can try putting pressure on your hand between your index finger and thumb. This will need to be done on the webbed part. A foot massage is also good for a headache, because you will hit certain pressure points in your feet that trigger your brain.

Headaches do not have to be treated by medications, and if you treat them that way you will notice the loss of effectiveness with each additional dose. Natural remedies are best and do not introduce chemicals to your body, so if you can, by all means try out these home remedies before turning to medication.

Exercise
Exercise has been proven in several studies to be just as effective for mild to moderate depression as antidepressant medication or therapy. Engaging in exercise stimulates the release of endorphins, the body’s happy hormones. The difficulty may lie in getting the depressed person to exercise, so coaching and accountability may have to come into play here.

Omega 3s
Omega 3 fatty acids are showing amazing promise in studies as a natural remedy for depression, especially among pregnant and breastfeeding mothers, who are often unable or unwilling to take the risks of antidepressant medications. Omega 3 fatty acids inhibit inflammation, which can play a role in depression. While you can obtain Omega 3s from foods such as salmon, grass fed beef and flax seeds, supplementation is easy and inexpensive too.

Sunlight
Sunlight is free and easy to avail yourself of. It’s also absolutely essential for good health and good mood. Far from being an evil cancer cause, the sun is our friend especially if we have a mood disorder. Some people are especially sensitive to light deprivation. If you become blue on overcast, rainy days or in the wintertime, this might be true of you. While it’s easy enough to simply spend time out of doors in nature, you might need to invest in a lightbox to use during the winter that will expose you to light that mimics the sun’s rays. Sometimes insurance companies will reimburse you for these products if you can get a diagnosis of Seasonal Affective Disorder.

Nutrition
While it may be difficult to believe, food plays a powerful role in how we feel. Eating spicy foods for example, cause the body to flood itself with endorphins. Eating white flour products and sugar, on the other hand, cause blood sugar imbalances that can lead to chronic mood disturbances. If you think this may be contributing to your low mood, try eating a high protein diet with frequent small meals – such as every 3 hours. Focus on whole foods and avoid caffeine and other stimulants.

There are other herbal remedies that have been effective for many individuals who are depressed, and it’s certainly worth exhausting these options before considering expensive, potentially dangerous medications. Talk with a Naturopath about your feelings and see if you can find a plan that will help you feel happier again.

What Causes Leg Cramps?

Leg cramps at night are called recumbency cramps, and are caused by spasmlike muscle contractions. You might also experience leg cramps after exercising if you are dehydrated. In both cases leg cramps can be caused by electrolyte or mineral imbalance in the body.

Leg Cramp Treatments

If your leg cramps are brought on by exercise, you may be dehydrated. Try drinking more water, both throughout the day and during exercise. Be sure to warm up and stretch before exercise and warm down and stretch afterwards as well.

Food Therapy Treatments

If you get leg cramps frequently, especially nocturnal leg cramps it could be due to an electrolyte imbalance.

Low potassium levels can cause leg cramps. Apple cider vinegar is high in potassium and this tonic should help quickly if your leg cramps are caused by low potassium: Mix 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar, 1 teaspoon honey in warm water and drink.

If the above tonic helps relieve your leg cramps, try to boost your potassium levels by eating more of these potassium-rich foods: apples, bananas, dried fruits, avocado, mushrooms, yogurt, milk, spinach, tomatoes, mushrooms, baked potatoes and cantaloupe. Potassium works with sodium to control the fluid balance in your body, and they have to be in the right proportions to each other in order to work effectively. If you have a high sodium diet try cutting back on the sodium a bit, and at the same time eat more of the foods that are high in potassium. Also, make sure you are drinking enough water.

Boosting your intake of calcium and magnesium can also help alleviate leg cramps. So eat more vegetables, especially dark leafy greens like broccoli and kale, almonds, and dairy products, all of which are high in both calcium and magnesium.

Other calcium-rich food sources include: salmon, sardines (with bones), green beans, turnip greens. Additional magnesium-rich foods include: nuts and pumpkin seeds, molasses, spinach, baked potatoes, bananas, wheat germ and seafood.

Vitamin and Mineral Therapy

To prevent leg cramps take a daily vitamin E supplement of 400 international units. If the Vitamin E alone doesn’t stop them try adding 500-1000 milligrams of calcium and up to 1000 milligrams of magnesium daily.

Physical Therapy Treatments

Acupressure or massage may help to ease the cramping once it’s started. Sit and bend the knee of your cramped leg, bringing your leg up toward your chest. There is an acupressure point in your calf muscle on the back of your leg. It’s about halfway between the back of your knee and your heel, at the bottom of your calf muscle bulge. Press and hold there for about a minute or until you feel the cramp release – remember to keep breathing while you do. You can also try gently massaging the back of your leg with long strokes upwards, from your heel to the back of your knee using the palm of your hand

*There are rare cases of leg cramps which are symptoms of more serious conditions, so if you have frequent leg cramps be sure to see your doctor about them.

Apple cider vinegar has anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and anti-viral properties. Among the ailments it’s said to cure are allergies, acne, high cholesterol, joint pain, weight loss, rheumatism, arthritis, gout, dandruff, chronic fatique, candida, sore throat, gum infection, sinus infection, flu, acid reflux, leg cramps and ear infections. It’s also used to help dissolve kidney stones, lower high blood pressure, and it’s also been shown to help with type 2 diabetes by improving insulin sensitivity.

Even though vinegar is acidic, when we take apple cider vinegar it has an alkaline effect in our bodies. The fact that apple cider vinegar causes our pH levels to become more alkaline could play a large part in it’s curative properties. It also reacts to some toxins in our bodies, converting them into less toxic substances. Our bodies need a slightly alkaline pH balance to be healthy. The typical Western diet creates an acidic pH in our bodies, and many health problems are attributed to this. Taking a tonic containing apple cider vinegar can help restore alkalinity, and therefore assist the body in getting rid of some of the health problems listed above.

In researching the health benefits of apple cider vinegar I’ve found a lot of anecdotal evidence – stories from people of the beneficial effects of taking apple cider vinegar. There isn’t scientific evidence to back up all of these claims, but of course unless the studies have been done there won’t be. Lack of scientific evidence doesn’t imply that it doesn’t work.

There was at least one study done on the effects of apple cider vinegar which used acetic acid – the acid component of vinegars. Now, I’d argue that apple cider vinegar is more than just acetic acid. In fact, apple cider vinegar consists of both malic acid and acetic acid. Being made from apples it would also contain pectin, as well as potassium, which promotes cell and tissue growth. Apple cider vinegar also contains almost all the minerals, vitamins and trace elements that our bodies need. Which leads me to suspect that some of the studies that are being done are fairly worthless exercises in determining the value of apple cider vinegar if they aren’t actually using apple cider vinegar in the study.

Because science allows us to break things down into their component parts in order to understand how things work, I think too often scientists only see things as their component parts, missing the whole concept of the synergy found in nature. Everything has the potential to be more than the sum of its parts.

The health benefits of apple cider vinegar will vary depending on the ingredients and process used in making it. Commercial production can use wood shavings, and other vinegars as the base (speeding fermentation), changing the makeup of the end product. You’ll get the greatest health benefits from apple cider vinegar that is made from organic apples, fermented using traditional methods, raw (unpasteurised) and unfiltered. If you can’t find good quality apple cider vinegar you could try making your own. This apple cider vinegar recipe has recipes for two methods of production. The one which uses whole apples will be of better quality for medicinal purposes, the one using scraps is quicker to make. You could make both so that you have something to use sooner while you wait for the whole apple batch to ferment.

Be sure to avoid taking apple cider vinegar neat (undiluted) as it eats away at tooth enamel and can cause burns to the sensitive tissues in your mouth and throat. There have also been reports of apple cider vinegar supplements (in capsule form) causing permanent tissue damage of the esophagus. So use apple cider vinegar in liquid form, diluted with water.

A simple tonic can be made from 1-2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar, 1 teaspoon honey in a cup of warm water.

Apple Cider Vinegar Recipe

There are three main ways that the essential oils used in aromatherapy enter your body:

* through your skin
* through olfaction – your sense of smell
* through your lungs

The Skin
Using essential oils in massage is the most common use of aromatherapy. The massage oil is made from a carrier oil with a few drops of essential oils added, this allows the essential oils to be absorbed into the skin. Applying heat will increase the rate at which the oils are taken in. The massage itself will produce a bit of heat, and covering the area with towels or blankets or a heated wheat bag is also common.

Once the essential oils are absorbed into the skin they work their way into the underlying tissue thereby affecting the nerves, organs and blood stream.

Here’s a quick and easy experiment to prove that essential oils really can enter your body through your skin. Cut a clove of garlic in half and rub the liquid (garlic essential oil) from the cut end on the bottom of your foot. See how long it takes before you can taste garlic on your breath (usually about 15-20 minutes).

The Sense of Smell (Olfaction)
The olfactory receptors, which are called chemoreceptors, are nerve endings embedded deep within your nasal passages. Fragrance chemicals in the air are inhaled and dissolve once they hit the fluid lining in your nasal passages. This allows the chemoreceptors to pick them up and send the ‘chemical message’ to the brain.

These chemical messages are sent first to the frontal lobe of the brain where the smell is analyzed, and secondly to the limbic system and autonomous nervous system. This is where emotional and physical responses to the fragrance are created. For instance, you might feel calm or sleepy, or you might sneeze. You might also be reminded of something in your past, and this experience will have an emotional response attached to it.

Some essential oils actively mimic neurotransmitters which have a powerful ability to alter mood. These can be helpful for conditions such as stress and depression.

The Lungs
Inhaling essential oils is the fastest way to get them into your bloodstream where they can start working. This is because the lungs are very efficient at absorbing oxygen, and vaporized essential oils that you breathe in. Since your respiratory system is designed to get oxygen into your bloodstream, when you inhale the fragrance of essential oils, they too are carried quickly into your bloodstream.

Some Benefits of Essential Oils
In France, where modern day aromatherapy originated, it’s a part of mainstream medicine in the control of infections because of the strong antibacterial, antiseptic, antiviral and antifungal properties of many essential oils.

All essential oils are antiseptic to some degree. However, a few of the more powerful antiseptics are lavender, thyme, clove, cinnamon, tea tree, manuka and oregano.

Essential oils are extremely beneficial in skin care. The ancient Egyptians, who invented cosmetology, used essential oils in skin care around 5000 years ago.

A study in Japan showed that lemon, vaporized in a room, reduced typing errors by 54%. Lemon is well known for it’s antiseptic and antimicrobial properties which would also make it beneficial throughout office buildings.

These are just a few of the many uses of essential oils in aromatherapy. But there is also an important aspect of aromatherapy that doesn’t get mentioned often – the pleasure aspect. Using essential oils is fun, even if you aren’t a qualified aromatherapist. Have some fun discovering which fragrances you enjoy, they are bound to have a beneficial effect even if you just use a few drops in your bath water.

In recent years numerous experts have been conducting extensive research work on this fruit and the results that have come up have been really outstanding. Just think of the amount of nutritional qualities Goji berries have together with the health benefits that emerge from them. There is evidence that up on the remote mountains of those Himalayan regions people generally live more than one hundred years leading a happy and healthy life, and their main diet consists of eating Goji berries and drinking its juice on a regular basis.

One of the most exceptional qualities of this wonder berry is that when eaten it prevents the cravings for sweet foods giving its contribution to weight loss. Drinking its juice also has its benefits, for instance it can reduce problems of insomnia in pregnant women and can even lend a hand in reducing dry skin leaving the complexion nice looking and nourished.

[DFR::459928384-7873-ss|align_right_1]Goji Berries are a rich source of antioxidants and are full of minerals, vitamins and amino acids. This fruit can be added to a regular diet as a supplement of outstanding nutritional value. These berries have an unbelievable amount of beta-carotene, more than carrots themselves, plus there are a number of vitamins such as C and E, Omega 6 fatty acid, Linoleic acid and a vast array of B- complex vitamins.

The goodness of this berry can come in various ways depending on how it is grown. Both the organic and chemically grown goji berry plants have countless benefits but while the the good quality ingredients of organically grown Goji berries are fully assimilated by the body, the chemically grown ones are full of chemicals that prevent the assimilation of all of its good elements.

Research has shown that Goji Berries are beneficial in more than one way. Like with any other food supplements further tests will have to be made before it can be universally accepted for the benefits mentioned above. In any case, many people have found benefit and relief eating Goji berries or drinking its juice and as it has no apparent side effects you could give it a try it could help you feel better and look younger.

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